First time to France - Does this itinerary seem feasible?

Hi lwesner3;

The Louvre is pretty exhausting. It's very, very big and has loads to look at. I would leave a whole morning for it and then something relaxing the other part of the day. The d'Orsay is a lovely museum but not on your itinerary.

Saint Chapelle is a stunning chapel that is not to be missed when in Paris. I believe Rick calls it a "jewel box," and it truly is. Perhaps this would be a wonderful welcome to Paris for you, along with Rick's Historic Paris Walk and walking by the outside of Notre Dame.

The Eiffel Tower and Napoleon's tomb are near to each other so perhaps group them together. The Army Museum took us a good bit of time because it was so interesting!

It only looks to be about 2 hours between Paris and Bayeux on the train so you could plan on one of these activities when you return to Paris.

Yeah, St Chappelle is the best church in Europe, and I'd include that. Otherwise, for a short trip, probably not overly ambitious. You don't say where you are sleeping on Sat - if you could stay in Bayeaux for the 3 nights, that would be best.

I am not a fan of walking along the champs Elysees, a bit boring with lots of shops. (To look down along it from the Arc de Triomphe, toward the Place de la Concorde and imagine the Allied troops marching there after liberating Paris, however, that is a thing worth experiencing, but not in the time you have.) And do combine the Invalides (army museum) with the Eiffel Tower. They are a short walk apart. Depending on your schedule, I highly recommend Ste. Chappelle when you can fit it in. Maybe you could go there (reserve ahead), then walk to and around Notre Dame, cross the river to the left bank and stroll along the river checking out the bouquinistes, stopping for a meal or an aperitif. You could do some or all of this if you have an early return from Bayeux, without being rushed. Whatever you decide, if you group your sights and activities geographically, you will make the most of your visit to Paris.
Your Normandy plans sound reasonable and doable. You will have plenty of time, I am sure, on the day you get to Bayeux, to see the tapestry and cathedral, unless you have a very late train.

I personally would recommend the Musée d'Orsay over the Louvre, and pretty strongly, if you're actually going in order to see art. The Louvre has art that is overrepresented with military depictions over a relatively brief time period, and it has little explanatory information regarding the works. The Orsay is one of the truly great art museums of the world; it's probably my favorite ever.

Louvre vs d’Orsay?

Depends what you like in art. I love the impressionists. My son does not.

The Louvre is vast. We chose to focus on the Renaissance and Dutch masters. Others may like Romantic art or classical statuary. I suggest for a 1/2 day at the Louvre you need to consider its collection and your tastes and go with a plan, so you get to enjoy what you enjoy.

Been to Paris twice and I have yet to get to the Rodin museum. That’s partly due to seeing many Rodin statues at Stanford in California, as well as the S.F. Legion of Honor and the Met.

Paris has many museums, both large and famous and smaller and focused. So many are absolutely excellent.

Those we’ve quite enjoyed are

• Pompidou Center - modern
• Carnavalet - history
• Jewish
• Orangerie - Monet water lilies; other impressionist and some modern
• Petit Palais - a special Sarah Bernhardt exhibition, last year.
• Luxembourg Gardens’ museum - a special exhibition on Leon Monet, Claude’s older brother, also last year.
• Maison Balzac - a charming collection of wood cuts that were used to illustrate his many novels about The Human Comedy plus more about Balzac.
• D’Orsay
• Louvre

We’ve missed many more such as the Cluny (historical), Picasso, Marmotten Monet, and the Rodin.

So consider what you like, what you want to see, and what sights are near one another, as you plan your days. Consider what you enjoy. Remember that the big and famous sights have big lines during tourist season - but at least you’re travelling in November. Still, look at RS’s advice as to how you might minimize those lines. And, be mindful of what is closed when you are back in Paris on Armistice Day, November 11th. The smaller sights, not on the best hits lists, just might be more relaxing and more absorbing.

If this were my trip, I’d totally scrap the Champs Élysées and, instead, head to some of the Passages Couvertes in the 2nd Arrondisement, near the Louvre. SEE: https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/2nd-arrondissement-paris.html Other neighborhood walks? https://parisjetaime.com/eng/things-to-do-in-paris/walks-in-paris-i038 But that’s me. I like to think small and not just big. The back door, as well as the front door.

I’d also not repeat D-Day. You’ve been there, done that, and there’s so much more to do. But you’re just one of three.

We’ve been to France just three times. First trip, no Paris. Second trip, just Paris for one full week and with no side trips. Third trip, one month, with our final 4-1/2 days (five nights) in Paris.

With just one week, might your group prefer to concentrate more fully on Paris, even if you generally enjoy the country more than the big city? With no changes in hotels and less travel time? After all, this is Paris, not Chicago or L.A.

All said, this is your trip. You get to do what you want to do. I only suggest you look around as you plan.

It would be helpful to know what state you are traveling from, and if you have to take two planes to get to Paris. I guess I understand that you CANNOT add any days to this trip. Although I grew up in a big city, I suppose you use the term "country" to mean that you're not crazy about big cities in general. Correct me if that's wrong.

The problem is that Paris is a major city of the world. It is loaded with culture and history of all kinds. You should not regard it as if it is scary, or ugly, or unfamiliar, or intimidating. (I don't mean to put words in your mouth.) But have you been to any big cities in the US? Didn't they have some rewards, despite a mostly incorrect worry that you might be in danger or something?

You seem to have prioritized the D-Day beaches above anything else. Now, all my uncles only served in the 48 states. So I don't think the only important thing that ever happened in France (ironica typeface) was the D-Day invasion. I love Paris, and have been there many times. We didn't go to Normandy until our fifth or sixth trip to France. Even if you have a big interest in WW II (or other wars), there is a lot to see in Paris (and nearby Versailles.) Just for example, on our fourth trip to Paris, we ran across a bare sculpture pedestal. Because I can read French, I read that there had been two military monuments there. Germany tore both of them down, during 2 different war -occupations. After WW II, Paris decided that a better monument to what happened was to leave the pedestal ... empty!

You are also condemning yourselves to wasting large chunks of a very short vacation in vans, busses, and trains. Certainly travel experience can be enjoyable, but you are not paying all that money just to look out the window for hours and hours.

I wonder if you know that this newsboard tends to attract travelers who want to, in some way, feel at home, or get an idea of "life" at their destination. I loved going downstairs to a stand-up bar where the locals were having their morning coffee, and eating cheap truck-delivered savory (not sweet) pastries from a hot-display-case. You can't do that if you are always rushing somewhere.

Hope that helps. Beware of advance purchase need for places like Eiffel Tower, and maybe the Louvre.

Iwesner3,
I just reread your post. You only have seven days on the ground. If you are not totally set on Normandy and Mont St Michel, I would scrap that and spend all my time in and around Paris. There are numerous day trips to make from there that would not have you on a train or bus for hours. Plus, you could see more in Paris and have time to soak up the ambience. (There really is a different "air" in Paris!)
Day trips...Reims, Versailles, Chartres, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Malmaison...all easy to see without spending hours in transit.
This is your trip, but give some thought to skipping Normandy this time. Whatever you decide, have fun!

You don't say where you are coming from-if you are flying from a different time zone, you need to factor this into your itinerary. We go to Europe from Canada so I always plan to land in the AM, drop bags at the hotel, and do something in the morning. If this is your first time in Paris, I highly recommend the Hop on Hop Off bus tours. You will get the lay of the land, be able to stop for brunch/lunch and then back to the hotel for a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. And then out again exploring until bed time, Paris time. You will be very, very tired on the first day.

Since this is your first time in Paris, and you have very limited time there, I would invest in some professional walking tours. It is the best way to learn about this incredible city. I always combine a walking tour in the AM with a museum visit in the PM. This seems to work out great for us. The most important thing to remember is that you cannot see it all. Paris is a city that should be savored and not rushed through. See less and enjoy more.

And my last piece of advice is to skip Versailles completely. It is terribly overcrowded, noisy and not worth the time. The Louvre is a former Palace that is just as magnificent, easy to get to, and way more enjoyable. Enjoy your trip!

I wouldn't do both Louvre and Army Museum on the same day. I'd pair them with something smaller.

Both the Army Museum and the Louvre have massive collections. I limited myself to just medieval armor, Napoleonic wars and Napolean's tomb and it was every bit of a half-day. I wouldn't have believed there was that much medieval armor produced in the entire world, let alone in this one museum. Each battle of the Napoleonic wars is described in detail with a diorama and audio guide. Each one is probably 20-30 minutes by itself.

You already know the Louvre is overwhelming for a single visit. Like the Army Museum, you will have to focus on just the highlights that interest you.

In a short visit, I'd drop Champs Elysses and Eiffel Tower completely. The boulevard is just an expensive shopping district. Even if shopping's a priority, it sucks up a lot of time on a short trip. Eiffel Tower can be seen from all over the city without battling crowds to go up. I prefer to climb the Arc de Triomphe in the evening to watch the light show on the Tower. And a walk near the base of the Eiffel isn't bad if you're in the area.

If you have your heart set on going to the Normandy area for 3 nights and seeing the D-day beaches and Mont. St. Michel, with a total of 7 nights, I would consider taking the train to Bayeux on the day of your arrival. This way you can spend the last 4 nights in Paris in the same hotel.

I did this in June/July 2022 , 3 nights in Bayeux, then 4 nights in Paris before I went on the RS My Way France tour. My trip report:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/my-way-france-before-during-and-after-the-rs-tour

I arrived at CDG at 8:15 AM coming from Portland Oregon. I took the Rossy bus to the Opera area, then walked to Gare Saint-Lazare to arrive around 12 noon. My train to Bayeux left around 1PM. If I had to do it over again, I would take a taxi from CDG to Gare Saint-Lazare if you are tired and suffering from jet lag as I was.

Most recommend leaving yourself at least 3 hours between arrival at CDG and any train trips out of Saint Lazare. As others have mentioned, you want to take the direct train with a total trip time aprox 2 hours 15-30 min. My train only made one brief stop in Caen before arriving at Bayeux. I used the SNCF app on my phone but the SNCF website lists all the available trains. In my case it was a little less expensive to purchase the ticket ahead of time before I arrived but some will recommend waiting until you get to Saint-Lazare station in case your flight is delayed. The Metro in Paris is great, you can cover a lot of ground easily, I used the CityMapper app on my Android phone and the Navigo weekly pass. Have fun, enjoy your trip!.

I'd say it looks doable. The Louvre is always crowded. I think it is open one evening a week. You might want to consider that.

Someone else mentioned Ste Chappel. I agree. It is impressive. Needs to be a sunny day so the light is coming through all that stained glass.

I really enjoyed the Rodin Museum, too.

I might consider an evening at the Louvre a Frank suggested. It would open up a day to see something else in Paris.