Paris Itinerary & Questions

You basically have 3 1/2 days in one of the great cities in the world. Are you really sure you want to spend a chunk of that touring a champagne winery? I've not been but have visited many others around Europe and the US. Fun, but if I were in Paris that short of a time I would want to see Saints-Chapelle, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, or any one of the many wonderful neighborhoods you will probably not see on your other excursions.

Re Versailles: We saw a tip on this forum for the King's Apartments tour and it was great. Saw new sights we'd not seen before and it was super convenient and saved line time. We arranged it online a day or so before our visit. At 7 euro pp, it was the smartest move we made on a 3 week trip. Worked perfectly. Have a wonderful trip and safe travels.

This is enough. Don't think of this as being your one and only visit. Also a so called expert on Paris could recommend you see something that you would not like. That is why it is always good if possible to do your own research. No one can definitely tell what you are going to like and how to spend your money.

Alan, I think that is a fair comment regarding Reims. I have poked around a few other threads here and noticed a few gaps (sights) in beautiful places we are missing. All of the specific sights you mentioned are covered in the Sandeman's walking tour but maybe for not all the time we'd like. Perhaps eliminating Tattinger will allow us the leeway to return to a few sights we want to further explore and to also add a museum or the Luxembourg Gardens.

I would skip either Versailles or Champs-Élysées. Build in some time to just relax, walk, and a slow dine in Paris, perhaps in one of the neighborhoods you explored on your tour.

And then go back again. And again. And again. Paris is awesome.

I hadn't heard of the Sandeman's tour but I just looked at their website. These tours appear to be given by students working for tips. I'm sure it will be fun and interesting, and give you a good long walk around the main sights of central Paris. A good orientation to the city, but there won't be time to do any more than walk past buildings and monuments.

I'd suggest saving day 3 to explore further the places in Paris that interest you most. I wouldn't plan a champagne trip to Reims unless champagne is a real priority for you. I'd also suggest skipping Versailles on this trip unless, again, it's really important to you. Takes a long time to get there, stand in lines, go through the crowded palace and not-crowded gardens, get back to Paris. And the Champs-Elysees is a fun way to get from the Arc down to Place de la Concorde and beyond, but not really much of a destination in itself.

A walking tour spent just passing by places that really need time spent inside, are really just not worth your while. You may as well read a book.
As a first timer I wouldn't day trip out of Paris until Day Four or Day Five (which you don't have). So for me, yes, many omissions.

This is My Top 20 of Paris Sights.
1. Eiffel Tower
2. Louvre Museum
3. Notre-Dame de Paris
4. Musee d'Orsay
5. Palais Garnier Opera
6. Arc de Triomphe
7. Sainte-Chapelle
8. Luxembourg Gardens
9. Sacré-Coeur & Montmartre
10. Centre Pompidou
11. Place des Vosges
12. River Seine & Pont Neuf
13. Tuileries Gardens & Orangerie Museum
14. Invalides - Dome Church
15. Place de la Concorde & Madeleine
16. Picasso Museum
17. Rodin Museum
18. Panthéon
19. Cluny Museum
20. Musee Quai Branly

Thank you for the info djp_syd. We will be cutting out Reims. Versailles is very important to the wife and mom so we'll be keeping that.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Catacombs? Is it worth it?

If it was my first time, and with only 3.5 days in Paris, but wanting to include the Chateau of Versailles.

Arrival (Half) Day
•Sacré-Coeur & Montmartre
•Seine Cruise from Pont Neuf

Day 2
•Sainte-Chapelle
•Notre-Dame de Paris
•Tuileries Gardens+Orangerie
•Louvre Museum

Day 3
•Arc de Triomphe
•Eiffel Tower
•Luxembourg Gardens
•Musee d'Orsay

Day 4
•Chateau de Versailles

Thank you! I think with our AirBnB being in Levallois-Perrett we will probably do the Arc, Eiffel Tower and the Seine Cruise on our first day and re-structure our itinerary based on your suggestions the rest of the way.