I am planning to take my parents to Paris for an overnight trip -- reaching Paris at 5:00pm, overnight stay, leaving the next night around 10:00pm. My parents are both 70+, and although quite fit otherwise, have difficulties walking at a stretch for long lengths of time, or managing long flights of stairs. I am thinking of taking them for an evening boat-ride on the Seine the day we arrive, and a hop-on-hop-off tour the next morning, with a longish stop over lunch at the Eiffel Tower. If anyone has any other suggestions, warnings, or even alternative 1-day tour plans, etc, it would be very useful.

From whence are you taking them? And why for only one night?

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi Rex,
We will take an afternoon flight from London. My parents live abroad, and are currently here on a visit, but they have various other things planned already (including a longer trip to Rome). However, since they mentioned they always wanted to visit Paris, I thought it would be nice to squeeze in a quick trip. It doesn't have to a a very thorough touristy trip -- just a few of the major sights, and a general feel of the place is what I'm after.
Thanks!

Hi M,

Sounds like a good one-day plan.

Can they do some walking? A visit to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and possibly Notre Dame can be done.

Hi

I've just returned from Paris and recommend a hop-on-hop-off tour using Les Cars Rouges - www.lescarsrouges.com. For 22E you can do the round tour in 2hrs 15 mins or get on and off the various stops along the way. An English audioguide (headphones) is included. My wife has a leg injury and we found this option the best way to get an overview of Paris in the least amount of time and fatigue.

Have a great trip.

Thanks so much, everyone! Just a few more questions:
(1) How much walking/queuing/climbing steps is involved in a visit to the Eiffel Tower?
(2) Are there any other hop-on-hop-off tours apart from Les Cars Rouges? I'm just wondering about the amount of itinerary and price choices available.
Thanks!

... And a third question -- any particular evening river cruise anyone can recommend? Also, how late do the cruises run (I'm thinking what the best time would be, considering that my parents might find it hard to manage if its too crowded), and what kind of prices will I be looking at?

Thanks!

Are they staying in London or somewhere out in the country?

If they are in London - the Eurostar would probably be easier and would be faster than flying to CDG and then transferring into Paris. City centre to city centre in less than 3 hours by train. With all the hassle, queues and transport time to get to any of the London airports you would be lucky to do it in 5 hours. If I had elderly parents in tow I'd probably chose the Eurostar 9 times out of 10.

If you are close to the UK airport then flying might make sense. But if you are anywhere with convenient rail connections to waterloo, I'd still consider the Eurostar.

A seine cruise at dusk is a great introduction.

I've taken my parents there, same ages.
Perhaps dinner and the night crusie on day one, I like the one from Pont Neuf, since it is close to good eating in St Germain, and is a smaller boat than the Place D'Alma ones. Sundown, lit-up bridges and Eiffel Tower.

Day 2, I'm thinking that a nice day would be Ile St Louis, Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle...since they are in the same vicinity...some browsing and then 'cafe time' in St Germain, again in the same area. Not a lot of walking. If you were to then add on a bus tour, perhaps at the start of the day, that would easily fill your time. The only issue with going up the tower would be the potential line-ups, no need to climb..elevators to go up.

As Michel noted, there are no steps to go up the Eiffel Tower. The only thing I would mention is that even if the line outside isn't bad, that doesn't mean there isn't a long wait in line for the second elevator (no elevator goes all the way from bottom to top, you have to switch elevators half-way up). That's what happened to me and my mother, the second line half-way up was a long wait. Just so you know this might happen.

Thanks so much for all the advice -- I can't tell you what a great help this is! About the Eiffel Tower -- is it worth (or indeed, possible) to book tickets in advance to save waiitng time when we get there?

I took my parents (in their 70s) to Paris (from Brussels) on a day trip. They enjoyed it but were very tired at the end of the day. Your itinerary sounds find...BUT what are you planning to do with them (and yourself) between your long lunch and 10 pm departure? Say your lunch finishes at 3 pm, you still have several hours to kill. If it's a hot, muggy day (or, conversely, cold and rainy), you won't be able to do much outside.
If your budget allows it, consider springing for *one* room for that extra day at an inexpensive hotel or arrange for an extra late checkout at your first night's hotel. It gives you a place to leave your luggage where you'd still have easy access to it and a place for your parents to relax for a couple of hours if they get tired.
I know from many day trips to Paris, that around 5 pm I long for a place to put my feet up for an hour or so. Instead I usually plop in a cafe that has comfortable chairs (like L'Esplanade overlooking the Esplanade des Invalides) and linger over a restoring pot of Mariage Freres tea.

BTilke,
That's really practical advice -- I hadn't thought of it, but will do now! Anyone with any other ideas of quiet (and preferably cheap!) places one can sit and relax while soaking in the Parisienne atmostphere?
Thanks!

Talk to the hotel you've booked everybody into for that one night, explain the situation, perhaps they will cut you a deal for staying an extra "night" that ends by 8 pm.

Some relatives are flying from the U.S. to Armenia this summer and they have to change planes in Vienna. They get in to Vienna at 9 am and don't depart until late that evening. So they've booked a room for that "night." The hotel knows the situation and will try to give them early check in (by 10 am). They plan to sightsee in the city for a few hours, lunch at a cafe, then come back to the hotel, nap and shower before heading back to the airport for their flight to Yerevan.

Hi Munna

<1) How much walking/queuing/climbing steps is involved in a visit to the Eiffel Tower?> When I was there a week ago there were queues, of course. There is a tourist information booth at the Eiffel Tower and they may be able to give you a better idea of how long it would take for entry. Otherwise first thing or late afternoon may work. Alternatively we took the metro to Montmarte then the funicular up to the Sacre Couer. A lovely view of the whole of Paris from up there. The village is really quaint and you can lunch in one of the restaurants in the square where all the artists are. Personally I loved the respite this area and the Ile St Louis gave me from the bustle of Paris traffic.

<(2) Are there any other hop-on-hop-off tours apart from Les Cars Rouges?>
I think maybe Paris Vision - www.parisvision.com.

Bye for now

Hi M,

Also consider www.batobus.com.

Hi all,

A rather late reply -- Ira, I've looked at the Batobus option, and have seen elsewhere on the internet that the steps down to the boats are very steep, and becuase the banks of the Seine are quite high, you don't actually get to see much. Any feedback on that?
I hadn't realised how expenses would mount up, and other things (mainly the steps) being ok, am now thinking of buying 2-day batobus tickets for all of us. That would let us take a non-stop evening "cruise" the evening we arrive in Paris, and use it as a hop-on-hop-off ride on the next day for the main sight-seeing. Would this work?
-- M.

I know Ira loves Batobus, but I personally would not recommend such a thing given your situation (parents who have trouble with stairs, etc). It is true you can't see much from the Seine, anyway, but general view of upper halves of some buildings.

Hi M,

My 87 yr-old mother had no difficulty going up or down the stairs (we walked slowly).

I have looked at my pix from the batobus tour. One doesn't see the traffic along the streets, but you do get lovely views of the bridges and the major sights.

Mom loved walking along the quays of the Seine, down by the water.

>I know Ira loves Batobus...

Actually, although there is some affection between us, we are only friends.