missmissy

We're arriving at 5:30 p.m. and have a 20 hour layover in Paris. Based on past experiences, I'm guessing an hour and a half to get bags and taxi to our hotel. We're trying to figure out how we can do a cafe dinner, the Eiffel Tower and a night river cruise. I'm guessing we'll be checked into our hotel and drop the bags by 7:30 (yes, I know some will say it will be at least 8 p.m. just going to depend ). We'll be in Paris June 9th so the Eiffel Tower's last accension is 11 p.m. We don't want to do a river cruise dinner as I've always found the food to be subpar on such things. I'm considering Altitude 95 only for the chance to combine dinner with the Eiffel Tower. However, I fear the food will also be substandard and expensive for what we get. We won't have time to get all dressed up for Le Jules Verne. We're considering staying near or on Ile de Cite, so the Vendettes Pont Neuf makes sense. Do you think we'd have time to do a cafe dinner....then, say do a 9 p.m. cruise....then, metro back to the Eiffel Tower to get in line and make it up by 11 p.m.?? Or should we just forgo Vendettes Pont Neuf....have dinner near our hotel and metro to the Eiffel Tower to walk around it and do Bateaux Parisians? I know we're trying to cram a lot into a night. We'll just wander around and maybe even go back to a cafe for dessert late at night. Then, in the morning we'll have time for Notre Dame and St Chapelle before we leave Paris. Thanks for any suggestions, sorry for the rambling post. Melissa

Viajero2

Last I heard Paris wasn't going anywhere...so plan a return trip and do it right. In the meantime, I think that after a long day you ought to enjoy yourself; have dinner and a river cruise. The best time to enjoy the Eiffel Tower is daytime anyway. Go there the next morning, if you must.

Weadles

Unfortunately, I think you'd better plan on either a late dinner or the night cruise, but not both. Even though June 9th is a Saturday, you're still arriving at rush hour. It's impossible to predict how crowded the airport will be, or what traffic will be like going into Paris.

ira

Hi M,

I agree with weadles.

missmissy

Thanks....we have been there many times and have done Paris "right".....as I said, this is simply a 20 hour layover with friends who have NEVER been. Therefore, we're just trying to hit as many high spots as we can in a short amount of time. I'm thinking we'll next going UP the Eiffel tower. We should have plenty of time for dinner and a night cruise. Then, we'll just wander around, drop in on a cafe later at night. Then, we have plenty of time for Notre Dame and St Chappelle in the morning. Thanks

missmissy

sorry, typo....meant we'll NIX going UP the Eiffel Tower. Even with traffic I can't imagine why we'd have a problem doing dinner and a late cruise on the Seine. So, that should work great. Our friends who've never been will just get a little taste of Paris and have to go back for more.

margyb

Traffic will make all the difference. When I went last year, I took a taxi from CDG to my hotel in the 7th and it took an hour and 1/2 because the traffic was so horrible. I landed at around 7:30 AM and it was nearly noon by the time I got to the hotel. But...then it might be fine...just keep your options open!

margy

Barb_in_Ga

If you take the river cruise after sunset, you will have a beautiful view of the Eiffel tower as it twinkles on the hour, which is magical, and far nicer to see it from the quai or the boat than actually up in the tower.

I have had lunch in Altitude 95, and the meal was fine, just not memorable. The view from the tower is really best during the day.