First-time traveller: Can I get some advice about my itinerary?

Julie, your trip sounds fun, but rather tiring, you haven't even figured in any jet lag, but are go go go from the minute you land.. yikes. If you are lucky enough to fly first class it is easier, as after 9 hours in economy you will likely feel like crap( travel fatique) and your body clock going through the time changes will be all off kilter( jet lag).
But lets assume you guys are fine.

Day one sounds fine, don't count on getting much done till about 1:30 as you will want to get to hotel and dump bags anyways, then a leisurely lunch and your walking tour.

days 3 and 4 sound fine to me, I really enjoy Versailles and never miss visiting it if I can.
Do get up the ET before it is full on dark , I think the view is better during the day,,

The daytrip to Mont St Michel, ok, I assume you have looked at bus tours( Cityrama or ParisVisions) they are expensive, and exhausting BUT , you can sleep on the bus, and you don't have to figure much out, so if you really really want to spend 500 dollars in one day, go for it.. that is a personal taste question. The area is totally worth visiting, but many would suggest your trip is too short and that you really should spend at least 2 or 3 days doing D Day and Mont St Michel area.. its up to you. You can always plan on going back to France, never say never.

You are flying to Rome at 7 am, from which airport? You generally should be there by 5.30 for a domestic flight( anything in EU), but I would aim for around 5 as I am a super cautious person and its easy to get lost in airports even at home, let alone somewhere where you don't speak the language.Bring a book to read.

Arriving back in Paris( which airport ,there are three and one of them is quite far out) the night before you leave for home will be a bit tiring, do stay at airport hotel. You are flying out of Charles De Gaulle, is that the airport your Paris to Rome flight uses( it is if you are flying Vueling or Air France).I think Easy Jet uses Orly.

Julie - with one glaring condition, you have a great itinerary. I hope it's obvious that flying all the way to Europe to see Paris and Rome is like flying to the US to visit Seattle and Los Angeles. But it's certainly doable, so I figure you know what you want to see.

That said, with the time you have in both cities, you're giving yourself plenty of time to see the sights you mention. I think you'll be rewarded with memorable experiences from being able to take your time enjoying the neighborhoods and sites along the way. Don't underestimate how much enjoyment you'll get from simply walking.

You can get from the airport to your hotel by public transit. Search on "RER" on this site and you'll find lots of advice.

Do stay by CDG on your night back from Rome. There are many suggestions on this site. A budget alternative is the Etap. It has a shuttle.

A day trip to Mont St. Michele is worth it. You'll see the Normandy countryside along the way and the Mont is spectacular. I don't know what tour options you've looked at, but I would try to get there by an organized tour. Rail and bus is too complicated.

Just keep looking through posts here for more information and use the Search function to go through the archives. Good luck!

Getting to Ostia Antica by public transportation is cheap and easy. Take metro line B to Piramide station where you switch to the Ostia train. Sight entrance is a short walk from the Ostia Antica station. Metro/train is 1 euro each way - trip also covered by 4 euro all-day transit ticket.

Hi Julie,
I think your itinerary shows some careful consideration to timing and selection of a few of the sights you want to see. A walking tour after a long flight is something I prefer to do. I don't find the jet lag too bad--the excitement of being in Europe helps with that until about 9 or 10 pm.

Versailles will probably take most of your day with transportation back and forth--we really enjoyed the gardens. Check and see if the music is playing on Saturdays (usually later in the afternoon).

We had little problem figuring out the transportation from CDG to our hotel. Take a look at the RER and metro routes, etc. in advance from home and check out Rick's book for more info.

http://goparis.about.com/od/transportation/ss/Metro_and_Buses_5.htm

http://www.paris-tourist-information.co.uk/Maps/Index.asp

As previously suggested, check which airports you are flying in and out of for each flight. They may be different depending on the airline.

Have fun!

Your first day looks like too much.The first walk is good because it keeps you moving but the evening walk will be very difficult if you are like most of us,very tired by early evening.The other thing, seeing the Vatican if you are including the museum is probably not a good idea.Saturday is one of the busiest days because they are closed on Sunday.Might be better to go another day.

Rick's Paris book--any guidebook, I'd imagine--has explicit instructions about how to take the RER into Paris (then you'd tranfer to the metro to your hotel). I would recommend figuring out your route by looking at a metro map (again, in any guidebook) to your hotel. If you require a few changes, it may or may not be worth it to you to haul your luggage on the metro. I don't mind it--I pack lightly--but many people would rather just take a cab.

As for St. Michel...if it's THE thing your son wants to do, then I guess it's only fair to do that for him. I personally don't consider this a must do on such a short trip to Paris. Yes it's a dramatic sight but it's also full of screaming schoolkids, mobs of tourists...the saving grace for our visit was that there were relatively few people inside the actual abbey! (Maybe people don't want to climb all the way up?). You mentioned Dinan but that's even further west. It's a sweet little town but worth visiting on a trip to Brittany, not as a Paris daytrip.

Just two comments, Julie. A whole unbroken day of museums in Paris is too much. But maybe what you mean is, a few hours at the Louvre, a walk and lunch, and a few hours at the Orsay. That should be doable and satisfying.

The day trip to MSM is, in my view, not worth the candle. And I like Mont St. Michel. But you and your son should follow your hearts.

I do think its worth asking if there is another Gothic sight or experience closer to Paris--Chartres, perhaps, or even the Fontenay Abbey--that wouldn't meet some of your son's dreams with less logistical cost.

Have a great time!

I'm assuming that you've already bought your tickets. Otherwise, flying open jaw--going to Paris and returning to the US via Rome would save you much time and hassle.

Ah well...perhaps next trip. (And I assure you, there will be a "next trip.")