Idea for a quick stop in Paris?
May 22nd, 2012, 06:53 PM
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Idea for a quick stop in Paris?
Hello,
I will be driving by Paris this July and I could stop for a few hours to visit or do something real quick. For example, drive around a little bit, then park and visit the Eiffel Tower. Any other ideas? Something that does not involve a lot of planning, reservations, waiting in lines, etc... BTW, I have never been to Paris before.
Thanks!
I will be driving by Paris this July and I could stop for a few hours to visit or do something real quick. For example, drive around a little bit, then park and visit the Eiffel Tower. Any other ideas? Something that does not involve a lot of planning, reservations, waiting in lines, etc... BTW, I have never been to Paris before.
Thanks!
May 22nd, 2012, 07:20 PM
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Yes, the world can see that you've never been to Paris before. There is no such thing as a "quick stop in Paris". Just finding a place to park could eat up most of the day, especially anywhere near the Tower Eiffel.
May 22nd, 2012, 07:33 PM
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Why not Robert? How long can it take to find a parkade in central Paris, then walk for a couple of hours, sip a coffee, then leave? Just because you can't, it doesn't mean it can't be done.
Okay, maybe not the Tower, but certainly there is something that can be done in 4 hours in that city. I'm not trying to cover any major tourist destination, it's simply a driving rest.
What I need is some really interesting ideas, please spare me the "world can see you're a "rookie" thing.
Okay, maybe not the Tower, but certainly there is something that can be done in 4 hours in that city. I'm not trying to cover any major tourist destination, it's simply a driving rest.
What I need is some really interesting ideas, please spare me the "world can see you're a "rookie" thing.
May 22nd, 2012, 08:15 PM
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I hope you won't be there July 22 when the Tour de France is in town.
I would start near Notre Dame and wander the streets in that area, walk along the Seine and look at the vendor stalls selling old books, mags, post cards, walk around Ile-St-Louis. Take a 1 hour boat trip on the Seine which would be relaxing and you'd see the buildings from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower.
I would start near Notre Dame and wander the streets in that area, walk along the Seine and look at the vendor stalls selling old books, mags, post cards, walk around Ile-St-Louis. Take a 1 hour boat trip on the Seine which would be relaxing and you'd see the buildings from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower.
May 23rd, 2012, 05:20 AM
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I think the suggestion to walk in the Notre Dame area and take a Seine cruise is a good one. Check out the Vedettes du Pont Neuf on the internet. Their boats leave from a small island next to the Pont Neuf which is very near Notre Dame and the cruise lasts about an hour.
Too bad you can't stay longer. I can't imagine that wherever you are going is more enticing than Paris. On the other hand, if you stop for 3 or 4 hours, you'll be back!
Too bad you can't stay longer. I can't imagine that wherever you are going is more enticing than Paris. On the other hand, if you stop for 3 or 4 hours, you'll be back!
May 23rd, 2012, 07:19 AM
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I'll be by myself on the way to Normandy. I just want to have a "taste" of Paris. Altough I've seen most of Europe, I've never been to Paris yet as I'm saving it for a future trip together with my wife.
I don't mind driving, parking, traffic etc. in dense areas in big European cities. In fact that's the way I prefer to travel. I'll bet I'm parked and walking by my target objective before you have finished your breakfast and you're looking for a taxi or a metro station. Kidding...
A Seine cruise is a great idea, I'll do that.
Merci beaucoup!
I don't mind driving, parking, traffic etc. in dense areas in big European cities. In fact that's the way I prefer to travel. I'll bet I'm parked and walking by my target objective before you have finished your breakfast and you're looking for a taxi or a metro station. Kidding...
A Seine cruise is a great idea, I'll do that.
Merci beaucoup!
May 23rd, 2012, 08:32 AM
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Know that trying to ascend most monuments or enter popular museums will likely put you in a queue that will take up too much of your precious time. That said, IMO there are few city centers better suited to fruitful wandering than Paris!
On the way to Normandy... from which direction will you arrive?
If from the south, for example, you could park near Montparnasse - go up to the top of the tower there for a view if you'd like - then take the RER or Metro to the St. Michel stop, which will put you on the edge of the Latin Quarter and just steps from Notre Dame and the Vedettes du Pont Neuf mentioned above. They may be touristy and a little pricey, but the cafes right there on Place St. Michel will give you prime people-watching if you want to grab a light lunch. However, entering the primary streets of the Latin Quarter, you will encounter restaurant hawkers of the most vocal kind...
If you take the boat tour first, you'll be able to both relax from the drive and get a sense of where you might want to double back to afterwards. Basically all of Paris is covered by the Metro, so you're never far from a station-!
Near Notre Dame, you could partake in some Berthillon <i>glaces</i> - oft-mentioned on these boards for their delicious flavors. Walk behind N.D. and over the little bridge to Ile St. Louis.
// Or you could drive around Paris and park at La Defense or Port Maillot on the western side, giving you a more direct exit when it's time to leave the city. The RER and M1 Metro line here are a direct route via the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees to the Louvre and the heart of Paris from that direction. The Tuileries gardens are a bit of a green respite in the middle of the city...
On the way to Normandy... from which direction will you arrive?
If from the south, for example, you could park near Montparnasse - go up to the top of the tower there for a view if you'd like - then take the RER or Metro to the St. Michel stop, which will put you on the edge of the Latin Quarter and just steps from Notre Dame and the Vedettes du Pont Neuf mentioned above. They may be touristy and a little pricey, but the cafes right there on Place St. Michel will give you prime people-watching if you want to grab a light lunch. However, entering the primary streets of the Latin Quarter, you will encounter restaurant hawkers of the most vocal kind...
If you take the boat tour first, you'll be able to both relax from the drive and get a sense of where you might want to double back to afterwards. Basically all of Paris is covered by the Metro, so you're never far from a station-!
Near Notre Dame, you could partake in some Berthillon <i>glaces</i> - oft-mentioned on these boards for their delicious flavors. Walk behind N.D. and over the little bridge to Ile St. Louis.
// Or you could drive around Paris and park at La Defense or Port Maillot on the western side, giving you a more direct exit when it's time to leave the city. The RER and M1 Metro line here are a direct route via the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees to the Louvre and the heart of Paris from that direction. The Tuileries gardens are a bit of a green respite in the middle of the city...
May 23rd, 2012, 06:21 PM
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I will park at Notre-Dame. I can even book a 6 hours parking in advance (15 euros) at http://www.parkingsdeparis.com/EN/
So, parking resolved. From there I can walk around the immediate vicinity, including Notre-Dame, Ile St. Louis, the Latin Quarter, Saint-Michel, etc. and take a one hour boat with http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/ - they even offer an internet special. That way I can even "see" the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and maybe more.
Hahaha, Paris in 6 hours! It can be done
Thanks, Fodorites! Without your advice I had no idea what to do and probably I would have kept on driving to some dull highway stop.
So, parking resolved. From there I can walk around the immediate vicinity, including Notre-Dame, Ile St. Louis, the Latin Quarter, Saint-Michel, etc. and take a one hour boat with http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/ - they even offer an internet special. That way I can even "see" the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and maybe more.
Hahaha, Paris in 6 hours! It can be done
Thanks, Fodorites! Without your advice I had no idea what to do and probably I would have kept on driving to some dull highway stop.
May 23rd, 2012, 07:15 PM
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Originating in Reims, that doesn't sound like a bad plan. Really, probably not much of a difference entering Paris off the A4 as it would be taking the Peripherique around to Montparnasse (or points farther west)!
Since you don't mind driving in European cities, IMO it would be pretty exciting on your exit from the city to drive up the Champs Elysees and around the Charles de Gaulle Etoile <i>rond-point</i> at the Arc de Triomphe, then down the other side on Avenue de la Grand Armee and out to Porte Maillot where you can pick up the Peripherique to the A13. (At the Etoile, you could alternately take Avenue Foch to Porte Dauphine and cut off a bit of the Peripherique.)
The Champs Elysees is such a gorgeous wide boulevard with the arch perched at the top - just like you see in movies or the end of the Tour de France! Descending on the other side, the high-shine towers of modern La Defense mirror the historic arch behind you. (Avenue de la Grand Armee is quite bland and quiet by comparison to where you've come from; Avenue Foch doesn't provide the view of La Defense, but you'll pass through a more residential area.)
To reach the Champs Elysees from Notre Dame and you're not in too much of a rush, cross from Ile de la Cite to the left bank on the Petit Pont, then travel along the Quais to cross the Pont de la Concorde right in front of the Musee d'Orsay. You'll have a nice view of the Louvre and Tuileries across the river. Then circumnavigate the Place de la Concorde 3/4 of the way around to reach the Avenue des Champs Elysees. (Neither the Place de la Concorde nor the CDG-Etoile are for the faint of heart - but it sounds like you'll have no problem!)
Bonne chance! And have fun!!
Since you don't mind driving in European cities, IMO it would be pretty exciting on your exit from the city to drive up the Champs Elysees and around the Charles de Gaulle Etoile <i>rond-point</i> at the Arc de Triomphe, then down the other side on Avenue de la Grand Armee and out to Porte Maillot where you can pick up the Peripherique to the A13. (At the Etoile, you could alternately take Avenue Foch to Porte Dauphine and cut off a bit of the Peripherique.)
The Champs Elysees is such a gorgeous wide boulevard with the arch perched at the top - just like you see in movies or the end of the Tour de France! Descending on the other side, the high-shine towers of modern La Defense mirror the historic arch behind you. (Avenue de la Grand Armee is quite bland and quiet by comparison to where you've come from; Avenue Foch doesn't provide the view of La Defense, but you'll pass through a more residential area.)
To reach the Champs Elysees from Notre Dame and you're not in too much of a rush, cross from Ile de la Cite to the left bank on the Petit Pont, then travel along the Quais to cross the Pont de la Concorde right in front of the Musee d'Orsay. You'll have a nice view of the Louvre and Tuileries across the river. Then circumnavigate the Place de la Concorde 3/4 of the way around to reach the Avenue des Champs Elysees. (Neither the Place de la Concorde nor the CDG-Etoile are for the faint of heart - but it sounds like you'll have no problem!)
Bonne chance! And have fun!!
May 23rd, 2012, 08:17 PM
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PinBud, you are most welcome! I hope you come back and add to this thread once you've done it.
...And you won't be acting like you know what you're talking about. You *will* know what you're talking about - at least enough to make for an awesome start to that trip!
...And you won't be acting like you know what you're talking about. You *will* know what you're talking about - at least enough to make for an awesome start to that trip!
May 23rd, 2012, 08:21 PM
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Have you ever seen "C'etait un Rendezvous"? The ultimate living-vicariously Paris road trip! The fast car, the beautifully desolate early-morning streets, the romantic meeting at the end of the ride...
If you haven't, this is an okay version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3sbxn8JPvw
More about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%27%C3...un_rendez-vous
If you haven't, this is an okay version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3sbxn8JPvw
More about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%27%C3...un_rendez-vous
May 23rd, 2012, 10:16 PM
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Hi, I would take bus 72 from Rue de Rivoli in front of the Louvre, down to Bir Hakeim bridge. Get out and walk across the bridge. On the way over, you will have the most stunning photos imaginable of the Eiffel Tower. Cross the bridge and walk down to the tower. Cross back again towards Trocadero, then take the same bus back to the Louvre. Pointless even trying to get up the Eiffel Tower - one of the lifts is broken and there is a 2-hour queue. You can see details about bus 72 (and photos of the Eiffel Tower from the bridge) on my blog.
May 24th, 2012, 05:38 AM
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