Hello and thank you to the many people on this forum who have given me so much information. I am finally ready to post an itinerary for our first visit to Paris in July. I will be visiting with my daughter, Paris is part of a 3 week vacation, starting in London and ending in Germany. This is a trip of a lifetime for me (also a 40th b-day present to myself!)
I hope to have plenty of room in this itinerary for strolling, picnicing etc... especially would like a relaxed pace due to traveling with my daughter.
Any suggestions would be gladly accepted
Thank you!
Day 1-Monday
-Arrival early from London on Eurostar
-Notre Dame/St. Chapelle/Concierge
-walk along Seine
-Eiffel tower at night and Seine boat cruise
Day 2-Tuesday
-Exploring St. Germain Du Pres
-Musee D%26#39;Orsay
-Jardins De Luxembourg
Day 3-Wednesday
-Metro to Arc De Triomphe
-Walk down the Champs-Elysees
-Tuileries Gardens/Orangerie
-Lourve
Day 4-Thursday
Versaille
Day 5-Friday
-Galeries Vivienne-
-Opera Garnier
-Galleries Lafayette/Printemps-maybe a fashion show?
-Funicular de Montmarte/Sacre Coeur
Day 6-Saturday
-Exploring the Marais
-Place des Vosges
-Musee de la Poupee
-Pompidou Center
Day 7-Sunday
-Train to Karlsruhe
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Mostly it looks like a lovely schedule.
Saturday isn%26#39;t a good day to explore the Marais. Many of the restaurants, shops, delis, L%26#39;As du Falafel, etc. are closed for the jewish holiday. Obviously Musee de la Poupee and Pompidou Center would be open and so would Place des Vosges be viewable. I would recommend switching one of the other days (not Friday because places in the Marais probably close at sundown to celebrate the Jewish sabath) with your Saturday schedule.
I don%26#39;t think Printemps does a fashion show these days. Galleries Lafayette does and it is at 3pm on Fridays. It lasts 30 minutes and you need to reserve far in advance on the Galeries Lafayette website.
I%26#39;m glad to see that you reserved an entire day for Versaille. If you want to see the fountains, I think you need to go there on Saturday. (So perhaps switch Thursday and Saturday schedules?)
I%26#39;m glad you are including Opera Garnier. You can take a guided tour or do a self-tour for 8E. It is simply fantastic.
Sacre Coeur is open late and Montmartre (Place de Tertre in particular) is a fun place to hang out in the evening. Galleries Lafayette is just a large department store. However, do look at the beautiful rotunde ceiling in the center of the store. Both of these department stores provide beautiful views of Paris from their top floor cafes. Some people have said they prefer the view from Le Printemps.
I hope your daughter likes Musee de la Poupee. Check at their site on line to see what temporary exhibit will be there. Also, they offer discount entry on Saturday mornings and sometimes have children%26#39;s parties that morning too. Is that why you picked Saturday to visit this site?
The Louvre is open Wednesday evening late. Is that your plan?
The D%26#39;Orsay has a beautiful restaurant which isn%26#39;t real expensive. I can%26#39;t whether the D%26#39;Orsay is closed Monday or Tuesday so please check to be sure.
Have a wonderful trip.
I encourage you to check out the show times at the Marionnette Theatre in Le Jardin du Luxembourg. It is so much fun! It is like the old melodramas and the kids warn the puppets of danger by yelling out (in french). It is adorable. I think you and your daughter will enjoy it. I go whenever I can (and I am 59 years old!)
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I traveled with an 8 year old girl last March. Keep in mind that one day you will both crash and get little or nothing accomplished.
On Day 1, I would take a Batobus during the daylight to the Eiffel Tower, climb the Eiffel Tower and call it a night. I%26#39;m willing to bet the Concierge will not be a interest. Our 8 year old fell asleep on the Bateau Parisienne.
Day 2 sounds perfect.
Day 3 Our 8 year old loved climbing the Arc de Triomphe. I suspect that yours will be exhausted and possibly cranky by the time you get to the Louvre. When you do the Louvre, have her pick out three postcards of paintings/statues and then go and find them. A little Louvre goes a long way at that age, especially after all that walking.
Day 4 Get to Versailles early. Search this forum for tips on how to get tickets ahead of time. I doubt that you%26#39;ll have time to stop and contemplate what you are seeing. Your 8 year old will enjoy the gardens more.
Day 5 All sound interesting but don%26#39;t plan on spending much time at any one of them. I%26#39;d skip the fashion show unless she is really into that type of thing.
Day 6 A quick walk through should be okay.
Be very aware of your daughter%26#39;s attention span and fatigue level. Plenty of ice cream should help. You have your activities well grouped.
There is a Fodor%26#39;s book on traveling with children in Paris. Stop at your nearest Barnes and Noble or Border%26#39;s and look it over and see if it appeals to you.
Take travel videos out of your library so your daughter knows what to expect when she gets there. You will also get a hint about what appeals.
Barbara
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Thank you for the great suggestions so far
I was concerned that Marais might not be a good idea on Saturday but am also concerned about crowds at Versaille on the weekend? I did plan to visit the Lourve early evening on Wednesday and spend plenty of time before hand relaxing. I love the suggestion to pick up postcards and my daughter find the art. I would also love to see one of the puppet shows, is it still the case in summer that these shows are on Wed./Sat./and Sun. I have been checking out every available dvd at the library in preparation and my daughter has really enjoyed watching them with me. I am brushing up on my history and she is getting a primer on it as well! My parents were big museum goers and I remember being less than thrilled with some of them at my daughters age. Keeping that in mind I am willing to cut back on museum time and add more Paris park time! Thanks again for the great feedback
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When you go to the Pompidou Center, next door is a fabulous fountain called the Stravinsky Fountains. They have lots of moving parts, are whimsical and very colorful. Don%26#39;t miss them!
There are lots of street artists on or near the pedestrian bridge between Notre Dame and Ile St. Louis. Pylones is a store on Ile St. Louis which your daughter will love!
The Metro is full of musicians playing for their living. I enjoy listening to them and I bet your daughter will find it fun.
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Make a point of getting to Marie Antioinettes Hammeau at Versailles,, my 12 yr dd loved it.
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