Itinerary Feedback Request for Paris - First Time to Europe

The intinerary itself looks fine timewise.

Is the Canal St. Martin ride something you're dying to do? I only ask because I think you'll be bored silly, to the point of falling asleep. It's very slow, and just not that interesting. Great if you want to give your feet a rest, I suppose. If it's a nice sunny day, I'd sooner go to Ste. Chappelle. It's really spectacular on a nice day.

Is the VR in parentheses after Notre Dame the virtual reality thing under the parvis? If so, it's excellent. I think you'll really like it. Just make sure you purchase tickets for the one at Notre Dame and not La Défense. It's an easy mistake to make if you don't know there are two.

Agree 100% in every way with HappyToBeHere! Ten out of ten, no notes. :-)

Just my opinion, but I think a cruise on the Seine will be much more enjoyable than on Canal Saint Martin. We've used Vedettes du Pont Neuf for several cruises and have always been pleased. A cruise during the early evening hours is quite delightful. Google them and see what you think.

We were considering the Canal Saint-Martin cruise but walking through the area to see the locks might be the better way to go…

Will make sure we book the Notre Dame VR for the Notre Dame location - good tip!

Thanks so much for your feedback :)

You don't mention how you will be getting around the Normandy region, but I would suggest taking the train to Caen or Rouen or even Rennes (if going to Mont St Michel) and pick up a rental car. It's very easy to drive in Normandy and it really gives you a lot of freedom for getting around.

Also, since you mention taxi's in Paris. Be sure and get the G7 Paris taxi app. It's very similar to the uber app. Except reliable and official Paris taxi's can use the bus lanes, so you really move through traffic. We used in while in Paris this past spring. So convenient.

You have no mention of any museums. Maybe no interest or feel there's not enough time for the Louvre or d'Orsay. If you want a small manageable museum, visit L'Orangerie to see Monet's water lillies murals. Make advanced reservations. It's in the tuilleries so very charming. Also, the gardens at the Rodin museum; also small and manageable.

Don't miss St Chapelle. Reservations are a must.
Enjoy!

Not sure of the date, but the staff at the Notre Dame VR site said that in 2025 they will be closing that location, but the La Defense location will remain available.

Safe Travels.

I also noticed the lack of museums - particularly either the Louvre or d'Orsay. Paris has some great art museums, and while tough to do many museums, we usually at least try for one great one every visit. If paintings aren't your thing, the Rodin museum is lovely.

Secondly, food food food. Beyond your food tour, start thinking how specific restaurants mesh with your itinerary.

Also, the Palais Garnier Opera is a lovely place to visit, and that ties well to my next comment of shopping shopping shopping with the classic Paris department stores nearby.

June is approaching height of the season, but Versailles remains a top tier side-trip from Paris and worthy of replacing many of you other ideas.

Thank you brushtim for the info on VR at Notre Dame, we will keep an eye out for more details on that.

Thank you for the feedback KD - we are really excited for Normandy! We are travelling to Bayeux by train the same day we arrive at CDG, leaving 4 hours between landing and catching the train. We arrive in terminal 3. We will probably book HQ Company Tours for 2 days to visit the Canadian, British, and American Beaches. We are debating on taking the shuttle to MSM on our last day….

This forum has been so valuable in helping us plan this trip, thank you!

hayjules2003,
I agree witth HappyToBeHere, Volva and TC about the canals. Also, do get to Ste. Chappelle, whether sunny or not

hayjules2003,
I agree witth HappyToBeHere, Volva and TC about the canals. Also, do get to Ste. Chappelle, whether sunny or not. And when in Montmartre be sure to stop in the Basilica. The mosaics are wonderful!
Since this doesn't appear to be a museum trip, and I am guessing you are interested in WWII history in Paris, based on your plans, I won't suggest any of them, except the Rodin Museum, specifically the gardens. I go there every time I visit Paris (7 times so far). My favorite sculpture there is The Burghers of Calais. The back story is touching, and, I would hazard to guess, would fit in with your interest in the occupation and liberation of Paris. Not the same century or city, but still a propos to the WWII experience of Paris, IMHO.
Bonne chance et amusez-vous bien!

As to booking tours, etc...

-the Paris Walks tour you will want to book a couple of days ahead. No need to book that one real far in advance. BTW, I have done this one twice it is so good. I've had 2 different tour guides and both were excellent.

-Book the Eiffel Tower well ahead. Keep track of when to book and go directly thru their website

-Arc de Triomphe you do not need to book ahead you can just work it in

-Food tour - not sure how far ahead to book as I've never done one

-Fat Tire tour, probably a couple of weeks out. I've done Pere Lachaise on my own a few times so if by some chance you miss out on the tour, you can download the free Rick Steves audio tour to your phone and use that. Take the Metro to the Gambetta stop and enter the cemetery from there. Here is a link to a PDF of the cemetery. I actually have this printed out and in a plastic sleeve, lol.

https://www.api-site.paris.fr/paris/public/2018%2F9%2FCPLMapEN.pdf

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/paris

As to Sainte-Chapelle, I would probably do that on Saturday after Pere Lachaise but I'm not a big one for canals and locks, lol.

BTW, the Liberation Museum is excellent. At the beginning there are a lot of signs only in French but there are more signs with English translation as you go thru. It's fascinating and mostly I can tell what's going on even though I don't speak French and my reading level in French is pretty rudimentary.

Thank you, Tom R., for your reply – The food list has started! LOL It’s going to take some work to get that list organized but have a few places in mind: La Jacobine, Relais de l’Entrcote in Saint Germain, Ches Alain Miam Miam, and Le Souffle…

As you and another person have noticed, we really don’t have much interest in art museums. The Palais Garnier Opera looks beautiful, will look more into it…. We aren’t really big shoppers but will be on the hunt for some souvenirs and a clear glass Christmas decoration, which might be hard to find in June!

Judy - You are correct, we are very interested in WWll history and can’t wait to learn more from the walking tour and the liberation museum! Have added St. Chappelle in for Saturday and looking into the Rodin museum. Merci :)

Pam - that map is fantastic! I already see some sections that we would like to visit, 77 and 97. Might just do the cemetery on our own with the link you provided….

Thanks again everyone for your time in replying, it’s good to know we are on the right track!

The good thing about doing the cemetery on your own is that if it is a rainy day you can opt out or switch up to an inside Plan B. Of course the advantage to a guide is that you usually learn more! The RS audio tour is pretty good, just have to remember to take your earbuds or airpods. I'm glad you liked the map. There is a huge copy of this at the entrances and although I've tried to take a picture of the sign and use that, the printed map works better.

Behind Notre Dame is the Deportation Memorial. It's so central, it's pretty easy to slip in a visit. Well worth your time.

I enjoyed a dinner in La Jacobine last year. They take reservations by phone or in person. I stopped by about 5 days prior to when I wanted to eat there and made reservations at their register. That Saturday night was fully booked, many folks tried walking up to get in, but were all turned away.

I agree with @pam that the Pere Lachaise is really nice and easy to do on your own, and we followed the RS audio tour, but supplemented a bit ahead with things like the Wiki page entry for the cemetery. We caught a local bus from over in Rue Cler right to the cemetery, had a good time exploring, and then walked back to the hotel making many stops along the way (including the Opera tour). The walk was actually pretty "interesting" simply as it included shorter bits of "real" Paris vs the core's more decided upscale and touristy vibe. Having been to Paris quite a few times, we generally give ourselves much more free time to just wander, and even dropping just a block or two off a main road gets you into neighborhoods that are less touristy.

I also forgot to mention PARKS. You'll clearly visit the Eiffel Tower and the Champs de Mars, but Paris has a bunch of parks - big and small scattered all about. When my wife was getting a spa day for her birthday, I wandered off into the surrounding neighborhood and popped into the lovely Parc Monceau - small but a real neighborhood place. Pere Lachaise is sort of a park, and obviously there is the Luxembourg garden and the popular but also oddly quiet Jardin du Palais Royal. Which, funny enough, triggers an Emily in Paris memory for me, and yes - there is a tour for that :)

And, regarding shopping, my wife and I definitely aren't "shoppers", but from the many boutique shops all over the city to the classic large department stores, it is a fun experience seeing how the French do it vs the usual American (and Canadian?) way we have here at home.

@Tom R. @Pam - appreciate all your feedback, it’s super helpful!

We can’t wait to see all the differences between France and Canada - it’s going to be so much fun! Looking forward to picking up lunch and many pastries (daily lol) and enjoying them in one of the parks.(Will be keeping an eye out for those Emily in Paris spots!)

Will stop in at La Jacobine and make those reservations as soon as we arrive at the hotel - thanks for that tip!

Laurie