Paris Itinerary Planner
Getting To France by Plane or Train
Flying in to Charles de Gaulle airport can be intimidating due to the expansive layout and the fact that everything is in French. Fear not – traveling to France is easier than you may think!
If you come in by train from most locations, you will come in to Gare du Nord train station. This station located in the north part of Paris is the hub for the Eurostar and Thalys trains which can get you to England via The Chunnel, Belgium or the Netherlands on the continent.
Paris has a great underground subway system which is called the Metro, allowing travelers to get to just about any area of the city at rapid speed. The Metro is clean, quick, and comfortable. If you do run into trouble, there is always a friendly face to help!
The trains are easy to navigate as they are clearly designated with the last stop of the line posted on the front. There’s never a worry that you are on the wrong train or going the wrong direction.
https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/access/paris-charles-de-gaulle/terminals-mapMap provided by Charles de Gaulle airport
Day 1 - Arrondissements 6 & 7
South Side: The Eiffel Tower
- Eiffel Tower – Read my blog here to save time in the queue!
- Musée d’Orsay
- Les Invalides (Napoleon’s Tomb)
- Pont Alexandre III
Day 2 - Arrondissements 1 & 8
The Old City Center
- The Louvre
- Arc de Triomphe view / see Day 5 to explore the monument!
- Champs-Élysées / Boutique Shopping
- Place de la Concorde
- Tuileries Gardens
- Pont Neuf
Day 3 - Arrondissements 3, 4 & 11
Île de la Cité & Marais
Day 4 - Versailles
This is a day outside of Paris. Take an RER train to Versailles
*While Versailles is outside of the city of Paris proper, it’s worth taking a day trip. The train ride is just over an hour and trains run approximately every fifteen minutes. Check out the timetables and pricing here
Day 5 - Arrondissements 9, 8/17, & 16
The Grand Boulevards
Day 6 - Arrondissement 5
The Latin Quarter
- The Sorbonne
- Musée de Cluny
- The Pantheon
- Shakespeare & Co Kilimetre Zero Bookstore
Day 7 - Arrondissement 18
Montmartre & Beyond
The Cathedral of Saint Denis is actually outside of this arrondissement, but worth the visit. Studying who Saint Denis was and why he was martyred is quite interesting!
Travel Check List
- Check for WiFi & Data
- Purchase SIM Card
- Review Weather Forecast
- Confirm Restrictions
- Set Travel Plan For Bank Accounts
Packing Check List
- Walking Shoes
- Day Tote Bag
- Hat, Gloves, & Scarf
- Outerwear
- Medicines
Buy It There
- Umbrella
- Transportation Tickets
- EU Chargers & Power Adapters
Download It!
- Paris Metro Map & Routes App
- Flight Entertainment App
- Citymapper
- Train Apps / Bonjour RATP App
- Authenticator App
Travel Day Items
- Have A Passport Cover
- Readily Accessible Travel Dox
- Headphones
- Readers, if needed
Souvenier Ideas
- T-Shirts!
- Anything with the Eiffel Tower
- Gargoyles
- Historical French Items
Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Montmartre
Also known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, this fabulous church is set high on the hills on Montmartre in Paris. If you can stop and tour inside, it is well worth the time. The interior is stunning and the massive pipe organ is unreal. Take a moment to stop and enjoy the views from the hilltop overlooking the city of lights. Fantastic!
Petit Trianon - Versailles
Let them eat cake, will you just? The Petit Trianon is a hefty walk from the main Palace at Versailles & if you are in a hurry, you may miss it. It is deceptively small against the backdrop of the Palace and the nearby Grand Trianon, but the interior is quiet extensive. Although this was originally designed for Madame Du Barry by Louis XV, it is Marie Antoinette with whom most associate with this lovely little chateau.
