Four day trip in Paris - Need advise

The first step would be to get a hold of a guidebook and in the light of your interests and research, do some planning.

I will buy the guide book but I was asking some advise here because peoples have visited many times in Paris and can "suggest" something better which will help me to manage my trip.

"You guys" are just like you, people who travel.

No professionals unless a RS Advisor chimes in.

So, get the guidebook and after you have read it, make a list of what Your must sees include. Then share that list here. You'll get advice.

Review TimeOut Paris online to check sites opening and closing hours. Researching websites also help with planning daily itineraries.
This way you can see what might seen later in the day or early evening when crowds can be more manageable.

remember flexibity should your mantra.

One reason for getting your hands on a guidebook is that certain important sights are closed on Sunday or Monday -- you don't want to put off A to see B and then find out that A is closed on the day you have available. Your public library may have current or prior year guidebooks.

Our host on this website has provided a handy suggested itinerary for up to seven days in Paris. Don't take it as gospel, but it could be a starting point for your own planning. A good guidebook will describe a lot of worthwhile places to see and things to do, many more than you'll have time for, but reading it should give you an idea of what interests you most. It's your trip, no one else's.

Make a list of your favorites and use a map to group them geographically. Then plan each day around a different part of the city. Keep in mind the days places will be closed and the days they'll be open evenings. Try to sleep as centrally as you can afford, so you don't spend too much time moving around the city (but the Metro is very fast and easy). Build in some slack time for strolling, cafes, people-watching, and such. If you want, bring specific questions back to this forum.

Which Hop-On-Hop-Off bus good to visit Paris. I am thinking to see the places in four days. Can someone include if I missed something OR advise

Day 1 - Montmartre Walking Tour, Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge Dinner and Show. ...
Day 2 - Paris Catacombs, Notre Dame Cathedral, History & Treasures Tour. ...
Day 3 - Palace of Versailles and Orsay Museum. ...
Day 4 - Eiffel Tower, Lunch Cruise, Arc De Triomphe and Champs-Elysees.

What do you enjoy doing? Are you a museum person? Do you like to walk? What area are you staying in?

Day 1 - You would be doing a lot of travel across Paris to get from Montmartre to the Louvre and then back up to Montmartre again for the Moulin Rouge. There is far too much in the Louvre for one day. You need to be much more focused on exactly what it is you want to see and look at a map to see where it is.

Likewise on day 3 you are thinking of Versailles (way out of town) and also the Orsay museum. The Orsay museum takes all day - so does Versailles. They are not anywhere near each other. Again look at a map, read the guidebook and try to be more focused.

Also you need to research your means of transport between each site. Are you walking, taking the metro or RER train. Once you know where you want to go and how long each site will take then you can plan a logical route between them.

In looking at your proposed itinerary of daily sights, I'd say Day 3 is a problem. Versailles is huge and last time when I did the gardens it took me most of the day. No way I'd be able to tackle d'Orsay after that!

The d'Orsay is open late on Thursdays so in theory you could do this if that's the day of the week you have planned but I'm not sure my brain could take it, lol!

The other days look fine to me assuming you've accounted for the day of the week that many museums are closed (usually a Monday or Tuesday) altho I do have some questions.

Day 1- Is this an arrival day from an overnight flight or will you have been other places and not have to deal with jet lag. If it's your arrival day I'm not sure I'd spend the money on a night event. If it's a jet lag day, I'd spend more time outside so I'd do the Eiffel Tower/cruise/etc Day 4 activities on this day so you are more in sunlight today.

2 - Not sure what the History and Treasures tour is? You might be able to do d'Orsay this afternoon

3 - Mentioned above

4 - This looks fine if you are interested in these sights. Champs-Elysees is a busy shopping street with so if that appeals, walk down it.

As to your question of using a hop on hop off bus connection for getting from place to place, these buses are not efficient means of transportation between the sites you've listed.

Should I use any Hop-On-Hop-Off us service day or night to visit Paris? Any suggestion

We stayed one night and so have friends of mine, at Hotel Campanile Nation. As you would guess it is at Place de la Nation on rue de rendez-vous. Metro or-bus will get you to the Eiffel Tower easily. Hotel is simple but beds were great. Check it out. Better than a hostel, I think.

Is it OK to buy ticket online for Eiffel Tower to avoid big line? But There are many tickets are available online for Eiffel Tower. Which ticket should I buy for 2 adults and 2 kids (9 and 7)?

Where are you looking for tickets? Official site shows tickets to summit (€25) or to second level (€16) (in both cases,less for kids 4-11) but some times are sold out. You pick the date, time, age and level and then buy. The many travel companies have multiple "guided" combinations at higher prices if that's what you want.

I would not recommend using a hop-on-hop-off bus for the kind of Paris visit you're planning. It can be a good way to "see everything" from a moving bus, getting a sense of the city's layout, and introducing you to a lot of sights you'll visit later,. But it's a very inefficient and expensive form of transportation if you already know where you want to go. You've started to make a plan and others have suggested a few adjustments, so you're on your way to what seems like a good, if busy, visit to Paris. I don't see what the HOHO bus would add really.

We always take a hop on hop off bus ... but we don’t get off. If you do it your first day - when you are too tired to walk around is a great introduction. It gives you a great overview so you.ve seen all the highlights and have figured out what your must sees are. You know where they are and now can plan an efficient return to see them.

Enjoy. Walk around, stop at a cafe that strikes your fancy and watch the world go by.

Orsay is great. More manageable then the Louvre. Remember to get your Museum pass at a tobacco shop. Then you can breeze past all the long lines right into the Museums (most)

Buy Eiffel Tower tickets online ahead of time or you will be disappointed.

I was trying to book online then asking the following. I am travelling from Canada and will not use my cell phone there.
What phone number should I used for buying this ticket.If you have a Mobile phone number account,
Enter the field Mobile phone number and the corresponding password.Mobile phone number* password* :Did you forget your password?

I cant believe you think you can do this many things with children.. Versailles is going to be very hard for the children... do not go there.. and I have been to Versailles many times.. at least a dozen.. and I love it.. but it is not great for younger kids.. and then you think you will drag them through a musuem.. they will be exhausted.

@pat
i totally agree with you about kids. thanks
when i first read this post it was "I" thinking only one person until i read about kids and eiffel tower tickets. dwatson677 think about your children, you can not do all these places for yourself and drag them along. you will not have an enjoyable time, just grumpy days. do something kid friendly, withlocals.com had ideas, tuktukinparis.com, a picnic at luxembourg gardens with carousel and boats to sail in pond. compromising will do wonders.
aloha

We took our kids (11 &14) on their first trip to Europe this summer. Our first rule: no museums. (Most kids REALLY don’t care about the Mona Lisa) 2nd rule: do stuff that interests them (ferris wheel, carousel, magic show, afternoon tea party, rent bikes, etc). 3rd rule: be flexible and ready to drop half of what you have planned. 4th rule: ice cream every day. Bribery works.

We broke up the days and did some sightseeing in the morning, back to the apartment for a mid-day break, then out again in the evening. You can’t travel like you’re on the Amazing Race with kids in tow without someone (possibly you!) being miserable.

You might look at hiring a private driver to take you around town. We did this one year in Paris when my mom was with us and not up to a lot of walking. We did a night drive around Paris. We drove by the Moulin Rouge (I would not waste the time or $ on the show - not kid friendly and requires formal dress) drove up the Champs E., stopped at the Arc de Triomphe and went to the top, stopped at the Troncadero to view the ET twinkling. It was a great overview of the sites (and Paris is beautiful at night!) without taking a lot of time. Pricey - but checks a lot of boxes in a little time.

I was trying to book online ticket for eiffel tower then asking the following. What phone number should I used for buying this ticket.If you have a Mobile phone number account, Enter the field Mobile phone number and the corresponding password. Mobile phone number* password* :Did you forget your password?

What is the corresponding password?

On taking children or a child to museums, I would say that depends on the museum and the child/children. My grandson was a month before turning 5 when we took him to France and Paris in 2005, first time for him flying. In Paris he was with us visiting the Invalides. It sparked his interest ...it all depends on the child.

I have to book eiffel tower online and asking the time. Which time is the best to visit eiffel tower?

What is the best time to eiffel tower?

Are you taking the kids to the Moulin Rouge for dinner and the show? You do know that the show includes partial nudity - buttocks and boobs? No judgment here, just a caution.

I agree with those who think this itinerary will be miserable for children. I do think they might enjoy the gardens of Versailles and a short visit to the Louve-I think they have Egyptian mummies there. If this trip starts this month, the Eiffel tower may be sold out.

Any time for the Eiffel Tower will be good. Select a time that is convenient for you and your kids.
Be sure to be near it some evening after sunset though, at top of the hour to see the twinkling lights.

I agree with everyone else that you should not go to Versailles on this trip.

Taking a hop on hop off bus for your first day there may be a good thing. Try to get a good seat on top with your kids and just stay on and see as much of the city as you can. I have done this when visiting a new city, particularly when I am tired.
As first time visitors with kids, it's not going to be easy to figure out metro or bus routes to sites. Taking a cab may be desirable to save time, though you can get help with transportation from your hotel staff I'm sure.
That is what is good about the Rick Steves Paris guidebook, it will tell you everything you need to know about Paris.
Highly recommend you get it, if you don't already have it!

Hi, I want to go from hotel des nations saint germain to ‘Paris Gare Lyon’ train for Basel. How much taxi should charge me (approx. Euro) if taxi go by meter.

Which Hop-On-Hop-Off bus good to visit Paris. I am thinking to see the places in four days. Can someone include if I missed something OR advise

Day 1 - Montmartre Walking Tour, Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge Dinner and Show. ...
Day 2 - Paris Catacombs, Notre Dame Cathedral, History & Treasures Tour. ...
Day 3 - Palace of Versailles and Orsay Museum. ...
Day 4 - Eiffel Tower, Lunch Cruise, Arc De Triomphe and Champs-Elysees.

Its really up to your personal preference. We were just in Paris for 4 days so I will give you my two cents. We did the Louvre, Catacombs, Notre Dame Cathedral, Orsay Museum, Bonaparte's tomb and military museum, Arc De Triomphe and Champs-Elysees (and a few others that we just quickly passed through because we had the free pass, like the Pantheon).

We enjoyed it all but our favorites were the river cruise, Louvre, Orsay, Bonaparte's Tomb and the Military Museum. My wife liked walking the Champs-Elysee to shop and we both enjoyed going to the top of the Arc De Triomphe for a great view of the city and the Eiffel Tower. We heard that the lunch and dinner cruises were over priced so we enjoyed a night cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf (we purchased discount tickets on line). We specifically avoided Palace of Versailles because it would take too much time and was pretty expensive. My wife had been there and said it was immense and crowed and all the rooms were pretty much the same, incredibly decorated but the same, and the gardens were very big. Since we were going to the Loire Valley we thought we would have plenty of Chateaus to look at.

The river cruise was cheap relaxing and a great way to see the city in lights. We bought the 2 day museum pass which was a good move because all of the museums and monuments that we saw (except the Catacombs) were covered by the pass and allowed us to the skip the line. If you want to see museums and monuments (e.g. Arc De Triomphe) I suggest getting the pass.

The sites were great but really my favorite times were: (1) sitting on the banks of the Seine with my wife with a bottle of wine watching the sunset and the boats; (2) having dinner at the street Brassiers around the Rue de Buci and people watching all night; (3) Running at dawn from our hotel to the Seine from Notre Dame past the Louvre to the Eiffel to Bonaparte's tomb to the Orsay back to our hotel.

My suggestion is to enjoy Paris' vibe and not do too much sight-seeing.