Embracing my OCD
But then again, trip planning can be fun, too. Here’s a look at the insanity I’ve created in order to make sure that we ‘make the most’ out of our time in Paris. This is five days worth of planning. We’re spending two days in Amsterdam, and one day at Versailles, which leaves the husband with five and a half days to sit in a park and eat cheese. I think that’s more than fair–and more than enough cheese.
My insane plan, organized by area, created by cross referenced self-created table. My only regret is that I cannot copy/paste said table into a blog. Ah well…
Left Bank and Notre Dame
Ideal Day To Go: Wednesday or Thursday by 2:00pm
Metro: Two stops to Chatelet
RS Left Bank Walk OR Thursday 10:30am St. Germain Paris Walk
Picnic walk in Luxembourg Gardens
Pantheon
Metro: Odeon two stops to Cite
Notre Dame–by 2pm for English Tour
Sainte Chapelle
Metro: Cite to Les Halles
Gather dinner at Les Halles
Go home and eat dinner
Walk around and hold hands
Champs Elysees and the Louvre
Ideal Day To Go: Thursday or Friday
Metro: walk to Les Halles station; three stops to CDG Etoile
Arc de Triomphe
Walk down Champs Elysees to Metro FDR
Three stops to Tuileries Metro
Find food–picnic in Tuleries Garden
Rest of Day–the Louvre. Open until 9:30 on Fridays.
Montmartre and Sacre Coeur
Ideal Day To Go: Wednesday (if going on tour)
Metro: Anvers, funicular to the top.
Arrive early to avoid crowds.
Check out Sacre Coeur
Paris Walks Montmartre Tour 10:30am at Abbesses Metro
Dali Museum
Pigalle area–check out the Red Light District and look for windmills
Have dinner somewhere cute in Montmartre
Musee Jacquemart Andre and Opera Garnier
Ideal Day To Go: Wednesday or Sunday
Metro: Opera
Visit Galleries Lafayette Department store–go to top for view
Arrive Opera Garnier by 11:00
Guided tour of Opera
Walk to Musee Jacquemart Andre
Have tea in tea room
Tour Museum
Walk to Parc Monceau
Dinner at Cafe de La Paix
Paris History, Pretty Plazas, and Dead People
Ideal Day To Go: Saturday–for tour at Pere Lachaise
Metro: Walk
Check out Pompidou Center
Carnavelt Museum–walks south one block to PDV
Picnic in Place Des Vosges
Walk past Bastille and Opera House
Bastille Metro–four stops to Republique–transfer to line 3–three stops to Gambetta
Pere Lachaise Cemetery–by 3pm for English Tour
Metro back home–Gambetta or Pere Lachaise, Transfer at Republique to line 11, home to Rambuteau
Be careful when planning metro trips in Paris (or tube stops in London) to think twice about taking trips three or fewer stop apart. There is so much walking and climbing involved in getting into and out of the stations, making transfers, etc. that it can sometimes take just as long to walk there on sidewalks if the overall distance is a mile or less. For example, Luxembourg Gardens to Notre Dame is a brisk 10-15 minute walk, about the same as the metro trip. A lot depends on how tired you are, but all things being equal, I prefer to be able to see the sky.
thanks for the tip! i know what you mean, too, about the walking–i spend a lot of time in DC, and some of the bigger metro stations are way worse to navigate than the streets above.
You can also rent bikes at velib stations all over the city which can cut your brisk 10-15 min to notre dame in half. There’s a station right to the left of ND. We relied alot of velibs because we found the metro took up slot of time. Please have a waffle gauffe w nutella and chantilly for me when u go to the tuillerie jardins (stand is at the jardin entrance in Concorde, near the stele/obelisk), perfect for lounging near the pond. Crepes are equally fabulous and all a few euros.