One full day in Paris
Sadly, we arrive back from Brittany (2 1/2 weeks there) on the 5th almost at 7:00 p.m. so the 6th is our full day before leaving for the US on the 7th.
We have seen many parts of Paris, but never did visit Les Invalides, St. Chappelle or Marmottan.
Does it sound like a lot to pack into a day, and still have some time left over to take a quick look at my son's favourite (Eiffel tower), and stroll down Champs Elysees (daughter love this)?
Eli
Always dreaming of Europe 10/27/09
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Eli,, if you have to skip something( and with only one day somethings gotta go) I would definately skip the Champs Elysees. It is just a crowded shopping street,, with alot of rather lame stores( according to my 12 yr old and 14 yr old )I mean,, really one day,, skip the Gap and Celio... I guess if your dd really loves it,, well, eveyone has to be happy,, but if its not a special request from her,, I would totally skip it.
Invalides was my second sons favorite museum in Paris, and St Chapelle is so pretty, I would loathe to cut either of them.
I'd do St Chappelle, then Les Invalides which is my favorite building in Paris. I like the exhibits, but love the building itself. Also, it's a short walk to the Eiffel tower from there if you exit from the back on Ave de Tourville. I don't like the Champs Elysees also, but you could walk it in the evening & have dinner somewhere along it. The Marmottan isn't close & deserves a longish visit. I'd put it aside for another visit.
Hey Pat, haven't heard from you in a long time.
Thanks for the advice. Champs Elysees was really for a stroll, and not for shopping or anything. She just loves the idea of being there for some reason.
I have seen Les Invalides from outside and was always intrigued by the building. They say St. Chappelle is better to see on a sunny day. What if it's a rainy, snowy day, would you still visit?
Bonjour Eli! my first choice would be Ste Chapelle. Myy husband even appreciates it more than Notre Dame--even on a cloudy day although a sunny day is certainly incroyable. With only 1 day I would also suggest saving the Marmottan for another trip...Getting to it is time consuming although it is magnificent. ("Impression: Sunrise" is there.) Invalides, of course, is also great!
Seeing St. Chappelle would be at the top of my personal list -- it's so beautiful I never tire of seeing it. I also really love Monet's work, so the Marmottan was a great experience. And Les Invalides was a great experience also. You have chosen 3 top opportunities. It would be difficult to do them justice while trying to include the Eiffel Tower and a stroll down the Champs though. Choices, choices! You might have to get votes from your family to prioritize.
Janis, which would you head to first? We will be staying in Montparnasse and getting a day pass so we can whiz around the city and take in as much as we can. That being said, I'd like to devote a certain amount to really "appreciate" the places I mentioned, and if we have the time take the stroll around the areas the kids mentioned. They know how to travel and are quite flexible.
Would you go to St. Chappelle first and then Les Invalides, or the other way around?
One thing about Ste. Chappelle, is there may be a line to get in due to the security checkpoint you have to go through (even if you have a museum pass, which you are not likely to have?). So this may be the most time-consuming stop for you, might want to hit it early and first. I've never seen a line at Les Invalids, and I assume you would be going in to view Napoleon's grave and not touring the army museum -- should be pretty short visit. Then I would go up to second platform of the Eiffel Tower and try to hit it around sundown. Then go down and wait for the first light show. I agree with others, strolling the Champs Elysee has limited appeal, but perhaps young people like it more... would be last on my list though.
Why is there so much security for Sainte-Chappelle but not at Notre Dame?
My son might enjoy the war museum, but we can do some 'power' viewing as my daughter likes to call it.
The Sainte-Chapelle is located within Paris's Palais de Justice (law courts), and security is especially tight.
Sainte-Chappelle and Les Invalides have been approved by the family. I read on some other sites where folks said you need an entire day to see everything at Les Invalides.
I have not toured the army museum associated with Les Invalids, but I cannot believe it would be a whole day affair, unless you were an intense military buff.
Just returned from Paris 5 days ago with my 17 year old daughter. Some things that may help you: St. Chapelle is beautiful, but 1/2 of the stained glass windows and part of the altar are covered for refurbishing at this time. Still beautiful to see- but not as specatacular as I am sure it is when they are not covered-we did wait in line longer there than any other place.
Second thing, if you don't know, is the Eiffel tower has a show at 8, 9, 10 and 11 in celebration of its 120th year. It was great and my dauther loved it!
Have fun!
Denise, thanks so much for your input. I really do hate going to see something that has covered parts due to refurbishing. Did they give any clues as to when they would be finished? If it's not going to be finished before the end of this year, I will find something else to do with that time.
Oh, we are not big on war museums but I thought if we were there anyway, we could take a quick look. My son has a bit of an interest due to classes he's taking.
Eli, I would not skip Ste. Chappelle, but I would go early to avoid the lines. I was there last month, and even though some of the windows and the altar were covered, I thought it was absolutely spectacular. That and the Cluny Museum were my two favorite things. I also really liked Les Invalides and the Army Museum, and I had not expected to like them so much. You can zip through Les Invalides pretty quickly. We spent a couple of hours in the Army Museum, and my husband is really into military stuff. I generally like it too, but I can't imagine spending a whole day there. You could go through fairly quickly focusing on just the armor or whatever interests you or your son. Or you could skip it if that's not your thing. Easy to get to the Eiffel Tower from there. We walked from the Eiffel Tower over to Champs Elysees and down the whole length. It was a rather long walk, and I was not wild about it. But to each his own.
Now I am in trouble! DD would trade Champs Elysees for Galeries Lafayette department store. She sent me a link and my goodness. All she wants to do is take a look. Possible? Apparently there is a cafeteria as well, so we could do lunch I suppose.
There recently was an article in the Oct 11 NYTimes that a friend sent me and that made me think that some of the family could do a visit to Les Invalides and others could pop across the street to the Rodin Museum, or at least the garden. Re/ les invalides, i love Napoleon's stuffed horse/poney and the replication of the room where Nap died, but i did get tired walking outside over the gravel..Didn't notice if your visit is summer or winter this time....I often go into the city in the very early morning with my husband who works near the Arc de Triomphe, so he tosses me out and i pass time until the museum i want to visit opens. Due to "life getting shorter" i no longer take my café at Mc D's on the Champs-Elysees, but cross the street for Ladurée..twice the price, but candles in the bathroom, charming staff and cozy chairs. I'm not in the neighborhood for shopping, but i really apreciate the ambiance of 730 am........St Chappelle, my favorite of first visit to Paris, but yes there are always lines and recently my teenage son and foreign friends could get in because everyone didn't have enough id...And Marmottan is okay, though rather out of the way. If it's Monet you want to see i'd go to Jeu de Paume.
...sorry..didn't proof read..the guys could NOT get into ST Chappell due to not enough id
The Jeu de Paume focuses on photography and other images.
Like the Musee Marmottan, the Musee de l'Orangerie features Monet water lily paintings. You'll also find some Monet paintings at the Musee d'Orsay.
At St. Chappelle everybody goes thru security. It seems that visitors to other buildings in that complex are checked there. I think that is why the lines are long, and not that everybody is going to St. Chappelle.
There is less walking at Les Invalides if you approach from the end that has Napoleon's tomb. The ticket office and a cafeteria are to the left as you face the tomb. If you look closely, you will see elderly men in wheelchairs in the area. I believe they are residents of the military retirement home there. Les Invalides contains several museums.
We did Musee d'Orsay last time, and Rodin. That's the limit with my family! If I ever tried to add a third museum, they would have my head, LOL This way they enjoy whatever we go to see, and I don't have to deal with the moans and groans.
My son is really excited about Les Invalides, and my daughter is game also. We love the building from outside and always stop to take a picture, so she's keen to see what's inside.
We're going in Winter Regina, January to be exact. I am hoping that there will be no rain or snow this time. The cold and sun I can handle, but rain is a real downer in winter and snow can be a trial when it turns to ice.
Going to St.Chappelle early is good advice, but since you are going in the winter remember that the sun comes up later. We went early last winter and the sun wasn't shining in the windows yet. We didn't have to wait too long though to see the stunning windows in full glory.
Yes , as usual i'm not fully awake when i write, so thanks for reminding me that it's L"Orangerie with the Monets downstairs..Jeu de Paume stuck in my mind because that IS where i often go for photo expos.
We will definitely visit Les Invalides, Sainte-Chappelle, and hopefully Galeries Lafayette (daughter's new wish), instead of Champs Elysees.
We are going to get a day pass on the metro so we can get from place to place quickly. It worked last year, and we made our money's worth (about double) what we paid. Has anyone been to Galeries Lafayette? I noticed no comments, and I do know that there are much better places to spend one's time, but I think a little senseless wandering around at the department store, and maybe a little bite to eat isn't so bad.
Eli, we went to Les Invalides our last trip and wished that we had allowed more than the 2 or 3 hours that we had allocated for it. There really was a lot to see. St Chappelle should not take you very long once you actually get in. I would get there early and then plan a stroll down the Champs d'Elysee having lunch along the way, hop over to Les Invalides for the afternoon and try to do dinner somewhere close to the Eiffel Tower so that you can see the light show. Should make for enough to do in one day.
The only thing the Champs does is connect the Tuileries to the Arc de Triomphe. Strolling a strip mall is more exciting and a strip mall has more regular people. Go see Les Invalides and Ste. Chappelle. A Monet's a Monet, they're all over the place; but Marmottan would sure beat a department store -- a Wal-mart's a Wal-mart as well.
Les Galeries Lafayette is not just a department store, it is a destination in itself, with its wondrous, stained glass dome which you can admire from the ground floor. There is an excellent restaurant on the top floor, too, for a nice lunch.
Eli...
I am glad that both your son and daughter want to see, and as you say, are very excited about Les Invalides. The Army Museum is a must, as usual there is a museum shop and a cafeteria, close by, if not right next to each other. The museum shop even has a table for books in English. You will definitely find this shop interesting.
Also, on the premises of Les Invalides, there is another room where books on military history are sold. Allow at least three and a half hours, if not more, to really go through the Army Museum.
I believe the tickets to Les Invalides are valid for two days---at least, they used to be; if so, you can come back the next day. The Metro station, Les Invalides, is only a few minutes from the place, once you come out of the station, look behind you and it's there.
Sorry, I disagree about the Army Museum. We focused on the WW I and WW II rooms. Not much in English. Claustrophobic. If you have been to the Imperial War Museum in London,as we have, you will be disappointed. London's is so much better. And who needs to see a big box under a dome? -- Unless you are a big Napoleon fan. Spend time eating escargots and foie gras!