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)