Your 7-Day France Itinerary

This week is built for first-timers in France who want the heavy hitters without packing and unpacking: one bed in Paris for six nights, with day trips out of the city. The pace is steady rather than frantic, roughly one major sight per morning and a loose afternoon for walking and cafés. You need the Métro, the RER C suburban line to Versailles and a regional train from Gare Montparnasse to Chartres. No car, no domestic flights.

Days 1-3: Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower

Begin on the Île de la Cité, where Sainte-Chapelle hides behind the Palais de Justice security line. Go on a sunny morning: the upper chapel is almost entirely glass, with over 1,100 biblical scenes glowing in blues and reds. Cross the river to the Louvre Museum the next day with a timed ticket booked online, and pick two wings instead of trying to see everything; the Denon wing covers the Italian paintings, the Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa. Save the Eiffel Tower for the third evening. … read more 👉

This week is built for first-timers in France who want the heavy hitters without packing and unpacking: one bed in Paris for six nights, with day trips out of the city. The pace is steady rather than frantic, roughly one major sight per morning and a loose afternoon for walking and cafés. You need the Métro, the RER C suburban line to Versailles and a regional train from Gare Montparnasse to Chartres. No car, no domestic flights.

Days 1-3: Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower

Begin on the Île de la Cité, where Sainte-Chapelle hides behind the Palais de Justice security line. Go on a sunny morning: the upper chapel is almost entirely glass, with over 1,100 biblical scenes glowing in blues and reds. Cross the river to the Louvre Museum the next day with a timed ticket booked online, and pick two wings instead of trying to see everything; the Denon wing covers the Italian paintings, the Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa. Save the Eiffel Tower for the third evening. Taking the stairs to the second floor is cheaper and quicker than the lift queue, and the view of Paris at that height shows street patterns you lose from the summit. Walk down to the Trocadéro afterward to watch the tower sparkle on the hour.

Days 4-5: Palace of Versailles and Musée d’Orsay

The RER C reaches Versailles Château Rive Gauche in about 40 minutes. The Palace of Versailles closes on Mondays and fills fast on Tuesdays, so aim for Wednesday to Friday and arrive at opening. Do the Hall of Mirrors first, then spend the afternoon in the gardens and the Trianon palaces, which are calmer and far larger than most people expect. Day five belongs to the Musée d’Orsay, a converted Beaux-Arts railway station where the top floor holds Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Stand behind the giant clock face for a framed view across the Seine to Montmartre.

Days 6-7: Chartres Cathedral and a Slow Last Day

Regional trains from Montparnasse reach Chartres in about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, and the spires appear over the wheat fields long before you arrive. Chartres Cathedral keeps most of its original medieval stained glass, including the deep “Chartres blue” windows, plus a labyrinth set into the nave floor. Back in Paris for the final day, leave the list behind: the Marais for falafel on Rue des Rosiers, then a drink along the Canal Saint-Martin.

For a bonus afternoon, ride the Métro to Place d’Italie and wander the Butte-aux-Cailles, a hilltop pocket of low houses, street art and inexpensive bistros in the 13th arrondissement.