A few hours in Paris on a Tuesday - what to do?!
 

Hi all

I recently posted about killing time at CDG for a few hours before then catching a train directly to Strasbourg. As it turns out, we have now booked a later train.

We arrive at CDG at 7am and leave by train (again from CDG) at 6pm. Although we could have caught a train from Gare de L'est, we decided that we'd rather make two trips (to and from) the airport with no luggage (leaving it in a locker at CDG), than the one trip and logistical nightmare of getting our luggage from CDG to L'est.

Anyway, that leaves us with time in Paris next Tuesday. I assume that it will take a couple of hours to clear customs, store our luggage and get a train to the city. We'd also need to be back at CDG with plenty of time for our train... so we'd probably have 6-7 hours (conservatively) in Paris.

My question is: what would people recommend??!? We will be back in Paris for a week after Christmas, so we don't necessarily need to rush around to see the sights. If anything, I was thinking that this extra day in Paris is a "bonus" so I'd be pretty happy to spend some time pottering around and having a nice lunch. Also need to take into account that after a long flight, we might not want to be doing anything too strenuous.

Recommendations or suggestions would be most welcome!!!!

A boat tour down the Seine for an hour gives you a tantilizing water level taste and over view thru the center of the city for about an hour. A good bistro lunch and bottle of wine should get you on your way

Since it is just before Christmas I think I would go to Notre Dame and maybe St Chappelle (sp). They are close together and worth the visit. Another couple of places you might want to consider are Musee d' Orsee (sp) or Montmarte (see the artists and have a crepe in the square behind the church). Use the metro to get around and you will find yourself zipping from place to place. You can catch the Louvre and Versille when you come back. Have fun.

AisleSeat, please do tell more about the crepe place in Montmarte as we are staying in that general area? You have piqued my interest.

I would never recommend going to a major museum during a couple hour layover on a trip. I do agree with the idea of just getting out at the Notre Dame/St Michel RER stop and fooling around there (the islands and Seine quay).

There are crepe places all over the city, street crepes are nothing that special that you need to distinguish them much IMO. That area of montmartre is tourist central.

Since you're going to have time in Paris later in the trip, why not do something different? You can take a bus from CDG to Senlis and Chantilly for between 15 and 36 euros round trip, and both places are fascinating. Schedules are on www.voyages-sncf.com.

For simplicity, since the RER from the airport has a stop at St Michel/Ile ce la Cite, I would get off there and wander around the islands. Notre Dame, St Chapelle, Parvis of Notre Dame, Ile St Louis, bouquinistes,etc... Time permitting, a Seine cruise from Vedettes.

Or you get off at St Michel and walk along St Germain from end to end.

Maudie, as Christina said, there are street crepe places all over the city, several as I recall at the square behind Montmartre. Pretty tasty right off the hot plate with a little Nuttella. You can enjoy them everywhere in Paris. Other people must enjoy them as much as I do or there wouldn't be as many places selling them.

Thanks AisleSeat and Christina, this will be our first visit so I am just soaking up all the information at present.

Sounds like a nice snack to try, if they are as good as the crepes we had in Thailand with Nuttella, condensed milk and banana then I will be happy!