The First Thing You Do When You Land In Paris?
 

Hi,

I am working on a blog post for my site and would love your input. I am curious:
What's the first thing you do when you land in Paris? For us, it's coffee after we clear customs at the coffee stand in Charles de Gaulle. Then we try to get into our hotel/apartment and start walking to stay awake. We don't really have a "first place we visit".

Do you have a spot you always like to visit first once you're in the city?

Years ago (circa 2010), we arrived at 6am and were the first in line to visit the Arc de Triomphe that morning, resulting in a phenomenal visit and experience.

If you want to weigh in and DON'T want your opinion used in the blog post, simply mention it in your reply and I won't use it.

Thank you!

After settling in to our apartment in the 4th; we walk to the Seine. Standing on a bridge, looking up towards the Tour Eiffel lets us know we have arrived! We then walk up river for quite a distance and return to our apartment with big smiles on our faces.

I like to do a walk from the Louvre straight up to the Arc de Triomphe - passing so so many famous places and having little traffic to navigate in this park-like setting most of the way.

Oh I also grab the first pain au choc I see!

The same first thing we do everywhere.

Get a cab to the hotel and check in (if hotel is full we reserve a room from the night before - our flights usually land between 6 and 8 am).

Lay down on the bed for 30 minutes or so to stretch my back.

Take a shower/change into walking clothes

Go out for a nice long stroll exploring the area and have a long relaxing lunch preferably in an outdoor cafe.

Get cash at the ATM!!

We check in, store the luggage, and have lunch at La Palette. Then we drop by Galerie Documents to see if there are any goodies to bring home. Lastly, we walk and walk until our room is ready.

We check in, drop our bags, and head for the Trocadero to take in the view of the Eiffel Tower from the Palais de Chaillot. Then we head to have whatever meal of the day the time dictates.

I go to Notre Dame. I also grab a coffee and people watch. My favorite part are the dogs sitting with their people friends.

Coupe de champagne in the Tuileries Gardens. Yes, even if it's 10 am.

s

Toilet.
Baggage and Immigration
Coffee certainly, usually two, perhaps more food since I like and need breakfast. It also passes the time so we don't roll right out of CDG into rush hour traffic.
Cash machine.
Transport to city, which has been variously RER, van service and taxi. This time it will be a taxi.
Leave bags at apartment, stroll the neighborhood, eat lunch.
Occupy apartment. Nap.
Go to Monoprix or Franprix for breakfast things -- coffee, cheese, meat, fruit, eggs.
We have been lucky in that three out of the last four places we rented had real boulangeries either across the street or around the corner. The one in the 6th only had a Paul, but they are okay.
Dinner in (from a traiteur) or out if we are up to it.
Crash

I LOVE La Palette, Paris1953!

Quick trip to the supermarket for some tea, milk and biscuits. And fairly soon a look at BHV, particularly the basement.

Hi GLM. Funny we are both from Dallas. La Palette has that "immediate immersion" effect for us. Love the paintings on the interior and the delightful gentleman who greets you as if he knows you when you enter. I did just now sign up for your newsletter.

After I check into my hotel, I always like to go for a walk.

Take a taxi to the hotel on Ile-St-Louis, drop our bags with the concierge, walk to the Rose Garden behind Notre Dame, then to our favorite cafe near Berthillon for breakfast, and walk more after breakfast.

The same first thing we do

Meet the transportation to the apartment, drop off bags. Go for a walk in the neighborhood and find a place to eat lunch.

Of Course, wine is included in lunch. Then back to the apartment for a nap to get on Paris time.

After nap, off to the wine store,patisserie and Monoprix for basics for dinner and breakfast the next day until I can get to the street markets.

I always want to get out and start walking around Paris...it's energizing.

I'm with the previous post about locating a pain au chocolat and a cafe creme. I love a moment in or two in a Paris cafe.

We also love to visit Diptyque for candles to enjoy while we are in our apartment (a tradition that started a few years ago at Christmas when they had special edition scents).

My wife an I drop our luggage at the hotel, walk a couple of blocks to Ile St Louis, stand on the quai, kiss, and say, "Wow...we're back in Paris!."

SS

Car service to hotel or apartment. Unpack, shower, change clothes and make our way to a restaurant for a wonderful lunch and bottle of wine. Do a little shopping for apartment (wine, coffee, cheese,fruit) . I can never nap on the first day, but my husband can. Usually after lunch he will head back and sleep for a few hours and I meander around a park, or window shop and stop for a coffee. Then an early-ish dinner and to bed by 10:00 for a good night's sleep and recover from jet lag. Ooooh...just talking about it makes me even more excited for our upcoming trip to Paris in September! This will be our 6th trip to Paris and our second time renting an apartment. I can taste the pain au chcolat as I write!

denisea, I did the EXACT same thing last time we were in Paris. Picked up candles at Diptyque on the Left Bank. Still burning my Lavender candle. :)

Our last apartment was....not so hot.