We're stopping in Paris while on a Cruise.<BR>We'll have a private driver with us in Paris for 8 hours. I know we won't accomplish much. But what can we see in those 8 hours? This is our first trip to Paris.

to be perfectly frank, I'd ditch the driver once in the city and stroll about for most of the time. You can't get to know a place really from inside a vehicle.<BR>On such a short trip, is there one thing you can choose that you've always dreamed of seeing? The Mona Lisa or the Eiffel Tower, or Notre Dame?<BR>If so, start there to be sure you are able to do it.<BR>From any one of those points many guidebooks have walking itineraries<BR>(Fodor's Paris is one) which can guide you around a neighborhood or two.<BR>A walk, for example, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre and/or Notre Dame could take 1.5 hours or five, depending on what you might want to stop and see (or taste) along the way. If you start at the Eiffel Tower and end at Notre Dame, you will probably still have an hour or so left to walk across to the Left Bank, and see the charming streets and shops.

Vince: You'll accomplish a lot more without that driver, but here are the things I'd put on a brief tour through Paris:<BR><BR>Tour Eiffel<BR>Notre Dame<BR>Arc de Triomphe/Champs Elysees<BR>Sacre Coeur/Montmartre<BR>Bateau-Mouche ride<BR>A half-hour in the Louvre or d' Orsay<BR>A nice lunch at a sidewalk cafe.<BR><BR>

Where do you recommend to stop for lunch? We're a family of 4 with a 10 & 8 year old.<BR>I've heard the pastries in Paris are excellent.

Vince, depends where you will be.<BR>Here are some suggestions<BR>On the Right bank, there are three branches of Laduree, one in the Printemps dept. store, one on the Champs Elysees #75 and one on rue Royale #16<BR>(not too far from Place de la Concorde or Opera or Place Vendome or Tuileries Gardens)<BR>The one on Rue Royale is the original.<BR>They open about 8:30 in the am, close around 6 or 7 I believe. Outstanding pastries and hot chocolate, also good for lunch, afternoon tea, breakfast, whatever.<BR>They also sell pastries and cookies to take out.<BR><BR>Also Angelina's 226 rue de Rivoli, 1st metro:Tuileries, also close to Place de la Concorde. open daily. Maybe better known for its hot chocolate and its signature chestnut based Mont-Blanc dessert. This is still a traditional place for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea. <BR>If you were to start your walk at the <BR>Eiffel Tower, you will walk "down" the Champs-Elysees. Skip most of the restaurants, too many are tourist traps.<BR>Stop at Laduree on the Champs, or wander off onto a side street, or keep walking toward the Place de la Concorde where the Champs ends. From there you can go to the other Lauduree, or Angelina's if you like.<BR>Or, if you start at Notre Dame, walk to the Louvre if you're going there, or else take the metro (subway) to the Concorde or Tuileries stop. From there you can walk through the Tuileries Gardens or just go to Place de la Concorde and go on from there.

i agree - ditch the driver. maybe catch a cab into the city if you need to. then use the metro - excellent system. forget the louvre - it can take a very long time and 8 hours is just getting started. plan on the eiffel tower, notre dam, and scre coure. anything else you fit in will be great.

Vince, I just have to ask because it's killing me: how does a trip to Paris fit with a cruise? Where's the ship? Does the private driver get you back to the port? If so, make sure if you ditch him he knows where to pick you up!

The ship docks in Le Havre about 7Oam.<BR>The driver will pick us up in Le Havre. <BR>The Ship leaves Le Havre at 11:00pm and the driver returns us to the ship. <BR>We will probably still use the driver and have him drop us off in a few locations in Paris to walk around.