phieaglefan

Hi all,

Had planned on Greece this year until DD announced she'd be studying in Trier, Germany from March til July. Sooo, plans are changed and we're visiting her in Germany in early May.

Relevant facts are these: This will be our 4th trip to Germany in 5 years. The train trip from Trier to Paris (Gare Nord?) is right at 3 hours. We've never been to France. I've always wanted to see Paris, DH could not care less. Are we crazy for considering this?

Part of me says "You never know what life will throw at you, sieze the moment and go while you have an opportunity"

The other part of me says "Save Paris for when you have more time. Slow down and concentrate on some new parts of Germany"

What would you do? Has anyone taken a very short trip to Paris? How did it go?

Thanks for any input!
H

Magellan_5

Phieaglefan - Hell yes! Everyone has their own preferences, but if it was me and I had never been to Paris before, I would most definitely go with the part that says, "You never know what life will throw at you, sieze the moment and go while you have an opportunity." If anything captures the Fodorite spirit, it's this phrase. Yes, you can always go back and take it slow and see more on another trip, but to me, it's SO worth it to have a wild little adventure and get even a TINY little taste of a new country.

If you like to walk, you can easily walk from the Gare du Nord to Sacré-Coeur and the seedy (but fun) area of the Moulin Rouge. I stayed in a little hotel near the Gare du Nord, and I had 48 hours in Paris one Thanksgiving weekend that I will never forget - I made the most of it! In 48 hours, I managed to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower (on the night I arrived, to watch the last of the sunset), then to the Arch de Triumphe, along to the Champs-Élysées, then to the Latin Quarter and Notre Dame - I took a nice little evening stroll on the Seine on my last day. I walked non-stop, and was beat, but it was SO worth it. Paris is ALWAYS worth it. Good luck!

tod

phieaglefan ;

Why does it have to be 48hrs? Can you not stretch it to 3-4 days?
Whatever, do it! Paris is wonderful for a minute, an hour or a day.

StuDudley

You're right - Paris for 2 days isn't enough. However, if the only other option is a 4th trip to Germany in 5 years, I think I would definitely spend 2 days in Paris.

When we started to vacation yearly in Europe 30 years ago, we touched about every country in Western Europe in the first 10 years. We have returned to Germany only once since then. We now spend 2 months vacationing in Europe every year - France 75%, Italy 20%, Great Britain/Spain/lowlands the other 5%. For our tastes, we found these latter countries to be more interesting than Germany (been to Trier twice). Loved the Mosel & Munich.

Stu Dudley

Guenmai

Go for it! You can hop on one of those city tour buses that goes around to the different sites and then you can hop on and off wherever you want to. Happy Travels!

ira

HI P,

>I've always wanted to see Paris, DH could not care less. Are we crazy for considering this?<

Of course not.

Go.

kerouac

Do it. The urgency of a 48-hour visit will make you cram 4 days worth of sightseeing into 2 days. Then you will hooked and obliged to return at a more reasonable pace.

kerouac

Do it. The urgency of a 48-hour visit will make you cram 4 days worth of sightseeing into 2 days. Then you will be hooked and obliged to return at a more reasonable pace.

Kyliebaby3

Absolutely go! This is coming from a girl who was on The Bachelor Paris and was only able to see the actual city for about three hours on that trip...

In my opinion, any amount of time you can spend in that city is wonderful. Enjoy!

alan64

I agree with StuDudley. Since this is your 4th trip to Germany in 5 years, I think a couple days in Paris would be a great change of pace.

sardog10

I've been to Paris for just 48 hours three times now and considered each visit worthwhile. Exhausting, but worthwhile!Go!

Nikki

Why on earth not? You'll only be three hours away. You've always wanted to go there. Pick the things you've always wanted to see and do and go see and do them. Of course you won't get to see everything, but that isn't what visiting a great city like Paris is all about. It's about doing the things that are appealing to you in the time you have.

phieaglefan

Thanks for such prompt replies.

I have to admit, I was kind of hoping you all would say "go for it!"

Magellan, glad you enjoyed your quick trip. I will check out the Moulin Rouge area. I am also under the impression that from Gare du Nord (thanks) we can take the metro to other parts of the city, correct?

tod and Stu,
Regarding the length of the trip, I could allot more time to Paris, but something else would have to go. Not that you asked, but here's a rough idea of my itinerary.

Arrive DUS & train to Cochem
Cochem 2 nights train to Trier
Trier 1 night (visit Daughter)
Train (early) to Paris 2 nights
Train back to Trier (late in the day),
Trier 1 night then pick up car & Daughter and drive to Kallmünz 3 nights (near Regensburg - to introduce Daughter to family members in Germany)
Drive back to Trier to drop off Daughter, drop off car, train to Bacharach for 2 nights prior to flight out of FRA.

As you can see, it's looking pretty hectic. The flights are set, so there is no flexibility there. The reason that I picked those specific days for Paris is that DD has class those days and wouldn't be able to spend much time with us anyway.

Thanks again for your responses!
H

StuDudley

I would skip Cochem and the first Trier visit and add that time in Paris. Flights from FRA to Paris are probably frequent. The new TGV/ICE goes from Frankfort to Paris in less than 4 hrs. Perhaps return from Paris a day earlier (giving you 4 nights in Paris) so you can spend 2 nights in Trier before heading out to see relatives.

How many times have "reluctant" husband stories been posted here about Paris??????

Stu Dudley

j_999_9

No opposition here, but a few suggestions (which you may have already thought of):
-- Spring for the 1st class train. It makes the trip enjoyable, especially since you're going to be making a fast return trip.
-- Do a lot of careful planning to maximize the time. You might go so far as to familiarize yourself with the metro so you will know which stops are near which sites, and can plan accordingly. There's a website for that info.
-- Save time by eating at little places, instead of "dining," unless that's a priority for you.

In summary, I think you can do and see a lot in 48 hours. Just decide what's a priority, chart out the time for each attraction, and do it. And leave time for a stroll up the Champs-Elysees at night.

MargrietVanderBanck

Since the rest of your trip will be hectic, don't rush around trying to see everything in Paris--especially since your husband is ambivalent. Choose three or four things that you must see, take a Seine cruise to get a sense of where things are, but do allow yourself lots of time to stroll or to sit in a café or a park and drink it all in.

You'll be back.

phieaglefan

Stu,

Yes, I have one of those reluctant husbands. But I'm making progress. 8 years ago, he told me he never wanted to leave the US. Now he's been to 2 countries in Central America, 1 in the Caribbean, and 4 in Europe.

We're actually arriving in DUS, not FRA. I believe there are Air Berlin flights between the two, but I like the idea of hopping a train and going somewhere relaxing for a few days. Also, I will have not seen my Daughter (age 21) for almost 2 months. I think I'd enjoy my time in Paris more once I'd seen her. Call me crazy!

Besides, I'm not sure I could talk the 'reluctant husband' into more than 48 hours!

There are lots of threads on Paris hotels, but if you only had 2 nights, in which arrondisement(sp?) would you stay? We like to be in the center of things.

Thanks for all the feedback!!!
H

Magellan_5

phieaglefan:

"Magellan, glad you enjoyed your quick trip. I will check out the Moulin Rouge area. I am also under the impression that from Gare du Nord (thanks) we can take the metro to other parts of the city, correct?"

Yes, the metro is easy to use - I bought a carnet (of 10 metro tickets). I used about 6 or 7 of them in my 48 hours there, and then used the rest when I returned to Paris on a second visit. I'm pretty sure there are at least 2 or 3 metro lines that run right through Gare du Nord, and there are other metro stops in the surrounding neighborhood that are easy to get to. I'm excited for you! Have a great time.

cheryllj

Paris for 48 hours? Mais oui! Even 24 hours would be wonderful in Paris.

For a first-time visitor to Paris, any arrondissement from 1-7 would be a good place to stay to tour the main sights. But I would recommend 6-5-4-3 in that order.

I would also second the recommendation of getting a carnet (10 tickets) to use on the metro. That way you can hop all over the metro without wasting time at the ticket machines every time. If you don't use them all, save them for your next trip (but if there are two of you, you should go through them with no problem).

gruezi

I vote for:

1. yes go
2. the 6th
3. bring good walking shoes
4. first class train ticket
5. pick a few highlights and enjoy them.

48 hours is definitely enough time to fall in love...

g.