We have a layover from our landing time of 12:30pm until 8:30am the following morning. I thought we would check into our hotel, take the RER into Paris and then decide. Maybe walk, maybe hop on hop off bus or maybe cruise down the Seine. We do have dinner reservations at Le Ciel de Paris at the Montparnasse (view seems like it will be spectacular - learned of it from a post here) at 7pm - early, I know for dinner but we can then be assured of makeing it back to the Hilton Charles de Galle. Any thoughts?

That sounds like a good plan to me. I've been at the top of Montparnasse tower, and the view is spectacular.

hi, umniy,

a few years ago, we had just one day to show Paris to our kids, and the metro and buses were on strike, so we had to walk. [mostly].

this is what we did.

RER to Etoile, and walked to eiffel tower [suggest you miss this bit], so start at the tower.

Go up the tower - fabulous views over the whole city. I'd been to Paris a number of times before and not done this and now I wish I had.

Then bateau-mouches down the river to Notre-dame. go round the cathedral.

There are numerous restaurants near-by for lunch- try to pick one where there are lots of french office-workers dining.

cross the river and walk down the river bank past the book stalls and flower/pet-shops.

Into the Tuilleries - if there are no/short lines, nip into the louvre, if you feel you really can't miss it.

otherwise carry on through the gardens up the champs elysees - lots of cafes for people-watching.

end up [back] at etoile. catch meto up to Montmatre and have supper [that bit we didn't do] or alternatively head for the rive gauche or the marais for ditto.

anywhere will be great - our kids really enjoyed their whistle-stop tour.

have a wonderful time.

regards, ann

Thank you everyone for the great help.My latest plan is:
-RER from airport to Notre Dame around 10-10:30AM
-walk around Notre Dame
-walk to Louvre and around (not inside)
-walk through Tuileries to Concorde
-walk around side streets and Champs Elysees
-walk to Arc de Triomphe
-take a Metro to Eifel tower, walk around
-RER to Gare du Nord, transfer to RER to airport around 7PM to catch a 9PM flight to Venice
-quick lunch and dinner along the way
Do you think it is doable. Any suggestions?

From Concorde to &Eacute;toile is an <i>uphill</i> walk that takes most of an hour. I'd ride the bus or M&eacute;tro and save the strolling for another trip.

From the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower, I would ride the M&eacute;tro to Trocad&eacute;ro and do the obligatory ooh-ing and ah-ing. Then walk across the Pont d'I&eacute;na to RER C at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel and ride to St Michel-Notre Dame.

Change to RER B, and you'll be at CDG T2 in 35 minutes.

Maybe they could take the metro a stop or so, if they are feeling they need a break -- they are walking a lot. But I think the park down right near the Concorde is actually one of the nicest parts of the walk.

This is a little exaggerated concern, though -- I don't consider myself very athletic, but it certainly doesn't take an hour and isn't some triathalon. I've done it more than once. Saying it's a hill makes it sound formidable -- you aren't climbing up a steep hill, it's just a slight uphill grade. It's about 1 km. Even www.mappy.fr says it takes only about 30 min to walk.

To Robespierre:
That's a great insight, going uphill from Concorde to Arc de Triomphe. Not that it would bother us, but every little bit counts.
Why are you suggesting to get to Eifel from Trocadero? Anything special with this approach? Will we miss a lot of viewing if we got there on RER C line? I am reconsidering a reverse route:
-RER B from airport, transfer to RER C to Eifel, do &quot;the obligatory ooh-ing and ah-ing&quot;.
-Metro to Arc de Triomphe
-Walk DOWNHILL along Champs Elysees to Concord
-Walk thru Tuileries to Louvre
-Walk to Notre Dame
-Get on RER B back to airport
This way I may get a better chance to get up on Eifel when I get there around 11AM, then later in the evening, am I right?
Now, as a backup plan for a really rainy day (with our luck...) I thought of hitting Louvre, spend a few hours there, then what? If it is still raining, get to Napoleon Tomb? Any other places inside, where we would still not waste time?
Am I overdoing planning?

Approaching the Eiffel Tower from the RER station is okay, I guess - but I like the across-the-river view the best.

How about this:

RER B to Gare du Nord
Bus N&deg; 42 to Eiffel Tower
Walk to Trocad&eacute;ro
M&eacute;tro Ligne 6 to &Eacute;toile
Walk to Notre Dame
RER B to CDG

Here's the 42 route - notice the landmarks it passes:

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...artenaire=ratp

To Robespierre:
That's a great idea. I am hoping the bus trip will not be too much longer than the RER way. And the landmarks it passes are magnificent.
Now, I am trying to get the most and not beat ourselves down by too much walking. Per other's suggestions, I checked Butobus river rides and they seem very nice. Maybe I'd try to squeeze a river cruise in the middle of our walks to give us a break. Say:
-ride Bus 42 to Eiffel,
-walk to Trocadero,
-Metro to Arc,
-walk down Champs Elysees,
-there catch the Botobus tour and do a complete circle,
-then continue walking to Louvre and Notre Dame.
We may skip parts of walking (less of Champs Elysees and no Tuileries to make up time. Is this a good idea?
Now, we are going to get a quick lunch and dinner (no long sitdowns); at lunchtime we probably will be around the Arc and at dinner around Notre Dame. Which fast and inexpensive places would you recommend?
Oh, gosh, I already want back to Paris...

If you wear yourself out walking, you might have to stop and rest more. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's a great place to sit and enjoy the view. But that's what buses and the Batobus are for! Of course, you can hop off the bus and Batobus at any stop and wander for a while and then hop on again.

I would think a one-way Batobus trip should be enough - how about

RER B to Gare du Nord
Bus N&deg; 42 to Eiffel Tower
Batobus to Jardin des Plantes
Walk to Gare de Lyon
RER A to Arc de Triomphe
Walk/bus 73 to Concorde
Walk/bus 72 to H&ocirc;tel de Ville
RER B to CDG

You might want to print out the bus route maps:

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...&amp;nompdf=42
http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...&amp;nompdf=73
http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...&amp;nompdf=72

Thanks, a good alternative.
I think I am getting paralysis by analysis. There is no wrong or right way; we'll just enjoy our short Paris stay. Five days left...
Thank you everyone who responded.

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bookmark - Thanks

Last week we arrived at CDG airport, checked into our hotel at the airport and hit the train into Paris. Unfortunately, it was Music Festival weekend so it was extraordinarily crowded. Sick of Italian food, we hit the Hard Rock for some nachos, took the Batoux Mouches Siene cruise and returned by train to the airport. Wonderful brief visit.

My favorite thing to do in Paris is to walk! Sometimes I have had no idea where I am going, but the city is like a big masterpiece - and walking is (to me) better than a hop on and hop off bus.

bkm

bookmarking

Wow! Paris in a day? Even the thought is overwhelming. If you really want to attempt to get a feel for Paris in a day, though, you are going to need do a few things you mentioned you would prefer not to

1.) Put on your most comfortable pair of shoes and start walking—Paris is a great city for strolling and this is truly the best way to get a good feel for it.

2.) Visit at least the Orsay or the Louvre. Paris is a city known for its museums and it has some of the best.I actually prefer the Orsay, but many like the Louvre. Warning, however, that unless you purchase a museum pass in advance, you could easily spend 2 1/2 hours in line just to enter.

3.) Take a Seine cruise. You'll pass under most of the bridges and by many of the big sites, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame, all within about a couple of hours.

4.) Montmarte is where you'll find all of the street artists, not to mention some of the most gorgeous views of the city.

5.) Eat! Yes, eat, even though you said you are not into dining. It's impossible to get a feel for Paris without trying some of the incredible cuisine that is served up there. It's such a part of the culture there, too, and somewhat of an art. A good meal there will take you three or four hours, but that's Paris.

6.) Most importantly, commit to a couple or a few things, and do them without regard to how much time they will take. I think, in this instance, a &quot;taste&quot; of Paris may be a more realistic goal than a &quot;feel&quot;. Do not attempt a marathon run to see how much you can cram into a day. You will only be exhausted and frustrated by the time you board your plane. Just accept that Paris can not be seen in a day and plan to return.

Hmmm. I have a completely different take on this.

If what I wanted was a &quot;taste&quot; of Paris, I'd do something like this:

RER from CDG to St. Michel
--Cross the bridge to Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame. Visit the cathedral. Spend a couple of hours wandering through Cite and Ile Saint-Louis. [No worry about getting lost...water on all sides!] And you'll be in one of the most charming parts of Paris. Get a jambon et fromage crepe at a cafe or sidewalk vendor for lunch.

Cross to right bank and walk to Louvre courtyard, see pyramid and beautiful palace. Continue on through Touileries to Place de la Concorde. Catch a cab at the taxi stand...have him drive you by the Arc on the way to Trocadero. The view of the tower from Trocadero is breathtaking. I wouldn't go up given the short time.

Catch the bateau mouches cruise right next to Trocadero. (If you've had a chance, pick up a bottle of wine and some snacks for the ride).

Cab back to St. Michel area. If time allows, have a bite to eat at one of the many sidewalk cafes nearby.

bookmarking... thanks everyone for great advice