Paris

Debbie, with only two days in Paris you cannot do everything. Is Versailles a must see for you, its worth most of a day, although can be done in half,, so think carefully about all the things you would be missing in Paris while out.. If it is a priority for you,, and I can understand that since I love history, then no,, do not buy a Versailles pass. Your two day Museum pass includes Versailles already.
Also, which two days are you in Paris, many sites close on monday or tuesdays, so you must plan carefully if in town on those days, and a few museums have evenng hours, so those would be good to take advantage of, With only two days( which is too little as you may now realize) you will have to sit down and write down your TOP must sees,, and then try and see what works . Two museums a day is plenty for most people, although you can fit three in some( like Orsay, Invalids, and Rodin, since they are all within walking distance of each other) You do not need a metro pass. Buy a carnet of tickets, that is ten single tickets good for one way fares and sold at a reduced( from buying individually) price. I think its about 11 euros or so.

If you are in Paris for only 2 days just buy the book of 10 tickets. In the past the main metros had someone working in person,however now you have to buy your tickets via a machine which takes a few minutes to learn how to use. Just watch someone and you will catch on fast. The machine takes credit cards or cash. Since I visit Paris 2 times/year I buy a surplus of metro tickets which do not presently expire. If you are staying longer 4-7 days a week pass would be good however you need to bring a small photo of yourself and the weekly passes are only sold on certain days of the week.

We just returned from France, including two days in Paris. If you're going to be using the metro a lot, then you might consider a one-day Mobilis pass, which costs about the same as a carnet. But depending on where you are staying and how much you will be using the metro/RER/bus, you'd probably be better off just buying a carnet. However, US credit cards will not work in the automatic machines. But we did find that at least some metro stations had a human from whom you could buy tickets. Also, Paris metro stations have no escalators, so be prepared for a lot of steps. Bon vogage!

To clarify a couple of facts: a good many metro stations do have escalators and a good many also have live ticket sellers. One idiot's opinions: 1. You'd be hard-pressed to use up a carnet of tickets in two days. 2. You'd be really hard-pressed to get benefit from a museum pass in two days unless you sprinted from one museum to another and did nothing else. 3. Based on having shown a lot of people around the city over the years, ranking things in order, Versailles wouldn't make the list until day five or six, at best. What I'd suggest for two days is to pick one art museum, one museum of some other type, one church, one neighborhood, and go up the ET one night. The rest of the time walk your tail off. You'll get so hooked on the city that you'll go back a zillion times.

The one advantage for you in getting the Museum Pass would be the fact that you can jump the, sometimes, very long, lines at the museums. If you have lots of time for standing in lines, then don't get the pass. If, however, you only have two days and want to pack as much in as possible you might want to balance the cost of the Pass against the cost of wasting precious vacation time.

What time of year are you going? And what is the most immportant stuff for you to see while you're in Paris? Because buying the museum pass could be worth it if you're going in July or August (peak tourist season) for skipping lines. But in, say, January, you might not be waiting in lines (and you might not want to be walking around as much!) For two days, I'd recommend the Louvre for a few hours, D'Orsay (even under construction it's still great) + one other museum of your interest (I personally love the Cluny). You can also cover the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Arc de Triomphe (if you want) and a boat cruise of the Seine without feeling like you're overdoing it. You might also want to consider a hop-on/hop-off bus if you want to see everything, but don't mind not going in, or a Batobus (hop-on/hop-off boat, but it doesn't have the commentary of a regular tour.

We were just there in September. We (2 of us) used 8 metro tickets in 2 days and we used the metro alot (the trip from airport is extra and so is the train out to Versaille). This was our 2nd trip to Paris and we did go to Versaille and loved it. We went in the morning and returned to Paris around 6pm so we got freshened up and then went to dinner and that finished the day but it was very good day. We did the Palace and the gardens, but the gardens were not covered with the Museum pass, it was extra but worth the cost. We didn't get to the other buildings at Versaille that were covered with the pass but if you do go through them, I believe that will just about be at "break even" for the cost of the Pass add in a couple of places in Paris on your other day and you are ahead. I don't think we saved any money but we definitely saved time since our line was MUCH shorter. It was worth the cost.

Just to clarify,, the gardens ARE included on the Musuem pass, EXCEPT on the days they do the Fountain show ( weekends till October I believe, check website) . Even on those days one can still enter the grounds around the Grand Canal and the Petit and Grand Trianon for free, but you must walk around the walls to the side entrances, as the Fountain show is only in the upper grounds, and is closed off.

I agree with Ed... What I like best about Paris is walking... all through the 4th, 5th and 6th arrondissments and especially along the river, the island where Notre Dame is and the little island behind Notre Dame (Ile Saint Louis)... AND the Luxembourg Gardens. You could spend 2 days in Paris just walking and sitting in cafes - never entering a museum- and have a GREAT time.

Pensacola had the best response....walk, walk, walk...If you must, the Louvre for 2 hours MAX - the D'orsay for another 2 hours - then hit the streets and soak in the wonder that is Paris. Don't bother walking the Champs Elysee - too much time and nothing to see - take the metro to the Arc de Triumph, go to the top, then walk down Rue Kleber to the Trocadero for a knock your socks off view of the La Tour Eiffel...waiting in line to go to the top takes too long - pass. Hit the Marais and the Place de Vosges...the old Opera House - Versailles is for another trip, we didn't get there until our FIFTH! Too much to see and do in Paris...

i enjoyed the Moulin Rouge show when i went to Paris, i booked it here which was quite cheap and a good deal: http://www.isango.com/france-tours/paris-tours/moulin-rouge-show-and-dinner_2901

Rob,, why book with a middleman, you can book directly, or just buy tickets there.
I personally found it cheesy, crowded,way overpriced and not that good.

I would still buy the carnet of tickets even for 2 days as they do not expire and can use them the next time you come back. The only live ticket sellars are at the larger metro stations. The automated machine is easy to use and I put in 20 euro bill and you will get change back. If I only had 2 days in Paris I would go to as few museums as possible. Here is a list of my favorite things to do in Paris. 1. Tour Eiffel Begin as people suggested at the Trocadero area 2 stops after the Bir-Hakeim exit on the metro. Then you can take a nice walk down to the Eiffel if you want to be closer. Best at night. 2. Arc de Triomphe If it is a clear day buy a ticket and walk up to the top where you get great views of the Champs-E and all of Paris. The museum pass will get you up to the top. 3. Montmarte Fun place to visit and a great looking basilica. After visiting the church you can walk to the artist village area Place de Tertre which is touristy however fun to have lunch in this area. 4. Museums The Louve and Musee d' Orsay are really crowded and 2 smaller places I like are the Rodin and the Marmottan Museum which is a Claude Monet museum and the RS Paris guide is great to find this place and describe what the paintings are. 5. Walking I agree the best thing about Paris is the ability to use your feet and see a lot of sights. My favorite areas are the 6th and 4th Marais. When you get tired stop at a small cafe and people watch.
6. My favorite day trip out of Paris is Giverny a Claude Monet home/gardens. Short trip on the RER and a great place for photos. Versailles is just to much to see and crowded especially on weekends.

I found Versailles a little stuffy considering the alternatives. Worth a visit on a longer trip perhaps. I'd rather see living history than stylised palaces, but that's just my personal preference. Paris itself has more atmosphere for me.

Thank you to all of you who replied to my Paris posts! With all your information, our trip was amazing! Between your responses and my Rick Steves book in hand, we had Paris covered as best as can be done in 2 1/2 days. Thanks everyone!