My husband and are arriving in Paris early Thursday, August 31.
Day 1 We plan to do the RS Historic Paris Walking Tour on our own until we are too worn out to go any further! We will be staying one night in the 5th Arrondissement before taking the train to Bayeux for a 3 night visit of the Normandy Beaches and Mont Sainte Michel. Day 2-4 Normandy--walk through Bayeux, private tour of Normandy Beaches on Day 3, Mont Sainte Michele ***Day 4Day 5** Upon our return late Monday morning, September 4, we plan to take a 2 hour segway tour with Fattiretours.com at 1:30 pm followed by a 4pm reservation at the Eiffel Tower. Dinner near Rue Cler (TBD, suggestions please!). Do we have time to get to Arc de Triomphe for a night view of Paris and the Tower?
Day 6 Versailles then return to Paris with a late visit to Army Museum and Napoleon's Tomb (open til 21:00 on Tuesdays)
Day 7 Morning - Tour the Louvre, RS Champs Elysees Walk. Then, Orsay or Orangerie Museum followed by Seine river Cruise that evening.
Day 8 Breakfast at Rue Cler cafe and begin making our way back to CDG for early afternoon flight.
I don't want to overbook ourselves, so I'd like to know if this seems practical. If not, I could bump the segway tour to Thursday, August 31. I haven't done that simply because I am concerned about our energy level due to jetlag. Would it be better to do the RS Historic Paris Walking Tour that Monday and get the Museum Pass since I can use it to enter Sainte Chappelle and I'll be using it again for Versailles on Day 6? When/Where should I purchase the Museum Pass?
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14752 posts
Here are my thoughts.
Day 5 - You probably have your scheduling too tight on this day but it might work out.
Day 6 - I am not sure I would have enough energy to tackle the Army Museum after a day at Versailles. I have a casual interest in WWI and WWII history and wound up spending FIVE hours in the museum. You'll be limited somewhat on time and if you are limited on energy as well I'd suggest you decide ahead of time what to visit. I did think both the WWI and WWII galleries were really well done.
Day 7 - This is probably way too much. I would skip the Champs-Elysees walk. Tour the Louvre. Have lunch. Walk thru the Tuileries Gardens (looking down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc d'Triomphe ) down to either Orangerie or to cross the river to get to d'Orsay.
In the Rue Cler area I probably like Cafe Roussillon the best. I almost always eat at Cafe Central, Cafe du Marche and the Japanese place (Oniwa??) next to the corner bakery across from Cafe Central during my visits. I also often eat at La Terrasse du 7eme (corner of Avenue Motte-Picquet and Avenue Bosquet - have had 2 dinners here on different Rick Steves tours as well) and at Restaurant Gusto Italia on Rue de Grenelle a few blocks away. A few blocks away from Rue Cler many like Cafe Constant. I am vegan and the night I went with friends they had very little for me to choose from (soup or salad was all that could be veganized) so it's not on my return list. I also like to have a glass of wine at Le Tribeca next to Cafe du Marche. Not sure why I have never eaten there, but I usually have wine, people watch and then go elsewhere to dinner. Maybe I'll eat there next trip! I had very nice Indian food at Restaurant Goa which is located between Gusto Italia and Cafe Constant in May.
I will add that if you are not staying in the 7th near Rue Cler, I would not go out of my way to go there to eat. I wasn't sure if you were going back to the 5th to stay when you return, but since you indicate you'll be eating breakfast on Rue Cler on your final morning perhaps you are staying in the neighborhood.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta
2 posts
Thanks for your thoughtful response. My goal today is to find the best time for reserving the Eiffel Tower since the times are filling quickly. I think we will only go to the 2nd level. It will be tight to do it on Day 5 (a Monday) but the Segway tour ends just a 10 minute walk from ET. Perhaps a casual dinner might be more practical especially if a market is close by. And yes, we are staying on Rue Cler from Day 5-8. I hope to plan other lunches and dinners according to the area we are visiting. It's wonderful to have planning help from seasoned travelers like yourself!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14752 posts
In my view ALL of the cafes on or near Rue Cler are casual so that would not be a problem. If you want picnic type foods to take to eat on the Champ du Mars, then there are a number of specialty stores on Rue Cler along with a couple of grocery stores in the area. It may depend on how hot it is as to whether you will want to picnic, though.
If you are staying in the area, then yes, very easy to eat along there.
I might make the Eiffel Tower appointment for 430 if that is available, then you have time for a comfort stop and time to walk over there and take a look around as you walk up to it.
Posted by
1 posts
4 pm is the last available time until 10 pm unfortunately. I think ET will hold the reservation for a 30 minute window however.