Sample of Itinerary Created for Family Trip during Spring Break

Paris and portion of trip

Desire of Travelers: Minimal museums as young kids have been “museum-ed out.” Saving the Louvre for another trip. Youngsters interested in military history.

¨The itinerary is flexible: it recommends things to do each day, and in addition has the “Open Today” section which lists places you’re interested in, that are also open that day. This way you can glance at the Open Today section to see what else you can do that day if you want to change the itinerary’s plan due to the weather or your mood. Unexpected things can happen during a trip, for example some union’s strike might affect the plan, so it’s good to have more options prepared.

¨Try to print out a few physical copies of the itinerary to have with you on the trip, put them in different bags.

¨ A reference of attractions’ opening hours is at the back of this itinerary.

Suggestion: Before your trip: Try to pre-arrange with your Paris Airbnb to either check in earlier, or deposit your bags before check-in, so you can walk around unencumbered. (You land 8:10am and check-in is 3pm).

Friday, April 5 Flight: Overnight on plane

Saturday, April 6: Paris

Arrive Paris 8:10am.

Getting from CDG Airport to your airbnb:

Option 1: Taxi (Recommended): By law, taxi is 55 euros fixed price for all four of you and your luggage- just make sure to take taxi from the official taxi line, not from a driver walking around outside the official line. Taxi drivers in Paris are legally required to accept 4 passengers, but they don’t always like it, so they may complain. The drive to your airbnb ranges from 35min to 1 hr. Taxi is most convenient way to get there- no dragging luggage up and down stairs.

Option 2: Take the RER B train from CDG to near your airbnb. There are 2 RER stops about the same distance from your airbnb (10-15 min walk… without luggage): St Michel- Notre Dame and the following stop, Luxembourg, which is right by the Luxembourg gardens. (See Map Paris 1 on next page to help decide which stop you prefer getting out on. St Michel- Notre Dame is by the Seine and not far from Notre Dame cathedral, whereas Luxembourg is by Luxembourg Gardens). It’s about a 40 minute ride by the RER. Tickets are 10.30 euros each.

Airbnb address: 1 Rue Guisarde, Paris, Ile-de- 75006

MAP PARIS 1: Your 2 nearby RER stops outlined in black ovals, and your Airbnb is outlined in red square.

Good first day options to do from your airbnb: see which one(s) appeal to your jet lagged selves… • Luxembourg gardens: can sail small antique boats in pond/fountain, push boat with long wooden stick. There's a playground people are saying is the best playground in Paris, includes a zip-line type activity. Marionette theater for children next to playground, can see a show. Oldest carousel in Paris is here, from 1879, modest looking but cool because the animals have been ridden by so many kids, and they play a charming ring game (jeu de bagues) where the children are given a spear and as the carousel turns, they try to grab a metal ring with it, with the attendant counting how many they managed to get.

• Boat ride along the Seine to get a feel of Paris: Note: your Airbnb is closer to Pont Neuf than to the Eiffel Tower. o Canauxrama: relaxing cruises boarding at Pont Neuf. o Vedettes du Pont Neuf:1 hr tour, 10:30am to 10:30pm – narration kind of stiff though, but smaller boats. o Bateaux Parisiens: leaves from Eiffel Tower, considered best after dark cruise and dinner cruise. Good rainy or cold weather option as their boats are glass covered (if you want to be outside, this is not the boat to take)

• Historic Paris self-guided tour: with good descriptions of what you’re seeing. See map below. o Follow walk starting on page 60 in Rick Steves’ France 2019 guidebook, or download the free audio version, the Rick Steves Audio Europe app, on Apple’s App Store, Google Play, or Amazon’s Appstore.

Rainy day options: • Take city bus #69 to get feel for things: do your own tour by beginning at Champ de Mars, ending around Place Bastille in Marais neighborhood. City Bus #69 is basically like a hop off, hop on tour, but at a much lower price.

• See one of the museums on your list (see what’s Open Today below)

Open Today: Army museum and Napoleon’s Tomb Musee d’Orsay Musee de l’Orangerie Rue Cler market street (many shops closed Monday so Saturday it’s “open”). Conciergerie

Overnight in Paris

Map for Historic Paris Self-Guided Tour:

Sunday, April 7: First Full Day in Paris Today’s Plan: • Rue Cler: the ultimate Parisian market street • Army museum and Napoleon’s Tomb • Walking around/under the Eiffel Tower and Champs de Mars park

Morning: Start your day strolling around the Rue Cler area- the markets are open from 8:30am to 12pm today. Check out the produce, cheese, chocolate, and wine shops, get a feel for the thriving, traditional Parisian neighborhood. Lunch in the neighborhood.

After lunch: Musee de l’Armee and Napoleon’s Tomb, followed by:

Strolling under/ near Eiffel Tower. There’s a lot of space to run around at Champs de Mars park around the Eiffel Tower (can also picnic there: there is grass and benches), and there’s a carousel and playground.

Overnight in Paris

Open Today: Army museum and Napoleon’s Tomb Musee de l’Orangerie Musee d’Orsay Conciergerie Rue Cler market street (many shops closed Monday- tomorrow. Today the shops are open). Champs Elysees – traffic free today

Monday, April 8: Second Full Day in Paris

Today’s Plan: Walk on the Champs Elysees from Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre with a stop along the way at the Place de la Concorde, the Musee de l’Orangerie, and the Tuileries Gardens. (See Map Paris 2). Then, see Notre Dame and/or the Conciergerie.

Morning: Start at Arc de Triomphe (open 10am-9pm), can view exterior and base for free but need tickets to climb up to the top, about 250 steps (kids are free, but have to wait in line. In April the line may be ok, see how it is. If you have the Museum Pass for the adults, it will let you bypass the line but that doesn’t help because you still have to wait in line for the free kids tickets). Walk along the Champs Elysees, kids like the wide boulevards, or can stroll along the Seine. Stop at Place de Concorde to look at the gold tipped Egyptian obelisk that once stood in front of Temple of Luxor. Keep walking and arrive at the Musee de l’Orangerie. See Monet’s Waterlillies.

Lunch around Musee de l’Orangerie

Afternoon: Right by the Musee de l’Orangerie is the Jardin de Tuileries- gardens with fountains, sculptures, sail boats and a carousel. Spend some time here enjoying, then keep walking and there’s the Louvre, see its beautiful glass pyramids and fountains, and can cross the Quai du Louvre, go down to the Seine and walk along the river, reaching Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame.

If there is time and you’re in the mood: Visit the Conciergerie: though barren inside, it echoes with history. It was a former prison during the French Revolution, last stop for 2,780 victims of the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette. Before then, kings used the building to torture and execute failed assassins. You can see the different areas of the prison, from the cells to the courtyard where women would go for recess. Open 9:30am-6pm. 2 Boulevard du Palais.

Open Today: Army museum and Napoleon’s Tomb Musee de l’Orangerie Conciergerie

Overnight in Paris

Tuesday, April 9: Paris-Strasbourg-Colmar

Plan: Check out of Paris Airbnb, take taxi to Paris Est station, Train to Strasbourg (eat lunch on train or before), possibly see something in Strasbourg, rent car in/ near Strasbourg train station, drive about 1 hour to Colmar.

If leaving Paris early enough, possible to squeeze in time in Strasbourg. You can store your luggage in Strasbourg train station upon arrival, take a tram (or 15 min walk) to the Cathedral or walk to the Petit France neighborhood, then rent car at or near train station, and drive to Colmar. (Why rent a car after returning from lunch instead of renting it first and driving to Cathedral or Petit France area? To avoid stress of driving in Strasbourg).

Trains to Strasbourg from Paris Est station: 9:25am à 11:13am (0 transfers) 10:55am à 12:41 (0 transfers) 11:39am à 14:18 (1 transfer) 12:55pm à 14:41 (0 transfers)

Baggage storage in Strasbourg train station (coin operated lockers, **have coins ready on you to save time**): platform 1, open 8:30 – 18:30. Bathrooms in station are across from the stairs to platform 2.

Plan options: (You can decide right on the spot which one of these options you’ll do, but make sure your car rental is for pick up at 3pm and in car rental office that’s open til at least 8 or 9pm so the logistics are possible).

Option A: 3pm: Arrive at car rental, drive out of Strasbourg as soon as you get the car, likely between 4pm and 5pm 5pm – 6pm: Arrive Colmar after 1 hour drive, then check in to the Airbnb

Option B: Deposit luggage into baggage storage in train station and: 3:30pm to 5:30pm – a little bit of Strasbourg sightseeing (also try to pick up something for dinner, if not here then at train station when you get back to rent car). 6pm – Arrive at car rental, drive out of Strasbourg as soon as you get the car, likely between 7 and 8pm

8 to 9pm – Arrive Colmar after 1 hour drive, then check in to the Airbnb

Good choices to see in the short time in Strasbourg: • Cathedrale Notre-Dame (interior open 8:30-11:15am, 12:45pm-5:45pm, the midday closing is for a 3 euro viewing of the intricate astronomical clock from the 1500s, the wonder of its age), or:

• District Petit France (if weather is good) – where the river is split into several canals with weirs, a lock, and a swing bridge. This was the craft guild’s part of town. Many of the charming 16th and 17th century half-timbered buildings have open lofts used for drying hides. Place Benjamin Zix (#31 on Map Strasbourg 1 below) is a Hansel and Gretel fantasy. The canalside parks farther out provide a peaceful place for locals to relax.

To walk to cathedral from station: exit straight out of the station, cross Place de la Gare, then walk up Rue du Maire Kuss, down Rue du 22 Novembre, pass through Place Kelber, and Rue des Grandes Arcades, to the Place de la Cathedrale. [See Maps Strasbourg 1 and 2 below].

To take tram to Cathedral from train station: Take tram under the station (buy tix from machines on platforms, validate in skinny machines). Take tram #A (direction: Illkirch Graffenstraden) or tram #D (direction: Kehl Bahnhof) 3 stops to Langross-Grand Rue, 2 blocks from the Cathedral. You can return to the station, the Gare Centrale, from the same stop.

Other sights in Strasbourg open today: • 70 min boat ride on the River (can buy tickets at 18 Place de la Cathedrale, or from machines on the boat docks, website: www.batorama.fr). • Barrage Vauban (dam built in 1690) [This can be combined with District Petit France] • Ponts Couverts (covered bridges). [This can be combined with District Petit France]

Strasbourg Safety Note: The trams are quiet, look both ways before crossing streets. (Also beware of bicycles). Taxi in Strasbourg: call 03 88 27 13 13 or mobile 06 80 43 22 25

Drive Strasbourg to Colmar (about 1 hour drive), check in to Airbnb.

Airbnb in Colmar: 48 Rue du Nord, Colmar, Grand Est 68000, France

Map Strasbourg 1:

Map Strasbourg 2:

Map Strasbourg train station:

Opening Hours During Your Trip: {Excerpt from Itinerary}

Paris: Musee de l’Armee: Daily 10-6pm, Tue until 9pm, closed first Mon of the month Arc de Triomphe: steps to roof: 10am-9pm, last entry 45 min before closing. Maison Victor Hugo: 10am-6pm, closed Monday. 6 Place des . Musee de l’Orangerie: Wed-Mon 9am-6pm, closed Tue.

Strasbourg: Musee Alsacien (Alsatian museum). Wed-Mon 10am-6pm. 23 quai St-Nicolas. Cathedrale Notre-Dame. Interior open Mon-Sat 8:30-11:15am, 12:45pm-5:45pm. Midday closing is for a 3 euro viewing of the astronomical clock. Musee Historique (Local history)- Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. 3 pl. de la Grande-Boucherie Barrage Vauban – Daily 9am-7:30pm. Archaeological, Decorative Arts, and Fine Arts (Beaux-Arts) Museums – Wed-Mon 10am-6pm. 2 pl. du Chateau Musee d'Art Moderne et Contemporain – Tue- Sun 10-6pm. 1 pl Hans-Jean Arp Ponts Couverts (Covered Bridges) – all the time