Best way to see "standard" Paris highlights?

This is a bit of a tricky question. My answer would be that I would probably do these on my own because I am familiar with the transportation system and these would be fairly easy to accomplish. However, that may not be the answer for you. Do you enjoy learning how to get around in new places or would this be a high anxiety situation for you?

I have found you tube videos to be very helpful to watch in advance of undertaking a new transportation system. You can put “ Riding Paris Metro”. “ train to Giverny”, RER to Versailles “ into the search window and find multiple how to videos on these topics. You could look at a few and decide if that seems to be something you would feel comfortable with or if you think tours might work better for you.

If the Louvre or the Orsay museum are among the “standard” highlights you’re considering, Mona Lisa and Whistler’s Mother notwithstanding, booking a tour with Paris Muse will be totally worthwhile. Pick the tour that interests you most from their Website https://parismuse.com/ .They’ll get you in the quickest route, and you’ll see that portion of the masterpieces in the most efficient way, with an expert as your guide. Most of them are art grad students. I’ve taken several of their tours, and all were exceptional. Price for their tours of art museums is very fair.

I haven’t used them for Versailles … used Rick Steves guidebook, but Paris Muse probably would come thru there, too - although not cheap.

What is the Montmartre observation deck?

I would start by prioritizing the things that YOU want to see, given the timeframe you have: 3 days. You won’t possibly see everything. List maybe 7 or 8 sites IN Paris. If Versailles is a must-see, that will take a good chunk of a full day, regardless if you take a tour or go independently. So you’ll need to cut your list down to 5-6 big sites. My choices may be different than yours, based on my interests. I’ve been to Paris several times and only been to three museums, they’re just not my thing. But they may be yours, in which case you could easily fill three days with them.

Many of the sights allow (or require) you to book tickets in advance (Louvre and Eiffel Tower). The advantage of a tour is you don’t have to do any research. The disadvantage is an increased price. If you don’t mind doing the research, Paris’s sights are easily done independently and via public transportation.

Travelforfun— what are the top must-do things from your point of view? Was thinking about fabulous cafes, boat ride on the Seine, two museums (louvre and dorsay most likely), Eiffel Tower, and Versailles…but husband is also interested in giverny and I don’t know if one can do the Versailles- Giverny trip easily without being on a tour.

You are going to need to decide what your priorities are and focus on those. It had not occurred to me that anyone would try to see both Versailles and Giverny in the same day. If that is your goal, definitely take the tour and expect a long day.

Everyone travels at different paces and what seems too busy for one person can be perfect for another. Your list seems quite ambitious to me.

Guessing she means Montparnasse Observation Deck? I’ve not been but am going next month and am thinking I’ll have a drink around sunset and take some pictures so probably only less than an hour visit.

Yes about Montparnasse Observation Deck -- sorry for the confusion.

Re Versailles and Giverny, I mentioned it because there seem to be a lot of tours that take in both in the course of a day... personally, I REALLY want to see Versailles and am not all that excited about Giverny, but as my husband is interested I wondered if those tours are worth the $.

Sounds like a tour is the best bet if we really want to see both, but I suspect we will just take the train to Versailles as we are spending two days in Bayeux to see some of the sights that interest him the most! Though I'm now getting quite excited about Bayeux myself!

We went to the Tour de Montparnasse for the observation desk, but only because we were staying near there. I dont think it would be worth the time to get there from anywhere else in Paris. Yes, it's a view, but I don think Paris from above is any more scenic than any other big city.

Since you have so little time, to scratch your husband's Monet "itch", I would suggest a visit to the Orangerie to see the actual Water Lilies, instead of a tour to Giverny. It is super central, easy to arrange, tickets are sold online. It combines well with the Louvre, they're close to each other.

We had a great time on Fat Tire Tours bike trip to Versailles which included an RER train from Paris to Versailles (about one hour each way), a stop at the market to pick up lunch, bike rental and guided tour. https://www.fattiretours.com/paris/tours/versailles-bike-tour/

That said, for a four-day trip to Paris, your first! I'd be inclined to enjoy all the city has to offer and not take any day trips. Paris is a fabulously walkable city, the Metro is easy to use and cabs are available (you just need to know where to stand to flag them down). Besides the notable destinations you've mentioned, we loved the Palais Garnier, the Rodin Museum, Luxembourg Gardens, the Musee Curie, the outdoor flea market at Porte de Vanves, Raspail Market, La Grande Epicerie, a shopping experience you won't soon forget and an absolute must if you are a foodie. Speaking of which, we loved Barthelemy, a tiny incredible cheese shop. We found the Eiffel Tower to be enjoyed from around and underneath it. I would suggest timed tickets for any of your choices.

Best of luck to you in your planning and being in Paris for your first time. You don't mention the time of year for your trip. When are you going?

With 3 day in Paris, I would do this (assuming you don’t arrive late at night):

Arrival day: Seine river cruise in the evening. Dinner at a cafe.

Day 1: Latin Quarter walk, grab a croissant or crepe for breakfast, St. Chapelle, Louvre

Day 2: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe (great view), stroll Champs Elysee a bit, then metro to Tuileries garden, dinner at a cafe. If your arrival time in Paris is late, do a Seine cruise tonight.

Day 3: Marais walk, lunch at a cafe, d’Orsay. Sounds like your husband may be a big Monet fan, so maybe L’orangerie.

I haven’t been to Giverny, but I’ve been to Versailles several times. I can’t imagine trying to do both in a day. Versailles is huge. It’s also about an hour from Paris. If you do a guided palace tour, the gardens, lunch, and the Hamlet, that’s a full day and you’ve only seen a portion.

It is difficult to give and receive advice about what to do and what to skip because we are all different....
Stockholm used to be my favorite European city, but Paris has jumped ahead. I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks in the city last year. With 2 weeks I had a lot of time to do lots of things.

I went up to the top of the Eiffel tower and also went to the roof of Tour Montparnasse.
I am going back to Paris for 2 short days this year with a companion that has never been before.
I will offer to go to the roof of Tour Montparnasse, but not up the Tour Eiffel. It takes too much time, it is crowded. True, the views are great, but it just feels "touristy" from start to finish. I did not find it difficult to get to Tour Montparnasse. I bought a ticket online and showed the code from my cell phone. It was a quick elevator ride. It was very pleasant at the top and not overly crowded, even at sunset. The views were great and included the lit up Tour Eiffel. I would recommend it for such a short visit.

I also went to Versailles, but not Giverny. I decided not to go to Giverny due to all of the complaints about how crowded it is. My trip was in September, so maybe if it was in May it would have been more tempting. I only went to Versailles because it was part of the RS tour I was on. I did enjoy the palace, but only because of the excellent guide we had. I super enjoyed the Queen's Hamlet as a great "country" atmosphere and it was a great break from the city. If your desire to see Versailles is about the history, then definitely go. If it is about the opulence, then I recommend a tour of Palais Garnier instead. In my opinion, the Opera is much more beautiful and it doesn't take an hour to get to.

Please spend at least 2 half days walking a neighborhood and eating/drinking at a sidewalk cafe. Walking the Marais and then the passages (covered shopping streets) would make a great afternoon/early evening before dinner. I also think that visits to Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens is a must.

If Versailles and Giverny are a must, then go ahead and take the combo tour. You will get a taste of Versailles and see the ponds and you can rest when you get home.