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Birthday celebration and overall PARIS ITINERARY

Hello!!! FolksI LOVE this forum as folks here tend to be kind. I am planning a trip to France and Spain in May -starting with 4 full days in Paris. We will be landing at noon from Canada May 5th. It is my partners first trip to Europe (I have been several times and once to Paris). I am expecting a bit whirlwind and am OK with that, but also don't want be running from place to place. We have looked at our "must dos" and tried to incorporate. I would love feedback on plan including order of operations and specifically my plan for May 5th as it's his birthday. Will include specific questions int he plan below-

May 5th-land at noon, check out apartment, get supplies and rest a bit. Reservation at Madame Brasserie for 9:00 pm birthday dinner. My question-feedback on Madame Brasseire ? Would we be able to get there early and take the stairs to second floor? There is a loft ticket open for 6:30 but maybe that's too early? Or just do the second floor tower and somewhere else for dinner?

May 6th-
10:30 reservation at Louvre-anticipate spending 2-3 hours there
stroll through Tuileries Garden to L'Orangerie
L'Arc to Triomphe for Sunset
Late Dinner

May 7th
Day trip to Versaille (thinking about the Fat Tire Bike Tour)

May 8th
Morning
Walk across Port Neuf to Ile de la Cite
Sainte Chapelle
Cross Pont de l’Archeveche to the Left Bank and walk to see book sellers along Seine
Afternoon
I would love to see Gallerie Dior and perhaps do some shopping
Evening -possibly 9:00 pm Moulin Rouge show

May 9th
Day trip to Champagne region (something my partner really wants to do)-any suggestions?

On May 10th we were planning on heading south to the Dordogue region -rest of trip looks somewhat like this. We like a road trip and want to keep it that way! I am wondering if we should add another day in Paris...

May 10th-train to Bordeaux and then pick up car -take car to Domme -3 nights at Le Relais des galets (May 10th-13th)

May 13th -head south to Berger Spain stopping at Carcasonne for lunch and a look around

May 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th -Stay either in Berger or spilt between Girona and Berger-objective to see some beach towns, do some hiking, day tip into Barcelona for a day, Girona

May 17th-Berger to Andorra -

May 18th -explore Andorra (hikes and shopping) night in Andorra (Partner really wants to drive through Andorra)-

May 19th -

May 20th -flight Paris home

Posted by
11569 posts

Andorra? I have never heard anything good about a visit there. It is known for it’s shopping.

Posted by
286 posts

Having done a bit of what you're doing for the past 6 weeks, here's my 2 cents. In Paris, I think what you have planned seems doable, mostly. 2-3 hours in May during a high visit time, may be a bit unrealistic. I'd schedule at least 4 hours. If you get out of the museum before then, it would be a win for you. Do you have tickets for L'arc de Triomphe?

Loved Bordeaux and the Dordogne. Something we discovered with arriving at our destinations while driving a car in the cities. It's absolute madness to arrive between 3:30-6:30. This is the time that everyone is on the streets: cars, trucks, pedestrians, and bikes. Very stressful, especially when Google wants to tell you to take pedestrian or restricted streets.

Be aware, that for us getting Toulouse from Pont du Gard (near Arles) took us 6 hours (normally a 2.5-3 hour drive) because they closed the freeway. This doesn't mean it will happen for you, just want you to know (apparently this is happening somewhat regularly?) So we ended up bypassing Carcasonne, sadly.

Oh, and I'm going to assume you are have been or will be going back to Barcelona? We spent at least 5 days there.

How are you getting back to Paris?

Posted by
1140 posts

I'm sad to see an itinerary like this that takes you so close to Bordeaux but includes no time in the city! I absolutely love Bordeaux. But chacun à son goût; I hope you have a great trip!

Posted by
119 posts

Merci all for your 2 euros
As always , your comments help me decide what to do which will “ fit me” and how I go about my days in France

Posted by
10188 posts

This shouldn’t affect you too much, but please note that the following days of your trip are national holidays in France.

May 8
May 9
May 20

Banks, post offices and the like will be closed. Which shouldn’t bother you. But every once in a while, a certain restaurant or shop or site will close - which is only a problem if it’s a specific one that you wanted to see/visit/eat at. The other thing is that transportation is on a holiday schedule - which means simply that there’s a little bit less frequent service than on a normal weekday. Again, usually not a problem, just can explain it if you see something that looks odd.

So just be sure to check things out for a specific day !!