First time in Paris for 5 days

I normally wouldn't suggest this, but since you are unsure about how to proceed, and since your trip is just two months out, I'd recommend some kind of package. If you can find a tour that would include airfare, hotel, and some of the attractions you're eager to see, you will eliminate a lot of the stress of figuring out how to plan this on your own.

Start with some of the standard travel sites (Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz) to get ideas, and then expand your research on the internet.

By the way, when you say you want to stay walking distance to main attractions, you should be aware that Paris is a big city. The two attractions you mentioned, for example, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, are a good 45-minute walk from each other. You'll probably want to rely on the Metro, which is not a bad thing, as the Paris Metro is extremely usable. Otherwise, you'll spend a lot of time walking (and there are some serious hills to contend with, such as if you head up to Montmartre.

Have a great trip!

I'd rather book flight and hotel separately. Economy flights are non-refundable after 24 hrs anyway. Most hotels have some sort of cancellation policy -- usually a full refund if you cancel at least 3-14 days out, but confirm before you book. Therefore, if your plans/days change or you find a better deal or location, you can cancel. If you book the two as a package, I believe the cancellation policies are more strict.

I'd definitely reserve in advance for the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. Metro is fantastic and easy to use. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be all over the city in a breeze.

If you're really into museums and the big sights, you may want to look into a City Pass, which gives you a certain amount of days free admission at most sights. They're sold online and everywhere there. For Metro, look into buying a carnet, which is a package of 10 tickets but cheaper than if paying separate, or a weekly pass, depending on the length of your trip.

As for other sights, determine what you really want to see and check online to see if you can reserve online. Believe me, the line out the door at the big tourist places are HUGE. Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Orsay, Notre Dame, etc. Typical boat cruises, you can usually show up a little early and get a ticket, no problem.

I'd recommend the Rue Cler area for hotels. Only 10 min walk to the Eiffel Tower. Very clean and safe, lots of markets and stores and close to Metro. No hotel is near all the sights, but with Metro, it's not a problem to get somewhere. Most hotels will be happy to book tours for you or sell tickets, but they usually get a commission, so if seeking recommendations, realize they may be skewed.

I've heard that Paris is dead in August but for tourists it'll hardly be noticeable.

Have a great trip! Paris is a beautiful city! There's so much to see. Wander, explore, discover little shops and courtyards and parks... in addition to the big-name attractions.

Hi dipali,

First thing, get a copy of the Rick Steves Paris book. It will help you navigate the city; provide recommendations on where to stay, and what to see.

I make air reservations directly with the airline via their website.

"Main attractions" are spread out all over the city so there is no one neighborhood (arrondissement) that will put you in close proximity to everything. Plan to do a lot of walking or use the metro/bus system.

Advance tickets to the Eiffel Tower may already be sold out, check the official website. Another option is a behind the scenes tour (try Get Your Guide).

If you are planning to visit a few museums, a Paris Museum Pass is a good idea. Check the website to see what is covered. You can purchase the Pass at one of the smaller museums (like the Rodin or Cluny). This will save time waiting in lines (everyone has to go through Security).

A one hour Seine boat cruise is always nice and gives you a bit of an overview of the city. There are several companies that operate the boats; one is just steps from the base of the Eiffel Tower.

Four nights is not a lot of time. Prioritize what you want to see or do.

Hope you have a great time in Paris!

Get a guide book and figure out where to stay and what to do. Do some research and get back to us or on tripadvisor.com for really good tips.

I would definitely book the flights then the hotel, but do it soon! Try a booking site like Booking.com or a B&B site like this one. We like the 7th arrondissement, but mostly I think it is vital to have access to a Metro station so you can zip anywhere you want to.

As others have said, pre-book the Louvre (for a treat try a private tour with Paris Muse), and Eiffel Tower as soon as you have your dates in Paris. It might already be too late for this, sorry to say, but you can stand in line anyway. Paris Walks is also a wonderful resource for touring. Only Euro 10.00 per person.

Certainly hotels will have some ideas for you, but it is best to do your own research in advance. Read Rick Steves' Paris Guide before you go, in fact, as soon as possible. Book those flights and lodging soon!

There are a number of sights that are in close proximity to each other - the two islands, Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Louvre, the Marais. Then the Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Concorde, Tuileries, l'Orangerie.
The Eiffel Tower is really the only "odd man out", but is easy to access by Metro or bus.

You can walk from the Champs-Elysees to Bastille in 2 hours, and from the Eiffel Tower to Saint Germain in 45 minutes, so I disagree that Paris is a big city. Normally, tourists average 5 to 7 miles per day, just walking around - so bring really good walking shoes, and forget anything fancy.

Most first-time visitors think of the Latin Quarter, since that's what they've seen most often in movies. This is where I'd recommend you stay, since it's located just about in the middle of what you'd like to see, and transportation is very convenient. Look for hotels - you'll need a triple room - with the Postal Code 75006.

The Paris Museum Pass might be worth it to you, but check to see what is included - the Eiffel Tower is not.
Do not purchase the "ParisPass" or any other pass - you won't use the things that are included, and it's too expensive.

You can buy "carnets" of Metro tickets at the tourist information booth at the airport - 10 loose tickets that anyone can use for a one-way trip. You should download a Metro map and plan what you'd like to visit before you arrive.

You should take a taxi from the airport - the flat rate fee is good for your family and your luggage - and will cost either 50 or 55 EU, depending on the address of your hotel. Just follow the over head signs to the official taxi stand, and hand the driver the complete printed address of your hotel, including the Postal Code.

PS - Paris is not "dead" during the month of August. That stopped a few years ago. It's a popular time for European visitors, and almost no businesses can afford to close for an entire month, anymore. You'll find lots to do, and lots of people around.

Hi All. Thank you for the great suggestions. We took first step and booked flight. Next is getting hotel and we are looking in 1-3 arrn and don't mind walking. And getting Eiffel Tower tickets!!!

You will walk your feet off in Paris. Plan to use buses/metro wisely to save time and pain. The sights are fairly spread out. It's a good idea to make a list of the places you plan to visit and group them by area. Staying in the 1st-3rd is not necessarily better than staying in the 4th-6th, which are also central. More important is to be near a metro station with lines that take you to other parts of the city.

One more suggestion: Paris can be HOT in August. Plan ahead and book a hotel with AC.

I would not book in those arrondissements; they are largely commercial and not a great base IMHO for a first trip. I'd be looking for a place with AC in the 4th 5th or 6th near the river. One hotel we love is the Henri IV Rive Gauche which is in the Latin Quarter close to Notre Dame. I know they have at least one triple which you will need. (note that unlike the US you cannot just add a kid to a room for free; you must declare 3 people or you will be turned away when you show up with a third person to take a double room)

I would get a Museum Pass for 3 days for so short a trip; whether it saves money or not it gives you access to shorter lines for the Orsay, Louvre, Orangerie at the least. Your daughter can just walk in with you for free at these sites. It is probably too late to get Eiffel Tower tickets ahead but if you find them available snap them up. If they only go to level 2, you can buy tickets to the top once you reach level 2.

You are all 'adults' for the metro; you can buy 10 tickets (carnet) for 14.10 and share them and buy another when you run out. Your daughter can buy a day pass called a Ticket Jeune for about 3.50 Euro for Saturday and for Sunday if you are there on those days which if she rides more than 3 times is a bargain. Be sure to hang onto your validated metro/bus tickets until you have left the system and then throw them away. You can be asked to show a validated ticket at any time on the bus or metro and the on the spot fine is very stiff if you can't produce one. We average about one check a week when we are in Paris but a couple of years ago were checked 3 times in one week.

As things are warming up here in France, I would definitely agree to obtain accommodations that provide A/C...this is not a common convenience, such as back in the states. With regards to getting tickets for certain attractions in Paris, we have found it easy to buy tickets for the Louvre and Musée D'Orsay as if we were locals. Showing up on a Friday afternoon at the Louvre (as they are open late this day) was effortless...a few minutes in the pyramid security queue, then a few more downstairs at the ticket booth (and yes, any booth sells tickets for the entire museum, not just for certain halls). Map out what you'd like to see, because you will be overwhelmed. For D'Orsay, arriving a half hour before opening made for a quick entry. As for a place to stay, perhaps choose a hotel that is close to a Metro station.

Thanks all for the helpful suggestions. We've booked hotel in Saint Germaine and booked tour of Eiffel on sat. Now just planning rest of days. Again thanks all and keep the suggestions coming. Surprising our daughter with this trip so hoping last minute planning works out.

We just got back from Paris. This is our first trip with kids (13 and 7) and we went to all the major sites and museums. Our kids favorite things to do are - feeding ducks in Jardin Du Luxembourg and Jardin des Tuileries, eating ice cream, climbing Tour Eiffel and Arc de Triomphe, playgrounds by Notre Dame and Place de Vosges, Ferris Wheel at Place de la Concorde, and the Renault car dealership on Champs Elysees. What they like most about the museums is the gift shops :) Do some research on what are the top attractions at each museum and try to limit your time to less than 1.5 hours. Teach your daughter a few French phrases. My kids learned to say 'Bonjour' when entering stores and getting on a bus, and they know to say 'Merci' and 'Au Revoir' when leaving a store or restaurant. Keep your museum tickets/ metro tickets so your daughter can do a scrap book. If you're there on a Wednesday, buy a Pariscope from a book stand. You'll find listing of free classical concerts and children events. Hope you have a wonderful time there!

A block or two from the Pompidou Center, you can find the Doll Museum (Musée de la Poupée), interesting for adults as well as children and while it's mostly dolls, there are other toys too. Fat Tire bike tours are very good - a good way to see Paris highlights and learn about the city without getting exhausted. Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf Seine cruise - daytime or after dark (remember it doesn't get dark until quite late, but that's when Paris is magical). Buy "anytime" tickets online in advance for significant savings.

We'll def do our research on what we want to see before we go to the Louvre. My daughter loves French macarons and fashion. I've heard of Laduree and Hermes for macarons but anyone have suggestions about tour activity related to fashion? Not shopping, but perhaps a fashion show or something. Thank you.

I love fashion and macarons too! One of the places that I am most looking forward to is the Fashion Museum of the City of Paris - Musée Galliera at 10 Avenue Pierre-1er-de-Serbia, 75116 Paris. I thought I read that city museums are free, but it is not clear on the museum web site. There is also the Musée des Arts Décoratifs within the Louvre. The YSL museum is closed for renovations until 2017, darn it! Galeries Lafayette has a free fashion show on Friday afternoons, but they must not do it during the summer months because there are no dates listed past June 24th. I don't know if you are planning any trips outside of Paris, but if you are going to Mont Saint Michel, the Christian Dior museum and garden is nearby in Granville where he grew up. That is another one I'm super excited about!