I and my wife are going for a vacation to Italy with a layover in Paris. We decided to book a late evening flight out of Paris to have a chance to explore. We’ll have from 10AM to 9PM time.
I found a few tours, like 2-hour Express or a longer 5-hour tour including City Tour, River Seine Cruise and Lunch on the Eiffel Tower. There is also a bus hop-on, hop-off deal (I’ve read they may be packed, though). And all kinds of walking tours too. I do not want to just start wondering around the city… I am not sure if hitting a museum would be a good idea either: I cannot imagine spending just a couple hours in Louvre. We are not big on shopping or dining, just wanted to get a feel of Paris.
What is the best way of doing it?
Thank you for the input.

Hi UM,

> I do not want to just start wondering around the city… ... just wanted to get a feel of Paris.<

This does not compute.

Paris is a great city to just walk around in.

See Paris Superthread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519236

100 Great Things to Do in Paris
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mp;tid=1277898

Degas’s Paris Walks
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34712768

Enjoy your day.

hee hee I agree with Ira. Just wandering around would be the best way to get the feel for the city, probably. Assume you are in the center and will at least have some basic info (map, etc.). It wouldn't be the best way to accomplish certain goals or some things you really wanted to see, but it sounds like you don't have any. I don't see anything wrong with going to the Louvre for two hours, myself, or any museum. In fact, often that is enough for me in a museum, and I can't imagine spending 4 hours or more in one museum.

So, you don't want to shop or dine or go to museums or walk.... hmmm. The hopon/off bus would give you an overview of the most wellknown sights and monuments, and be relaxing, I suppose. They may sound corny, but I actually like those kind of buses, they can have good views. That sounds like a decent deal to me. The buses are more crowded in nice weather, of course, but aren't much fun in bad weather, so what can you do.

my vote -- walk or take the bus tour.

Golly...when I get the chance that's just about the best thing I can think of. Just walk around and see what I see!

Betcha you get the Paris-Bug. 1 day in Paris on my way to Burgundy "what done me in!"

do they have a hop on/off bus? they are good to see a lot in short time

Uminy-what you should do is take one of the Bateaux Mouches boat trips down the Seine-this is wonderful, it passes by the monuments, you're on the water, and you get a sense of the beauty and grandeur and old world elegance of the city. You don't have to book through some agency, you can just buy a ticket for a tour yourself at the Pier on the Eiffel Tower-for 10 Euro. You might want to do their lunch cruise as well, that would be fun and relaxing, or, do the tour, and then make a reservation for lunch at the Musee d'Orsay museum-they have a prix fixe menu for lunch for around 15 Euro, with its lovely Belle Epoque interior, it's a great place to dine, and you don't have to go through the museum to get to it.

You can see the restaurant here, on its website:

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/visits/...urant.html?S=0

If you have time, and it's night, you need to take a stroll around the Eiffel Tower, so that you can see the sparkles go off around the Tower which happens on the hour until around midnight. You could also go up in the Eiffel Tower's restaurant L'Altitude 95, located on the first level of the Tower-for an aperitif and snack before leaving.

I would pick just one thing that you feel you really must see - Notre Dame or the Musee Dorsay for example. then spend the rest of the time just walking aorund one or two areas, realxing, sitting in a cafe, having a meal or a drink and soaking up the atmosphere.

(Taking just a bus trip would be like going through "France" at Epcot.)

To begin to feel and understand Paris you need to walk around the streets.

I would visit Notre Dame and get up close to the Eiffel Tower. Between Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower you will see a lot of Paris.

For that short of time I would definetly recommend the hop on hop off bus, I would take a taxi from the airport to Notre Dame, start there, and then catch the hop on hop off bus accross the street. Just make sure you leave enough time to get back to the airport.

For a drive-by overview, nothing beats city buses IMO. Riding the train into the city and back will save you at least an hour plus 40€ over taxis.

At the RER station at CDG Terminal 2, buy a one-day <i>Paris Visite</i> card for 5 zones. This will get you back and forth to the city and all around town on public transit. Go downstairs and get on the next train. Ride the RER to Gare du Nord.

Take the N&deg; 42 bus from the northeast side of the station, and ride to the Eiffel Tower, hopping off and on at the Op&eacute;ra Garnier, Madeleine, Concorde, Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es, etc.

Here's a map to give you further ideas: http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...aux&amp;fm=pdf

If you want to see Montmartre, take the M&eacute;tro to Pigalle, then the Montmartrobus up through the village and around to Sacr&eacute; Coeur. Ride the <i>funiculaire</i> down and walk the rest of the way to Anvers station.

I have published a more complete bus tour here: tinyurl.com/ovpaw

bookmarking

Maybe you are hesitant to just wander because you don't want to be aimlessly going in the &quot;wrong&quot; direction? I can understand that, especially since your time so limited. As suggested above I would pick one or 2 things that you would really like to see, plan on spending some time sitting outside at a cafe, and then maybe pick a (self guided) walking tour and see a little bit of one of the neighborhoods. You might also enjoy the Batobus as an inexpensive way to cruise the Seine without a big production www.batobus.com

I thought one day in Paris for significant others was to buy a baguette, a hunk of cheese, a couple bottles of wine and park yourself in the Champ de Mars and just revel in the shadow of the Eiffel tower. (Well, that's what I heard.)

I looked at the Batobus website. Maybe I am missing something but I see where you can purchase tickets at Gare du Nord but I didn't see directions to the actual boat dock.

Umniy -- save yourself the planning and do the 5-hour tour including City Tour, River Seine Cruise and Lunch on the Eiffel Tower. Anyone willing to give themselves 6 hours in Paris needs to have help getting around. (You think you have 11 hours but you'll have to get to/from/through the airport).

Any time you have left at the end, just linger in the park, or take a cab back to something you saw that you want to see more of...before heading back to the airport.

Thanks for the memories, Sarge...I believe it's a baguette and a hunk of cheese for dinner tonight. Can't do the wine because I've got a baby on board.

Jules

If you go to the Batobus web listed above, click on &quot;Our 8 stops&quot;, then click on the picture of...say the eiffel tower, you will a map.

Good tip from Robespierre re the 42 bus from Gare du Nord.

From the Eiffel Tower, I'd head down to the Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame is located, taking either the Batobus or taxi depending on time.

Returning, one could catch the RER from the St Michel station, or the metro from the Cite station back to Nord. For maps to locate these, use this:

http://www35.ratp.info/Proxi/proxi.p...mp;Profil=RATP

Jules, I hear they are making some pretty good non-alcoholic wines these days. But with sparkling apple or cranberry cider, you can fake it!

Much as I love the time I've spent in Paris museums, if I had one day I'd save The Louvre or D'Orsay as contingencies in case of rain.

Use your day to stretch your legs and expectations.

You could knock your socks off as a tourist and take a cab to the Eiffel Tower - like Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thomspon in &quot;Funny Face.&quot; Just do it, get it done, make your first photo there, and get the fabulous view. You'll never forget it.

Then stroll somewhere for a coffee, the pause that makes the first stop sink in.

From there go to The Musee Rodin: intimate and powerful at the same time, and with a gorgeous garden.

Have some lunch (notice how I like to sit you down every now and then?)

Make your way to the Jardins du Luxembourg - just take your time, it will be an interesting walk. When you get, sit down again for a few minutes. Relax and look at the people enjoying the park - this is a totally Parisian experience.

Go up the Boulevard St. Michel to Notre Dame. Have a coffee before or after. OR, if you're me, stroll over to Ile St. Louis, the OTHER island in the Seine, right behind Notre Dame. Onbe of the most charming (and exclusive) residential neighborhoods in Paris. There you will find your way to Berthillon, a truly and justifiably famous ice cream shop.

After that, go do your Bateau Mouche, as it will be getting later in the day. You might get a sort of &quot;afternoon-to-dusk&quot; kind of trip, as pretty as can be, and a romantic adieu to send you back to the airport.

You know, I think i'm going to remember this scheme the next time I'm on my way to Rome ...

Hi

I went to Paris last year and I had a bit more time than you have But if you just want to get a feel of the city you could just walk around....and maybe check out some of the main attractions. I have made this interactive Google map http://gardkarlsen.com/paris_france_map.htm that shows you where some of the attractions are located and you can click on the markers to get some more info. Here is a trip report with pictures and links from the trip last year: http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . If you have a good guidebook you can cover a lot on your own instead of going for tours.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures