2 Days in Paris

The most popular museums are the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsy. Many would also insist on seeing Versailles, even on a short visit like yours. The "must sees" are the ones that you, personally, must see - nothing more or less. You should research what each museum has, and figure out what interests you. Do not feel obligated in any way to go to a museum just because it's famous. Be aware that the Orsay recently reopened, so there may be large crowds (the pass lets you skip lines, but you still have to duke it out with your fellow museum-goers to see things). For me, waiting a long time to go up the Eiffel Tower was something I had to do on my first visit, but have never needed to do again. I do love the view of the Tower at night from the Trocadero, and loved going up the Arc de Triomphe (did it twice on my last trip - it's included in the Paris Museum Pass). Be aware that if you're not seeing Versailles, and not seeing two other museums or monuments per day, you will probably not come out ahead financially with the pass. You can get advance tickets online if you only want to see a few things, and still want to skip lines. Also, Ste-Chappelle (a must see for me, for its gorgeous stained glass) has a security line that can't be skipped, even with the pass; go early.

You'll get more answers if you post this in the "To the West" section. The "Trip Reports" section is for people to talk about a trip they just took. I replied to your hotel question in "To the West." I don't know anything about the fast pass, but I think you should research museums and see what you're interested in visiting. I love medieval art so the Cluny Museum was perfect for me, but you might hate it. I wish we went up the Eiffel Tower. It was cold, windy, and there was a long line to buy tickets and my sister didn't want to be outside for hours so we skipped it. But I love heights and looking down on a city.

Time is money while on vacation. With only two days to spend in Paris there is no way you will have time to see all the "biggies". The Louvre,Orsay,Pompidou are fabulous and impossible to fully enjoy in one or two days. The Eiffel Tower is, in my opinion, best seen from the Trocadero at 10pm for the light display. Try this: Day one, up at the crack of dawn, do the Louvre museum Denon(sp?)Wing only. Cross over to Isle St. Louis for lunch, and an ice cream cone. Cross the river again and do the Orsay,that afternoon. For the rest of the day wander around the Latin Qtr. and St. Germain.(good place for dinner)
Day two, get a Carnet for the metro and pick a couple of neighborhoods (arrondissement)and walk the streets of Paris. My favorite thing. There is way too much to see in this wonderful city for a two day stay. Make plans to return, and spend at least a week.

Thank you for your ideas.

hi, what floats your boat? then make a list that meets the above and go from there. 2 days in Paris is a shame. If you plan on going back, i could forgive you tho. LOL. imo, yes the Eiffel tower is worth it. just a little story. when i was working for Alcatel in the US, most of the Engineers i worked with had the chance to go to Calais where our sister factory was located. Well, they had to go via Paris and every one of them brought back the little ET paperweight and proudly placed it on their desk for everyone to see. I was to go there too when they closed our plant in the US. So, it became my quest to go back and get that dang ET paperweight. I finally did so, 12 years later and now i have that ET paperweight on my desk at my new job. And i always smile when i look at it knowing how long it took for me to get it. if you know what you like and do some homework what each museum has to offer, hopefully you can sort thru them with the little time you have. just an fyi, if youre into furniture (art novu)? then the MO is awsome! i wish i could have taken pictures of the furniture in there. I couldnt believe the craftsmanship of the furniture in there. happy trails and make sure you go back and do it right!

The must see is what do YOU want to see? It's a little different for everyone. The Eiffel Tower is magical, I highly recommend it. What days are you going? Some days the museums are closed. My next trip happens to be Thurs-Sunday, so we are maxing out our sightseeing time with "Late night at Orsay on Thursday", Late night at Louvre on Friday", and we had to get our tickets for the tower when we could (most were already sold out online 3 months in advance). We also plan on getting the museum pass, simply add up what you will spend on tickets, and see if it works out. It does for us, and the added bonus of bypassing ticket lines is a bonus.
the Tower and Arc are both open late, so those could be evening things you do, while visiting museums during the day. Enjoy! Christine