Paris

Hi Bonnee. What do YOU want to see and do in Paris - museums, nightlife, fine dining, etc.? My suggestion is to get a couple of guidebooks and read them, then decide what you want to do. Rick Steves' "Paris" book has a lot of great tips, not only about sightseeing but logistics like getting around the city. I'd read at least one other Paris guidebook to get a different perspective.

Allow half a day for Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coure, Siene river cruise with or without dinner, walk down Champs Ellyses, ride the metro, Louvre and other museums that fit your taste. Go shopping at Galleries Lafayette. Just get lost in a safe part of Paris, sit at a corner cafe and watch the world go by. Buy a cheap bottle of wine and a long baguette and sit in the park near the Eiffel Tower and enjoy. In the morning, go to a neighborhood bakery, get some pastry and coffee, try not to act like a tourist, eat and savor the moment. Walk down Rue de Rivoli and stop at Angelina's for the hot chocolate and other overpriced goodies. On a different day, make reservations for lunch at Hotel Maurice ( you may not want to afford dinner), be sure to dress up. There are to many other options to consider, don't make me have to go get my R. Steve's guidebook for Paris! Norte Dame Cathedral, if healthy enough, climb the bell tower and admire the gargoyles. St. Chappel. My spelling is atrocious and I'm sure many others will add many things I've failed to bring up. This will be 4 days of your life that will stay with you forever.

Top of my list: Walk all through Ile St Louis (the little island east of Notre Dame), Ile de la Cite (where Notre Dame is) and along the river to the Grand Palais, cross the river and walk back to Notre Dame. Second is spend time walking in and sitting in the Luxembourg Gardens. Third is sitting outside at the cafe "Le FLore en l'Ile" on Ile St Louis by the pedestrian bridge with a view of Notre Dame, enjoy their great food and people watch. And be sure to eat Berthillon ice cream :) Others are Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe (not the Champs Elysees), Seine river cruise (no dinner), walk through the Latin Quarter (5th arrondissement), the 6th (St. Germain area), the Marais (4th), Nissim de Camondo museum, the Orsay museum, the Louvre (at night when it's open late), an outdoor market, the Conciergerie, Rodin Museum (his home and gardens), Versailles and especially the grounds of Versailles (renting bikes there is very fun). I'd skip Montmartre, Sacre Coeur and the Champs Elysee. Not a fan.