Only 8 hours in Paris
 

We'll be in Paris from mid-afternoon & evening in early October; our flight is at 11:00 AM the following day, so we're really trying to pack in all we can!. What SHOULDN'T we miss? Is a "private car w/guide" the best way to see all we can in that time? Thanks!

I can tell you what I wouldn;t miss.

But without some input from you I don't know what your must sees are:

Who/how many are you?
What are your interests?
Assume you have never been before - but what were the biggest hits in other cities you have visited?

Off hand I would think a car and driver a bad idea - that would just let you see the outsides of places and waste time sitting in traffic.

I would take a Seine cruise after dark to see the building lit up along the river.

Other than that you do not have much time. Instead of running around just looking at things from the outside, choose 1 thing that you really want to see and see it. Pick a museum or church and spend some time there or pick a neighborhood and walk around.

Have a nice dinner.

I would not hire a private car since sitting in a car in traffic is not the best way to see things.

no, I think a private car is a weird idea for the center of any major city. Would you do that in New York City? You can easily walk around the center of Paris and not need transportation at all and see Notre Dame and Ste Chapelle, the Louvre or other museums (eg, l'Orangerie or the Petit Palais), the Tuileries Gardens), get a view of the vistas.

Personally, I think what you must not miss is up to you, don't you have any ideas of something you really want to see in Paris? Because it would differ for many people as to what they've heard about and most want to see, their interests, etc. But I think the area around the Seine, which is the birthplace of the city, would probably be it.

YOu can walk up bd St Michel to Luxembourg Gardens if you want, or wander up some narrow streets to get some feel for the Latin Qtr (like the one to St Etienne du Mont). Other people want to see the grand planning of the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe (there is kind of a neat view from up there).

If you are the kind of people that doesn't do any reading and wants someone to show you things, then a personal private guide might be the way to go, actually. But you don't have to do much research to get a couple pages of the must-sees in Paris, any Guidebook should have one. I think Frommers does that well, and Fodors, also. Some other guidebooks don't tend to do it that way, don't think, but that can be useful for those there a short time.

hop on hop off bus might be your best bet with such a short window. You can stay on the bus for a complete loop and then jump off at the places you want to spend more time at. it's difficult to gauge what you'd be into because you've told us nothing about yourself, what your interests are, how many of you there are etc. but if you're looking for the quintessential touristy stops i would say:

-at Trocadero you can view the Eiffel Tower

-Spend some time at Île de la Cité where you'll find the Notre Dame, St Chapelle, Conciergerie, etc all within pretty close walking distance.

-Grab a fantastic dinner at an outdoor cafe. Take your time...

-Avoid the Louvre and trying to ascend the Eiffel Tower. Check out Tour Montparnasse for the best view in Paris

In this order(mid afternoon to late evening day 1-day 2 is a lost day): Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe.

In case you didnt already realize it, i just want to point out that you don't have any sightseeing time on day 2. You need to get to the airport plenty early for security, etc, and allow enough time to get to the airport. So your whole morning is eaten up.

Knowing what days you will be there would be helpful - many museums, etc are closed on Mondays, but The Louvre, for example, is open late on Friday nights.

Knowing which days will help with planning

Thanks for ALL your replies! There are 2 of us. Must sees include Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe Champs d'Elysse, Trocadero; Louve is at the bottom of the list as my husband is not 'crazy' about museums. We know day 2 is a lost day...plan to be at the airport around 8:00 AM & will get la petite dejeuner there.

Depending on where you're staying, you could have your taxi swing by the Arch of Triumph and down the Champs Elysees before letting you off at your hotel. The Champs Elysees is a pretty dull part of Paris. After you check in visit Notre Dame and wander around that area and through the Latin Quarter. Have some dinner and then a cruise at night.

BTW - It's le petit dejeuner.

Notre Dame has a night show projection on Thursdays and Saturdays in October. Here's the link in English (although it's an old date; the current information is only in French).

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article848

It starts at 21:15 and runs for an hour with English subtitles.

Don't forget that the Eiffel Tower has, on top of its basic illuminations, a light display every hour on the hour from dusk until late.