Marie

Please don't laugh, but I will be in London for two weeks and have the opportunity to take the Eurostar into Paris for a day. I plan to take the first train out of London and the last home from Paris. Need to get a birds eye view of the city. All suggestions greatly appreciated.

Monica

Hello Marie, <BR> <BR>I would appreciate hearing from you about your interests. If you're into musuems, you could spend the whole day in the Louvre and/or Museum D'Orsay. You may be interested in wandering the streets of Paris to enjoy the shops and markets, or you may be interested in taking a day-type tour which shows you the highlights of Paris. Email me directly for more information. I've been to Paris only a few times, but loved every trip! There is SOOOO much to see in one day that is difficult to come up with a one-day plan.

Vanessa

Oh! It is so tough to decide,what to see and what not to see! Although I absolutely loved the Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre, If I only had one day I'd really want to see as much of the city as possible. I would suggest starting off at Notre Dame and walking around the Ile de Cite. I also loved Sainte Chapelle which is only a couple of blocks away (I love the outside of Notre Dame, but the inside of Sainte Chapelle is amazing). There are a lot of flower markets on Ile de Cite which you will pass by. You also can take some lovely pictures from the bridges (sorry I don't know the names!) on the Seine. <BR>After that, you have many choices. <BR>One of my favorite places is Montmartre, (just take the Metro and get off at, I think the stop is called Abbesses). Montmartre has the most lovely Cathedral that I have ever seen, the Sacre Couer (sp?). It is the highest point in Paris, I believe, and on the top you will find a square where numerous artists are painting and selling their work. There are also a huge amount of souvenir shops up on the hill (actually I think it's called the butte). Be forewarned that if you don't like crowds, this isn't the place for you--it's very touristy--but there is definitely a reason why they are there. <BR>Another option <BR>The other thing you will want to do is walk down the Champs-Elysee and see the Arc de Triomphe on one end of the boulevard and the Place de la Concorde on the other end. Walking down the Champs-Elysee is probably something you'd want to do at night. <BR>Another option: <BR>I'm sure you also want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. If you do that later in the day, you could also take a boat ride on the Seine at night which is also nice. I think they are about an hour and you can board near the Eiffel Tower. I'm not sure about times, but you can find that out in a travel book. Also figure in eating and resting your feet! <BR>

Kimberley

I love the D'Orsay, but if I had only one day I would definitely spend it walking around the city. I would start at the Opera building, maybe briefly check out Galeries Lafeyette (right next to the Opera), walk up towards the Ritz (the one where Diana ate her last meal) until hitting the Tuileries. Continue on to the Champs Elysees (probably a good time and place to stop for lunch). Walk to the end to the Arc de Triomphe, then walk to the Eiffel Tower (very close to the Arc de Triomphe)and cross over to Chaillot for a nice view/picture spot of the Eiffel Tower. (You probably don't have time to go to the top of the Eiffel or Arc de Triomphe, but if that's a priority, you can make time for one). After that,I would would just walk all the way up the Seine (towards Notre Dame), past the D'Orsay, past the bookstalls. One of the cafes around St Germain and St Michel is probably a good time and place for a break. Stop, sit outside, have a drink, watch the people. Check out Notre Dame, if that interests you, then maybe wander up St Michel towards the Sorbonne. Possibly have dinner in the Latin Quarter (which is where you'll be at that point). OK, this sounds like a lot in one day, but I once did that and it was my favorite day in Paris I ever had. Just wear comfortable shoes!

elvira

Yikes...one day. From Gare du Nord, take the RER train to Pont St Michel. Start at Notre Dame (it's right there). Walk west along the river on the Right Bank until you get to the Louvre (stop, visit). Follow the river, heading inland to the Champs Elysees, then back to the river to the Trocadero (marble steps, gold statues, view of Eiffel Tower, skateboarding fools). Cross the river to the Eiffel Tower (you are now on the Left Bank). Stop, visit. Head inland again and walk to les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb, visit if you want, but the grounds and the gold dome are more than worth seeing). Walk toward the river, and head east. Note fancy doo-dads on the lamposts on the bridge. You'll walk by the National Assembly (French 'congress') and the Musee d'Orsay (if you have time, do visit - especially if you like Impressionists and art deco furniture). Somewhere along in here, stop for lunch, and stop for a coffee/lemonade/wine. Continue along the river. Bouquinistes line the quai, so poke around and see if you can find something that strikes your fancy. You're back at the Pont St Michel station. Head south down the Boulevard St Michel to Blvd St Germaine. Turn left or right, window shop. Head back toward the river and walk east past Notre Dame. There are a couple of outdoor restaurants with a great view of the flying buttresses. Eat. Take metro up to Sacre Coeur for a view of the city at night, and the white dome all lit up. Place de Tertre is jam-packed with tourists and artists, but hey, it's where Picasso and Dali hung out. You can sit in a cafe and pay $8 for an iced tea (see previous string on this) or walk down the butte and stop at a more reasonably priced place. You're in Montmartre, there is quite a ...ahem... nightlife. Grab the metro and head back to Gare du Nord. SLEEP ON THE TRAIN! <BR>This itinerary is a sort of combination of Vanessa's and Kimberley's.

elvira

Yikes...one day. From Gare du Nord, take the RER train to Pont St Michel. Start at Notre Dame (it's right there). Walk west along the river on the Right Bank until you get to the Louvre (stop, visit). Follow the river, heading inland to the Champs Elysees, then back to the river to the Trocadero (marble steps, gold statues, view of Eiffel Tower, skateboarding fools). Cross the river to the Eiffel Tower (you are now on the Left Bank). Stop, visit. Head inland again and walk to les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb, visit if you want, but the grounds and the gold dome are more than worth seeing). Walk toward the river, and head east. Note fancy doo-dads on the lamposts on the bridge. You'll walk by the National Assembly (French 'congress') and the Musee d'Orsay (if you have time, do visit - especially if you like Impressionists and art deco furniture). Somewhere along in here, stop for lunch, and stop for a coffee/lemonade/wine. Continue along the river. Bouquinistes line the quai, so poke around and see if you can find something that strikes your fancy. You're back at the Pont St Michel station. Head south down the Boulevard St Michel to Blvd St Germaine. Turn left or right, window shop. Head back toward the river and walk east past Notre Dame. There are a couple of outdoor restaurants with a great view of the flying buttresses. Eat. Take metro up to Sacre Coeur for a view of the city at night, and the white dome all lit up. Place de Tertre is jam-packed with tourists and artists, but hey, it's where Picasso and Dali hung out. You can sit in a cafe and pay $8 for an iced tea (see previous string on this) or walk down the butte and stop at a more reasonably priced place. You're in Montmartre, there is quite a ...ahem... nightlife. Grab the metro and head back to Gare du Nord. SLEEP ON THE TRAIN! <BR>This itinerary is a sort of combination of Vanessa's and Kimberley's.

dan woodlief

Don't know whether you intended bird's eye view in the usual sense, but if you have only one day, I think you should go up high to get an overview of the layout and see as many of the sites as you can. I would recommend either: Samaritaine Department store roof, Notre-Dame towers, or the Arc de Triomphe. The Eiffel Tower view is great too, but it can be crowded and the wait can use up a lot of your time.

Roger

Last year my wife and I did the one day trip to Paris from London. We signed up with a tour group called Britshrinkers. They provided a bus tour upon arrival in Paris and optional side trips and return by bus to the Paris train station. We just explored on our own and we did enjoy the trip. <BR>

Richard

Marie, I think I would take a bus tour in the morning, then, in the afternoon a walk through the Tuileries from the Place de la Concorde to the Louvre, cross to the Ile de la Cite', continue to the Ile St-Louis, Metro to La Butte Montmartre and Metro back to Gare du Nord. I know guided tours are an anathema to most people on the forum but sometimes it's the best way to see things you just want to see. If you can, get a copy of the Cadogan City Guides for Paris, good walking tours.

Marie

I never expected so many detailed replies. I'm a novice to the forum and it amazes me that there are so many people willing to share there travels. Thank you all. To tell you the truth, I got exhausted just reading your itineraries but the trip will be worth it. Wish me luck!

Marty

If you are going very soon, you will get a lot for your day. In the summer, it is not completely dark until close to 11:00. It is daylight by 5:00. I had forgotten that when I was there last week.

sue williams

If you start at Notre Dame and head toward the Eiffel Tower you will have a wonderful day. You'll miss a lot but then again you'll only be there one day and whatever you see it'll be worth it and probably only make you want to come back. COMFORTABLE SHOES paris is a walking city My husband and I stayed right around the corner from the ritz and walked everywhere except for one morning when we hired an english speaking driver. he was very helpful and managed to arrange my 2 page list of must sees to a manageable and enjoyable ride.