Hop-on hop-off bus in Paris.
 

I know that there is alot of info on Paris but I would value your opinions-
I am going with my 19 year old daughter to Paris for a long weekend this Thursday (14 May) -return Sunday night-Monday morning.

My question is is it worth buying tickets for this bus or just to concentrate on particular places EiffelTour, St Michel, the latin Quarter and Notre Dame and the Shops and Sunday morning to the Flea Market at Clignancourt. Also Montmartre.
It's her first time and yes we are fit but I dont want her main memory to be of aching feet etc. not to mention mine.
We are staying in the Bastille area and I dont particularly like the Metro.

I wouldn't . The regular buses go to all the places you want to see. I think the 69 passes all the major tourist sites. Check the ratp website

RATP buses. Here's my take on the bus tour: http://tinyurl.com/5zdysu

I actually really enjoyed the hop on hop off bus. We went with l'Open Tour company. There were 4 different circuits and we saw places in Paris that we never would have seen if it hadn't been for this tour. I found the commentary to be good.

The 2 day pass is a much better value, 32€ for 2 days, 29€ for 1 day... while we were there we could just do the 1 day as we bought it on a Sunday and they weren't operating on Monday and we were going out of the city on Tuesday.

I'll definitely travel this way again during my next visit! It is much more relaxing than trekking in the metro!

Or, you could just print out the Open Tour map and use your bus pass to hit the sights you never would have seen.

Here's the official RATP sightseeing map: http://tinyurl.com/pus7u8

We did this on our second trip and enjoyed it. We will probably do it again next month when we go. I think it is a nice way to enjoy the first day. One word of warning though. We were there in June and the L'Open Tour buses stop running at 8pm. That doesn't mean they finish the loop they are on. Yes, at 8pm, the bus stopped and everyone had to get off as they were done for the day. There were a few locals on there with visitors and they said this was normal. So if you go, just pay attention to the time if you are going in the evening. That said, I still recommend it:)

I always think those bus tours are a waste of time. What's the point of just driving past a bunch of places? I would take transport direct to the things you really want to do and see. Walk shorter distances and take the Metro - super easy - for longer ones.

And a 19 year old should be able to walk all day with no trouble. I'm 50+ and can still do it with no trouble. When you're tired sit in a cafe, have a glass of wine and watch the world go by for an hour - a major part of the Parisian experience.

Walking for its own sake is one thing (and Paris is one of the most strollable cities in the world, a delightful experience) - but I don't recommend it for getting from place to place, because the distances involved are often too great. From the Arc de Triomphe to Notre Dame, for example, will burn more than an hour. In many districts, notably Montmartre, a lot of vertical distance is involved, too, so you could easily find yourself climbing the equivalent of ten or twenty flights of stairs. Having to stop to rest wastes more time. We sometimes use a bus to recuperate from standing/walking through museums.

When the weather is favorable, views from seats on the open air upper deck are the very best way to enjoy the magnificent architecture and scenery all over.

By the way - RATP runs a sightseeing route called <I>Balabus</i> on summer Sundays. I've never ridden it, but it looks like a great way to get around among the concentration of venues along the Seine without changing lines. Routes and schedules here:

http://www.ratp.info/touristes/index...s&page=balabus

Check out the Montmartrobus link, too.

If your daughter has never been to Paris, I think a bus tour is a good way to see an overview of the entire city and how beautiful it is. Seeing the landmarks for the first time from the top of the bus is really a thrill. A bit of narration and a little background before hitting the sights on foot really helped us our first trip. (I liked not having to keep looking down at a travel book as we rode around!) We did not get off. We basically got "the lay of the land" and dealt with the jet lag. I don't recommend it as transportation to the sights necessarily, but I believe it really could enhance her trip.