3 days in Paris and need help please

[ABCruiser]

I've been doing a bit of research to get the most of our 3 days in Paris post cruise and this is what was suggested but I still have questions. On the top of our list to see is the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chateau de Versaille, Eiffel Tower, Champs d'Elysee. We are staying at the foot of Arc de Triomphe

 

Will we be better off to buy the 10 ride carnet pass (is this for metro only and not for city bus)? or use the HOHO bus?

 

Can we walk to most of the site and not take the metro/bus? and buy a separate ticket to get to Chateau de Versaille?

 

Will buying the museum pass mean we skip the line ups? If so, do we buy it on-line or at any museum when we get there.

 

Thanks for your help and any other suggestions are welcomed.

[Hlitner]

The best transportation ticket option really depends on your own habits. For example, DW (Paris is her favorite city in the world) and I love to walk so only use the Metro if trying to get to a pretty distant place. The best way to see and enjoy Paris is on your feet (for those with no mobility issues). A carnet does make sense if you think you will use all (or most) of the ticket as you save over 4 Euros per Carnet. There are also 1 day and multi-day passes which can make sense for those who expect to make a lot of use of the Metro. The Metro tickets do also work on the bus....but I do not think you can use a single ticket and then transfer from Metro to bus (or vica versa).

 

As to Museums, we have been to most of the more popular museums in Paris many times, and have never had to wait in a ticket line for more then a couple of minutes. So I would not recommend a museum pass simply to skip lines. But if you evaluate the cost options and the pass makes sense...then its a good option for you.

 

As to walking, as I said, Paris is best seen by walking if you have the time and can handle the exercise. Personally, we prefer to walk nearly everywhere within the most popular tourist Arnondisements (1-10) and will only use the Metro if we are in a hurry or just too darn tired :).

 

To get to Versaille you will need a RER ticket and I believe its Line C that will take you to the Versailles-Rive Gauche from where its about a 10 min walk to the Chateau. Be aware that this station is in Zone 4 of the RER system and some tickets (such as a 1-2 zone daily pass) will not cover this RER ride.

 

Hank

[Got2Cruise]

The Louvre line by the pyramid is outrageously long. If you do have the museum pass, you have a special entrance and do skip the line. There are other entrances other than the pyramid, or you can purchase a single entrance ticket in advance. Most hotel consierge can help you obtain tickets.

 

Rick Steves Paris book gives you all sorts of the information that you need. I used it this past July and it was very helpful.

[Baseball fan]

What I've found is that the Tour Eiffel has very long lines......except if you pay by credit card. Well worth it for me not to wait in lines. I didn't find long lines at Musee D'Orsay as it isn't as popular. I like it better than the Louvre (although you must go there at least once). Like others have said, I too prefer to walk and only take an occasional train/bus.

 

 

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[cberge]

The Louvre line by the pyramid is outrageously long. If you do have the museum pass, you have a special entrance and do skip the line. There are other entrances other than the pyramid, or you can purchase a single entrance ticket in advance. Most hotel consierge can help you obtain tickets.

 

Rick Steves Paris book gives you all sorts of the information that you need. I used it this past July and it was very helpful.

If for some reason you do not want to get a ticket in advance...no big deal.Go into the entrance by the carousel which is doen the stairs of Rivoli...generally speaking no line there.Get a map of th Louvre and then pick what you want to see so you get an idea of where you are going. Much easier that way.

[cberge]

I've been doing a bit of research to get the most of our 3 days in Paris post cruise and this is what was suggested but I still have questions. On the top of our list to see is the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chateau de Versaille, Eiffel Tower, Champs d'Elysee. We are staying at the foot of Arc de Triomphe

 

Will we be better off to buy the 10 ride carnet pass (is this for metro only and not for city bus)? or use the HOHO bus?

 

Can we walk to most of the site and not take the metro/bus? and buy a separate ticket to get to Chateau de Versaille?

 

Will buying the museum pass mean we skip the line ups? If so, do we buy it on-line or at any museum when we get there.

 

Thanks for your help and any other suggestions are welcomed.

I am a big fan of the HOHO bus to get around Paris and I know some are not,but with a 2 day pass you can get on and off and walk in between yet see all the things(except Versailles) that you want.The metro is ok,but the HOHO bus does offer more I think. I have been to Paris many times and sometimes I still use it.You can check the routes and the different lines at your hotel to see what best suits you.You can walk all over,but sometimes you need a rest:D

[ABCruiser]

Thank you all for your suggestions...we also do prefer to walk and where we are staying most of the attractions I believe is about 20 - 30 mins away.

[hubofhockey]

I've been doing a bit of research to get the most of our 3 days in Paris post cruise and this is what was suggested but I still have questions. On the top of our list to see is the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, Chateau de Versaille, Eiffel Tower, Champs d'Elysee. We are staying at the foot of Arc de Triomphe

 

Will we be better off to buy the 10 ride carnet pass (is this for metro only and not for city bus)? or use the HOHO bus?

 

Can we walk to most of the site and not take the metro/bus? and buy a separate ticket to get to Chateau de Versaille?

 

Will buying the museum pass mean we skip the line ups? If so, do we buy it on-line or at any museum when we get there.

 

Thanks for your help and any other suggestions are welcomed.

 

We were in Paris 3.5 days and I did a long thread here. All have opinions and I'll give mine and that will give you three different opinions on walking, hop on hop off, or Metro.

 

1. The carnet pass is a great money saver. We avoided HOHOs and they do get stuck in traffic. To get a good feel for walking around the city, do a good walking tour. We bought a 10 ride pass and still needed to buy single ride tickets. That's how much we used the Metro. It's quick, cheap, and dependable.
   
2. Yes, you will skip lines at the Louvre, Orsay, and Versailles. Those are the places with the longest lines.
   
3. For the Eiffel Tower, the best way to skip the lines is to purchase the Behind the Scenes Tour with Cultival, and it is also an excellent tour.
   
4. Paris is a big and spread out city. If you are there three days, you don't want to waste too much time getting from place to place. Get a good Metro map. You can probably find one online.
   

[Got2Cruise]

We used Hub's advice and booked the Cultival's Eiffel Tower Tour. It was awesome. You need a ore booked tour or order your own timed tickets for the Eiffel Tower. The line was at least 2 hours for those without timed tickets.

[ABCruiser]

We were in Paris 3.5 days and I did a long thread here. All have opinions and I'll give mine and that will give you three different opinions on walking, hop on hop off, or Metro.

 

 

We avoided HOHOs and they do get stuck in traffic.

 

For the Eiffel Tower, the best way to skip the lines is to purchase the Behind the Scenes Tour with Cultival, and it is also an excellent tour.

 

[/quote

 

I didn't even think HOHO can get stuck in traffic.

 

Can you purchase the Behind the Scene Tour when you get to the Eiffel Tower or do it before?

 

We will be there the beginning of November so I'm hoping not too much tourists.

 

Thanks again

[Alohaaloha]

Our first visit to Paris was just last year. As we were only there for a couple of days, we used the HoHo buses. We rode the complete loop to start with, listening to the audio,taking in the history etc- and then we did the whole loop again, but this time we got off the bus at the sights we really wanted to see.

I know some don't enjoy the HoHo buses, but they really are a mine of information- pointing out streets and buildings you probably wouldn't notice if you were walking.

Paris is a wonderful city- enjoy!

[hubofhockey]

http://www.cultival.fr/en/visites/behind-the-scenes-of-the-eiffel-tower

 

Above is the link for the Cultival Eiffel Tower tour. It sells out. You may want to book it ahead of time.

 

To each his own with Hop on Hop off. We purposely book hotels convenient to Metro Stations and convenient to areas we like to walk to.

[Got2Cruise]

Don't hesitate to book any tours in Paris if you definitely know the date/time you will be available. I hesitated on a couple of other tours I was considering, and there were no options left. Viator is another source of "skip the line" tours for Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. There is one that skips the line to climb the steps of Notre Dame. That is the one I missed out on.

 

http://www.cultival.fr/en/visites/behind-the-scenes-of-the-eiffel-tower

 

Above is the link for the Cultival Eiffel Tower tour. It sells out. You may want to book it ahead of time.

 

To each his own with Hop on Hop off. We purposely book hotels convenient to Metro Stations and convenient to areas we like to walk to.