Paris - 1st week of April

Well, you could take a stroll on the Promenade Planté, which you can get to from Place de la Bastille. Or if that's too fatiguing, take a canal boat up to Villette. Or just buy some bus tickets and take Bus No. 69 or Bus No. 42, from beginning to end, and you'll pass by a good number of the sites in Paris people want to see. Or take Bus No. 73 from the Arc de Triomphe to La Defense, go to the top of the Grande Arche, enjoy the wonderful view and take some photos. There is a restaurant up there (I think it's called "Georges") and a small art gallery. Have a good time.

How about doing the Marais walk in the RS Paris guide? The Marais is a really cool neighborhood...lots of cool shops and interesting things to see. Or, in the alternative, you could do the Montmartre walk. Or, you could just walk down to the Seine and wander around the stalls on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank). Or, you could go over to L'Ile de La Cite, and see Notre Dame and Saint-Chappelle (which is NOT to be missed!) and the rest of the Ile, which is the original Paris!

Paris is my favourite city in the world! My last trip to France was 3 weeks...I spent 17 of those days in Paris! (I stayed at Hotel Muguet in Rue Cler and I just can't say enough wonderful things about that hotel!)

Bon voyage...and tell Paris I said "Bonjour!"

St. Sulpice, St. Germain, and Luxembourg gardens are within close distance of each other in the 6th arrondissment. I wouldn't be afraid to try the Eiffel Tower if this is when time allows. The stairs to the 2nd floor are a great deal money wise and are never crowded!

One thing to consider- JET LAG! You may want to take it easy on your first day. Consider simply walking around the city (taking frequent breaks), have a nice dinner, get to bed early, then wake up refreshed and re-energized to enjoy the rest of your week.

Julie- we also arrive on a Monday and are starting our MP on Tues., so I'm anxious to see the advice here also. I've been there once, also arrived on a Monday, and I remember being so exausted (I don't fly well) that it was important to keep walking outside- several museums the first day would have been mind-numbing. We're going first to buy our train passes and MP so we'll be ready for the next day. Then to the market for some basic food items- we have an apt. and plan to do breakfasts in. Then (but maybe this is too ambitious with jet lag), I was thinking of taking our gang-6 up for the Montmarte walk if the weather is good. There's nothing there on the MP, and the only things we might pay to add are the S.C. dome and maybe the Montmarte Museum if we're up for it. I think we'll have an early dinner as we'll be tired. That bus ride sounds like a good plan if it's raining, maybe the boat ride also (I know they're covered). I'll keep watching, let me know what you decide!

On my first day in Paris, last year, I made arrangements for a night tour. The van picked us up at our hotel, we toured Paris for about 2 hours, and returned us to our hotel. The sights at night were delightful.

Don't Don't Don't underestimate the power of jet lag. What you want to avoid it dumping your luggage and hopping on the metro and jetting across town running on adreneline and excitement. Then CRASH when you get there, far from your hotel, in a strange city and half asleep.

Personally I would go to the Jardin Luxembourg grab two chairs (a reclining one straight one) take a book or a snack and just sit back, maybe doze and maybe just read, or maybe just watch the world walk by.

You can't get more Parisian than that.

Take advantage of your weariness to relax and just sit afterall once you get up and going you are probably not going to allow yourself the chance to just sit again.