Paris is a fascinating study of the ability and follies of human nature traced on a timeline which is similar to many great cities of the world...the affluence and fancies of the mighty rulers, the influence of religion and religious leaders, the power struggles, mishandling of this heady power and amidst all this, art and culture as a constant oasis.
The city is at once a 10th century cathedral town, a 12th century university and market town, a 14th century city bursting at the seams, affected by plague and wars and waging its own war against Jews and sorcery, an 18th century city where the people power set an example for rest of the world and a 21st century 'World City'.
The city also tells a poignant tale of how art and artists evolved and passed on the baton to the future generation despite the testing and turbulent times and opposition, the pain of being misunderstood in their lifetime only to be revered when it wouldn't matter to them anymore. Now, of all the time long past, the only tangible evidence is from the art and architecture that the city adores and treasures.
No matter what one is interested in, one can never be bored in Paris and here's my list of 'Must-sees' in this beautiful city. For those of you, who like me, prefer information in a tabular format, there is timing, entrance fees, website reference, nearest metro station, best time to visit, minimum duration needed for the visit and my rating, at the end of the post.
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| Louvre Museum from Tuileries Garden |
Place de la Concorde
The largest square in Paris located at one end of the famous shopping street of Champs-Élysées avenue. This was the square which became the Place de la Révolution ('the square of the revolution'), where Louis the 15th, queen Marie-Antoinette, and some 2,500 others were killed by guillotine during the french revolution. (Between 1789 and 1799 - A revolution that overthrew monarchy, established a republic, and after political turmoil finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon Bonaparte - the revolution had profound consequence, leading to global decline of absolute monarchies.)
The 75 feet long pillar found there today is a 3,300-year-old obelisk of yellow granite which Muhammad Ali, viceroy and pasha of Egypt took from the Luxor(ancient Thebes) temple in Egypt and gave it as a present to France in 1831. There are hieroglyphics on the pillar describing the reign of pharaoh Ramesses II and the pillar rests on a pedestal which describes the machinery and method by which it was transported to Paris.
There are 2 fountains by the obelisk, many 18th-century stone buildings facing the square and 8 female statues on thrones at the corners of the square representing the biggest cities of France.
To the north is the 1828 completed L'église de la Madeleine (Madeleine church) with 52 columns, each 20 metres tall, inspired by the oldest Roman temple of Maison Carrée in Nîmes.
While there, don't miss out on a ride in the Ferris wheel. Absolutely delightful sights.(Euro 12 per person for a couple of rounds)
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| Place de la Concorde and periphery |
Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)
The beautiful Tuileries Garden between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde was designed in 1564 by Catherine de Medici (who at that time was the queen regent on behalf of her minor son) as a garden for the Tuileries Palace.
It gets its name from the fact that this area was once populated with red tile factories. Tuileries in French is a tilery, a kiln where the tiles are made.
Many impressionist painters like Monet and Renoir have made the garden a subject of their art. There are 18 bronzes statues in the Gardens created by Maillol.
At the Louvre end of the garden, there is a 63 feet tall 'Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel' completed in 1808 to commemorate Napolean's victories in war. There are various war scenes on the bas-reliefs and a statue atop the arch of 'Peace' riding a triumphal chariot led by gilded 'Victories' on both sides which ironically depict the fall of Napolean and return of Bourbons as rulers of France.
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| Tuileries Garden, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Louvre from the Ferris wheel ride at Place de la Concorde |
Palais Bourbon (Bourbon Palace)
It houses the French national assembly. The palace was originally built in 1722 by the duchess of Bourbon, the daughter of Louis XIV, as a country house and was nationalised during the french Revolution
In 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte added the classical colonnade to mirror that of Madeleine church.
Grand Palais (Great Palace), Petit Palais (Small Palace) and Alexander Bridge
All built as part of the preparation for the Universal Exposition of 1900. Since then, the Grand Palais, with the biggest glass roof in Europe has had problems with its structure and seen its fair share of WWII action. It now hosts exhibitions and is also a museum.
The Petit Palais right across the Grand Palais houses Musée des beaux-arts de la ville de Paris (Museum of Fine Arts of Paris).
The Alexander Bridge with its statuses of winged horses, nymphs and lamps connects the two banks of the Seine from the Champs-Élysées quarter to the Eiffel Tower quarter. It was named to honour the Russian Tsar Alexander III who had signed the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892.
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| Alexander Bridge |
Musée d'Orsay (Orsay Museum)
For an art lover, this is the heart of Paris. France’s national collection of art created in the years 1848 to 1914 - impressionist (Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Manet) and post-impressionist work(Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin)as well as many other styles of neoclassicism, romanticism, expressionism and art nouveau design is housed here. Not just paintings but the collection includes sculptures, furniture and decorative objects.
The building of the Orsay itself is a beautiful work of art. When the construction of the building with glass roof was completed in 1900, it was a train station and served as such till 1938 when the longer trains of the day couldn't be serviced by the short platforms. Till 1978 there were many ideas that went around deciding the fate of the building and finally in latter part of 1970s it was decided to turn it into an art museum and after modification for 4 floors of 20,000 sq metres of display space the museum was opened in 1986. Taking an audio guide is absolutely essential to really get a sense of the masterpieces.
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| Love padlocks on 'Léopold-Sédar-Senghor' bridge and Orsay Museum |
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| Orsay Museum |
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| Orsay Museum |
Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees
Completed in 1836, at 164 feet high and 148 feet wide the arch is the oldest triumphal arch of such size. The 1938 built Mexico city triumphal arch and 1982 built Pyongyang arch are taller, pitting the Paris arch into third place. It was commissioned by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1806 but it was only 20 years after his death that the construction was completed. The arch celebrates his imperial victories and honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars. The names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Under the arch lies the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I with an eternal flame keeping vigil over all the unidentified war dead.
From atop the arch one can see 12 roads going out from the arch and the panoramic view of Paris is beautiful. So are the sculptures on the arch itself commemorating various events. The stones for the arch were brought from Burgundy, about 300 KMs away.
The Champs-Elysees is a 2 KM long (230 feet wide) chestnut tree lined, luxury brands high-end shopping street between the arch and Place de la Concorde. The road served as an exposition site for the 1900 exposition, military parades of German troops in 1871 and 1940 as well as joyous ones post WW1 and WW2 took place here. The last leg of the Tour de France and the awards ceremony takes place on this road.
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| Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe |
Eiffel tower
This 1,063 feet tall wrought iron structure when built was meant to be a temporary entrance to the 1889 World Fair. Gustav Eiffel, the architect came in for lots of criticism for the design as did the tower itself after having been built. From the expiration of its 20 year permit to Hitler ordering for the tower to be blown to plans to 'move' it to Montreal for 1967 expo there, the tower's fate has seemed to be hang in a balance every now and then but the tower has stood strong.
There are 3 levels with restaurants on the lower levels, a glass floor on 1st level which was installed in 2014, five billion lights which light up the tower after dark and another 20,000 lights which make it sparkle for 10 minutes on the hour, beautiful gardens surrounding the tower and panoramic views from the 2nd and 3rd levels.
Tickets to go up the tower can be booked online via the official website or can be bought at the counter before ascending. The online ticket quota gets sold out like hot cakes weeks to months in advance, but I have heard that it does become available a day or 2 before the date, you could try your luck with this or just queue up an hour early (for off-season) to be the first ones to go up with hardly any crowd at the top. I wouldn't even venture to guess at how early one has to queue up to get tickets in the peak-season.
Frankly, if it feels like too much of a hassle, take photographs from the ground level and skip going up, the views from atop Arc de Triomphe and Ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde are equally beautiful with the added advantage of being able to decipher individual landmarks in better detail than from the top of Eiffel tower.
Bear in mind that Eiffel Tower is to the west of Paris and if you ascend in the morning on a sunny day, you will be facing the sun and will not get good photographs/view of pretty much the entire spread of Paris (Place de la Concorde to Notre Dame cathedral).
It gets very windy up there, be sure to carry an extra layer of warmth.
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| Base of Eiffel tower with its garden |
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| Common Wood Pigeons, residents of the garden around Eiffel tower |
Champ de Mars and Jardins du Trocadero ('Field of Mars(the God of War) and Garden of Trocadero')
These are gardens on either side of the Eiffel tower.
Champ de Mars was used for military drills/marching since the military school ('École Militaire') was set up in the area in 1765. This was the site of the universal expositions that took place in Paris.
Trocadero garden was part of the old Palais du Trocadéro which was built for 1878 world fair for holding meetings during the fair, this building was replaced by the present day 'Palais de Chaillot' for the 1937 international exposition. The building being on a higher ground one gets an open view to the Eiffel Tower and beyond from the wide esplanade in the building. It's popular for sunset views of Eiffel tower.
The Naval Museum, Museum of Ethnology, a theatre, an aquarium and a couple of other museums occupy the buildings today. The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 here.
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| Bridge 'Pont d'Iéna', Trocadero (the shadow of Eiffel), Woods of Boulogne (a 2,090 acre park, which also has Roland Garros tennis stadium) and the business district of La Defense beyond |
The Louvre Museum
With almost 35,000 objects on display dating back from prehistoric times, exhibited in an area of 60,600 square metres makes Louvre the largest museum in the world.
The Museum is housed in Louvre Palace which was built as a fortress in 12th century and expanded many times since. In 1682, the king moved to Palace of Versailles leaving Louvre as a place to display the royal collection. During the French Revolution, the Louvre became a museum for the nation's masterpieces.
The 1989 completed glass pyramids and the 1993 completed inverted pyramid below the big pyramid was architect IM Pei's idea and initially drew a lot of criticism.
The objects on display are classified into 8 categories:
-Egyptian antiquities: from Nile civilizations from 4000 BC to 4th century AD
-Near Eastern antiquities: Pre-Islamic Levant, Mesopotamia (Iraq) & Persia(Iran)
-Greek, Etruscan and Roman: Mediterranean Basin-from Neolithic to 6th century AD
-Islamic art: Spanning 13 centuries and 3 continents
-Sculptures
-Decorative arts: Middle Ages to the mid-19th century AD
-Paintings: 7,500 paintings from the 13th century AD to 1848 by 1,400 artists
-Prints and drawings: Works on paper
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| Egyptian antiquities, Louvre Museum |
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| Louvre Museum Courtyard |
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| Admirers of Signora Mona Lisa |
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| Paintings at the Louvre |
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| Night-lit glass Pyramids of Louvre and Ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde |
Notre Dame Cathedral ('Cathedral of Our Lady')
A 5,500 sq metre catholic cathedral built on a small island on river Seine in the French Gothic style of architecture (pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttress, large windows, spires, ornate facades) dedicated to Mother Mary. The construction began in 1163 and it was only in 1345, 182 years later that the construction was completed.
Amongst the special features of the cathedral are the beautiful rose windows (circular windows) and other windows of stained glass. There are 300+ spiral stairs to reach the level from where the huge bell (the 1681, 13 tonne 'Emmanuel' is the biggest and oldest of the 10 bells), statues of gargoyles and chimeras as column support and water run-offs around the exterior and a panoramic spread of Paris is to be seen.
Do walk around the cathedral on the outside to get a better sense of the proportions of the cathedral.
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| Notre Dame cathedral, view of rose window from outside |
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| Interior of the Notre Dame Cathedral |
Sainte Chapelle ('Holy Chapel')
Built on the same island on Seine in the heart of Paris as the Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle, another Gothic marvel was consecrated in 1248. It has the most extensive 13th century stained glass collection anywhere in the world - 1,113 glass windows in all.
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| Stained glass windows at Sainte Chapelle |
Conciergerie
From being used as a residence by the first French king in 6th century to becoming the parliament of Paris in 14th century (In 1358, the king moved his residence to Louvre) to partly being used as a prison in 1391 and a detention centre as prisoners of french revolution awaited their fate - this building has been a witness to quite a bit of history.
The mostly underground Conciergerie(named for the title of the person in-charge ('concierge') of the place after king moved residence) along with the palace of justice (palace with towers above ground) and Sainte Chapelle formed part of the royal palace, Palais de la Cité.
The 'hall of men-at-arms' in the conciergerie which was the dining room for 2,000 soldiers built in Gothic style is beautiful. This part, the prison chambers around it, a courtyard are what is open to public now, the rest of the building is used as law courts.
Queen Marie Antoinette was imprisoned here during French revolution before she met her fate at Place de la Concorde. There is a model of her sitting by a table facing the wall, in a portion of where she was imprisoned. The setting is so real that I felt she would turn around any second.
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| The hall of Men-at-Arms, Conciergerie |
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| Conciergerie and Pont Neuf bridge at the farther end |
Place du Châtelet (Chatelet square) and Tour Saint-Jacques ('Saint James Tower')
Just across the river from the Conciergerie is a square with a 1808, 59 feet column with a palm tree representing Nepolean's Egyptian victories, a bronze statue of 'Victory' holding aloft laurels of victory is at the top. There are other sculptures around and a fountain beneath the column with sphinxes. Chatelet is a little castle or fortress but I am unable to figure out why this square is named thus.
There are a couple of 1860s theatres by the square and a flamboyant 171 ft Gothic tower which is all that remains of a former 16th-century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie ('Saint James of the butchery'), which was demolished during the French revolution. Today a park surrounds the restored tower.
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| 'Victory' holding aloft laurels of victory |
Pont Neuf ('New Bridge')
This 761 feet long stone bridge completed in 1606 is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris. The 'new' in the name is vis-à-vis the other older bridges which have all since been replaced. It is at the western end of the island and is the departure point for Vedettes du pont neuf' river cruise company.
La Palais Royal ('Royal Palace')
Located opposite to the Louvre, built by the architect who also designed the Sorbonne, the main body of the building completed in 1634 eventually became a royal residence. Wife of the king of England who was the aunt of the French king, and her daughter were sheltered here from 1649 after they escaped the English civil war. In 1661, the daughter married the French king's brother and she created the ornamental gardens and the palace became the centre of social gatherings in the city.
The palace has undergone many changes with the change in ownership over the centuries. Today, most of the buildings are occupied by government offices, the national book depository and theatres (which was part of palace as far back as 1640s) but the beautiful garden is open to public.
In the coutyard between the entrance and the garden, note the black and white striped columns jutting out of the ground, these are 'Colonnes de Buren'(Buren's columns), a controversial art installation done in 1986 to conceal the ventilation shafts of an extension done below ground. It's weird to say the least, probably it's ahead of its time, and will be appreciated in another 50 years.
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| Palais Royal garden |
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| Buren's columns in the Palais Royal courtyard |
Palais Garnier - Opera National de Paris
The 1875 completed 1,900 capacity opera house named after its architect, Charles Garnier is probably the most opulent building in Paris. The building built in 'Neo-classical' style has many Greek mythology marble statues , busts of musicians, columns and a huge green doom. In the interiors under a beautifully painted ceiling is a large ceremonial staircase of white marble which splits in 2 and then leads to a grand hallway. The horse-shoe shaped auditorium has a 7 tonne chandelier and a stage which seats 450 artists and is biggest on the continent. Since the completion of Opera Bastille in 1989, Palais Garnier is used mostly for staging ballets.
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| Palais Garnier |
Sacré Coeur Basilica ('Basilica of the Sacred Heart') and Montmartre (Mount of Martyrs)
This travertine stone(quarried from Château-Landon, about 100 KMs away) Roman catholic church whose construction started in 1875 was built as a penance for the 1871 French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War which was considered as a 'divine punishment for the declining morals in the country post the French revolution' but now it is said to honour the 58,000 people who lost their lives in the war.
It's a lovely understated (as against what was considered the excesses of the neo-Baroque Palais Garnier) white building built at the highest point in Paris on the hill of Montmartre, which has been a place of worship since before Romans. There is access to go up the doom for a even better view of the 'spread' of Paris than at its base. The evenings especially are beautiful with the setting sun casting a golden hue on Paris as the visitors sit on the stairs to the Basilica while being entertained by acrobats and singers. While there, also see the 19 tonne bell which was cast in 1891.
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| Sacré Coeur Basilica in the evening light |
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| View of Paris from Sacré Coeur Basilica |
Tour of Paris AND Boat Cruise on Seine
The tour of Paris (either on a bus or any other means) and a cruise are essential to fully appreciate the beautiful city, especially if you are short on time. Even if you have spent days going around Paris on your own, a tour like this sums up the place wonderfully.
My preference is to take the river cruise in the day to better take in the sights as the city rolls by and to take the land tour after sunset to get in the sights of an illuminated city, especially the 10 minute on the hour 'extra' sparkles on Eiffel tower.
The river cruise is the best way to see a few monuments which are out of the way and would have been missed otherwise, like the 22 metre, 1889 Statue of Liberty which was gifted by Parisians in US to mark the 100 years of revolution and also the 1989, 3.5 metre flame of liberty(just the flame) diagonally opposite to the Eiffel Tower.
Chateau de Versailles ('Versailles Palace')
In 1623, about 20 KMs south west of Paris, Louis XIII, the French king built a hunting lodge and then his son, Louis XIV moved his residence here, enlarged and built a royal palace which was the seat of power till the French revolution.
I love the understated paintings on the ceilings in general and of the famous hall of mirrors and the royal chapel in particular. The exterior of the building as such is lovely but the real beauty of this place lies in its gardens. Almost 2,000 acres of land in French garden style with about 200,000 trees intercepted by numerous fountains dating from the days of the palace's construction. There is also an open air ballroom(which inspired an Allen Rickman directed movie-'A little chaos') a theatre grove. and even an orangery where the potted plants are transferred indoors for winter and outdoors for summer. Towards the other end of the grounds are Queen Marie-Antoinette's hamlet and residence which was her escape from the hustle-bustle of the palace. There are also other palaces built for various other purposes.
Though going around the garden by walk would be ideal, there is a 'train' which ferries people around with hop-on and hop-off facility for Euro 7.50 each.
Versailles is at least a one-day outing to be able to take in everything.
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| Two storied Royal Chapel, Versailles Palace |
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| Versailles Palace Garden |
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| Versailles Palace Garden |
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| Versailles Palace - Note how seamlessly an entire floor is added for the servant quarters |
The Sorbonne and the Latin Quarter
Collège de Sorbonne, started in 1257 by Robert de Sorbon, French theologian and Chaplain to French king, was one of the first significant college of its time. The Sorbonne buildings today house many higher education and research institutions.
The area around Sorbonne called Latin quarter gets its name from the Latin language (language of learning in the Middle Ages in Europe) which was widely spoken in and around the University. The 2 main roads in the Latin Quarter are the Boulevard St. Germain and the Boulevard St. Michel. Cluny museum at the intersection of these 2 roads and the fountain at Place St.Michel of St. Michel killing a demon are 2 places worth visiting.
Place St. Michel just across the road from Seine, the site of numerous protests and social uprisings, was one of the main places of French resistance to Nazis and the site of student uprising, eventual workers' strike that lead to the ouster of president De Gaulle.
The area is a bustling hub with restaurants and bookstores, a few other ancient looking buildings and of course the Pantheon and the Luxembourg gardens can all be taken in an hour's leisurely walk.
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| Sorbonne university |
Pantheon
This is 1790 completed monument meaning 'Temple to all Gods' in Greek, with its frontal facade modeled on a 128 AD monument of the same name in Rome. It was built as a church dedicated to the patron saint of Paris after the ill French king recovered owing to a vow to build a grand church in 1744 if he recovered.
Today, the monument is a mausoleum, a final resting place for many of France's prominent citizens and the French words on the facade reads, 'To the great men, the grateful homeland."
In 1851, physicist Léon Foucault demonstrated the rotation of the earth by constructing a 220 ft pendulum beneath the central dome.
It's a magnificinent building from both inside and the exterior.
Restoration of significant damage to the monument has prompted a huge effort estimated to cost about Euro 100 Million over the next 10 years.
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| Pantheon |
Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden)
The garden was started in 1612 by planting of 2,000 elm trees by Queen Marie de' Medici, widow of a French king, to go with the Luxembourg palace she built in her native Florence palace style, the garden was also laid out in the same style as the Florence garden of her childhood. End of that decade there was a 'Medici fountain' added to complement the garden. Over the centuries many additions were made. The garden today has over a hundred statues(including 20 statues of French queens and other famous women, a central water pool, monuments, fountains and the palace itself in the 55.5 acres. Now, the palace is the seat of the French Senate.
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| Luxembourg Palace |
Rodin Museum
If sculptures in Orsay and Louvre and walks around the sculptures in gardens of Tuileries and Luxembourg has left you wanting for more, the collection of France's best sculptor, Auguste Rodin displayed in what used to be his workshop at the Hotel Biron would be an absolute delight. 6,600 sculptures and other works of art are displayed in the garden and within the building. Also enjoy Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir paintings which were part of Rodin's personal collection, all of which he donated to the country on the condition that it would be converted into a museum. The museum was set up in 1919, 2 years after his death.
Thrice refused entry to School of Fine arts in Paris, drew condemnation for his realistic sculptures, today Rodin is considered the father of modern sculpture.
Catacombs
The underground tunneled network of mines were used as ossuaries for the remains of over six million people when the city officials were faced with two simultaneous problems of overflowing cemeteries and a series of cave-ins in the tunnels starting in 1774. The remains from the cemeteries were transferred to the reinforced tunnels in nightly processions of bones from 1786 to 1788 and more remains were added in later years and since 1874 has been accessible to public as a tourist attraction of being, 'the world's largest grave'. In 1810, the bones were arranged into patterns that is seen today.
Probably not for the faint-hearted but definitely a unique place to visit. Though, I wonder how there are no health hazards to visiting this place but in all my reading about this place I haven't come across any such concern.
Picasso Museum
Over 5,000 works including paintings, sculptures, engravings and illustrated work as well as record of the Spanish artist's creative process through sketches, studies, drafts, notebooks, etchings, photographs, illustrated books, films and documents.
Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois
Founded in the 7th century, the church was rebuilt many times over several centuries. It now has construction in Roman, Gothic and Renaissance styles. The most striking exterior feature is the porch, with a rose window and a balustrade above which encircles the whole church. To the right of this church is the building which is used as the city hall for the 1st arrondissement of Paris.
Perrault's Colonnade
Opposite the Saint Germain church is the easternmost facade of the Palais du Louvre in Paris. It has been celebrated as the foremost masterpiece of 'French Architectural Classicism' constructed around 1670. Cast in a restrained 'baroque' manner, influenced by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, whose works Perrault had translated into French.
Perrault’s Colonnade has been a model for many grand edifices in Europe and US. One of them being the central part of the East and West fronts of the United States Capitol building(1792-1811) in Washington, DC.
Time-permitting extras
Museum of natural history, Orangerie Museum, Montparnasse Tower, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Wax Museum.
The list that I have compiled is by no means exhaustive. I have put together this list of what I think are the 'must-visits' for a short 4 to 5 day holiday and if one wants to cover all the places mentioned, it definitely wouldn't be a leisurely holiday.
A few pointers and suggestions for a great holiday:
Commute within the city:
The best way to travel within the city is by using the well networked metro system. The CDG airport is connected to the city through the RER train line. On exiting the airport, take the airport 'in-house' train and get off at the RER station to take the train into the city. The train tickets, carnet, (bunch of non-expiring 10 tickets at a discounted price of Euro 1.4/ticket as against the regular fare of Euro 1.8/ticket - for use within the city on both the metro and RER), museum pass can all be bought at the information desk at the arrival lounge.
For a short visit of less than a week, probably buying carnet tickets for travel within the city is the hassle free option. There are also metro passes available. One would have to prepare a cost statement to assess the economical option.
Paris is a walker friendly city. There are multiple attractions that can be covered in walks. Here are my favourites:
1. Palais Garnier(Opéra metro)/ Royal Palace(Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre Metro)- Louvre museum - Triomphe du Carrousel arch - Tuileries Garden - Place de la Concorde - Grand Palace - Petit Palace - Alexander bridge - Bourbon Palace - Orsay Museum (Musée d'Orsay RER)
2. Arc de Triomphe (Charles de Gaulle Étoile RER) - Trocadero-Eiffle tower - Champ de Mars(multiple exit options depending on where you exit the garden)
3. Notre Dame cathedral (Saint-Michel - Notre Dame RER) - Sainte Chapelle - Conciergerie - Place du Châtelet and Tour Saint - Jacques (Châtelet Metro)
4.Luxembourg Garden(Luxembourg RER) - Pantheon-Sorbonne - Place St. Michel (Saint-Michel Metro)
Mind you, 1 & 4 are very long walks and 2 is not exactly short.
Paris Museum Pass:
2-day pass: Euro 42, 4-day pass: Euro 56, 6-day Pass: Euro 69. The days have to be consecutive.
There are many museums which allow free entry on the first Sunday of every month/certain months, it tends to get very crowded on these days. Even with 4-5 days in hand, with say, Louvre and Orsay, Eiffel tower, a tour of city and a couple of other monuments, the cost of the museum pass might not be recovered but it sure does help avoid queueing up for tickets especially in the peak season.
Many museums allow free entry for under 18 year olds and for 18-25 year olds who are citizens of an EU member state and certain other conditions. Check the respective websites if visiting on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December (when many museums and monuments are closed as well as other monument/museum specific dates), admission fare changes and to see if conditions of free entry are applicable to you.
There is restriction on the dimension of the bag that can be carried into many of the museums. Louvre specifies it to be bags not exceeding 55 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm. There are free lockers in Louvre and cloak room in Orsay for storing coats and bags.
The monuments and museums covered by the Museum Pass is marked in Pink in the table below.
Accommodation:
Paris city is divided into districts called 'arrondissenment' with 'Arr' 1 being Tuileries Garden and Louvre museum and extending out from thereon in a clockwise circle. Arr 4, 5 & 6 and the periphery are the most popular areas to stay in.
Coming from any other city, the hotel rooms and lifts will seem small. The rooms are quite compact but the Parisians have really mastered the art of making the most of a small space, one will get used to the room size.
Vegetarian Food:
Vegetarian food is not a problem. All delis & cafes stock vegetarian option of baguette sandwiches, croissants, muffins but getting vegan food would be a challenge.
Just like the hotel rooms, the restaurant setting will also feel constrained. There are far too many tables squeezed per square feet than you would be accustomed to, unfortunately I don't think there is any getting used to this kind of table spacing in restaurants, one would always be scared of knocking off the things on one's own table or worse, the person sitting at the next table.That would just have to go down as a 'Paris experience'.
Ne pas parler français?
Don’t speak french? It is not a problem.
Plan your schedule at the start of day, arm yourself with a metro map, a comfortable pair of walking shoes, probably a foldable umbrella and a warm additional outer layer for good measure and you can never be lost or uncomfortable in Paris.
The people in Paris will just let you be but if you do have any problem will help you out, the language problem notwithstanding.
Weather:
For people, especially from the tropics, any time of the year would feel cold in the temperate climate of Paris. But the winters (November through February)with winds blowing would feel especially chilly. Leafless trees add to the drama of winter.
Rains are distributed throughout the year - mostly short bursts of rains, ideal for taking a break at a roadside cafe.
March is the month of transitional change in the mood of the weather, the days start to lengthen and trees begin to wake from their slumber.
April to August being summer is also the peak tourist season.
September and October sets the pace for transition back to winter.
Keep an umbrella/waterproof jacket handy through the year and a sweater for the evenings.
Train tickets:
Longer journeys within France or to other European countries via train can be booked either online (raileurope.com, eurail.com, sncf.com...) or across the counter in any train station (Gare d'Austerlitz, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse, Gare du Nord…) in Paris. Mind you, as the date of travel draws closer, the tickets gets more expensive.
Day trips from Paris:
There are many options for day trips out of Paris easily accomplished by a comfortable train journey. These are but a few of them...
Fountainebleau palace - 70 KMs from Paris
Giverny - 75 KMs from Paris. Monet's home.
Provins - 90 KMs from Paris, another world heritage site of medieval times
Amiens - 120 KMs from Paris. Amiens Cathedral, the tallest of the large, classic, Gothic churches of the 13th century and the largest in France of its kind, is a World Heritage Site.
Reims - 129KMs from Paris. Notre Dame cathedral, St Remi Basilica and others
Mont Saint Michel - 360 KMs from Paris, a small island close to the the mainland with a 11th century abbey, a world heritage site.
And here's the promised table.
Place
|
My Rating
|
Minimum Duration
|
Entrance Fee
|
Best Time to visit
|
Paris pass
|
Timing & Website
|
Nearest Metro station
|
Place de la Concorde
|
*****
|
30 minutes
|
-
|
Any time
|
Not needed
|
Concorde (Metro lines
1, 8 and 12)
|
|
Tuileries Garden
|
*****
|
45 minutes
|
-
|
Any time
|
Not needed
|
June - August:
7AM-11PM
April, May, and September: 7:30AM-9PM October-March:7:30AM-7:30PM
A traditional fun fair takes place besides Rue de Rivoli in July and August.
http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71304/Jardin-des-Tuileries
|
Tuileries (Metro line
1) or Concorde (Metro lines 1, 8 and 12)
Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre Metro (Lines 1 and 7) - and enter through
Louvre entrance.
|
Bourbon Palace
|
**
|
10 minutes
|
-
|
Any time
|
-
|
Champs-Élysées -
Clemenceau (Metro lines 1 and 13)
|
|
Grand Palais,
Petit Palais and
Alexander Bridge
|
**
|
15 minutes to 1 hour(if visiting)
|
12
|
Any time
|
Not covered
|
Grand Palais - Wed to
Mon 10AM-10PM, Thursdays: 10AM-8PM
Petit Palace - 10AM to 6PM(Tuesday
to Sunday). Open till 9PM on Fridays for temporary exhibitions.
|
Champs-Élysées -
Clemenceau (Metro lines 1 and 13)
|
Orsay Museum
|
*****
|
At least 5 hours
|
12
|
Thursdays
|
Covered
|
9:30AM to 6PM
9:30AM to 9:45PM on Thursdays
Closed on Mondays
Free entrance on first Sunday of every month.
There is a reduced fare on entry after 4:15PM(6PM on Thursdays) but one
cannot do justice to the collection by such late entry.
|
Musée d'Orsay (RER C)
|
Arc de Triomphe and
the Champs-Elysees
|
*****
|
1 hour
|
12
|
10AM
|
Covered
|
10AM to 10:30PM
(Apr-Sep upto 11 PM)
|
Charles de Gaulle
Étoile (RER A and Metro lines 1,2 & 6)
|
Eiffel Tower
|
*****
|
2 hours - 5 hours (any longer is just not worth the time)
|
17
|
9AM (for less crowd)
Post noon for sights to east of Eiffel
|
Not covered
|
Open every day.
From 9AM to 12AM from mid-June to early September.
From 9:30AM to 11PM during the rest of the year.
Euro 11: By elevator for 1st and 2nd levels
Euro 7 : By stairs for 1st and 2nd levels
Euro 17 : All the way to the top by elevator
|
Gare du Champ de Mars
Tour Eiffel (RER C) (600 metres)
Bir Hakim (Metro line 6) (750 metres)
Trocadero (Metro lines 6 and 9) (950 metres)
|
Champ de Mars and Trocadero
Garden
|
**
|
1 to 2 hours
|
-
|
At sunset for Trocadero
|
Not needed
|
Gare du Champ de Mars
Tour Eiffel (RER C)
Bir Hakim (Metro line 6)
Trocadero (Metro lines 6 and 9)
|
|
The Louvre Museum
|
****
|
At least 7 hours
|
15
|
Wednesdays or Fridays
|
Covered
|
Monday, Thursday, Saturday,
Sunday: 9AM to 6PM.
Wednesday, Friday: 9AM to 9:45PM.
Closed on Tuesdays.
From October to March: access to the permanent collections is free for all
visitors on the first Sunday of each month.
Entrance fee is for Louvre and the Eugène Delacroix Museum.
|
Palais Royal - Musée
du Louvre (Metro lines 1 and 7) (400 metres)
Louvre - Rivoli (Metro line 1) (350 metres)
|
Notre Dame Cathedral
|
*****
|
1 hour to 3 hours
|
16
|
8AM
|
Covered
|
Cathedral: 8AM to
6:45PM on weekdays and till 7:15PM on weekends through the year for free.
Towers: (Euro 12)
April - June and September:10AM-6:30PM.
July and August: Weekdays except Fridays & Sundays:10AM-6:30PM,
Fridays and Saturdays: 10AM-11PM.
October - March:10AM-5:30PM.
Crypt: Tuesday-Sunday 10AM-6PM (Euro4)
|
Saint-Michel -
Notre-Dame (RER B and C) (300 metres)
Cité (Metro line 4) (400 metres)
Pont Marie (Metro line 7) (650 metres)
|
Sainte Chapelle
|
*****
|
30 minutes
|
10.00
|
When Sunny
|
Covered
|
From January to
February:
Weekdays except Tuesdays: 9AM-1PM & 2.15PM-5PM. Tuesdays: Except closes
15 minutes early in the afternoons.
Weekends: 9AM-5PM
From July to August: (the official website is missing data on Mar to June)
Excluding Wednesdays: 9.30AM-6PM
Wednesdays: 9.30AM-12.45PM / 2.15PM-9.30PM
From November to December: Weekdays:9AM-1PM / 2.15PM-5PM
Weekends:9AM-5PM
|
Cité (Metro line 4)
|
Conciergerie
|
*****
|
45 minutes
|
8:50
|
Visit along with St
Chapelle
|
Covered
|
Everyday - 9:30AM-6PM
Combined ticket for Sainte Chapelle and Conciergerie is Euro 13.50.
|
Cité (Metro line 4)
|
Place du Châtelet and
Saint James Tower
|
*
|
10 minutes
|
-
|
Visit along with St
Chapelle
|
Not needed
|
Châtelet ((Metro line
4 and 1)
|
|
Pont Neuf
('New Bridge')
|
*
|
15 minutes
|
-
|
Anytime
|
Not needed
|
Pont Neuf (Metro line
7)
|
|
Royal Palace
|
*
|
30 minutes
|
-
|
Anytime
|
Not needed
|
Jan to Mar : 7:30AM to
8:30PM
April to May : 7AM to 10:15PM
June to Aug : 7AM to 11PM
September : 7AM to 9:30PM
Oct to Dec : 7:30AM to 8:30PM
Free entrance unless otherwise specified for temporary events
|
Palais Royal - Musée
du Louvre (Metro lines 1 and 7)
|
Garnier Palace
|
***
|
1 hour 30 minutes
|
11
|
Anytime
|
Not covered
|
10AM to 5PM, and from
10AM to 5:30PM from 17th July to 11th September.
There are days when timing is different due to performances, check before
going.
|
Opéra (Metro lines 3,
7 and 8)
|
Sacré Coeur Basilica and
Montmartre
|
*****
|
1 hour
|
-
|
Around sunset
|
Not needed
|
6AM to 10:30PM.
Access to the Dome(300 steps) and Crypt is outside, to the left of the
Basilica.
May to September: 8:30AM. to 8PM
October to April: 9AM to 5PM
|
Abbesses (Metro line
12) (500 metres)
Anvers (Metro line 2) (550 metres)
Château Rouge (Metro line 4) (600 metres)
Lamarck - Caulaincourt (Metro line 12)
(700 metres)
|
Tour of Paris AND
Boat Cruise on Seine
|
*****
|
1 hour each
|
29
|
Tour-night and Cruise during day
|
Not covered
|
There are many options
avaiable:
Illuminated Paris tour: Euro 19. France Tourisme, 6, rue de l'amiral de
Coligny 75001.
Boat Tour of the Seine River:
Board at Pont Neuf: Euro 9(10.30AM to 12PM) Euro 11 (From 1:30PM onwards) .
Cruise VPN, Vedettes du pont neuf, Square du vert galant, 75001 Paris
Board at Eiffel tower - Euro 14.
There are many tour
compaies to choose from. Check reviews and book.
|
|
Versailles Palace
|
****
|
At least 6 hours
|
25
|
8:00
|
Covered
|
The Palace buildings are closed on Mondays:
Palace: 9AM - 6:30PM (5:30PM for Nov-Mar)
Trianon Palaces and Marie-Antoinette's Estate: 12PM - 6:30PM(5:30PM for
Nov-Mar).
Garden and Park: Open every day: 8AM - 8:30PM. (Park opens an hour earlier for
Apr-Oct and both garden and park closes at 6PM for Nov-Mar)
Admission to Palace, grounds, Trianon palaces
and Marie-Antoinette's Estate - Euro 18 ; Euro 25 includes Musical Fountain
Shows from April to October.
Park entry is free but there is a ticket to be bought for the weekend
fountain show between April and October.
On 1st Sunday from Nov - Mar all palace tours are free.(Be prepared for a KM
long queue)
|
Gare de Versailles
Château Rive Gauche (RER C)
|
The Sorbonne and the
Latin Quarter
|
****
|
1-2 hours
|
-
|
Anytime
|
Not needed
|
Cluny - La Sorbonne
(Metro line 10)
Saint-Michel (Metro line 4)
|
|
Pantheon
|
***
|
1 hour
|
8.50
|
Anytime
|
Covered
|
April - September:
10AM - 6:30PM
October - March: 10AM - 6PM |
Cardinal Lemoine
(Metro line 10) (400 metres)
Luxembourg (RER B) (650 metres)
|
Luxembourg Garden
|
****
|
1-2 hours
|
-
|
Anytime
|
Not needed
|
Garden: dawn to dusk -
daylight hours
Palace: Monday, Friday, & Saturday (if the Senate is not meeting), or by
reservation, between 10:30AM-2:30PM.
|
Luxembourg (RER B)
|
Rodin Museum
|
**
|
2 hours
|
10
|
Wednesday evenings
|
Covered
|
Tuesday-Sunday:
10AM-5:45PM
Wednesdays open till 8.45PM
Permanent collection, sculpture garden and exhibition: Euro 10.
Only the sculpture garden: Euro 4.
|
Varenne (Metro line
13)
|
Catacombs
|
**
|
1 hour
|
12
|
Anytime
|
Not Covered
|
Open daily from 10AM
to 8:30PM, except Mondays
Last admission: 7:30PM
Temperature: 14°C.
The tour is unsuitable for people with heart or respiratory problems, those
of a nervous disposition and young children.
|
Denfert-Rochereau (RER
B) (Metro lines 4 and 6)
|
Picasso Museum
|
*
|
At least 2 hours
|
12.50
|
Anytime
|
Covered
|
Tuesday to Friday:
11:30AM to 6PM, Weekend: 9:30AM to 6PM .
Free entry on the first Sunday of every
month. |
Saint-Sébastien -
Froissart (Metro line 8)
|
