First time in Paris -family of 3. We took the Eurostar from London and arrived at our apt on the Champs Elysee about 6pm. Walked to the Arc de Triumphe and then went to the Eiffel Tower. It was crowded and took 4 hours -most of it standing in line -but it was worth it.
Day 2: Metro to Saint Chapelle -they are repairing the altar area so there was a bit of scaffold, but it was beautiful. On to Notre Dame (we skipped the towers). My husband and son headed for the Catacombs (which they enjoyed) and I went to the Orsay -fantastic! One of my favorites. (the Museum Pass saved a lot of time as the line was quite long) We met up, grabbed a bite and took the boat trip. Rode the Metro back, took an evening stroll (lots of great people watching on the Champs)and ended at the Arc where we climbed to the top for some fantastic views.
Day 3: Metro to Montmarte. Went to Sacre Coeur -the funnicular is out of order and they are substituting a bus if you can%26#39;t walk up the stairs. We walked and then also climbed the dome -definitely worth it and there were NO lines. We wandered Montmarte, shopped a little and then took the Metro to the Opera Garnier. The auditorium was closed for rehearsals, but we did see a lot of the building. Lunch at a cafe, then walked to the Cluny Museum. No lines -small and interesting if you enjoy tapestries and medievel artifacts. It was amazing to see the Roman wall still standing. On to the Louvre -open til 10 on Weds. pm. Back to the apt late.
Day 4: RER train to Versailles -took about 1/2 hr. Toured the palace -a lot of scaffold as they are constantly repairing. It was amazing. We walked through the gardens and then rented bikes (6E/hour) and rode to the Trianons and the hamlet of Marie A. The crowd was growing as we were leaving. Grabbed a bite then back to Paris around 3pm. We only had time for 1 more museum and I am a huge Rodin fan so that is where we headed. We passed the Invalides -not enough time to see Napoleon%26#39;s tomb. Muse de Rodin was wonderful! We walked back towards Eiffel Tower via Rue Cler (stopping to buy bread, pastries, etc). We had time for one last evening stroll before packing.
Note; The French people were very friendly -most spoke a bit of English and it was not a problem. The Metro is a quick way to get from place to place, but walking is the best way to see Paris. Be sure to leave plenty of time if leaving from CDG. Most confusing airport I have seen -took us FOREVER to get to our gate -every bit of 2 1/2 hours from the Arc. The weather was nice -sunny and upper 60%26#39;s. Mostly we wore jeans, long sleeves, and windbreakers. For us, renting an apt was the way to go. Sorry this is long. Can%26#39;t wait to go back!
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Hi RedArrow, You certainly packed a lot of great sightseeing and strolling into your four days and sound as if you had a great time. I thought it was great that you all split up from time to time to see things you each wanted to see and then could share when you joined up again. Thank you for reporting back to us.
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Thanks for the trip report!
I loved the towers at Sacre Coeur also. There was not a line when we went also!
You did so much and had such a great time!
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Redarrowtravel - welcome back. You certainly managed an awful lot in only 4 days ! I never thought of renting a bike to see the Versailles park, Trianons, hamlet, canal - really a great idea as it is quite a walk if you plan to see %26quot;everything%26quot; out there on foot.
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Same thought, you certainly got to see and do alot in a short period of time! Sounds like a good first trip!
Which airline did you fly back and from which terminal? When I was there in Feb. after check in at air france I had to take a 20min bus to the new gates for North American travel!
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Redarrowtravel, thanks for posting your trip report. You saw pretty much all of the main sights and it sounds that the apartment worked well for you.
CDG is a most stressful and confusing airport!
Hope you can plan your next visit to Paris soon.
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Sounds like a wonderful time! You covered a lot of ground in those few days!
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Your last sentence summed it all up.
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