Paris summer of 2019 - getting started - input welcome

Wow!

I can't really offer any advice or suggestions, because my itinerary for Paris looked something like this:

• Day 1 Enjoy Paris
• Day 2 Enjoy Paris
• Day 3 Enjoy Paris

etc...

I wonder what happens if you fall behind? Does the last thing of each day get dropped off, or do you try to reschedule it for another day? And how does that affect your overall schedule?

It just seems to me that you have no margin for error. On Day 1 you really think you can get from CDG to wherever you're VRBO is, drop off your bags (assuming that's even an option... I know hotels let you do that, but not all private rentals have that option), and hit the ground running by 10am?

And you're flying from Austin? There's no direct flight from Austin to Paris, so you will have to have a connection somewhere. Even with lie-flat seats, do you really think you will be well-rested enough for such a full day on Day 1?

You're also looking at a time of year when there will be a lot of tourists and potentially very hot weather. Where's your time for rest stops, cooling off, naps?

I said I don't have suggestions, but I guess I do. Make a list of the things you want to see and give each 1, 2, or 3 stars based on how important they are to you. Then plan each day in such a way that you are likely to hit all your 3-stars, most of your 2-stars, and maybe some of your 1-stars.

And I think it's better to be flexible. It might rain one day, so that might be a good day for indoor activities. It's fine to do some planning in advance, but I think you have taken it to a level that will be hard to sustain.

Detailed planning is often helpful in general planning--but I'm sure you already realize that there is a place for spontaneity or "open time." If you're enjoying something, give it more time, even if you have to shift some itinerary items to the next day.

Here are my thoughts:

Sunday - Walk past Rue Cler on your way between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides/Napoleon's Tomb. However, Rue Cler is not at it's best on Sunday as many of the shops are closed. To me this day is too much but you can cut Rodin if you need to...unless you are just going to see the Tomb/chapel and not see any of the Army museum?

Monday - I'd probably do Sainte Chapelle first as the line can get long to get thru security. It's the same security that people going to court in the Hall of Justice use so there are lots of people.

Tuesday - Long walking day, kind of light on sights altho you are walking by a lot

Wednesday - I know I would not be able to do the Louvre after having dealt with Versailles during the day. It will be hot and crowded in the palace and surely you'll want to see some of the gardens? I'd move the Louvre to another day. Even if you just spend minimal time at Versailles you'll use 3/4 of a day getting out there and back.

Thursday - Looks ok

Friday - You could move the Louvre to this AM and do your neighborhood walks after you do Versailles.

You don't want the Paris Pass but you might use the Paris Museum Pass (different things!)

How old is your child?

I can't help with apartment recommendations, but I do have some reservations about your itinerary. Like some of the others, I think you've over scheduled yourself. Hopefully you can prioritize some of these sights, so you can drop some or reschedule as the need arises.

I really think you're over optimistic with day one. Hoping to be standing before the Arc de Triomphe by 10:00 am is really reaching, IMO. No way youll be there then if your plane is late arriving, or immigration is backed up, or rush hour slows your taxi to your apartment. Walking the Champs Elysees to Place de la Concorde will only take a half hour -walking briskly, without stopping or going to see the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. But that puts you no where near the Eiffel Tower. It's roughly back where you started from, but on the other side of the Seine. Another 30+ min at a brisk walk. All this to say that you had better make it a late lunch. Sunday afternoons in July, I would imagine fairly impressive lines for the museums. You may not have the time or energy for both.

Versailles AND the Louvre on the same day? Mon dieu! Bon chance.

I just wanted to mention that bus 30 goes from the Trocadero to Montmarte as does the metro. I'm not sure why you would want to "uber." The bus ride is fun because you are above ground and you get to see more "typical" Paris.

I would take the time to learn how to use the Metro.

I would scratch Versailles and the Louvre the same day not unless it is raining all day

The Paris Museum of Erotica has been closed for some time. No one went.

The Paris Sewers Museum will close from July 2nd (just before your visit!) through early 2020. So you'll have to strike the Paris Sewers off your Friday itinerary.

Musée des égouts de Paris [Paris Sewers Museum]

https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71499/Musee-des-egouts-de-Paris

«Fermeture du musée des égouts de Paris du 2 juillet 2018 à début 2020 pour travaux de rénovation.»

"Closure of the Paris Sewer Museum from July 2, 2018 to early 2020 for renovation work."

This is where we are staying for Christmas:

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/3192775?check_in=2019-07-20&guests=5&adults=4&check_out=2019-07-25&children=1

It shows as available for your dates, but it may be too early to book. I found little on VRBO, more on AirBnB. Other folks like Paris Attitude and another one that RS recommends, but I found those to be quite expensive.

It's none of my business, of course, but why would you throw away Hilton points by moving to a hotel while you're still paying for the apartment? I mean, assuming you're not going to make your brother pay for the second BR/BA on the nights you're not with them.

You can't fit five people in an Uber. Nor a taxi unless it's a van, which I think is quite rare.

You don't mention the age of the child, but for a lot of kids, that's a lot more walking than they can/will do. And a lot of sights they wouldn't care to see.

Nice! Great feedback from everyone. Will take a little while to digest and respond to the questions.

Lane, our vacation and planning styles are different. I'm not a wing it kind of person. It would be my luck I'd show up at the Louve on the day they are closed. :) This is the early planning stages, nothing is set, other than the dates and the flights. I like to know my options, that way I can know what I’m going to sacrifice if I fall behind or find a place I just love.

My brother will be checking into the VRBO or AirBnB on Sat and I arrive on Sunday so I will be able to drop off the bags whenever I get there. I assumed 2.5 hours would work. How long does it take to get from CDG to “downtown”?

We are flying to JFK and then over to Paris. I’ve flown over a million miles on planes, so I think I can sleep on the plane and hit the ground running; especially having lie flat seats. I really don’t know how packed the day is, that’s why I asked 😊 What is hot btw? I’m from Texas and our temps will be over a 100 at that time so 80 would feel great!

Absolutely trying to set up the 3 stars (biggies). I understand flexibility, but I also know timed tickets are timed. If it’s raining when I go the Eiffel tower I suppose I’ll take an umbrella.

Thanks for the info!

Pam, thanks for the info!

Sunday is just tomb/chapel – no Army Museum.

What makes Tuesday a long walking day? Opera to La Maris is just over 2 miles and I have all day to do it, no? Many of the sights are sights and not tours, right? What sights are in the area I’m missing?

Wed, the Louvre is open late, till 10pm. Plan on leaving for Versailles at 8am, using ¾ of a day, taking an afternoon train back (3pm?), checking into the Paris Hilton, resting/napping and being at the Louvre by 6ish.

Thanks for the tip on the Paris Museum Pass.

My nephew is 7. They may or may not make all the stops we are. That’s up to them, they are only in Paris Sun-Wed.

I guess this is doable but may be ambitious. What we like to do is create a list grouped into activities in a given area, similar to what you have done, but then prioritize them. Do the most important one first, and so on. If your energy is lagging you do fewer. If you go to a site and find it isn't what you hoped for, on to the next. If its better than you thought, stay longer. We've learned this thru experience. “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes” said Oscar Wilde. For example on one trip to Paris we did a morning Paris Walks tour of Monmartre and ended up at Sacre-Couer. Our agenda was lunch a few metro stops away so after the tour away we went. I still wish we had spent more time just wandering around the streets, having lunch in one of the cafes, etc.

If you like walking tours I'd highly recommend Paris Walks. They won't have the July brochure out but you can look up their typical month and even July 2018 brochure to see what they offer. Over the years we've done several walks and all have been excellent, and I find it much more interesting to have a guide explain the history of a building or a street than to just walk down the street and get a few sentences about it from a guide book. YMMV

We were in Paris this September - we have visited a few times before. We visited Saint Chapelle on Friday afternoon and only had to wait a few minutes to enter, probably because courts are winding down at that time. We also found Sunday was a good day for the Marais - the area is lively on a Sunday while many other areas have Sunday closures.

CJean, Thanks for the feedback, it’s how I refine the plan.

.
This is my planning style:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/itinerary-tips
“I never start a trip without having every day planned out. Your reaction to an itinerary may be, “Hey, won’t my spontaneity and freedom suffer?” Not necessarily. Although I always begin a trip with a well-thought-out plan, I maintain my flexibility and make changes as needed. An itinerary forces you to see the consequences of any spontaneous change you make while in Europe.”
What order would you do that day? I’m considering moving that day to Tuesday based on feedback that the Marais may be a better Sunday choice (more alive). Then we would do the Arc on Tuesday. I had heard that the traffic on Sunday at the Arc is closed, which is one of the reasons it’s on my Sunday plan.

.
Is Versailles AND the Louvre on the same day really unthinkable? Leave VRBO by 8, check into Hilton between 3-4, rest, dinner and Louvre by 6ish. Four hours in the Lourve, more than enough for me.

Landing in Paris in the morning, you'll have no problems using the Metro getting to Napoleon's Tomb and the chapel after dropping off/checking in at the hotel. I did exactly just that in 1973 after that non-stop TWA flight from SFO to Paris Orly, arriving ca 9 am, checked in at the hostel ca noon, rested, had lunch there, got out to the Army Museum by ca 2 pm plus seeing the Tomb afterwards and walking. This was on a Sunday in the summer which also helped.

If you were going to Fontainebleau, aside from seeing Chateau, there is also the Napoleon Museum ca 30 mins or so from the Chateau.

Very true about sleeping on the trans-Atlantic flight, likewise with me upon arrival as long it is in the morning local time. Then it's good to go too.

You wrote:
"Is Versailles AND the Louvre on the same day really unthinkable?" It would be for me because I needed 7 hours for the palace and gardens and Hamlet etc. We were wiped out afterwards. Ate dinner nearby, trained back to Paris, and called it a night. On the other hand I was done with the Louvre in an hour and a half - the day was spectacular after several days of rain so we bailed, strolled the Tuileries, the Orangerie, and the ferris wheel.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/april-in-paris-1e48a51b-4933-490e-9e0d-e8bdf1035b47

Is Versailles AND the Louvre on the same day really unthinkable? Leave
VRBO by 8, check into Hilton between 3-4, rest, dinner and Louvre by
6ish. Four hours in the Lourve, more than enough for me.

Something that jumped out to me here is the timing of the dinner in this plan, presumably between 4 pm and 6 pm. Many, if not most, restaurants won't even be open at that time. The typical first seating for dinner is 7 or 7:30 pm (and it will be largely tourists -- most Parisians eating dinner at restaurants won't arrive until 8 or 8:30 pm.)

In general, the typical French restaurant opening schedule is something like open from 12 pm to 2 pm for lunch, closed in the afternoon, then open at 7 pm or 7:30 pm for dinner.

The big exception is places that have service continu "continuous service," which means they will serve food between mealtimes, aka 2 pm to 7 pm. These tend to be cafés or brasseries, usually on the somewhat more casual side. (And fast food and grocery stores are open through the afternoon of course!)

If you're not a foodie or are just looking to grab a quick casual dinner, this may not be an issue for you at all! But I wanted to point this out because French restaurant hours are much more rigid than in the US, which you might not be used to if it's your first time there.

Hi Carol, we just plan on using the uber on the picture day since the photographer recommends it. It will just be three people (Me, GF and photographer). We are doing pictures near the Eiffel tower then ubering up to Montmarte to minimize down time. I have to pay the photographer by the hour. Will use Metro for sure on other days.
Good to know about the closures – oh well that’s the way it goes when planning. 😊
G3rryCee I’m never one to throw away Hilton points, I’d stay at the Hilton and let my brother and family pick up the last night (or move to another hotel). They knew this already, but it seems it’s not going to be an issue. Moving the pictures to Friday and spending Wednesday with them at the VRBO.
Also, found a VRBO in Maris, just need to book it after checking with my brother at Thanksgiving then we’ll have the home base identified.

Bill, that’s my general approach – group things together. Again, just a rough draft – half the fun is the planning for me. Love the Paris walks suggestion. I will look into those in place of some of the self walks I was trying to put together.
Marty, andrewesque, thanks for the info on the Versailles and Louvre. I don’t think we are going to spend more than a few hours there (and if we do, we do). I was also unaware of the strict times for dinner but we are more of a café/brasseries crowd.

Made some changes to the plan (still open to more changes). Looks like we’ll be in Marais for the VRBO.

Sun land 7:30 am (sleep on plane, lie flat seats) walking day
• Drop off bags at VRBO
• lunch at Palace des Vosges
• Marais walk
• Saint Chapelle
• VRBO
.
Mon walking day
• Historic Paris walk (minus St Chapelle)
• Latin Quarter
• Night Cruise
• VRBO
.
Tue walking day
• Eiffel Tower
• AdT
• Champs-Élysées
• Rodin
• VRBO
.
Wed Train (I know many wouldn’t do these both in one day)
• Versailles / lunch
• Louve (open late)
• VRBO
.
Thursday walk
• check out of VRBO – drop bags at Hilton
• Lunch
• Opera Garnier
• Galerie Lafayette
• Paris Hilton (points)
.
Friday uber then Walking
• Professional pictures - morning (Trocadéro then uber to Montmartre)
• Lunch
• Sacre-Couer
• Moulan Rouge
• Paris Hilton (points)

Saturday Walking
• left bank walk
• Lunch
• Eiffel at night
• Paris Hilton (points)
.
Sun to family friends in Frankfurt
Monday to Amsterdam
Tue/Wed Amsterdam
Thur early flight home

I see that you have left off a visit to d'Orsay.
Unless you are really blown away by Rodin (and I do appreciate his work a lot), I would go to d'Orsay instead. It is not only a beautiful building, repurposed from an old train station, but the art is not to be missed.
Cafes on Montmartre are not known for the quality of their food but one exception is Plumeau just off of Place Tertre. I've eaten there twice in the last few years and enjoyed both the food and the ambiance and the friendly service.
Your night cruise and Eiffel at night are kind of duplicating... You will see the Eiffel after dark at the end of your cruise and can see the sparkle at the top of the hour until 1pm, I think.

Yes, don’t miss the d'Orsay. It was our fav museum, liked it better than the Louvre.

Also we had a really enjoyable morning at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Beautiful place with some great views and some famous graves - Chopin, Jim Morrison, etc

Wow, what a planned out itinerary. Just a couple of suggestions:

• I don't see breakfast. In IMHO sitting in a cafe with a croissant and a coffee people watching is what makes Paris...Paris.

• I'd write down things set in stone (day you have Eiffel Tower tickets) and divide the rest by rainy day/nice day. You can bring an umbrella to the Eiffel Tower, but i can't imagine that being a pleasant experience. Siene tour in the rain... you won't see much. On a nice day, I'd get wine, cheese and baguette and have a picnic on Champ de Mars (the park next to Eiffel Tower). Then uber to Montmartre... The view from Sacre Couer is amazing, but only if you have a view.... Those hilly slippery streets aren't good in the rain and there won't be street artists either... it's not the same. Louvre/St. Germaine won't look much different in the rain. That's not "winging it" as much as adjusting itineraries for weather.

• I'd do museum d'Orsay before half the things on this list. Ideally go after your Montmartre trip. Impressionists made a difference painting real life...aka their lives in Montmartre, and you recognize it in their paintings.

• You don't have Tuileries and Jardin de Luxembourg - "biggies" much more than Lafayette Galerie, sewers and erotic museum (Paris has one?). If you're going to go to Lafayette anyway, skip it in favor of a restaurant in Bastille (same area) - the area is known for its restaurants.

Sounds like I need to reconsider the museum d'Orsay; however, I must say, it has not peaked my interest in one bit. Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces don't tickle my fancy. They all look the same to me; heresy I know. My girlfriend thinks all beer tastes the same, an opinion I repeatedly try to change, lol. I might wander in on my left bank walk if it's free with the Paris Museum Pass.

The night Eiffel is for a proposal: actually, it is a smoke screen (because she’s fairly confident a proposal is coming in Paris) for a proposal that’s really earlier in the week during the professional photo shoot – rain or shine. We’ll be in Montmartre at the end of the shoot so that is why lunch is in the area. Thank for the café suggestion, I’ll check it out.

tskittles, I assume you are refereeing to my original draft? I’ve dropped a few things and tried to be a little more concise. Is breakfast structured like lunch and dinner in Paris (ie set times)? I assumed we’d be on our way by 8am to get to some spots early so breakfast would be on the street somewhere between 7 and 8.

I’m struggling a little with the “if it rains change your plans” First, as you can tell I’m a planner 😊 Second, several items do not lend themselves to such flexibility like a Wednesday night at the Louvre or a pre planned pro photo shoot on Friday (rain or shine) or pre-bought Eiffel tower tickets (rain or shine) or set schedules for walking tours (rain or shine) Also, I have my brother and wife and nephew with us for the Sunday to Tuesday days so some things need to be done those days. It limits flexibility, I know. I can flip section of Sunday and Monday (new itinerary).