Feedback on my Paris travel plans - first time visitor

Welcome to the forum. I see this is your first post. I am confident other responders will give you some better informed advice than I can, but I will jump in anyway.

You have given good thought to your planning. I like the idea of one museum a day, of focusing each day in one area or two adjoining parts of town and seeing the city’s neighborhoods. I trust your careful planning takes into account what museums are open on a given day.

I have only been to Paris twice; France just three times. Our most recent trip to France was 30 days, with a planned four days in Paris at the end. British Air ended up giving us an extra half day and a fifth night in Paris, because inevitably something goes awry, so we wasted a morning going to and from the airport for a cancelled flight and reaped the benefit of the extra time in Paris at the Orangerie and in the Latin Quarter. .

One possible suggestion for an itinerary change

On our first one week trip to Paris (our second trip to France), we had so much fun exploring Paris that we never left the city. Last year, we spent a month in France and ended our trip with 24 hours in Versailles on our way to our final long, then extended weekend in Paris. I say all this in preface to suggesting that you consider the possibility of spending your last day in Paris and not bothering with Versailles.

Sacre bleu. How can anyone suggest not going to Versailles?!

Versailles is a very large palace that resembles a large museum that is very crowded with way too many visitors and that has a lot of so-so art, other than the magnificent ceiling frescoes, mostly but not entirely in the King’s Apartments. The enormous gardens are not all that grand or elegant - not when compared with the also overcrowded gardens in Giverney or the beautiful and less crowded gardens at some of the châteaux in the Loire (and elsewhere through France).

Paris has many other charms. There are a number of smaller museums, including the Pompidou Centre (modern), the Cluny (history of the Middle Ages, on Blvd St. Germain where the Latin Quarter meets St Germain), the Jewish Museum (history and art, in Le Marais), the Carnevalet (history of Paris, also in the 4th Arr, Le Marais) the Petit Palais and the art museum in the Luxembourg Gardens. Take a look on-line to see what exhibitions are showing at these other museums when you are in Paris. Last year, we saw special exhibits on Leon Monet (Claudes’s brother) in the Luxembourg Gardens Museum and on Sarah Bernhardt at Le Petit Palais, both of which I found on the internet as part of my planning. .

Paris has other gems. Last year, we also enjoyed four of Les Passages Couvertes in the 9th and 2nd Arr., the Maison Balzac, an organ recital in St Sulpice, as well as Rue Mouffetard.

One person’s (Katheryne’s) recent Trip Report referred to an evening concert at Ste. Chapelle during her 6 days in Paris. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-six-days-in-paris

So enjoy Versailles if you have your heart set on it. Or consider a sixth day in Paris, if you’d prefer.

Bons vacance!

I do want to see Versailles, but the fact that it will probably take up an entire day is somewhat of a deterrent. I've never been to Europe before, so I do want to see a bigger palace like Versailles.

Thank you for sharing the link to the other posting. The classical music concert peeks my interest. I will definitely look into that.

As I get closer I will look more into the exhibitions at the museums. This may give me a better understanding of what I would really prefer, for instance Petit Palais versus Museum D'Orsay. I am blown away by the number of museums in Paris!

This forum has been very helpful in my travel planning!

Hi! If a classical music concert is of interest, as you state, allow me to amplify the suggestion of seeing what’s on at Ste. Chapelle. The setting is soooooooo glorious! I mean - original 13th century stained glass, soaring vaulted ceilings - it does not get better. It’s heart-stopping even without music.

I also agree about skipping Versailles. There is so much to do in Paris that you won’t run out. And yes, Versailles is pretty much always rammed with people, so there is a lot of shuffling along slowly behind hordes of other shuffling people. In addition, it tends to be GHASTLY HOT in summer. Really unbearable. I have honestly only ever enjoyed Versailles in winter (fewer people, less heat).

As for the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees… well… the Arc is majestic, but it is also at the center of a traffic circle that roars with something like 8 lanes of cars all jostling madly. And you get there by walking up what is essentially a very long tourist trap, complete with expensive shops, American chain restaurants, and lots of tat. It’s an iconic Paris experience, yes… but given what seems like your penchant for more neighborhood-based locations, you might want to consider not taking the time.

Trocadero is a fabulous place to picnic - and at night you will have front and center seats for the dazzling light show on the Eiffel Tower. But you may already know that! :-)

Given your interest to explore neighborhoods, look at Annie Sargeant's VoiceMap tours on the Join Us in France website. They load on your phone and are very good. Her podcasts may help you in some of your planning as well.

For your Eiffel Tower adventure, you might start at the Trocadero and work your way downhill to the Champs-de-Mars. Downhill is better than uphill in my book. Although the view will get better if you climb to the Trocadéro.

If you have slack time it would be easy to take the Metro to Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe and walk enough of the Champs-Elysees to satisfy your curiosity. Have a great trip!

Some random comments;

You can use your phone these days to purchase Metro tickets. You can do this direct from Apple Wallet or through apps. Of course, some prefer Navigo Easy.

Skip Champs-Elysee, in my opinion, with your timeframe and interests. Touristy shops.

Did you consider Musée de l’Armee - Napoleon’s tomb and military history including resistance exhibits, DeGaulle major exhibit, military campaigns through the centuries.

Rodin Museum is another smaller museum that might fit your arts interests.

The Pantheon interior is worth seeing and not time consuming (again, my opinion).

Every time I have visited the Picasso museum, including their current exhibition, I have been disappointed. Do check that whatever the exhibition is in July ‘25 is to your interests. As noted above, the Carnavalet Museum in the same area, history of Paris, might be an alternative.

My first visit to Paris, decades ago, I had to see Versailles for the history. I’ve been back many times always exploring on my own. Others may disagree, but the day tours from Paris are too restrictive for me - I like to explore the gardens and out buildings on my own. An hour long tour of the Kings Apartments or whatever the Palace is offering through their website can be good. I gave enjoyed those.

Have a great trip - hopefully the first of many!

I'm on the skip Versailles band wagon as well. Too many other fascinating, interesting places to visit. It's so incredibly crowded that it makes it difficult. If you do go, then please enjoy; but I jumped in just because if you find your time is limited and you can't get there (this time), you'll be ok!

Enjoy your marvelous trip!