Our three-night stay in Paris is the longest of the trip. This is because Paris offers so much to do and to see. Fortunately, our tour consultant has taken care of some of the top sights for us. We will be touring the Palace of Versailles, and zipping through the gardens on a bicycle tour. Since we are doing this on Bastille Day the fountains will be turned on and baroque music will be playing throughout the gardens. We also have tickets lined up for our visit to the Louvre. We even get to take an evening boat ride on the Seine. Even with all of these exciting adventures, Paris still offers much more. Here are a few suggestions of sights and activities to fill up your free day (and evenings) in Paris:
-Orsay Museum: This museum picks up where our visit to the Louvre left off. The Orsay houses one of the best collections of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art in the world inside of a converted Belle Epoque train station. Here you will find Realists like Corbet and Millet, Impressionists like Monet, and post-impressionist masters like Vincent Van Gogh. Save time by purchasing your tickets online. You can even download an electronic ticket to your smartphone. (http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html)
-Rodin Museum: Wander through this garden museum and enjoy one of the largest collections of Rodin sculpures in the world, from the Burghers of Calais to The Thinker. (http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/musee-rodin)
-Eiffel Tower: Most visitors to Paris don't consider their visit complete without a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The ticket line and the line for the elevator can get very long during the summer months. If we let our tour manager know ahead of time he or she may be able to arrange the purchase of the tickets and save us the time in at least one of the lines. (http://www.eiffel-tower.com/)
-Pompidou Center: This large, industrial-looking complex appears to be a building with all of its inner workings on the outside of the building. It houses the largest museum of modern art in Europe. (http://www.centrepompidou.fr/Pompidou/Accueil.nsf/Document/HomePage?OpenDocument&L=2)
-Jewish Art and History Museum: If you elect to take a stroll through the Marais, the Jewish quarter of Paris, don't miss this museum. Housed in a converted Marais mansion, it tells the story of Jewish history and traditions in Europe starting with Roman Empire. (http://www.mahj.org/en/index.php)
-Carnavalet Museum: Located in another converted Marais mansion, the Carnavalet Museum opens the doors to French history and the history of the city of Paris. Try not to get lost in the Revolution! (http://carnavalet.paris.fr/en)
-Luxembourg Garden: This beautiful park was once the private garden of Marie de Medicis, the widow of Henry IV. Today, it is the second largest public park in Paris. Take a stroll through this lush green garden and admire the many statues, including a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty. If you're feeling brave, ask one of the locals for a quick lesson in the game of pétanque. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_du_Luxembourg)
-Walk the Marais: The Marais (swamp) is home to more pre-revolutionary buildings than any other neighborhood in France. That is quite a feat for a neighborhood that was the choice of 17th century nobles to build their mansions. It was also the home of that hated prison, the Bastille. Check out Rick Steves' guide to a great walk throught the Marais. (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/marais.htm)
-Tour the Opéra Garnier: This giant wedding cake of a building was one of the highlights of Baron Haussmann's rebuilding of Paris during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. Take a self-guided tour of this grand opera house, made famous in "The Phantom of the Opera", to see where the Paris elite mixed and mingled. (http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/L_Opera/Palais_Garnier/PalaisGarnier.php)
-Shopping Like a Parisian: The Parisians invented the department store, and nobody in the world has been able to beat them at their game. If shopping is your passion, take a trip to Galeries Lafayette, or one of the other Parisian department stores, Printemps and Bon Marché. Check out this guide to shopping in Paris. (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/parisshops.htm)
-Catacombs of Paris: These former limestone quarries are home to over six million former Parisians. In the late 18th century the cemeteries of Paris were emptied out and the bones were artfully stacked 60 feet underground. The catacombs tour takes you on a one-mile trip under the streets of Paris through stacks of bones that are 80 feet deep. (http://www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/english.htm)
Check out Rick Steves' website for articles about things to see and do in Paris. (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/france/france_menu.htm)
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