Paris in October itinerary feedback requested

Just a couple of things:

Giverny is en route to Normandy, so it would make sense to work it into the start of your second week. It's very beautiful, by the way.

I wouldn't recommend seeing the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay on the same day. You will be 'cultured out' and exhausted. I suggest the Louvre on the Wednesday instead of trekking out of Paris and back.

Otherwise this looks like a lovely trip. You are staying in an excellent part of town.

Thanks Howardwilde-I know we could do Giverny on Sunday but my daughter has to go back to London that day, so we want to do it while she is with us. I already booked the Louvre on Thursday, but can move the Orsay to a different day if its too much. It seemed to fit for that night bc of the late hours but I realize it might be too many museums for one day. Appreciate the feedback!

Generally looks pretty good, but too many art museums on Thursday. I know you said just an hour or two (or 3 for the Louvre), but my advice is no, you don’t need to see everything, but when you’ve got tickets to a good museum, take the time to see it thoroughly rather than rushing on to the next one. I lived in Paris for several months as a student, have visited again a number of times since, I like Monet, and have never visited Giverny. So I’m not one to knock it I suppose, but I would rather have a full day in Paris than go there, especially since the garden will not be at its best in October. Or maybe see that en route to Normandy? Rick loves Rue Cler, but there are many other market streets like that in Paris, don’t make a special trip there unless you’re staying nearby.

If Monet is your favorite, please make time for the Marmottan Museum. Daughter and I really enjoyed this after a half day at his home and gardens.
Orangerie is a museum to book ahead for sure.

Maison Mulot is a great place for delicious pastries in the 6th. It was recommended to me by another forum member before my first Paris trip.

Thank you Slate, I am reconsidering the Orsay on Thursday. Still want to keep Giverny for Wednesday for now but I may change my mind... :)

If Monet is your favorite, please make time for the Marmottan Museum. Daughter and I really enjoyed this after a half day at his home and gardens. Orangerie is a museum to book ahead for sure.

Thanks pbscd- I will have to add that one! Did you find that a half day at Giverny was sufficient? If we get there when they open, I wasn't sure what time we would be back in Paris. Maybe we can move something to that evening if we get back in time.

I wouldn't do the Louvre and Orsay on the same day. I mean logistically you CAN, but I think you'll lose something in the translation.

The Louvre is flat out sensory overload. I've been dozens of times (I took a weekly art class there many years ago) and after seeing hundreds of paintings, sculptures and antiquities - about what you'll see in three hours, although there are THOUSANDS - it all starts running together. Like when you go in a candle store and start sampling the scents and after a while you can't even smell them anymore.

To then to follow up with a visit to Orsay would be over the top. You'll appreciate each of them more if you go on different days - maybe with a few days in between.

Where is your apartment located? While the Rue Cler is fine, there may be a more interesting market street for you to visit. The Bastille market on Thursdays or the Edgar Quintet market near on Wednesday or Saturday are nice. For a market street in the Latin Quarter, the daily market on Rue Mouffetard is lively. You could add a stop at the nearby Roman Arena, Lutece.

Also in the Latin Quarter, the Pantheon is worthy of a visit. It's about a 10 minute walk from the Cluny or Luxembourg Gardens.

Save the Place du Trocadero for after sunset. The view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower still thrills me after many visits.

Yes to visiting the Louvre and Museé d'Orsay on different days. Big museums with big crowds can quickly be exhausting. And the lower level of the Orangerie with the Water Lilies can be wall to wall crowds.

You'll have no problem finding patisseries everywhere.

I thought a half day at his home and gardens was sufficient but you could spend all day if you wanted to linger. Or see the town. I'm sure it's interesting, I just didn't explore it.
I'm sure it was ambitious of me, but daughter and I went to Monet's gardens and house, returned to Paris, ate sandwiches then went to Marmottan and after that stayed at the Louvre til it closed at 9! All on our first full day in Paris and my first time navigating the Metro. I'm sure we were running on adrenaline but it was so fun.

I’ll join the chorus about too many museums on Thursday.

Good plan to organize your sights by geography. But other than Rue Cler, where are the neighborhoods? Or the smaller gems?

Le Marais is not on your daily list, nor sights near there: Jewish Museum, Place des Vosges. Victor Hugo House. Carnevalet.

Near the Louvre, some of the Passages Couvertes, such as the Passage des Panoramas or Galerie Vivienne.

If you go to the Marmottan, what about the Bois du Boulogne?

With 5 days, and with the effects of this summer’s heat, may spend all 5 days in Paris and skip Giverny. There was an article in today’s NYT about ill effects of the heat on Giverny. If you give up the Giverny day … Voila, C’est le jour pour le Marais.

I agree with others that Louvre and Orsay may be "a bridge too far" for one day. And Rue Cler is just one of dozens of market streets in Paris. The rest of them will have fewer people toting around RS guidebooks. There are two in the 6th arrondissement where you'll be staying -- on Boulevard Raspail and on Rue Lobineau. You'll probably encounter more as you go through your well-planned itinerary. October is a good time to be there, though the parks and gardens may indeed have suffered from the summer. Have a great time.

Again, I'll agree with others regarding Le Louvre and d'Orsay. I note that you also have L'Orangerie on the same day as well. You'll just have complete overload. For me one museum in a day is perfect, like you just for a couple of hours, then have time just wandering an area.

We went to Giverney in October a couple of years ago. It was fantastic because there were very few people there, we had some of th bridges in the garden to ourselves for long enough for photos. We were back in Paris in time for a very late lunch so there would certainly be time for something else if you chose.

Don't waste time on Rue Cler, it is just a street, and there are far better market streets closer to where you are staying.

I would simply plan one thing each day, and then do the rest depending on where you are and how you feel.

You can't possibly do it all in five days, so don't spoil it my trying.

We'll be back in October for visit number eight, and there is still so much more to do and see.

Thanks everyone for the feedback- and OK so I get it-Thursday is too many museums. :). And skip Rue Cler.

Maybe after the Louvre, we can do Le Marais or the Latin Quarter. Does anyone have suggestions for when to go to the Orsay?

If Giverny is not a good idea, I can probably save it for a different trip. I really wanted to go but maybe its better to focus on Paris. I had read that early October can be quite lovely (and less crowded) so it seemed perfect...but I don't want to feel too rushed.

Merci beaucoup!

You may wish to go to the Musee d'Orsay on Tuesday morning. There is also a great boulangerie bakery near there called Gosselin St Germain on the corner of Bellechase and Boulevard St Germain. Or for lunch there is Nicole's on Rue de Bellechasse with really good pizza. You could see the Luxembourg Gardens on Tuesday instead of Saturday since you would be in that area also. It was walkable from Boulevard St Germain.

I would recommend seeing the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero in the late afternoon or evening on Tuesday when the lights come on. We went up the Eiffel tower around 7 pm and could see the sunset over Paris later from there.

We saw the Arc d'Triomphe during the day when the view was clear and could identify the Paris landmarks. If you see the Luxembourg Gardens on Tuesday you could move the Arc d'Triomphe to Saturday as another option.,.

You have a wonderful trip planned! It will be incredible!

Just to confirm: Rue Cler is a street of traditional shops, the kind found all over Paris, and is otherwise completely ordinary, except that it is now packed with tourist-oriented shops and restaurants since being popularized by Rick Steves.

If you are looking for an authentic market experience, you would be better off visiting a traditional market or a genuine shopping street like Rue Montorgueil (2nd), Rue Mouffetard (5th), or Rue Daguerre (14th).

No Parisians except for those living on the street itself or in the immediate vicinity actually frequent Rue Cler, and no one considers it a "must-see" street.

Do you have a Wednesday or Friday evening free for the Louvre? Crowds really thin out in the evenings.

I'm glad I visited Monet's gardens and home. I don't think you'd regret it but it's up to you.

I suppose we could do the Louvre one of the late nights, except I already reserved our entry for Thursday morning (I didn't pay bc I was going to get a museum pass). Has anyone been able to cancel or modify a reservation? It says on the website that tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged but I didn't pay yet so I'm not sure how they could enforce it?

As for Giverny, I was reading today about the damage to the gardens from the recent heat waves so maybe not a good time to visit? We originally planned to go to Versailles bc both my kids really wanted to go, so maybe we could do that instead and save Giverny for another time. Or we stay in Paris and get an extra day to do museums...

so many decisions!

Thanks again for the input and suggestions, much appreciated :)