Paris in a week?

Question

It's my first time to Paghee :) Here's my itinerary:

Day 1: Eiffel, Musée d'Orsay, St Germain des-Prés.
Day 2 : Just stroll around and get lost.
Day 3: St Chapelle, Ile de la Cité, Notre Dame de Paris, Musée National du Moyen Age.
Day 4: Musée Picasso, Centre Pompidou, Marais.
Day 5: Musée du Louvre, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe
Day 6: Side Trip to Versaille
Day 7: Eiffel again, last french kiss lol

And If I have time, I will spend 2 days in Bayeux to see the WWII monuments.

I have 2 questions:
1-Does my itinerary sound reasonable?
2-Is Paris pleasant in september? Still crowded?

Yes , I heard so.
But I am not really interested in seeing it all. Just a few artworks that I like.

Answer 1

I would recommend you buy the Carte De Musee Monuments - a pass that allows you to enter most of the places you mention at a discount cost, allows bypassing of the queues and comes with some coupons you may find handy.

They are available online via expedia.com when you select the 'activities/attractions' icon for Paris. They are also available from the Paris Visitors Centre which is within walking distance of the Louvre.

I would also recommend a 5 day metro pass called Visite Pass (available at most larger metro/rail stations eg. Gare du Nord) - these allow unlimited metro travel around Paris which you will need to get around effectively.

Day 5 sounds busy to me - I loved wandering along the Champs and we had lunch there on the sidewalk. The Louvre is huge - I would advise you get there early as I went mid morning and it was jam packed with tourists all taking photos. I would suggest you chose the display that appeals to you most and head to that. The Mona Lisa had so much attention that I only got a glimpse. Arc de Triomphe is very impressive (there is no elevator by the way!). Remember it takes a while to get from one place to another in Paris even on the metro.

Museums often close before the time stated - they are known to close up to one hour before their actual time so dont leave anything to the last minute.

I took a Seine river cruise at sunset which was beautiful. I would take the boat that has an open air area rather than one of the huge enclosed boats. It is a nice way to spend an hour on a warm evening.

I loved the Gardens near the Saint Eustache Cathedral (Metro stop: Halles) - it was a nice place to wander around and the cathedral (for me) was more impressive than Notre Dame.

Enjoy your time in Paris - it is wonderful and romantic (dont forget to go to the Pont Neuf and kiss your loved one). I just loved sitting outside in the cafes drinking great coffee and watching people go by.

Answer 2

The Louvre is HUGE!!! I went in the morning, went to the Eiffle tower and did a couple of things and then went back again that day to have another look.

I did a half day trip (with viator I think) which left around 8am and came back around 12...so you don;t need a whole day there and you can let them take you out there, tell you about it all etc and bring you back...I left from a place right near the Louvre.

I did not spend an awful lot of time in the Picasso museum..ok art is not my forte, but it was interesting!
You will also be able to stroll around in the interim between going to some of these things.
I know that when I went to Marie Antoinettes jail or something I got a deal on a cruise (from Pont neuf) along the seine which was nice and gave great views of Notre Dame thats quite different from the front view)

You have done a lot of reseach and thats good.
Have fun

Answer 3

Looks good, I do not think your Paris part can be improved.
But have you considered to visit the famous Bayeux Tapestry? (Seeing the places you want to see in Paris, you might consider it, will only take an hour, two if you are a needle-work person.)

Paris is busy year round, but September it should be pleasant enough.
Weather is likely to be decent but can still be rather warm.

Answer 4

An excellant itinerary. Very well thought out. I congratulate you. You've done your homework.

Paris is very pleasant in September. Its one of the best times to visit the city. The tourist hordes will certainly be thinning out by then.

Answer 5

The Louvre is huge and can be overwhelming. So just beware And there is a really great WWII museum in Caen that I would try to catch if you can!

Answer 6

a good plan