angelitas517

Short layover in Paris. My daughter has never been and I'd like to do some quick sightseeing. We arrive at 8:45 am and don't depart till 1:55. Any suggestions for a quick experience?

anyegr

Sorry, but that sounds like too little time to do anything.

If you arrive on an international flight you would have to go through immigration, especially if you plan to leave the airport. That could go fast, or it could take an hour if many planes land at the same time.

Then you'll have to check in for your next flight at least an hour before departure. Maybe longer, if it's also an international flight. The airline will have the correct info on how early you need to be there.

You don't say which airport you are landing at or departing from. Probably CDG, but there are a couple of others. I used Beauvais airport and the bus takes 75 minutes to get into central Paris (I actually went the other way, from Paris to the airport). I'm sure transport from CDG is faster, since it's closer, but it's unlikely to be fast enough to get you to central Paris and back in time for check in.

janisj

>>My daughter has never been and I'd like to do some quick sightseeing. <<

Well, your daughter still won't have . . .

W/ an 0845 arrival there is no way you could be in central Paris before 11AM and likely later, and you would need to be back at CDG by noon at the very latest . . . and it takes an hour to get to the airport.

So not enough hours . . .

di2315

Are you arriving by plane, train or automobile?
What transport are you departing by?
Will you be lugging bags around during that time?

That would make a big difference!

With that short a time frame you could spend all your time racing from one spot to another, you could pick just one 'icon' to visit, then just sit in an outdoor cafe or park, and soak up the atmosphere.

FuryFluffy

The best choice for you is a ballad in the old town Paris, i.e. around Notre-Dame church, along the Seine river, into the tiny Île Saint-Louis island and sample some Berthillon ice cream, passing by the Louvre and Pont Alexandre bridge; or into the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter; sample some croissants (best in the morning) and chocolate (plenty of superb chocolatiers around the Opéra, another nice building to see if you go that way).

Another option is go out of Trocadero subway station and see the Eiffel tower, the best view of the tower is from there.

Don't climb the tower, don't enter any museums, you won't have time.

Look at some map and plot it out before you arrive in Paris.

But it also depends on your flights, as others mentioned above. CDG airport is quite far from the city center (45 mins by RER B train, do check if they are on strike that day), Orly airport is a little bit closer, Beauvais is the worst. Also, international flights will take a LONG time of immigration.

StCirq

I assume by "layover" you are talking about airports and airplane transport. Never heard of a layover between trains or car trips.

I also assume you're talking about CDG, not Orly, though it doesn't make much diference. Unless you have at least 7 hours between flights, don't leave the airport.

sparkchaser

I'll echo the others and say that you're SOL. Stay in the airport, enjoy a coffee and pastry and people watch.

MmePerdu

Assuming CDG and no luggage to bring along, you might grab a taxi and head to Chateau de Chantilly, about half an hour away. Sit outside with a view of the chateau, have a coffee & croissant, a walk around, then head back. Going into the city is fraught with possible delays that could really ruin your day.

sparkchaser

Assuming an on-time GATE arrival and OP is sitting by the door and the customs/immigration queue is short then in theory they can be walking out of the airport less than 30 min after arrival. That's 9:15.

Assuming Paris hasn't been attacked again and there is no upped security at the airport and the security queue is minimal, they can get at their gate in 30 min. Gates close about 15 min before departure so OP should plan on arriving at the airport no later than 13:10.

That's almost 4 hours. Best case drive time to The Louvre is 40 min. That means they have 2 hrs, 15 min to see stuff before they have to get back to the airport.

Totally doable. Totally.

MmePerdu

Too much assuming for my comfort, sparky. A little travel humor? But if the OP decided to try it, it must be with the clear knowledge that the plan could go south at any point. I'm not fond of complications but there seem to be those who thrive on them. I wonder which they are.

nytraveler

Sorry - you really don;t have time to get into paris, do anything and get back to the airport in a reasonable time - without a helicopter that is.

If you land at 8:45 by the time you deplane and get to Immigration will likely be 30 minutes, then another 30 to get through Immigration (assuming a moderate number of planes landing at the same time) then another 30 minutes to get out to the street and into a taxi - so now it's 10:15. (This assumes you either have no checked luggage or that it is checked through to your final destination). So you will get to Paris by 11 am or so.

For returning you will want to arrive at CDG by 11:55. So you will reach Paris and have to turn right around and go back.

The above assumes you are incoming on an international flight and ongoing on a domestic flight. If the domestic and international are reversed you will need to same amount of time -it will just be divided differently - needing to be back at the airport 3 hours later.

If you have checked luggage that is not automatically checked through to the next flight - you won't even have time to get out of the airport (I have waited more than an hour for luggage to arrive at the carousel.

You can of course do this if you want, and don't mind taking risks with your connecting flight - but there is no way I would risk screwing up my entire air itinerary - since if you miss one leg of it the rest is automatically canceled.

(I have arrived through CDG from the US many times and it often takes 1.5 to 2 hours from landing to getting out into the street when you have checked luggage.)

Edward2005

If checking the Paris box is so important to you, why don't you just rearrange your travel plans to stay a few days?

Gretchen

'way too much assuming, as said above. What if there is a bomb scare (as happened to us YEARS ago) and they close all the escalators to the flights for an hour or more while they "disarmed" the backpack. Then there were too many people for the escalators to safely carry so everyone walked up and stood in LONG lines to go through security!!

angelitas517

Thank you everyone. We land at Degualla. We go to Dubhai from there. Wish I could have added extra leg layover but $. So I guess we will see what immigration looks like and if we pray hard and want to risk maybe just a quick drive around we'll go for it. I just can't miss that connection. Going to see my son who works in Abu Dhabi so I want to be on that flight ��

janisj

The very best you could manage -- and even that could be problematic -- would be maybe a quick visit to Senlis. It is a pretty town not far from the airport.

But CDG is often a mess and once you are landside and leave the airport, you could face long security lines getting back in.

socaltraveler

Plus I think security may be even tighter for awhile given that the EgyptAir plane left from CDG. I would sit tight, you really do not have enough time to leave the airport.

ticino

I have gone into Paris with 3-4 hours until boarding starts for the next plane but I get to skip the longer queues as I don't usually travel economy long haul. I also know Paris and the airport quite well. My husband has stayed at the airport with my hand luggage.

What I have done is take the Air France buses to the Arc de Triomphe, and there I have met up with some friend for a coffee. The ride is usually around 50 minutes one way.

You may have time to do that, or take a taxi to get a quick view of the Tour Eiffel or something and back, if boarding starts 12:55. I was once told by a driver that traffic is worst on Tuesdays.

Christina

The OP doesn't want to sightsee in some small town like Senlis which she's never heard of, she wants to see Paris.

I agree there is a possibility they could get out of CDG in 30 minutes from landing. In fact, I think I could have done that numerous times if I didn't have to get checked baggage, most of the time the immigrations lines don't take that much time when I've been there, and my flights are almost always at least 30 minutes early from the US.

However, the idea that one could arrive at CDG 45 minutes before departure when going on an international flight to Dubai is a very bad idea.

There is a five hour gap there, and if the flight lands early and immigration lines aren't bad, one could have about an hour in Paris, I think. I'd make sure to be back at CDG about 2 hours pre-departure myself, even without luggage--so by noon, or leave central Paris by 11 am. I wouldn't do that in any city, just wouldn't be worth it to me for all the hassle.

nytraveler

Yes, but this info makes it worse than every. These are BOTH international flights - neither is domestic.

There is no way I would risk this, given the consequences if you miss the flight.

Can you confirm:

Do you have checked luggage?

Will your luggage be checked through to Dubai or do you have to pick up your luggage and recheck in Paris. If this is the case there is no way you can get into Paris.

Have you checked with the airline to ask what time you have to check in for the flight to dubai?

janisj

>>The OP doesn't want to sightsee in some small town like Senlis which she's never heard of, she wants to see Paris.<<

True -- but they do not have time to 'see Paris'. I merely made a suggestion that <i>might</i> be doable. But even that would be pressing things IMO/IME.

Each person who has suggested this is possible have included 'ifs' like sitting at the front of the plane, not having luggage, landing early, short immigration queues, etc etc etc . . . and just how many times does everything lay out nicely like that . . . AT CDG???

Chances are very very slim.

And even if checked luggage isn't an issue, what would one do w/ their carry on's?

Just a bad idea unfortunately. If you had 6+ hours I'd say go for it