Help plan a week in Paris?

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when planning a full week in Paris, when it's your first time. I hope you have a good guidebook. I like Rick's Paris/France book because of all of the information on transportation, itinerary planning and tips. Plus, some of his guides for places of interest and walks are very helpful. We used his audio guide app and audio tours A LOT last fall.

We used the map from the guidebook to mark all the places we hoped to see, then grouped each day's itinerary to one geographical area so we weren't running from one end of the city to the other every day. And we only picked 2-3 places to visit each day, so we had time for strolling, sitting at sidewalk cafes and relaxing. You likely won't be able to do everything on your list, so limit yourself and just enjoy each place you go to to its fullest.

Since you'll be there for a week, I'd recommend getting the Navigo Decouverte pass for the Metro, buses and RER trains. This will also cover your trains to and from Versailles. It starts on Monday and ends on Sunday.

The Musee D'Orsay is wonderful and not overwhelming like the Louvre. I am planning on visiting the Musee Jacquemart-Andre for the Mary Cassatt exhibit this June, but that will be gone by September. The museum, though, is supposed to be beautiful and has a lovely cafe. The Place Dauphine is a nice respite from the traffic of Paris and there are several restaurants, though they have increased greatly in price since I was there twelve years ago. I love Luxembourg Gardens for strolling and I am putting Jardin des Plantes on my list this visit. The Marais is great for getting lost. The Maison de Victor Hugo is located in that area and I believe it's free or just a suggested donation. I am looking to make a day trip either to Troyes, Reims, or Chartres by train, so that might be an idea since you both like to explore. My daughter and I are doing Lyon after Paris as well. I love Vieux Lyon. You can definitely get your fill of walking, eating and drinking there. There are a number of small museums in Paris that you can search on the internet to get an idea of whether they are your cup of tea or not. I don't know if you are early risers, but walking the streets of Paris in the early morning while the shopkeepers are cleaning their walkways and there are few other people around is one of my favorite memories.

Have a look at the itinerary for the Rick Steves' week-long Paris tour. I did this tour two years ago and enjoyed it. You may want to do a number of the items on it.

We have Rick's France book (and I have downloaded a lot of his audioguides - I have a "splitter" for the headphone jack so we can listen together). But the wealth of info is part of why we are so overwhelmed! Grouping things on the map may help me get organized. I like the idea of the Navigo pass and the timing (Monday to Sunday) works for us (although we will still need to get from CDG to St. Germain upon arrival).

We definitely expect to spend some time in the Orsay (I like that the PMP lets us make multiple visits, if necessary). As for the Louvre, while we will definitely go, I am considering skipping Mona because I don't like the idea of a crowded room to see one smallish picture. Like the neighborhood suggestions and the smaller museum ideas.

Keep it coming people and thanks so much!!

The Museum Pass is worth it, and you can pay an additional cost to have it sent over to your home (DHL does the courier service for the passes which are sent by the "Office du Tourism et des Congrès Paris") or for it to arrive at the hotel the day before you arrive.

For transport, it all depends how often you're going to be traveling around. You definitely have to get from CDG to the center of the city (which is around 10 Euros for that one trip on Sunday) and then get around the rest of the time. Your options would be either Paris Visite passes and individual tickets / packs of ten called Carnets for the days in question, or get a day pass (Mobilis) for the Sunday that includes the trip in from the airport and also a weekly pass called a Weekly Navigo Découverte (always valid starting on a Monday because it's actually designed for commuters but is cheaper than the Paris Visite option). Check online and crunch the numbers to see what works best for you ...as with all travel options when there are multiple choices, it's like algebra but with railtracks!

Using the list of museums covered by the pass, choose the ones you want to visit and look at what day each is closed. That is how I always start my planning when going to Paris.
Two smaller museums we love are Musee Rodin with it’s outdoor sculpture garden and L’ Orangerie in the The Tuilleries, featuring Monet’s large scale mural waterlilies.

I was just in Paris for 4 days, my third visit!

If you like Monet, definitely go to the Musee d'Orsay. This trip we went to the Marmottan Musee Monet which is a smallish house filled with Monet's works and other Impressionists. I've been to the Louvre but it is worth a visit covering the highlights but timing is everything. Maybe go on the evening it is open till 9 pm, Weds., I think. Also, we went to the Musee Picasso and loved it. We only did two things per day, a Museum and a walk or cruise, or Eiffel Tower.

We went on a Paris Walks tour of Hemingway's Paris, which is an interest of mine. They have Occupation Paris and all sorts of interesting walks and topics. The guides are terrific, knowledgeable, passionate and funny.

We went on a Seine cruise on Sunday morning, lovely! We didn't make it for an evening one. We went to Trocadero Square to see the Eiffel Tower and simply people watched! Also, had tickets to go up to the second level, my friend wanted to do this.

Someone mentioned the Jacquemart-Andre Museum which is lovely and the tearoom is amazing.
I know you mentioned Versailles which I have visited once. Timing is important on this. This trip we went to Giverny which is one of my favorite places of all time. Try not to go on the weekend, it will be very crowded.

I love Paris and I think you will too! Hope I have given you some good ideas. Mainly do lots of walking around neighborhoods. Oh, we took the buses to get around also.

We used Rick's guidance and than tailored it to our preferences. You might consider a day trip outside of the city. Of course Versailles could chew up most (or an entire) day.

After looking at your options sit down with your better half and come up with a flexible plan. Try to include some down time to just st stroll a park, etc., and have a nice meal.

shawn - Those Paris Visite and Navigo links were truly helpful! I think the Navigo is definitely the way to go for us (the photo thing explained at the link is interesting and good to know - do they accept credit cards?).

Suki - Cross referencing the closure dates while trying to organize museum days is a good tip. Both the Rodin and L'Orangerie were ones we were looking at, good to hear someone encourage a visit!

Judy- Your Paris Walks suggestion is a great one! We have done London Walks and a walk in Seville as well. Love them and will definitely look into Paris!

You guys are all wonderful. Thank you!

Many great suggestions have been shared...I'd like to add/second some of them. We've been to Paris a few times, and used the Museum Pass well! Here are some of my thoughts:

Musee d'Orsay on the late night entry will give you more access to the art with less crowds. Also there is a cool model of the Opera Garnier, toward the back of the first floor galleries.
Same for the Louvre - we visited twice one heatwave day - about 5 hours in the day, and back again in the evening. It was a totally different experience in the evening - a good one!
Musee Jacquemart-Andre was a joy - I regret that we didn't have a treat in the lovely tearoom. If I get another chance to go I will be sure we did that.
Orangerie is beautiful, and I'd recommend getting there early for a more serene experience. They also have pretty Murano glass jewelry in their gift shop, which I loved.
Cluny Museum is small, easy to navigate, and filled with interesting things to see, from the tapestries to a narwhal horn, to heads from Notre Dame to beautiful stained glass...and a Roman frigidarium! This is in an interesting neighborhood to explore (Latin Quarter), and you're near the Pantheon as well.
Arc de Triomphe near sunset - the view of the city and the Eiffel Tower as the lights come on is really special
Tour of the Opera Garnier I think there was an option for a tour with entry - we did that, and it was great. Sitting in the rich red chairs, each with a name plaque on it, and looking up at the Chagall ceiling was memorable for me.
Fontainebleau was beautiful inside and out.
Sainte Chapelle on a sunny day - the stained glass was spectacular. You go in and then up to see the chapel. I didn't know that, and was a bit underwhelmed at first. But then...WOW! There are concerts there, too.

Not included in the pass, but interesting to do:
Musee Marmottan was a little tricky to find by combo of bus and walking - but it was memorable if you like Monet. Tucked in a neighborhood, it did not seem touristy there at all. A nice reprieve from crowds.
Giverny is worth a side trip if you can get there early in the day. We were the first group to get there on our tour, and the water was still (motionless) in the pond, reflecting everything beautifully. Monet's home is interesting, and the gardens were gorgeous. When the crowds descended, we were very ready to leave.
Lunch or snack on the rooftop cafe of either Printemps or Galeries Lafayette (I think I read that one was closed currently.) Great stained glass dome in Galeries Lafayette
Picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens by the Medici fountain (or really, anywhere)
Visit Poilane in the 6th, and consider a lunch of tartines at Cuisine de Bar at 8 Rue de Cherche-Midi or an ample breakfast of tartines, croissants, etc. Another location in the Marais - I've visited both. :-)
Jacques Genin in the Marais, an awesome chocolate, caramels, and pate des fruits boutique where there is a small and elegant tea room with a few choice items on the menu. I loved the award winning tarte citron. We met M. Genin while there - he was very gracious. We had tea, but I heard the hot chocolate was outstanding...so I'll get that next time.
Place des Vosges is another lovely place in the Marais to relax and watch people. The architecture is beautiful.

Have a great trip!
Laurie

You've got lots of wonderful ideas. One thing I will add is that the great thing about the Museum Pass is that you can visit a museum, leave after a couple of hours before you get museum'd out, lol and then make another visit. One year I went to the Louvre about 4 times. I tried to restrict myself to about 2-3 hours at a time. I can just totally overdo in a museum and need to have a plan in place to avoid that.

You can of course by the Museum Pass at any museum (Rodin is a good one as there is often not a line) OR you can also buy them at many Tabac's. This is a small tobacco shop that also often sells Museum Passes, the Navigo Decouverte, lottery tickets, etc. They will have a sign outside showing the bright pink Museum Pass logo. Here is an example of the Tabac where I bought my Museum Pass and Navigo last fall. You can see the pink sign on the wall and the green sign hanging that says RATP on it is a sign they sell the Navigo Passes.

https://goo.gl/maps/VodVGf8uP4v

Like Judy, I love the Paris Walks. I did 4 last fall. Really, really interesting.

Thank you all, I have plenty to work with now!!

Sorry I'm a little late with my thoughts. You've been given many great suggestions, so I'll speak more to the "how" of planning.

I planned a week in Paris recently. I used the Rick Steves list here: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/paris-itinerary but customized it to work with the days certain museums are closed and moved to the back of the list things I wasn't sure I was desperate to see (Montmartre, Marais, Rodin). The Paris Museum Pass has links to all the museums and you can see which ones sound interesting.

For the first three days I planned backup activities in case of rain. And I tried not to put Versailles and Giverny on back-to-back days because we wanted to spend a day at each one. We kept every day flexible, sometimes ducking back to our hotel for a few hours of resting our feet or revisiting a museum we'd seen earlier in the week. It's important to keep the lines of communication open with your spouse so no one gets grumpy from doing too much decision-making.

Have a great trip, and if you want to share a trip report when you're back I would live to read it.

Can you extend your stay in Paris for one more night, leaving on the 17th? The Journées du Patrimoine 2018 (European Heritage Days) is on Sept 15-16. I've linked to last year's program so you can get an idea of what's happening. Most public (i.e. not private) museums and tourists sights are free (and probably crowded), so you may want to avoid them. On the other hand, a number of places are open to the public only on these two days of the year and it's a wonderful opportunity to see them. The one time I was in Paris for this event, I got to visit the Assemble Nationale (their house of representatives), the Luxembourg Palace (home of the French senate) and the Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall). These are all opulent palaces that retain their 17-18th century elegance and grandeur. Lots of other government offices were open, including the official residence of the French president. Quite a few embassies also hosted open-houses with special exhibits. I visited the Russian Embassy, housed in a gorgeous mansion, that had a special exhibit of the Romanovs, including some Faberge eggs and lots of other jewels. If you can't manage one more night, at least make the most of the 15th and as much as you can of the 16th.

Before I go to Paris, I make a list of sights that interest me and rank them as must-sees, wanna-sees, and "others", group them by area and make a note of closure days and evening hours. I'm not much good at planning detailed day-by-day itineraries, so that's usually all I do. I'll decide in the morning or maybe the day before, which way I feel like heading. I suspect that's a little easier when one's traveling solo :-) If I'm going to do a Paris Walk, I'll plan nearby sights for before or after. What I've discovered is that especially in Paris, it doesn't much matter if I get to all my must-sees or even the one I've selected for that day. There are always other places that catch my attention as I walk and sometimes I get ideas from a tour guide or other tourists I chat with. I've learned not to regret what I don't do, but to savor as much as possible of every minute.

Instead of the potentially long security line at Sainte-Chapelle, consider going to an evening concert. Get there when the doors open and you'll have plenty of time to choose your seats, then wander around the chapel to see the stained glass and take photos, then continue to admire the windows during the concert. The Louvre is usually less crowded in the evenings. I love the Seine cruise with Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Best time is to start right around sunset. BTW sunset is late in Paris, so check and plan ahead for things you want to do after dark.