Feel completely overwhelmed on buying museum passes, booking restaurants for dinner, metro passes, etc. I have several guide books and I just feel like i have lots of information but not sure how to organize it all. I am sure I%26#39;ll sort it thru. Tell me others have been where I am now.
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Of course we have! Everyone has. Make a general list of all the sites you MUST see. We can help you sort it out from there. You can combine going to get your museum pass with getting the general layout of the city on your first day. That will keep it relaxed when you will be jet-lagged and not feel like putting too much into a schedule.
Unless there are special restaurants that require booking far ahead, you can make the reservations when you get there, either walking by or by telephone from your hotel/apartment.
Start with this...and do SOMETHING...it will get easier once you begin.
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Here is my %26#39;to-do%26#39; list:
Versailles
Palais Royale - M. Antoinette exhibit
Louvre (don%26#39;t plan to spend too much time here)
Pierre Cardin museum (I am a huge fashion/design fan)
Tuilleries
Notre Dame
Sacre Coeur
St. Chapelle
SHOPPING
Fat bike tour
boat ride
top of Arch d%26#39;triomphe
Catacombs
Pere LaChaise
walking thru:
Latin quarter
Montmartre
St. Germain
Pigalle
Ile St. Louise
We are staying in MARAIS so we can hit Hotel DeVille %26amp; Place des Vosges
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If it makes you feel better, I%26#39;ve never had an itinerary planned on a trip to Paris (even my first trip). I had a guidebook (I like Paris Access because of the way the maps are laid out and keyed to the text entries) and had marked things Ithought looked interesting in various areas, and then I would just go out and walk around areas that I knew had things I might want to see - but I never decided in advance of a trip that I would see certain things on certain days.
Personally, I think that if you have some idea of what interests you and what days those sites are open, the rest will work itself out and there%26#39;s no critical need to decide anything in advance except things that require reservations. Have fun, relax, and to to Paris!
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If you%26#39;re wanting Michelin starred restaurants, then go ahead and get some reservations, otherwise you can do that or not as you see how your schedule is working out. Put down the things you want to do that are inside (museums, shopping, etc.) and outside (Eiffel Tower, gardens, etc.) so you%26#39;ve got things ranked if weather becomes a factor. That%26#39;ll get you started.
Remember, planning is supposed to be fun, so relax. People go to Paris all the time with very little planning and have a great time.
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Kalinka ,, there should be no such thing as a %26quot; solid%26quot; iternerary.
Stop over planning, or should I say, having anxiety because you haven%26#39;t over planned.
You basically will do fine with a list of your own %26quot; must see%26quot; attractions, and a list or guidebook that outlines which days they are closed( so many of us have forgotten that and wasted time arriving at a site that is %26quot;closed%26quot; arrgh). Helpful to write down which metro stops are closest to the sights you want to see also.
Museum passes are a non issue, buy them in many places, look on a map. Where is your hotel? Find site closest to your hotel, preferably a quiet museum,, or buy at airport.
Many of us survive trips without passes so relax.
Unless you are going to Michelin starred restaurants , or Altitude 95 you don%26#39;t need to be making dinner reservations yet, in fact many places you can do it just a few days ahead.Sometimes we just see a place during the day, like the menu( diplayed outside) and walk in and see if they can take a reservation for that evening, usaully they can, if not next day.
I find it helps to make my own %26quot; guide book%26quot; , a little notebook that I enter all my details in.
Have fun, you do still have 6 weeks to research , plan and organize,, you will do fine!!
PS Be sure to organize time to do nothing in!!
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All sound advice, I know. I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to planning vacations. I usually go on vacation with a folder of print outs, reservations all booked (for sites and dinners) and a spreadsheet with itinerary and pertinent info. This is my first trip to Paris (and a lifetime desire) so i want to make the MOST of it.
I tend to OVERPLAN and the wonderful people on TA in the Napa, CA forum really helped steer me in the right direction for our CA trip (saying, only try to do 3 wineries a day, slow down and enjoy the pace).
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Have you read the Felschurch post on page 2. 55 posts to his diary as it took place in real time. Other than securing his room to rent, Felschurch had only one pre reserved item on his itinerary. Fun read and you may get some nice tips.
Paris is a walking city. Your itinerary will be dictated by how sore your feet get. You will find sitting in a park or bistro to be just as enjoyable as seeing the major sights. Pick out a couple of must things to do in a day, and then fill in others if you have the stamina.
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Hello Kalinka,
I think you are suffering from information overload!! Not hard given that there is so much great information available on seeing Paris!! Since I am somewhat of an obsessive planner, here are my %26quot;tips%26quot;for dealing with the information overload!
Take your list of %26quot;must sees%26quot; and group by arrondisement. For example, you might group Notre Dame, St. Chappelle and the Ille St. Louis together - that would make a great morning outing - tour the churches and then wander Ille St. Louis, picking up tasty items along the way for a picnic!
Once you%26#39;ve gotten your groupings, check out the days those sights are closed and then start matching your groups to the days you will be there.
As you come across interesting sounding restaurants, shops, etc. in your research, add those to your list of groupings (again, by arrondisement). Take note of the metro stops for these as well as hours of operation.
When you are done, you will have a great %26quot;itinerary%26quot; - in short a list of things to do by arrondisement that you can pick and choose from given your energy, and interests when you are actually there!
Try and only %26quot;schedule%26quot; 2 or 3 %26quot;must sees per day - that gives you ample time for exploring discoveries - and not having to worry if you will get to see the other things on your list!!
That really is all an itinerary does for you - allows you to make the most of the time you have!!
Finally, ENJOY the process - it%26#39;s half the fun!!!
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I have 2 tips for you. If you should go to Versaille which is about 10 miles from downtown Paris. Get there early. They have long lines at ticket windows and long lines at entrance. If you go by train. First you will probably have to take a metro line. There are several metro lines that serve Paris. Then you will will have to catch an RER train. These trains go out to the suburbs and other cities. At the RER station, you will probably be able to get a combined train ticket and an entrance ticket to Versaille which will save you at least one long wait in line.
The other tip is when you go to the Eiffel tower. There are usually long lines here. You can usually walk up the stairs to the next level after buying a ticket. and catch the elevator from there.
They installed strobe lights all over the tower which they turn on for a few hours each night at the top of the hour for 10 minutes.
It%26#39;s a pretty spectacular sight.
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I agree with Becky that you don%26#39;t really need an %26quot;itinerary%26quot; per se, just an idea of the things you want to do. I try to group things geographically. So, for example, I would do the Louvre, Tuilleries and Arc de Triomphe one day (although the Arc is not really close to the Louvre, you do walk up the Champs Elysees to get to it, which you might like). If you really aren%26#39;t going to spend much time at the Louvre, you might even get in the Marie Antoinette exhibit (you need to buy tix for that online ahead of time, picking a certain time).
Notre Dame, Ste. Chapelle, Ile St. Louis and the Catacombs (are they open now guys???) might be one day with plenty of %26quot;wander%26quot; time.
The Marais alone, Place de Vosges, Hotel de Ville and the shopping there would be a day (be sure to go into the area of St. Paul).
Versailles couuld be a day trip if you don%26#39;t want to get up too early to get there, and take you time. Otherwise, you could do it in the morning and Sacre Coeur and Montmarte in the afternoon. Or you could do Versailles in the A.M and Pre LaChaise in the P.M. The cememtary will take about 3-4 hours.
Your boat tour could be done at night. I suggest http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/. You can book online and get a discount.
You could spend a day wandering the 5th and 6th - Latin Quarter and St. Geramin.
Hope this helps. Have fun.
Katharine
Can%26#39;t help wiht the Fat Tire Bike tour.
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