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DAY TRIP NEE WALKING TIPS FROM GARE DU NORD

DAY TRIP NEE WALKING TIPS FROM GARE DU NORD

Old Dec 5th, 2006, 06:19 PM
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DAY TRIP NEE WALKING TIPS FROM GARE DU NORD

WARNING LONG AND INCREASINGLY DESPERATE POST AHEAD!

Hi there again! I have a long post going in the UK section as I am planning a 9 day trip to London but we are planning a day trip to Paris so I thought I would hop on over her to the France forum and get some info. We are going to be taking the Eurostar train from Waterloo to Gare Du Norde and I was wondering what the best way to see most of the major sites would be. it seems like everything is more or less along the Seine ( except the arc but we might have to go out of our way to see that one) I am having a hard time getting an idea of scale from the tourist maps. They have little cartoon pics of the major sights but that just makes it look like everything is a block or 2 away from each other. I am wondering if we start @ the Eiffel tower and walk along the Seine towards Notre Dame will it take us all day? will it be an interesting walk? is there a better more fabulous route to take to see the big beautiful sights? Also the mundane question of a route from Gare Du Norde to the Eiffel tower, take the metro or can we walk? It seems like we would be walking all the way across town! I want to experience a little bit of Paris and not just be racing from photo op to photo op but I want to see the tower, notre dame, at least the OUTSIDE of the louvre and the arc. I realize this is a tall order and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I am afraid that we will get to Paris get off the train take a picture at the Eiffel tower and have to go back to London. Maybe grabbing le big mac on the way out of town. PLEASE HELP! I spent so much time planning my London trip I don;t know if I have the strength to learn the subtleties of another city! P.S> we will be in Paris on my Birthday. I am a chef and I would like to buy myself a present at E.Dehillerin please advise.
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Old Dec 5th, 2006, 06:49 PM
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Go to http://www.mappy.com, enter your starting and ending points, and click on "Pedestrian." This will give you the walking distance.

I did the first one for you. From Gare du Nord to Tour Eiffel is 5.64 kilometers with an estimated walking time of 1 hr. 24 minutes.
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Old Dec 5th, 2006, 07:01 PM
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Ticklemepunk,

You'll probably get an expert soon who can give you more detail, but I just want to reassure you that if what you are looking for is to see the major "sights" then Paris is really very walkable and and compact.

I personally would take the metro/bus/taxi from Gare du Nord to a point at either end of the sights you are trying to see, then start your walking/boat tours, etc from there. Then take metro/bus/taxi back to Gare du Nord at the end of the day. Since you have limited time, I think this would more quickly get you to the activities you want to do.

So, say you start at Tour Eiffel. Just work your way down the Seine and end up at Notre Dame. I love my Streetwise Paris, and found that in that area I really didn't need anything else to find my way.

Consider a boat trip on the Seine when you want to rest your feet. And consider a bus tour to see the lights when night falls since it will be falling early when you are there (depending on when you are taking the train back). Both will give your feet a rest, and between walking and riding you should get a pretty full day.

Again, I'm sure someone will be on soon to give you maybe metro details from Gare du Nord, but really I just wanted to say, don't worry! It will be fine.
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Old Dec 5th, 2006, 07:36 PM
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Thanks toucan2 I was hoping Paris sights would be more compact than London sights and that seems to be the case. We will probably want to take the metro to notre Dame and then work our way towards the eiffel tower since I am assuming there are more restaurants near the tower so we will have a good place to stop and eat a nice dinner. Do restaurants get more expensive when you get closer to the tower? if anyone has an idea of a good place to eat on a Monday early evening. Nothing to fancy or expensive but a nice birthday meal. Thanks also to musicteacher for the map link!
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Old Dec 5th, 2006, 09:02 PM
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Another vote for metro/taxi from Gare Du Nord. I would really recommend taxi to Notre Dame - or Arc de Triomf (sp!!!)If you taxi to the Arc, you can easily walk down the Champs Elysees and cross the river to the Eiffel Tower. You can either walk along the river to Notre Dame or take the boat from the Eiffel Tower. I would take the boat back and spend more time around Notre Dame - and do not miss Sante Capelle if it is still light! You can even walk over to Ille St Louis. I will have dinner in that area - and back to Gare Du Nord by taxi.

But the experts will be here soon!
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Old Dec 5th, 2006, 09:04 PM
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Actually, there are far fewer restaurants near the Eiffel Tower -- it is in a residential area.
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Old Dec 5th, 2006, 09:06 PM
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Oops - do not miss Sainte Chapelle!
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 03:48 AM
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The Eiffel Tower is a bit out to one side, in a way, and would justify some public transport to get to and from it: personally I don't think that side of Paris really rewards exhausting walking, especially when you've only a limited amount of time.

If your French is up to it, you could go to www.ratp.fr, choose the link "plan interactif" and play with some of the options. For example, you could save time by buying a carnet of Paris public transport tickets at Waterloo, and get the metro to Trocadero (line 4 direction Porte d'Orléans, change at Strasbourg St Denis to line 9 direction Pont de Sèvres) - 20-30 mins, walk over to the Eiffel Tower for a closer look (20-30 mins), and then get bus 69 from there to the Palais Royal/Louvre area for the historic heart of Paris. Or get a bus 42 all the way from gare du Nord to the Eiffel Tower: I suspect that may take quite a bit of time, but you would see the main shopping areas, the Champs Elysées and the "grand" side of Paris en route.

Or use taxis for some of the lengthier bits.

I'm not sure if the time would justify the Batobus or a l'Opentour hop-on hop-off bus.
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 05:26 AM
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Just a couple of quick comments since you've received a lot of good info . . .

Restaurants and cafes are everywhere - but the area near the Eiffel Tower doesn't really have as many as other places. There are many more places to eat near Notre Dame than near the Tower.

You definitely don't want to walk from Gare du Nord.

I'd probably take a cab or the metro to the Eiffel Tower first and get it out of the way. Then walk over to Invalides, then over to Musee d' Orsay and the river. From there the Louvre is across the river and the islands/Notre Dame/Ste Chapelle are a reasonable walk.

If you didn't plan on visiting Invalides, You could take a boat from the Eiffel Tower up river to just about anywhere, and start your walking tour from there.

(BTW - there really isn't a "France Forum" - or a UK section for that matter. All threads are lumped together under "Europe". Clicking on a country lets folks search for info about that country - but everything ends up on the same forum)
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 07:28 AM
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Adding to PatrickLondon's comments. The Plan Interactif is also available on the English version of the RATP site. You can download and print Metro, RER, and bus maps there. I like his suggestion of taking bus #42 from Gare du Nord to the Eiffel Tower. You'll get an above-ground look at a scenic part of Paris enroute. His suggestion of taking bus #69 is also very good.

The fastest way from Gare du Nord to the Eiffel Tower would be to take the RER B line to St-Michel Notre-Dame, transfer to the RER C line, and take it to Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel. However, going to Trocadero as Patrick suggests gives you a good view of the tower as you walk toward it.

A carnet of ten tickets costs E10.90. A single ticket is good for unlimited transfers on the Metro (all zones served) and the RER (zone 1) so long as you don't exit the system. Each bus ride requires a separate ticket. You can share carnet tickets. Or you could buy one-day Mobilis passes for zones 1-2 (E5.50) and take as many rides as you wish.

That said, if time allows, walking is the best way to explore central Paris.
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 10:43 AM
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we will be arriving in Paris @ 11 and our train leaves for London @ 20:00 so we have about 9 hours to visit. Are taxis very expensive? I think we will try to figure out the metro and start off at the Eiffel tower then cross over the river to the north side and work our way down to Notre Dame and have an early dinner there. The address the the shop I need to visit while I am there is at 18 and 20 rue Coquilliere 1st arrondissement.
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 11:16 AM
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Métro Les Halles (line 4) or RER station Châtelet-Les Halles (RER B) for your shop.

On the RER B, that makes the address of your shop the very first stop out of Gare du Nord.
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 01:11 PM
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I believe you can catch the hop on hop off bus right in front of Gare du Nord. It's an option, you want to get to most of the sights in one day.
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 02:36 PM
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I did the Paris day trip in May. Took the hop on hop off bus at Gard du Nord. Paid for it online to save time and printed out a voucher to give the driver. Warning "they speak little English." Felt very rushed and stressed trying to see it all. Had also prepaid tickets to the Louvre. Rushed in to see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. I was told before hand that this was not a good idea. Found out that is true. End up going back in October to spend the week and really enjoy Paris. Still didn't see it all, but it is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Good Luck with what ever you decide.
 
Old Dec 6th, 2006, 05:10 PM
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You've gotten lots of details and great advice! You do have a pretty short period of time, so as Jane 196 points out above you could end up very stressed trying to do it all. Pick out highlights (such as your shop!) and focus on those. You'll be back. You won't be able to help it once you have been to Paris once.

I know this is probably sacrilege (sp?) but I actually didn't go to the Eiffel Tower--and I was there a week. I saw it from the boat, and during the evening bus tour, and from the Arc and it was pretty! But I simply spent more time in other areas. I

f it is still light when you get near Notre Dame, as another poster mentioned do try to see Saint Chappelle. The windows are not to be believed. Interestingly enough, I picked up a flyer in Chicago recently about a church there that has windows based on the SC windows. Haven't had a chance to get there yet though!

Happy Planning!
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Old Dec 7th, 2006, 04:30 PM
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Thanks very much for all the great ideas. Since we will be there on my birthday it is my special day to do what I want! my husband gets to do all of his big activities when we are in London so I get to decide where we go in Paris. Call me a sucker but I am going to need to see the Eiffel tower and get a picture. I think my shop and the tower and Notre Dame are my biggest sights and I think we can manage that in 8 hours. Thanks again to everyone for the tips I am sure we will have to go back for a longer visit next time!
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