Planning 2 days in Paris, what are the must sees?

[montenuit]

Going to Paris for a couple of days with dds (age 13 and 15)
What must we see and anything I should book in advance?

On my list I have:
Eiffel Tour (just see it, not queue to go up it)
Boat trip on the Seine
Musee d'Orsay (do i need to prebook?)
the Louvre (do i need to prebook?)
Sacre Coeur

Thanks!

The Catercoombs (not sure of spelling!). But these are the tunnels full if skeletons created when they ran out if buriel space.
Museum d’orsey is much better than the Louvre - I don’t remember having to book.
I loved eating smoked salmon and drinking wine under the Eiffel Tower as the sun went down. I love Paris!

Just for information under 26 EU citizens get in free to Louvre museum and musee d,orsey they need I'd though if they could be/ look over 18 so take passports with you on museum day

Watching with interest as going soon myself!

thanks all, keep them coming!

Moulin rouge must go and see book independently more expensive but you get better seats

The 300 steps and €5 to climb the dome at The Sacre Coeur are worth it. The views are amazing. It opens at 8:30am (until September) and if you can get up early enough, I highly recommend going when it first opens. You'll beat the crowds but most importantly, it's really beautiful to watch the city waking up in the low morning sun. After that you can have brunch at one of the gorgeous cafes in Montmartre and

Crowds of people swarm The Louvre during the morning and then the lines trickle away as the day goes on so go in the afternoon, or if possible, on Wednesday or Friday when they are open late. If you go in the evening, have dinner first at Coffee Crepe which serves an excellent choice of Real French crepes just a block from the Louvre. When ever you go, I'd say prebook!

thanks all
so far i have:
River boat trip
Musee d'Orsay, The Louvre
Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle
Sacre Coeur & Place du Tertre (Montmartre artist square)
Eiffel Tower
Arc de Triomphe
Walk down Champs Elysee to Grande Palace to the Seine
Catercombs
Moulin Rouge

Think that's plenty to be getting on with!

thanks for the tips re timings. The Musee d'Orsay is also open late on Thursday evening so maybe the evenings is when to do the museums...

re the Metro, do you just buy "carnets" of 10 tickets or is there an oyster equivalent?
From what i've read the hop on hop off bus is super expensive vs the river boat.

Check out Paris Walks online. You can just turn up to the meeting point of the one you choose and it’s such an interesting way to see a bit of the city. There’s a few that incorporate chocolate tasting that your kids may enjoy too. We have done a few and the guides have always been really engaging and very knowledgable.

Catacombs
Trip on a Bateaux Mouche
Bicycle Tour of hidden Paris
Eat a crèpe made by a street vendor

I would pre-book the catacombs; I was there a couple of weeks ago and there was quite a queue, no idea of the waiting time but it looked long. Luckily I’d booked in advance and was able to stroll in at my slot. Use the direct Paris museums website and print the tickets (tales on trip advisor of being refused entry with just confirmation on screen)Under 18 get in for 5euros

Re the metro, we just bought carnets of 10 zone 3 tickets and only did one journey beyond zone 3 when we went to Versailles.

I was recommended to download the citymapper app on here; very useful to find out what metro/bus/etc to get - set your hotel as “home”. There was a lot of modernising work going on on the metro (particularly line 11) and on RER line C with different stations shutting, Cittymapper flagged up problems that looking on a map wouldn’t.

The biggest hold up in muse d’orsay was waiting to go through security; pre booking wouldn’t save you that, bags bigger than a handbag have to get left in a cloakroom