First Time In Paris

Looking at your spreadsheet, a couple of things stood out.

Am I reading it correctly, that you're planning to go to the Moulin Rouge show the night you arrive in Paris? If so, that's a very bad idea. There's a high liklihood you'll fall asleep before or during it, and that's an expensive nap! Much better to book it later in the trip. I wouldn't have any pre-booked activities for my arrival day. You never know if your flight will be delayed, or how you'll feel that day.

The time you allotted for your Versailles is way too short. It takes 45-60 minutes, each way, to get between central Paris and Versailles. Then, you have to go through security lines, and current reports are that these can take over an hour (even having pre-purchased tickets). Then the palace itself plus the grounds are huge.

You don't need two Eiffel Tower visits. If you're looking for good views, day or night, you can go to the the Trocadero (free with a great view of the Eiffel Tower), or the Arc de Triomphe (free with Museum Pass), or the base of Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre (I didn't like the scene here in the evening as much as the other two, but it is free and the views are great).

You say you want a museum-oriented visit (I like those too) but you are skipping a number of the "biggies." Are your sure you don't want to see the Musee D'Orsay, or the Petit Palais (free) or the Musee Marmottan? Even if you do skip these, when in the Tuileries garden, be sure to check out the Orangerie with the sublime Monet water lily rooms.

I can't say how long a visit you need for each museum, as that is so individual. For the Louvre, which can obviously take days to see fully, I found Ricks' audio tour was all I needed - I just didn't fine much of it too inspiring. The Orangerie is far smaller, but the art there spoke to me much more. Between the water lily rooms, the rest of the permanent collection, and the temporary exhibit at the time, I spent at least as much time there as I did at the Louvre.

A tight schedule is a recipe for misery. Pick one thing mornings and afternoons and evenings and then give yourself time to enjoy them without feeling like you are due somewhere else. You can always have a secondary list of nearby things.

As someone noted -- Versailles is an all day commitment -- if you have lots of energy then the Louvre is open Weds, Fri and Sat evening and the Orsay on Thurs. If you are interested in museums definitely include the Orsay.

Monday. It's an interesting plan. Most of us try to stay awake during the day and go to bed early. But if an afternoon nap has worked well for you in the past, you know best. Note that the area around the Moulin Rouge is somewhat dicey after dark. I wouldn't want to walk around alone.

Tuesday. Versailles covers a lot of ground. I'd go early and leave it open-ended, so you don't miss some parts because you have to rush back to Paris. Eiffel Tower - are you planning to ascend or merely see it from the ground?

Wednesday. Louvre is at one end of the Tuileries, which end at the Place de la Concorde (1 km away), then there's a long stretch (maybe 2.5 km) of the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. If you want to ascend the arch, allow at least an hour for the visit. You can only climb the stairs as fast as the people ahead of you so it may take a long time going up and down and you'll want some time to enjoy the views. My favorite time for the arch is to watch sunset. You see the city in the late afternoon light, watch the lights go on, and the Eiffel Tower light up. The Louvre is huge. I'd leave that open-ended as well. You may want to have a light lunch in the museum while you recharge and then see more. It's a good idea to plan ahead which parts are high priority. Their website is very helpful. Take a look at the "thematic trails." They are self-guided tours focusing on different subjects. Especially if it's a chilly day, consider stopping at Angelina's for hot chocolate and a pastry. It's on rue de Rivoli, about half-way through the Tuileries gardens. I haven't been to the Catacombs. Tour Montparnasse is on the other side of the Montparnasse Cemetery (which you may find interesting), about a 20 minute walk. The best views of Paris are from its rooftop.

Thursday. Instead of going to Sainte-Chapelle in the middle of the day and possibly having to stand in line a long time, go to an evening concert. There are usually 2, choose the early one, get there when the doors open and you'll have lots of time to walk around the chapel and see (and photograph) the windows. Choose a seat in the middle and you'll have good views of the windows during the concert.

Friday. No comment.

Since your visit is Mon-Fri, get a Navigo pass for metro and buses, especially if you can use it to get to/from Versailles and maybe Disney. One of the joys of Paris is walking, another is sitting at a cafe and people-watching (but not in the most touristy places!). Take a 1-hour Seine cruise (best right around sunset). I like Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf.

Generally, I plan breakfast, a large sight in the morning, lunch, another large sight in the afternoon, dinner and evening open to wander. I also keep a list of sights I'd like to visit in my back pocket in case I find myself with extra time. Instead of packing a bunch into a short visit, the number of sights I want to see informs how many days I should plan at a destination. In cities like Paris, Rome and London it's hard to ever have enough time to see everything, so you prioritize your top sights.

When your schedule is crunched, figure out which sights are open late and make those a third sight in the evening. I've never been to Eiffel Tower (not worth it for me) but I've been to Arc de Triomphe in the evening - and watched the top of the hour light show on the Eiffel Tower from there.

I agree about an inside show on arrival night. Unless you do a really good job sleeping on the plane, you're going to be tired and jet lagged. Sitting in a dark room may put you to sleep. I try to stay outdoors in the sun and force myself to stay up until at least 9, then hope for a good night's sleep to get me on schedule.

Hi from Wisconsin,
Brad, previous post, has it correct. A nice long breakfast with a fresh croissant. Visit one thing in the morning. Lunch...people go to France to eat. One thing in the afternoon. Dinner...is late by our standards. And spend the after dinner evening strolling the city. Paris is beautiful in the evening.

Not being in a rush, or 'behind in schedule' is worth more than fitting in an extra museum in a rush. This is suppose to be a vacation not a competition.

I have met people who have said the equivalent of this. "I have 24 hours in Ireland, what should I see?" My response is to skip Ireland, stay an extra day some where else.

Museums: D'Orsay, L'Orangerie, Marmottan. If there is aline at the first, go to the second. They are pretty much across the river from each other. The D'Orsay has a nice restaurant upstairs for lunch.

Enjoy Paris.

wayne iNWI

I can't imagine going to Moulin Rouge. And I'm a dude. Orangerie is a must-see along with d'Orsay, in my opinion. Disneyland Paris is not worth a day trip. Too little time allotted for Versailles. No Pere Lachaise? No stroll through/along the Left Bank? Catacombs should take no more than an hour. Make time to sit outside at a cafe and just relax and people watch. And really, please, no Disneyland Paris.

You cannot go inside Notre Dame because of the disastrous fire. I don't know how close you can get or whether you can see much of the exterior; there may be tons of scaffolding about. I'm sure one of our other posters can advise on the current situation.

As others have pointed out, three hours at the Louvre will only allow you to see a small percentage of the museum, so figure out your plan of attack ahead of time rather than just showing up. I'd be tempted to drop the Louvre and focus on smaller museums where I might spend less time just getting from one exhibition to another.