Suggestions for the independent traveller
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So you're planning a trip to Paris, and wonder how best to pass the
time while you're there? About-France.com takes the difficulty out of
deciding what visitor attractions to see, and when to do so, with this
suggested programme for visitors spending a Week in Paris.
We
presume that like most week visitors, you are arriving and departing on
a Saturday; but if this is not the case, just adapt the days in
function of your own holiday period. Take care with museum opening
days. Details of this can be found on the Paris tourist attractions page.
Visit the Paris hotels map for a hand-picked selection of hotels in central Paris, conveniently located for the main sites and sights.
Day
| Morning
| Afternoon
| Sunday
| Lazy morning: get your bearings, wander round the central area, enjoy a cup of coffee at a sidewalk café
| Visit the Louvre;
entrance is free of charge on the first Sunday of each month. You may
need more than an afternoon to visit this very rich museum
| Monday
| Take a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city, and get a guided tour of the city.
| Northern Paris: Visit the Marché aux Puces (world's largest flea market) at Porte de St Ouen; then visit Montmartre, the old artists quarter; visit the Sacré Coeur basilica, and enjoy the views over the rooftops. Wander down and see the Pigalle quarter, Paris's famous night-life area. Return to your hotel by metro, taking in at least part of the overhead metro line no. 2 (metro aérien) that passes through Pigalle
| Tuesday
| Western Paris: north of the Seine. Visit the Arc de Triomphe, wander down the Champs Elysées and enjoy a drink in a café. Admire the jardins des Tuileries.
| Western Paris, south of the Seine. Visit the Eiffel tower and, if you then have time, visit the Musée d'Orsay nearby (see the great Impressionists collection), which is open on Tuesdays.
(If you want to visit more museums & monuments, take the Paris Museum Pass or the Paris Pass
for Tuesday and Wednesday)
| Wednesday
| Eastern central Paris; Visit the Musée Carnavalet, the museum of Paris, and discover the old quarters of the Marais.
| Central Paris; After lunch, see Notre Dame cathedral, go up the tower. Then either visit the Latin quarter close by, or wander along the banks of the Seine (upstream) and visit the Jardin de Plantes botanical gardens
| Thursday
| Day out: take a day out and visit either the Royal château at Versailles, or the older royal château at Fontainebleau. Either trip can be organised as a (click for details) day trip excursion from Paris
(all inclusive guided trip) or for those who prefer to visit at their
own pace can be done independently by taking the RER "C" suburban
express train for Versailles, or a suburban train from Gare de Lyon for
Fontainebleau (and bus from train station to the château).
| Friday
| Take in another museum: either the Pompidou Center, or the Army Museum at Les Invalides, or the Paris Sewer Museum underground experience
| For your last afternoon, take a boat trip on the Seine ("Bateau Mouche"). Many trips depart from the Pont Neuf, which is the bridge in the photo at the top of this page. Finally, leave time for some shopping
| Saturday
| Bid farewell to Paris.
| If you plan to visit other parts of France or Europe by car, check out car hire options in France.
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