sreenath

Hi,

I am traveling to from India to Lisbon and on my way back i have a long layover in Paris, from 10PM to 10:40 AM next day.

Is it worth to go out? at that time? If yes what are the suggestions? i would love to visit the Eiffel tower.
This is the first time I am going out of India. Do I need any transit visa?

Thanks

ira

Hi sree,

With respect to a transit visa, you have to speak to the French Consulate.

>Is it worth to go out?<

Are you already planning on going into Paris from the airport?

Southam

Going into Paris at that time of the night -- a city you don’t know and which will be shutting down -- seems unwise. By the time you clear French immigration, then find and take the train into the city centre, it will be approaching midnight. An hour later the Metro (subway) will stop. All you can do at the Eiffel is gaze at it in the dark. Your choices then will be between late-night bars or coffee shops. Or a hotel, but only for a few hours since you must be back at the airport for security clearance a minimum of two hours before that 10:40 a.m. departure. And where’s your luggage during this excursion?
Better, in my opinion, to take a hotel in or near the airport to get a decent sleep and allow a less rushed return to the airport for a long flight home. Sorry to be so tedious and boring, but the mechanics of travel are against you on that schedule.

Christina

I have to agree with the above. But no one can say what will be worth it to you. Going to all that trouble at midnight to view a metal structure would not be worth it to me. But you are the one who really has to decide if it will be worth it. I think it turns off at midnight, but I'm not positive of that (the lights), you'd have to check. But I suppose you could make it there before that if it's so important to you. It's just a metal tower with lights on it. I really would not do it if you plan to stay in a hotel near the airport as you may get stuck. The last train to the airport (RER) will be about 12:30 am from St Michel, assuming that is the method of transprotation you would intend to use.

What are you going to be doing with baggage, etc? If you intend to go to a hotel first to check in, I'd say you really wouldn't have time. If baggage is checked through and you will just have to lug around some carryon with you, that's different but I would never do this trip to look at that thing.

greg

This is an unproductive layover - costs overnight accommodation yet provides little/nothing in return. Southam has summarized the issues with this type of layover.

I look for ways to eliminate this type of layover at booking time. I would have looked into flying earlier from Lisbon to CDG, for example arriving in CDG around noon. Sometimes, I can extend the layover to almost 22hrs without adding anything to the fare. The booking engine default behavior is to minimize the layover, so in order to do this type of itinerary manipulation, one must build an itinerary manually and check the prices.

If you extend the layover too much, the airlines no longer consider it as a layover and price skyrockets.