We just finished our first Paris experience. Because so many of you have given such great advice and suggestions...I wanted to give you the overview of how our 5 days went.
Day 1- We got in in the afternoon and had scheduled a 3 hour Segway Tour with Fat Tire. What a great way to get the week started. It was so informative and fun. They are great!
Day 2 -
Paris opera house - some of us took the tour!
Arch de Triumph - walked to the top!
Champs Elysees
Sidewalk lunch and people watching
Today's highlight?
An evening bike tour (close to 6 hours!) ...again with Fat Tire. It included the Bateaux Mouche boat ride on the Seine, as well. They even provided wine! It was incredible!!
Day 3
Our day started at the Paris Catacombs. I booked directly from their website and found the tickets much cheaper.
This was an amazing tour! Such little known history.
We then had a couple hours before our Eiffel Tower tour so we had a picnic "under" her. The tour itself was ok...but not great. Luckily it wasn't very hot, we had pre-purchased tickets so didn't have to stand in another line, and it wasn't very crowded. If any of those variables had been worse...I would have not thought this was worth it. Glad we could check it off the list though.
From there...I wanted to just relax on some grass in the shade...and read...visit...people watch...etc. We walked everywhere trying to find the perfect place. Eventually we did at the Place des Vosges...and the day was complete. (While looking for "Lay-able" grass...we went to Luxemburg Gardens. It was pretty...but no where to lay down!)
By the way...we stayed in an Airbnb in La Marais. It was good!
Day 4
We crammed a ton into today. We did a variance of RS History Walk. We got to Notre Dam around 9:00am...and it was so interesting and inspiring feeling the history there.
Then we touched down at the Deportation Museum....so horrible...but great museum.
Then on to Saint Chappell. This is up there with my favorite thing in Paris. WOW!!!
After some more walking...and some coffee...We went to the Orsay Museum!!! Spent about 3 hours there. Loved that!!!
Then again after more walking and coffee...(ok and a little French pastry) we landed at the Louvre! It was open late today so we knew we could take our time getting there. Amazing!!! Again...Rick Steves Louvre Highlights Tour to the rescue. It was great!
Day 5 - our last day in Paris!
Starting out the day by heading to Versailles but not looking closely at what train we were getting on. Luckily we looked at Google to see how much further. Well...we were going completely wrong. We all hopped in a nearby cab and made it just fine!
After a few hours and even biking around Versailles...we made it back to Paris (on the correct train) and went straight to the Tower Tour at Notre Dam. The line is usually long...but we wanted to do it. It was STELLAR!!
I feel inspired to read The Hunchback of Notre Dam along with learning more about how that book possibly saved Notre Dam from destruction...back in the day.
After climbing over 400 steps there...we had about an hour left to get to The Montmartre district to see the Sacré Coeur (which required more elevation and steps!!)
After a great last night dinner in La Marais...we collapsed in bed.
It was amazing how few tourists there were in Paris this week. Bad for them...good for us.
Today we trained to Nice to start our next chapter of our trip. We have till next Sat when our son flies back to Munich from Marseille...and we have this week in Nice and Aix-en-Provence. Any "can't miss" suggestions for
Thanks to everyone again!