Claire

Please advise me on my tentative itinerary for our trip to Paris:<BR><BR>Day one: Marais area (where our hotel is), then Musee D'Orsay (open late that night)<BR><BR>Day two: Louvre, tuileries, Chammps-Elysees, Arc de triomphe; Montmartre<BR><BR>Day three: Ile de cite (Notre Dame, St Chapelle, Concergerie), Left bank, Invalides, Eiffel Tower<BR><BR>Day Four: St Germain area, Musee Cluny, Pere Lachaise, Museum of Paris<BR><BR><BR>

Claire

The Paris Museum I mentioned is the Carnavalet, sorry I blanked on it for a second!

John

Hello Claire,<BR><BR>Knowing and prioritizing what you want to see is more important than when you want to see it. Paris tends to disrupt the best laid plans with opportunities and experiences one cannot predict.<BR><BR>Suggest you designate 1/2 day for activities in your planning and then do the rest adhoc.

Ira

Hi Claire,<BR> Don't overschedule yourself. You can't see all of Paris in only 4 days.<BR> What will you do if at the Arc de Triomphe you accidentally walked up Ave Hoche and found the Parc Monceau - visit it? Go to Montmartre anyway?<BR> Have a great visit - no matter what you do.

Susan

Hi Claire, the Musee Carnavalet is just up the street from Place des Vosges in the Marais, so it would make more sense to go there when you're already in that area. On Day 2, whether or not you have time to get to Montmartre will probably depend on how long you spend in the Louvre. And on Day 3, getting to Invalides and the Eiffel Tower will depend on how much time you spend on the &quot;left bank.&quot; That covers a lot of area for shopping and wandering. As John said, decide which items each day are most important to you, go there first and then hit the rest if there is time. Have a great trip!<BR>

Ron

To save some transit time, you can visit the Eiffel Tower, then take a short cab ride down to the Musee D'Orsay.

elaine

I'd do (or at least plan)<BR><BR>Are you arriving on day one from a transatlantic flight? You will be tired even if you sleep on the plane a bit. Suggest a walk around your neighborhood (see Place des Vosges), then a late breakfast or early lunch, then a two hour nap in your hotel. Then, slightly refreshed, try the Orsay museum for late afternoon into the evening. <BR><BR>Day 2<BR>Louvre, lunch, Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle.<BR>If you still want more, metro from Cite to Arc de Triomphe (Etoile). Walk down Champs Elysees as far as the Rond Point<BR>(a park-like area in the middle). Turn <BR>onto Avenue Matignon and then continue walking east on Rue Faubourg St Honore just to window shop. When you reach Rue Royale, turn south and you will reach Place de la Concore, which is also one end of the Tuileries. That will be a very full day.<BR><BR>Day 3<BR>Start at Eiffel Tower. Then metro to Invalides, then walk the left bank/St Germain area in whichever area you like. Include the Cluny Museum if you like. A cafe recommended in today's New York Times is les Editeurs, 4 carrefour de l'Odeon in the 6th, open daily all day.<BR><BR>Day 4. Decide one more thing that you must see (Montmartre/Sacre Coeur?), but spend the rest of the day browsing or shopping or just strolling and enjoying Paris. Pere LaChaise is interesting, but I wouldn't think it a must see on a short first visit to Paris.

Howard

In addition to what everyone else has said, you couldn't possibly cover all four of the items on your Day 4 agenda and do them justice!<BR>(PS: We thought Pere LaChaise Cemetery was one of the most interesting experiences of our two-week visit to Paris.)

Bob Brown

I have two comments. First, the Louvre is non ending. A half day there is not enough to see it thoroughly, but it is more than enough to wear out.<BR><BR>Unless have a specific game plan for the Louvre, you will to some extent wander aimlessly.<BR><BR>The other aspect of a Paris visit is to be prepared for the unexpected.<BR>I can cite quite a few examples, but here is my favorite one.<BR><BR>We were on our way to the Musee d'Orsay when we walked into a farmers' market along Boulevard Raspail. We were an hour behind &quot;schedule&quot; getting to the paintings. I did not know the market would be there. I should have I suppose, but I didn't.<BR><BR>You did not mention the Rodin Museum.<BR>There are several items on your list I would drop in favor of those awesome sculptures. But that is a personal preference on my part.<BR><BR>My last advice is don't push it too hard. Ad hoc attractions at time seem to suddenly appear. If you are rushing to the next place, you can miss some entertaining events and sights.<BR>