visiting paris for first time in mid september

This is the busiest month and most expensive month for hotels so your first task is to line up lodging that you want.

Then identify the things you want to do and begin lining up tickets. A couple you might not have thought of - the Louis Vuitton Fondation museum -- I don't know what is on next September, but they always have wonderfully presented exhibits and it is a good place for lunch. Another ticket you need well in advance is for the Dior Gallery. My daughter and husband did it this April and really thought it was terrific. Something that gets overlooked that I find terrific is Bassilica St. Denis where the tombs of the Kings of France are and is on the metro just outside Paris. If you are into wine, a visit to a Champagne house and their cellar in Reims makes an interesting day trip. It is just 45 minutes away by tGV. We did Taittinger and loved it. Another great day trip is Monet's House and Garden at Giverny, easily done by train from Gare St. Lazare.

But mostly 'what is your dream of Paris' and do that. If you are stuck lots of guide books have 3 days itineraries etc and that is a place to start.

Welcome to the forum. Can you please give us some more information so we can help you?

What type of advice are you looking for? Hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, transportation, walks???

For starters, scroll through the forums for "France" and for "Trip Reports". You'll find all kinds of advice.

Also, stop by your local library or bookstore and pickup a guide book or three on Paris: Rick Steves', Fodor, Lonely Planet, Eyewitness or whatever catches your eye.

Here are many suggestions from the host of this site https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/paris

And here are posts with similar questions from the past year, lots of ideas https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=1y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=first+time+paris&utf8=%E2%9C%93

Is this a party of two or a party of three?

How long will you be there? Please provide more info for advice. Interests? Budget for rooms? Any preferences for amenities? It is hard to provide answers for such a broad question. I recommend getting a guidebook or two from the library to narrow down your expectations. When you picture yourself in Paris what do you see?

Here's what you do - you watch as many Youtube videos as possible, including of course Mr. Steves. Les Frenchies and Jay Swanson too.

And you buy and study his latest guidebook cover to cover. If you're completist, also get the Frommers guide.

The age discrepancy means you'll need to compare and contrast various options, as they say.

Hopefully you have your flights and lodging lined up since you are traveling in about three months. I would make a list of sites/things that are must dos for you both and then group them together by location on the same day, so you aren't crisscrossing Paris all the time. For example, I would pair Sainte Chappelle and Notre Dame on the same day as they are super close.

Also, I plan at most two activities/sites in a day - one morning and one afternoon. Some days it is just one if I am going to go to a place like The Louvre because I don't know how long I am going to be there; personally, I can spend 5+ hours at a museum.

Since it is Paris, make sure to leave time for lingering at a cafe with a glass of wine (or coffee if you don't drink) and enjoying the cafe culture. It's a nice way to take a breath and relax in the late afternoon...at least to me.

If we know how long you will be there and some of your interests, we can give some more specific suggestions/advice. Have a great trip with your daughter!

Just a note for first-time posters. The forum is made up of real persons who reply. It is hard to answer quiries that are presented as a wide, google-type search. We need context and some parameters to be most helpful. Regarding hotels and eateries, there are hundreds of lodgings and thousands of cafes, restaurants, etc. Likewise, a plethora of sights to see. Where would a person replying begin?
The suggestion to do a little research, whether through guidebooks, podcasts, tv travel shows, is a good one. The Paris experience can be overwhelming and it is wise to do some narrowing-down ahead of time. Then forum answers can be the most useful to the original poster.
I wish both of you a wonderful trip to this enchanting city, which Rick Steves refers to as the capital of Europe (and I concur).

September is a good time to be in Paris; it's not as expensive as October, and the weather is better. But you really need to think about what you want to see. Pick three "must have" things, and plan around those. And for suggestions it helps if you let us know what you prioritize; food, tourist attractions, art, parks, flea markets, etc.

Agree with all of the above. Giverny is a great day trip, and the garden will be spectacular in September. Followed by the Orangerie, of course, to see the water lilies.
Don't over schedule yourselves. One of the best things about Paris is just walking around and taking in the architecture and the gardens, sitting outside the cafes and bistros and people watching, etc.
Take as much time as you possibly can. I know most Americans have very little vacation time and are often pressured not to use it. You're going a long way at great expense, so make it worthwhile.
A friend recently used Costco's travel service to book a trip with his son to Paris and Amsterdam over spring break, and he was very pleased with it. It covered airfare, transfers and hotels. Probably cost him more than it might cost one of the Forum regulars, but it eliminated a whole lot of planning. So if you're a member, it's worth taking a look at.

Being close to your age Mom, and having been to Paris several times here are some thoughts. First of all I used to like to go in September because I felt like it was a little cooler than August and as time has progressed with the changes in our weather, September can be beastly hot. So plan on that and consider things to do in the afternoon that might be cooler. Things like maybe a boat ride on the Siene, then Cluny museum has some Old Roman ruins that are a little cooler down below, maybe the catacombs if bones are your thing. I’m not sure which ones, but maybe museums that have air conditioning. Just be careful because it can be very hot.
Also consider where you’re staying, make sure there’s an elevator or that you’re situated on the ground floor, remember first floor actually is our second floor here in America. In addition make sure that you’re close to metro stop, those feet last few steps can be killer sometimes. Lastly, I would say don’t plan on more than a couple of things a day, slow down, this might be really good for your daughter, Take it slow and easy and enjoy the city. Rushing around can just make a hot day hotter.

In mid-late September my 20-yr-old daughter and I will be coming from our first visit to London and arriving in Paris for 3 days arriving the afternoon on the 23rd and leaving the morning of the 26th.

We’ve booked Saint Chapelle on the 25th because we wanted to attend Mass at Notre Dame that evening so the timing worked. Not sure on those logistics because Pope Leo will be in Paris the 25-26th.

We tend to be shoppers that enjoy finding small, unique shops. That also allows us to explore neighborhoods rather than running to and from tourist spots, which is how we get a “feel” for a city. We don’t have a desire to go up the Eiffel Tower (although we want to see it) nor do we want to go inside the Louvre but want to at least walk by the outside. However, (and we haven’t organized our days yet) we plan to go to the Musee d’Orsay on Thursday evening once tickets open up, tour the Opera Garnier, possibly visit the Marmottan Monet museum (it’s so out of the way, though), Galerie Dior, stroll Montmontre, tour the Sorbonne (if their tour happens when we’re there), explore the Left Bank, see the Arc de Triomphe, and stroll and browse/shop. I love bookstores so I have a growing list of bookstores (same with London) and Paris has several amazing stores for stitchery (fortunately all on the Right Bank and some not too far from the Opéra Garnier.

We’re staying at a VRBO just off Rue de Rennes - close to both Sainte-Placide and Rennes Metro stops - and a couple of blocks from Le Bon Marche.

If anyone has some ideas of how to organize some of this, we’d appreciate it.

phx115,
Your visit to Paris should be lots of fun, but since you arrive in the afternoon of the 23rd, you will only have 2 1/2 days there after checking into your hotel, not three, so you may have to eliminate some things. On your arrival day (a Wed., I believe) you might consider a tour that drives you around the city in a Deux Cheveaux (iconic French car). You will go by the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Place de la Concorde, and more. The evening could end with a boat ride on the Seine with Vedettes de Pont Neuf (about 1 hour. Sit up top for best views). The makes your arrival day one that will orient you to the city and cover some of your wishes. Since Friday will cover Ste. Chapelle (what time is your visit?) and Notre Dame, if you have time between the chapel and mass at Notre Dame, you could cross the bridge and stroll along the left bank. If the bouquinistes are still open there in September, they are a quintessential Parisian sight and fun place to find a souvenier, and your stroll will give you that "I am in Paris" feeling. If your Ste. Chapelle time is in the afternoon, then spend the morning in Montmarte.
Your Thursday would be a good day to see the Opera Garnier, but I'm not sure about tours. A lot depends on what performances might be going on. Even if you don't go on a tour, you can still visit it during the day and I highly recommend it. It is beautiful! You can do some of your shopping this day. Galleries Lafayette ( the beautiful one) is a short walk from the Opera. And an evening visit to the Musee d'Orsay will fit in fine.
Your 2 1/2 days will be packed, and you may not get in as much shopping as you hope, but it is doable. Just be sure to factor in time to go from one location/area to another, whether by foot, bus or metro, and allow time for some leisurely meals and cafe time to just enjoy Paris! Get a map of the city, preferably one showing the highlights so you can figure out distances and travel times. Also, allow x number of hours for your sights. The forum or guidebooks will help with that.
Amusez-vous bien!

Thank you Judy! We do arrive on Wednesday afternoon. You make an excellent point about 2-1/2 days vs 3. Unfortunately, I booked my train to Antibes on the Saturday; although the walking tour I’m on doesn’t begin until Sunday late afternoon. I could’ve had another day in Paris. Anyhow, we did want to do some type of introductory experience. I will check into that. I’ve had to accept that this is an overview visit. While I am somewhat of a “slow traveler” this time may be different. At the end of the day I will see what I can and hopefully get back there for a longer visit.

thank you everyone for all the great advice.
sorry i didnt include all relevant info;
so we are leaving the US on 9/14 and returning on 9/22
-we have several sites already planned and are in the process of getting tickets/reservations for them

Eifel tower
Louvre
Notre Dame
Versaille
and some others
- we have a hotel reservation in saint germain (not far from the bridge to the Louvre)
- Also got tickets to see an opera (instead of just a tour as the price was not much more to attend the performance)

Any other feedback is welcome.
Thank you.

Thanks for getting back. My only advice to your plans is to plan on Versailles taking most of the whole day. If you get back in late afternoon, you could spend an hour on the top deck of a Vedettes de Pont Neuf boat riding from the Pont Neuf to the Eiffel Tower and back. It is relaxing, with live commentary, is inexpensive, takes about an hour, and offers a lovely view of the city from the river. Get in line for your ride about 30 minutes early to secure a top deck seat for the best views. You can reserve a time online. Take a wrap in case it is cool. (Who can predict the weather in Paris this year? It is crazy!)

It looks like you have 6 full days in Paris. Subtract the Versailles day, leaving you with 5 days. If you check a guidebook you will see a map of Paris, I'm sure, showing the main sights to see. That way you can plan to group your places geographically so you don't waste time crisscrossing the city unnecessarily. As others have said, plan on 2 things a day and if you find you have extra time, you can add in an extra. Figure out must-sees, hope-to-sees, would-be-nice-if-time-to-sees. With 6 days, I personally would only pick one day outside of Paris (e.g. Versailles). Paris has SO much to see and do, plus fitting in time for a nice lunch and dinner, and time for a stroll along the river, or a cafe stop to watch Paris go by, you will find plenty to keep you in the city. (If you do decide on Giverny as well as Versailles, take an early train to get there when it opens at 9:30, spend about 2-3 hours there, maybe have lunch at the on-site cafe, then back to Paris for seeing another sight in the afternoon. You will have a bit of rest on the train back. And maybe that afternoon you will just stroll and/or shop or pop into a cathedral.
You will have fun, I am sure. Paris is wonderful!

P.S. How great that you scored tickets for Opera Garnier! I am jealous, having never attended a performance there. Lucky you! Don't forget to look up when you go in. Terrific ceiling!