Since our goal is to meet our son in Seville (doing semester abroad) on Easter Sunday, we will be spending only 10 hours sightseeing in Paris on Easter Saturday! (Train leaves at 11 p.m.) From our hotel on Blvd. St. Jacques, we would like to most of our sightseeing walking.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO SIGHTSEE?
We have not been to Paris before and
don't want to spend a lot of time waiting in lines for the Louvre!

Is there a way you can change your hotel? W/ just 10 hours and wanting to walk - that hotel is a bit out of the center of things. It is SE of Montparnasse cemetary and probably more than a mile from the river/islands etc.

It is close to the Saint Jacques metro station.

I agree with JanisJ. You're too far away from the heart of Paris to do much.

Would it be too inconvenient for you to move your hotel to somewhere? Are you staying in Marriott on Marriott Reward Points?

As for what I would sightsee in Paris by foot...
-walk along the River Seine (Rive Gauche side)
-dine in a cafe around the St. Michel station
-Notre Dame
-bus self over to the Champs Elysees, getting off when you see the Louis Vuitton store, and walk over to see the Arc de Triumph
-bus over to the Trocadero and walk to the Eiffel Tower (only because there's nothing like the sight of the Eiffel Tower from there, at least for me)

You can get bus tickets on the bus itself. I forget how much they are, since I got the carnets (a book of 10 single ride tickets, which you will not need in your case).

Enjoy Paris.

You can do most of your sightseeing by walking, but first you'll need to use the bus or metro to get to places.

Your hotel is on Metro line 6, which will carry you near the Eiffel (Bir Hakeim) and Arc de Triompe (Charles de Gaulle-Etoile).

If you walk to place Denfert Rochereau, you can take
a. the RER north to St Michel
b. metro line 4 northward to St Germain des Pres, St Michel..and across to Right Bank
c. bus #38 along Jardin de Luxembourg to St Michel and over to Right Bank.

Since you are so short on time, I would make sure there aren't any gliches in the Metro system when you go. Of course strikes are always a possibility which could jeopardize your timing, but there are construction issues also. We had to rearrange some plans going to the Eiffel Tower when we were there last week. Just a heads up since you're so pressed for time.

Yes, we are using Marriott Reward points and this was the only Marriott available on Easter weekend with points!
So we really appreciate your details on riding the busses and Metro. We live in the Washington DC area and know the "tourist frustration" with transport as we see it often here!
Anything we first timers should know about buying tickets for the Metro?

I have stayed at this hotel.

You will be fine. It's a block from the Metro and from there you can go anywhere in Paris.

Let's get real you aren't going to have time to go back to you hotel for a rest if you only have 10 hours LOL!

My suggestion. Go into Paris to Notre Dame. Right in front of it you can get one of the Hop on hop off tours. Get on and go. Get off when you want and go somemore. You don't really have time for in depth touring and this will give you a good overview.

Now if you want to walk... Go to your local bookstore or libray and read the "walking tours" in the guidebooks. ALL of them have some. Pick one or two you like and go. It's easy. I would do the Islands and maybe the Marais.

Then go see the Eiffel Tower in the evening before the train. It's really nice when it lights up on the hour at night.


The ticket counter at the station closest to the Marriott does get overwhelmed at times. THere is a large youth hostel not too far from there which dumps a lot of kids buying tickets out in groups. They also ran out of change on me once so get the hotel to give you some small change.

I will actually be there that same time. (On points too LOL!)

If the RER station is too busy, then cross the street, walk to the corner where Indiana Cafe is, cross to le Rendez-vous, turn right and cross, then go down the steps of that metro station (Denfert Rochereau) and buy tickets from there. (2 or 3 windows).

I haven't been down in the St-Jacques or Glacier stops so don't know if they have ticket windows or not.

Buy a carnet (10 tickets at slightly reduced per-ticket price) and split between you.