restless_rover

I'm planning a 4-day trip to Paris early next year (January to March) and would appreciate your thoughts on the practicality and feasibility of the following itinerary. I've not decided on a place to stay, yet, but would likely limit my search within the 6th to 9th arrondissements.


Day 1
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8:30 AM - Notre-Dame

? - Sainte-Chapelle

Lunch
Au Bougnat/Les Deux Palais

? - Opéra national de Paris

? - Montmartre+Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Dinner
Le Relais Gascon/Le Progrès/La Fourmi


Day 2
---
9 AM - Louvre - Open till 9 PM on Wed+Fri

Lunch

? - Champs-Élysées
Arc de Triomphe

Dinner (not many good options near the Champs-Élysées)
Le Comptoir de l'Arc

Day 3
---
9:30 AM - Musée d'Orsay - Open till 9 PM on Thu
? - Musée Rodin
? - Rue Cler
? - Napoleon's Tomb

Lunch
Jeusselin Traiteur

Evening - Eiffel Tower

Dinner

Day 4
---
Versailles

janisj

Your plan has some of the same issues that your original London plan had.

Day 1 is all over the place from Île de la Cité/Notre Dame/Ste Chapelle to the Opera to Sacré-Cœur

And "(not many good options near the Champs-Élysées)" applies the Champs in general - its just a not very attractive street. The Arc id OK as sights go but you are fitting in the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe when there are soooooo many other more (IMO) worthwhile uses of your limited time.

bilboburgler

interested is this research for a magazine article? 4 days, just too little and I'm not allowed to say why.

AJPeabody

I detect a need for Rick Steves.

janisj

The OP is also spending 4 days in London - totally normal. Why are you so suspicious??

bilboburgler

moi....

kja

Day 3 -- FWIW: I wanted far more time for the Musee d'Orsay and the Musee Rodin than you seem to be allowing. I found the Eiffel Tower a disappointment. YMMV.

restless_rover

I hadn't realized is that Musée d'Orsay is a significant investment of time. I may skip some of the latter items on the list if it takes more than 3 hours. Or move Eiffel Tower to the next day after returning from Versailles.

Travel_Nerd

Versailles will take a full day. Don't underestimate how huge it is, plus the time it takes to get from Central Paris to/from Versailles. You're easily looking at 6 hours or more for Versailles with transit.

This will put your Eiffel Tower time into the late afternoon or evening. Which is fine, but in January or February, it might already be getting dark.

It seems to me you are not much of a museum goer, between your two threads and are not grasping to tour a museum, it can take many hours to even see the "major" works. Places like the British Museum, Louvre, and d'Orsay are quite large. Even though you are planning on this trip in the "off season," it can still be crowded and busy.

If you want to tour these places, by all means. But if you're going just to go because it's on some "must see" Iist and not really your interest, maybe reconsider. For example, if you want to see Monet's waterlilies and maybe aren't interested in other works, an alternative might be the Orangerie. Much smaller, less crowded.

Do you really want to see Napoleon's tomb? If you're very interested in military history, go for it. But if you're not....then, you can spend that time it would take to tour Les Invalides (which ​​​​can take a lot of time) to tour something else or spend your time somewhere longer.

ETA: when I went with someone who was very into military history and really wanted to see Les Invalides (i didn't when I had seen it on a previous trip), we divided and conquered. I went to Rodin (nearby) after I got him situated with Les Invalides. I leisurely toured Rodin and the gardens. Went back to LI, he was still not out. He was in there for 2.5 hours and could have spent longer. Just for point of reference.

kja

How long it takes will depend on your interests. FWIW, I think I misunderstood your plan: I thought you were trying to see that museum AND the Rodin AND maybe some other sights all before lunch. THAT would be ambitious!

bilboburgler

Frankly I've been visiting Paris for 15 years and the tower is hardly worth the time of day, much better places around town. Les Invalides has better views as does the restaurant on the top of the Arab Centre