I will be traveling to India in August. I have a layover in Paris for 24 hours. I have never been to Paris. Any suggestions on a brief look at Paris? I love food, wine, shopping and a possible site. Restaurants, accomodation, shopping ideas greatly appreciated! I look forward to hearing ideas!

Hi

Maybe you can check out my Paris trip report on http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . It contains pictures, links and list of restaurants that we went to. Also check out this Google map: http://gardkarlsen.com/paris_france_map.htm . It shows the locations of some of the attractions of Paris and you can click on the various markers for more information

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

<i>Restaurants, accommodation, shopping ideas greatly appreciated!</i>

Do you want to shop or see the sights? (Obviously you can't do both in 24 hours).
Your preference would determine where you'd want to stay.

It would also help to know your arrival and departure times (at CDG?).

It also helps to know your budget.

Contact Michael Osman and engage him for the day to show you Paris. If he can be your guide, ask him to make a reservation for your dinner. it will be the best spent (small amount) of money you can ever do.
try contacting him at parisfind @aol.com

first, choose a good restaurant among these ones if you are ready a lot:
http://www.guides-restaurants.fr/res...romantique.php
The Meurice or the Espadon at the Ritz are a real timelessexperience.
If you're budget-minded, no problem, heat to the rue de Buci in the Latin Quarter for an authentic and affordable French experience at the bar du march&eacute;, you'll not regret it ...
http://www.parisnet.net/directory/Detailed/9.html

Thanks for all the info! I guess being I only have 24 hours, I would like to just walk around the city and do some shopping and eat at a great restaurant! What area would be the best for this?? As far as budget, I want higher end accomodations. Our flight arrives at 11:30am and departs the next day at 11:00am. Let me know your thoughts! thanks!

What kind of shopping? Perhaps you'd like to be near the grand department stores? Or little boutique shopping areas? Or are you looking for antiques or something like that?

So by the time you ge to your hotel, ti would be....2PM. And the next day, you will need to be at airport early. So you have....8-9 hours to tour. Not a lot.

I would do a long walk...start say, Place Concorde then Tuileries, outside of Louvre, rue Rivoli, Opera, Palais Royal, then head over to Notre Dame/St Chapelle (time dependant) Ile St Louis, then Left Bank along Blvd St Germain. Eat aorund 8PM in Left Bank area, then head over to Pont Neuf, and take Seine river cruise (last one of the night) to see Eiffel , bridges and city at night.

Then, if you really want to extend your night, perhaps a jazz bar?

Hi T,

&gt;eat at a great restaurant! ... As far as budget, I want higher end accomodations.

We still need to know your budget.

Is $1800E for a hotel and 300E pp for dinner OK?

A night at the Plaza Ath&eacute;n&eacute;e preceeded by dinner at Alain Ducasse's? Nice

My husband and I had to cut our trip short because of a family matter which left us less than 24 hours in Paris. We arrived at our hotel at 10:30am one day and left it at 8:30am the next. We did not shop (other than for a watercolor which I wanted to take home), and we did not eat at a great restaurant (we chose to eat at a stand by the Eiffel and enjoy it at night and forego the restaurant instead), but we did see an impressive amount of sites.

I have a trip report on this site, but don't know how to link it here. If you click on my screen name, it starts with &quot;2 30 Year Olds&quot;. Look at Day 7. Good luck!

<i>...walk around the city and do some shopping and eat at a great restaurant. </i>

OK, that doesn't sound like you want the grand department stores. Great window shopping in the Blvd. St. Germain area of the 6th. Upscale clothing, some designers, great purse shops. (If you're a youngster, the Marais might be better---more eclectic.)

So here's a suggested itinerary. Taxi from airport to Le Madison Hotel on Blvd St Germain (6th).
http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75006madison.htm
It's a nice hotel (with a/c). You'll be surrounded by shops and it's a nice walking area. Have lunch at Cafe Bonaparte (by St Germain church). By the time you finish, most shops will be open after closing for lunch. Shop for a few hours.

An hour before sunset (about 8:30 pm), catch a cab to Pont Neuf. Take the sunset boat cruise on Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Have dinner nearby (Ile St. Louis is lovely and easy to walk to from the boat dock). Cab back to hotel. Next morning cab no later than 7:30 am for CDG. Sleep on plane!

Thanks again for all the info! I guess to be more clear of my shopping expectations. I am not looking for dept. store, or big name designer clothing. I enjoy going to small boutiques, artsy, one of kind items. Home accesories, artwork, clothing, jewelry. Possibly something a local artist designed. Im also not into the HUGE GRAND hotels. I would love to stay at a small quaint boutique hotel. Someone mentioned a jazz bar, that would be nice too! I guess i just want to make the most of my short time in Paris. The hotel does need to be somewhat easy to get to from the airport, I really dont want any hassles getting to and from the airport. What neighborhood would be best to meet my needs? How about some markets?

This is a great little boutique hotel.
http://www.hotel-paris-relais-saint-germain.com/

It has a wonderful restaurant, Le Comptoir du Relais, 4* I think. Hotel guests are accommodated first, others clamor to get a table. You must reserve in advance.

It is located very near the other hotel I mentioned. Nearby is Rue Buci with its colorful street market -- flowers, food, scarves, all kinds of things. The side streets have the kind of shops you describe. As for ease of getting to hotel, I would take a cab given the short time you have in Paris.

It also sounds like you would like the Marais (4th). Younger, very hip and chic. Eclectic, lots of fun shops. Maybe someone knows of a boutique hotel over there.

Go here!

http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-...daniel/review/

The hotel's great (stayed last year), and really well placed for getting just about anywhere in paris. The review here gives a few suggestions for boutiquey shopping around the area.

I'd also recommend the Shakespeare bookshop as a must-browse, but that's personal preference...

Hi T,

Will you please give us an idea of your budget?

Otherwise, we are just wasting time.

PS,

Any hotel is conveninet to CDG if you hire a limo.

PS,

Any hotel is convenient to CDG if you hire a limo.