tips for getting the most from paris in 3 days

What attractions in Paris interest you most, after all your research? Do you have any intrest in art museums? I would suggest:
Eiffel Tower (go up the tower and be sure to see the light show at night)
Notre Dame - Ile de la Cite and St. Louis (stroll the entire area, including along the Seine).

Possibly take a Seine boat cruise, if weather is nice.

St. Chappelle (if interested in stained glass).

Arch de Triomphe.

Walking the Marais area.

Picasso Museum.

Louvre, at least see the courtyard/pyramid if not going in.

Stroll the Jardin de Tulleries.

D'Orsay Museum.

Stroll Montmartre area & Sacre Coeur.
and very important, sit and relax in cafes!

I did exactley what BG suggested in 2 1/2 days (minus the Picasso museum) and we had enough time. Mind you we didn't spend long in the museums as after a couple hours we were "museumed" out. We still had enough time to take relaxing lunches, suppers and sit in cafes as well as relax in the Luxemburg Gardens. I knew that we wouldn't have that much time, so I followed the advice well on how to avoid long lines (worked like a charm!) and I tried to avoid backtracking in the neighbourhoods that contained the sites.

And yes I still felt that I saw the sites and still remember everything that we took pictures of!!!

The amount of time you need is hard to judge as everyone is different. We spent 2 days in Amsterdam and were eager to leave, whereas we spent 3 days in Munich and wanted to stay more. And that is why I have made a point to go back there this May and spend more time there!

Great advice...and don't forget to check that the things you want to see will be open on the days you plan to visit.

Get the Museum Pass. It will allow you to bypass the ticket queue at most of the major Paris attractions (two notable exceptions are the Eifel Tower and Notre Dame, which is free anyway). You'll save a lot of time.

Learn the Metro. It's cheap, easy and whips you anywhere in Paris quickly. We walked from place to place our first day and though that was fine, we wish we had learned the Metro. It would have saved us time and valuable energy on that first day.

I second the museum pass if you like museums. Use it to take a quick look at a large variety which will give you an idea of where to spend more time in future trips. IMO, I'd skip going up the Eiffel tower as there's always long lines & unless you like views from on high, it's not worth it. I agree with BG in that you shouldn't miss the light show at the top of each hours (10 min). I think the best view is from the front of Ecole Militaire or the Trocadero, but you can see the top of the tower from just about anywhere. Don't forget to spend some R&R time just sitting at a cafe with a drink.

I spent 5 days in Paris a few years ago, but now am taking a friend there (who hasn't seen Paris) and we're going to spend 3 1/2 days. We're taking one day to go to Versailles, then the rest in Paris. You can do it if you plan well (know which places are closed on what days) and cluster sites together so you aren't backtracking. And definitely use the Metro - quick and easy to get you all over. Have fun!!

Hi. I would suggest a walk down the Seine. The first RS tour I took, I walked from the Louvre back to our hotel near the Luxemburg Gardens, just a leisurely stroll, but it is one of my fondest memories. The next time I was in Paris, I walked from near the Shakespeare's bookstore, back to my hotel near the Eiffel tower (walking on the opposite side of the river than the walk I took a couple of years before). I took a lot of pics from the bridges, even pics of the statues on the bridges. I have some beautiful pictures of the Eiffel tower in the great colors of the setting sun with the Seine river in the foreground. I did get approached by the "gold ring" people while walking along the Seine, but I just said loudly 'Non' and walked off quickly holding my hands in my pockets.

I also went to a number of the open air food markets, which are my favorite things to do in France. I did buy some fresh fruit, veg and cheese for my snacking. It is a great way to see how the locals shop and gather some very fresh snacks. I did buy a gorgeous silk scarf at one of the markets for a decent price.

Stop and have a coffee or drink at a sidewalk cafe, preferably outdoors where there is some good people watching. A good way to rest your feet and regroup and read about the next site to see.

Do enjoy your trip.

I think the Eiffel Tower light show is particularly lovely from the top of the Arc de Triumph - plus it fits in another site that is free with your museum pass.

My favorite museum in Paris Musee de l'Orangerie. It is located in the Tuileries Gardens (right by the Louvre). It has eight masterpiece paintings of waterlilies by Monet display in 360 degree view.

http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/

How much is the museum pass??

Dina,

Check it all out at the website -

http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/pass_tarif.php

I did everything BG suggested and the Catacombs in 3 days. Get the museum pass and bypass the lines. You can't linger in the museums. I even squeezed in a visit to a flea market in the northern part of Paris and got some deeply discounted keepsakes to bring home.

We bought the Two-Day Paris Museum Pass in January. It was 32 Euro--very well worth it for all of the reasons mentioned--it also helped us organize our days so that we could maximize the use of the pass and see all of the things that we wanted to see.

We were in Paris last June for 4 nights ( 3 full days) and saw everything that BG and Kate suggested except for the Arch de Triomphe. We substituted the Cluny Museum (near the Luxembourg Gardens) for the Picasso Museum, went up the towers of Notre Dame (trip highlight--go there first thing about 9 A.M.) and also toured the Paris Opera House (English language tour on Wednesday) Staying in the 5th, we found that using the Batobus ( Seine boat) for transportation was very efficient and enjoyable; most of the tourist sights are within a mile of the Seine. The only place that was harder to reach was Montmarte. We took a bus to get there, but next time we will use a taxi to save time. While we would have enjoyed more time, we did not feel especially rushed.