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Paris 6 days, seven nights itinerary help

Following 3 nights in the Loire Valley, my husband and I will be in Paris for 6 days and 7 nights in September/October 2019. I'm considering two different itineraries and welcome input. (Two options in case of weather issues, esp. related to Eiffel and Versailles.) Our trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte on our last day in Paris is fully booked, and can’t be changed.
Our apartment is located just west of the Luxembourg Gardens and south of Bon Marche (nearest Metro stop is St. Placide or Rennes). *We will have both a *week-long Navigo Decouverte** transportation pass and a 6-day Paris Museum Pass.
The 2 itineraries’ main differences: 1) Itinerary 1 enables us to take part in 2 Paris Walks tours (Marais, and Monmarte) –both highly recommended and relieves me from being our tour guide all the time; (Itinerary 2 doesn’t allow for the Monmartre Paris Walks tour on a Monday.)

2) Eiffel Tower is either first thing in the morning Monday (but no Paris walks tour in afternoon for Monmarte) or later that day (allowing us to see Eiffel at sunset (in both cases, no pre-reserved tickets-- we are doing stairs for both; tickets are not released until 9/23; we are winging it and buying on the spot )
3) Versailles is either Wednesday or Thursday, both decent options (esp. as we’ll be reversing the usual pattern and visiting in this order: Gardens, Trianon in the morning, then chateau in afternoon).

Itinerary 1:
Sunday, 9/29:**
• Arrive via TGV @ 4:04 p.m; settle into apartment; Luxembourg Gardens/dinner

Monday, 9/30:
• St. Chappelle @ 9:00 a.m. /Conciergerie; RS Walk on Ile le Cite
• Cluny Museum; lunch nearby or near the Pantheon
• Metro @ 3:00 to Eiffel Tower; (stairs entry line. Last entry for stairs is 6:00 p.m.)
• Eiffel Tower at sunset; Jardins du Trocedaro

Tuesday, 10/1:
• 10:30 a.m. Marais Paris Walks tour; lunch Place des Vosges
• Picasso Museum; Pompidou (6th floor views only, could skip this)
• Rodin museum (gardens open till 5:00; museum till 5:45); Dinner nearby in Rue de Grenelle/Rue des Saints-Peres area

Wednesday, 10/2 :
• Arc de Triomphe; Champs-Elysees walk to Tuilleries/Orangerie Museum
• Lunch Tuilleries, or picnic Place du Palace Royal near Louvre
• Louvre (open till 9:45 p.m.) Dinner: Ile St. Louis

Thursday, 10/3:
• Train to Versailles: LATE MORNING: Gardens, with rented bikes; MIDDAY/EARY AFTERNOON: Trianon/Domaine area; MID-AFTERNOON: Chateau
• EVENING: Back to Paris for dinner in Rue Cler area

Friday, 10/4:
• 9:30 a.m.: Orsay Museum; walk/lunch along Seine promenade
• 2:30 p.m. Monmarte/Sacre Coeur Paris Walks Tour
• EVENING : Seine cruise @ Pont Neuf; Dinner Ile de la Cite

Saturday, 10/5 :
• Late morning brunch
• Train to Vaux-le Vicomte: EARLY AFTERNOON: Gardens/chateau; EVENING: Candlelight tour of both; dinner; shuttle direct back to Paris @ 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, 10/6:
• Depart for CDG @ 9:30 a.m. for 2:10 p.m. flight to Minneapolis

Itinerary 2:
Sunday, 9/29
• Arrive @ 4:04 p.m.; Luxembourg Gardens (same as Itinerary 1)**

Monday, 9/30:
• 9:00 a.m. Eiffel Tower to buy tickets to stairs; Jardins du Trocedaro; Architecture & Monuments Museum
• AFTERNOON: Monmarte/Sacre Coeur (no Paris Walks Tour available); RS Historic Walk Ile de la Cite
• EVENING: Seine Cruise @ Pont Neuf; Dinner Ile de la Cite

Tuesday, 10/1:

• Marais/Picasso/Pompidou/Rodin (same as itinerary 1)

Wednesday, 10/2:
• Versailles (same as Thursday on itinerary 1)

Thursday, 10/3:
• MORNING: St. Chappelle @ 9:00 a.m. /Conciergerie; RS Walk on Ile le Cite
Cluny Museum
• AFTERNOON: Orsay Museum (open till 9:45 p.m.); walk riverside promenade
• EVENING : Dinner Rue de Grenelle/Rue des Saints-Peres area

Friday, 10/4:
• Arc de Triomphe/Tuilleries/Orangerie/Louvre (open till 9:45 p.m.) (same as Wednesday on Itinerary 1)
Sat. 10/5 and Sun. 10/6: **(same as Itinerary 1)

Posted by
6429 posts

These both look very doable and well thought out. I'd worry a little about Thursday on your second option, with the Cluny and Orsay on the same day. That's a lot of museum-ing for one day.

While it's great to have a plan like either of these, I hope you can be flexible if (when) changes are needed -- weather, feet giving out, etc. Some of your days seem to have some "down time" built in, which is always a good idea, and especially in Paris. Have a wonderful trip!

Posted by
80 posts

Nice itinerary..remember the best site in Paris is Paris itself.
I stayed in the same neighborhood a few years ago and you will love it. Don't miss shopping for groceries at Le Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marche...leave it to the French to make food shopping an experience.

Check these 7TH neighborhood 'sites' as well :

  • Angelina's on Rue de Bac...a great hot chocolate experience, regardless of the weather.
  • Poilane - the famous boulangerie is an easy walk from where you are staying as well.
  • Jardin Catherine-Labourne on Rue de Babylone - a hidden gem of a park.

I would also recommend:
- Jardin du Plantes
- Tea and cookies at the Grande Mosque in Paris. The courtyard is stunningly beautiful.

The garden at Musee Rodin, L'Orangerie and the Cluny are my favorites. You can enjoy the experience (For the most part) without the massive hordes checking things off their list.
Enjoy!

Posted by
186 posts

Thank you for your replies! Dick you are of course right--flexibility is important. I do like to be pretty detailed on our initial itinerary always knowing that things do --and will!--change according to all kinds of factors!
I am leaning towards my first itinerary right now (weather permitting, etc.) to view the Eiffel later afternoon/evening. I also think we'd really enjoy both of the Paris Walks, and the first itinerary does make that possible.
Paul, thank you for the wonderful additional recommendations! I will keep each one in mind--I love little hidden gems and places that people know to be worthwhile.
An aside on the Eiffel, for whom it might impact: The new glass wall ringing its base (for security reasons) means, according to RS, to allow an extra 30 minutes longer to go through screening. I'll be adjusting our plan just a bit because of this detail.