Paris in 1 day
 

hey everybody!
I know it is crazy, but I am going to Paris for only one day (April 2nd). What is there that I definitely have to see besides the Eiffel Tower and Louvre? Museums don't appeal that much to me, I am more interested in architecture and people-watching. Any good ideas or experiences?

Well one day in Paris is better than no days in Paris. But I certainly wouldn't "do" the Louvre if I only had one day, especially since you say you're not that into museums. I wouldn't waste any time waiting on line for anything either - like going up in the Eiffel Tower. I would just walk around and soak up the atmosphere, stopping occassionally at a cafe.

I would start on the Ile de la Cite where you have Notre Dame. I'd go inside (but not wait in line to climb the towers). I'd walk around the island, then walk around the Latin Quarter a little. Very "old" Paris feeling in the architecture and windy streets. Then I'd walk along the Seine a ways up to the Pont des Arts and cross over to the right bank. Then I'd walk around the Louvre (but not go inside, the building itself is a work of art and you don't have time to go in). Then through the Tuilleries to Place de la Concorde. I'd then walk along the river but you might want to go down the Champs Elyses instead. I'd cross back over to the left bank on the Pont Alexander (beautiful bridge, greata views) and then make my way to the Eiffel Tower.

I wish I were in Paris even if it were for only one day. Sigh.

Hi tas,

I think that I would buy a one-day pass on he batobus. Make the full loop, and then get off at each stop and explore.

www.batobus.com

((I))

IRA:
I don't think the Batobus will be running when Tasja is there. They don't start up again until the end of April.

Tasja:
What does "a day" mean? Will you wake up in Paris or are you arriving from somewhere else? Will you be there that night?

I like Isabel's plan, but I would add a visit to Sainte Chapelle while you are on the Ile de la Cite, near Notre Dame.

Look at Fodor's Mini-Guide:

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...tion=paris@117

Do some walking. Do some riding. Do the one-day bus tour:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34568214

I'd even skip the Louvre, since museums don't have much appeal to you, and since you have only one day. I've been to Paris just once for a week and didn't go in a single museum.

A good day-LONG walking loop could include places such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc, Tuilleries, Seine, Louvre (from the outside as suggested above), Notre Dame, Luxembourg gardens, and Latin Quarter. A sidewalk cafe stop of two along the way... should do it!

If you like architecture and people watching, take a little time to sit in the courtyard of the Louvre near the fountains. If you're not that into museums don't feel like you must go in the Louvre, your time is limited; enjoy your day doing the things you like!

Batobus scheule from their website:

From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from March 18 to April 21 and
from October 1 to November 2, 2005.

From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April 22 to September 30, 2005.

Service frequency:
A Batobus every 15 to 30 minutes.

I second Isabel's itinerary. And you will pass numerous little restaurants and cafes. Be sure to stop in to experience Parisian cafe life.

I also like the lookout from the top of the Samaritaine department store. You are in the center of Paris, and the view is unmatched. If you buy something, you have free access, otherwise, it is a small fee.

Check out this guy's website for pictures: http://paris.typepad.com/ohlalaparis...ew_la_sam.html


Have a great whirlwind tour of Paris
Rick in Maryland

You want food and panorama? Gotcha covered!

<b>http://www.cieldeparis.com/ENG/index_ENG_FLASH.htm</b>

I agree with Ira. The batobus will enable you to see a lot more.

<b>Tasja -</b>

If the do-it-yourself &euro;5.30 bus tour doesn't appeal to you, there's always <i>Paris L'Open Tour</i> (open-top sightseeing buses) for &euro;24. Download their brochure:

<b>http://www.paris-opentour.com/brochure_opent.pdf</b>

When and where are you coming in from and leaving to?

Oops, Ira, I read the Batobus site wrong.
Thanks for keeping me straight. By all means, that would be an excellent way to see a lot in one day.

Go to Beaubourg and have lunch at the top at Chez Georges.

I respectfully dissent from the assertion that the Batobus is a good way to see a lot.

Besides providing only looking-up views of only the monuments along the river, it is a relatively slow and inefficient way to get from place to place. For a one-day tour, I think surface transport is in order.

In any event, on April 2 the Batobus doesn't go out until 10h00, and stops running at 19h00.

Dear Robe,

&gt; [The Batobus] is a relatively slow and inefficient way to get from place to place. &lt;

Sometimes slowing down and picking the roses is superior to efficiency. :)

((I))
Former Engineer and Scientist

I agree with that as a general proposition. But not with <i>one day in Paris!</i>

Thank you for so much advice.

JeanneB: I will arrive by bus in the morning from Germany and will leave again around midnight.

I was told that it is nicer to go up the Tour Monparnasse than the Eiffel Tower, because it is less crowded and you will have the view including the Eiffel Tower. Has anyone been there? If yes, how much is it?

The observation deck at Tour Montparnasse costs &euro;8.50 for adults. Here's the view:

<b>http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/uk/</b>

The restaurant I mentioned yesterday is a good place for a scenic lunch.

Robespierre: Thank you for your advice. I will definitely go up the Tour Monparnasse instead of the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant looks interesting as well, but the prices are a little bit out of my league, :( Thanks anyway. Since you seem to know so much about Paris, you might have another idea which is a little bit cheaper?

With just one day, I don't think I would even take the time to get &quot;up high&quot;. The charm of Paris is mostly in its streets...the hustle of a big city set against charming architecture, flower stalls, little cafes, chic boutiques and shops.

There are so many cafes where you can have a nice lunch at a sidewalk table. That's what I would look for. Decide first what area you want to be in at lunchtime. Then people can recommend a place to eat.

As for the evening, here's a suggestion: a boat ride at sunset, ending at Ile de la Cite. Find a nice little brasserie or cafe on the Iles where dinner will only take an hour or so. (Dinner at a good restaurant will take 2 1/2 - 3 hours). After dinner, stroll the Iles, stop at Berthillon for ice cream. Many of the little shops stay open til 9pm.

For the &quot;rooftop&quot; view, you can also consider Galerie Lafayette; ask at the guest desk as to which escalator to take (it's the same one for the fashion show). And the stained glass dome in the store is worth seeing. Walking and soaking in the beauty of the city is to me the essence of a trip to Paris. Enjoy.

It is hard to say where we will be around lunchtime since I have never been to Paris before. We will probably be dropped of somewhere in the centre where I wanna head to Eiffel Tower and then further to Notre Dame. After that probably take a walk along CHamps Elys&eacute;e, visiting Arc de Triomphe. Until that time we might be hungry. Any ideas for a nice but that expensive restaurant or cafe in that area?

I think you're overestimating what you can do in one day. With such a short visit, I wouldn't want to spend time figuring out the Metro (can you afford taxis?). Walking takes longer than you're allowing, unless you intend to just make a bee line from one place to another . But, if you do that, you'll miss the most charming thing about Paris...just strolling and looking in shops, sitting at a cafe, etc.

Similar to Isabel's post, I would suggest starting at Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis. Here you'll get the feel for how central the Seine is to the heart of the city. The architecture is very interesting. Lots of shops/cafes. Have lunch there. There are many cafes to choose from.

Walk over to the right bank and head toward the Louvre. Walk around the courtyard and Pei's pyramid, then head along the Tuileries to the Place de la Concorde. From there you can see straight up the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the golden dome of les Invalides.

Walk over Pont Alexander III and head to the Eiffel Tower. By then it should be late afternoon...I doubt you'll have time to stand on line and go up. I believe there's a sunset Seine excursion boat you can catch right there at the tower. I would put a sunset cruise on my MUST DO list. It takes about an hour.

As for <i>after</i> the cruise, you haven't said if you prefer night life or a concert or just to linger over a nice dinner.

It might also help to know WHERE you arrive and depart Paris...which station?

Strolling is great if you've got a week, but I think it's a waste of precious time on a one-day trip.

The M&eacute;tro may be useful for getting from one end of town to another (and not complicated - my 13-yo nailed it in two minutes), but that's not what you're doing. Use the <u>bus</u> instead. Print out the <i>Bus touristique</i> from this page:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php</b>

Buy a <b>Mobilis</b> pass for Zones 1-2 at any M&eacute;tro station and you can jump on and off buses to your heart's content. The map will show you the lines that run to all the major sights. There will be one that passes by your points of ingress and egress - be creative. The pass also works on the M&eacute;tro should the need arise to cover some distance <i>fast</i>.

We will do the trip with a German bus organisation and I don't have a clue where they will drop us off. They also offer a citytour with stops for taking pictures, but I want to experience Paris myself and not through the lense of my camera. What do you think? It might be good for seeing a lot, but I will probably sweet little corners that are typical for Paris. My friend told me about a bus or metroticket (ticket des jeneusses?) for people under 26. Have you heard anything about that?

Only you can decide what kind of day you want. You can bus/metro all around and see many of the major sites. Or you can immerse yourself in one or two little corners of the city. You can't do both. Like you, I would not be inclined toward the tour bus.

I don't know that metro pass. You'll read here how easy the metro is...and it <i>is</i>. But it takes getting used to all the interconnecting corridors, the ticket machines, the signage, etc. You could end up spending much of your day wandering around underground...doesn't sound like much fun, does it? Robespierre suggested the bus...a better option.

The <b>Ticket jeunes</b> is a one-day pass for those under 26, and is valid only on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. I don't see the proof of age required to purchase it. Here's a link:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/informer/ticket_jeune.php</b>

Punch the <i>Tarifs</i> button for pricing.

There is a daily pass for all transportation called a Ticket Jeune for those less than 26. It's a couple euro less than the similar thing without age restrictions (Mobilis). The only thing is that it's only good on Saturday or Sunday or a holiday, but I think your day is a Saturday, so might as well get one. Ask for a &quot;ticket jeune&quot; for zones 1-3 at any metro clerk window. They should give you a ticket which you use in the metro turnstiles, and a card to hold it, labeled &quot;ticket jeune&quot;. YOu must write the number of the ticket onto the card, just as you do for some other passes.

I wouldn't take the Batobus either, don't think it's very efficient nor a good view of much from the Seine. And I like the bus, but don't think it's as easy for someone to figure out or understand the routes as the metro. If you can, it's nice because you can see more.

These are just personal preferences as to what to do -- I wouldn't ever spend any time trying to go up high to look at things if I had only one day in a city.

Minor correction: you are required write the number of your <i>card</i> on each <i>ticket</i>, along with the date you use it.

Thanks for all your help. I think I will figure out which transportation to use once I am there. Maybe the clerk can help me as well. Fortunately, I happen to speak a little French, so I will see what it is with the numbers for the ticket.

The rules are in the paragraph at the bottom:

<b>http://www.ratp.info/informer/ticket_jeune.php</b>