Walk all over Paris?
 

Everyone says to "walk, walk, walk" when you get to Paris. My question is - how big is Paris in comparison to a US city? Also, do you walk because everywhere you walk, there is something interesting to see? I live close to Atlanta, Ga and I am thinking if you walked in Atlanta, there is a lot to see, but you would have to walk a long ways between seeing the high spots. Do you see what I am trying to say?

Betty, Paris is much easier to get around in. The city is more condensed then Atlanta. You can use the metro for cross town trips. I would suggest dividing the city into different sections.And yes, everywhere you look there is something to see !!!

How would you compare Paris and NYC as far as size ?

In Atlanta,(while it is a very nice city) you could go blocks before you would pass an interesting building or park,etc.<BR>In Paris, just about every shop you pass,every street,every building is interesting,beautiful,wonderful! And when you reach the end of the street, whichever direction you look in,there is a "high spot"<BR><BR>

Sue-sounds right to me.At least the part of NYC that most people walk around in,tourists and all.

Having been to both Atlanta and Paris, I can see why walking wouldn't seem like such a great way to get around if one would believe the cities are similar. They're not -- although I give high marks to the ice cream at the Atlanta Commerce Club :o). European cities in general are much more densely built and so there is much more in the same amount of space. Paris is no exception. Atlanta is far more spread out, by comparison. And yes, in most areas, there IS almost always something interesting to see because so many historic buildings have been preserved. On those occasions where the destination is too much of a hike, it's said that the metro will take you to within 500 yards of any building in Paris and I've always found that to be the case. Walking in Paris is often not so much about trying to get to a particular place anyway. :o)

As I recall, Paris seems to be smaller than Manhattan. You won't actually be visiting every street. Most good walking tours start a place of interest like the Louvre, then move down the Seine to the Cathedral. There are many things to see along the way such as the Hotel d' Ville, Concierge, etc. Fodors has a pretty good book for first timers. Happy walking.

As the other Lori said, Paris is a small city, rather compact I would call it. You can walk easily around, but personally I don't think I would walk from one end of the city to the other (you could, but I doubt if many do it). The core part of the city is where tourists go and it is easily walkable. While I live in the west and relate more to LA, Phoenix, etc. and have never been to Atlanta I don't think you can compare (size wise) Atlanta 7 Paris. If Atlanta is like most US cities there is not a lot to see in most of it :-) - think the "core" part of an eastern city, i.e. NY, Boston, Phila, DC, and you get more of what Paris is.

Thanks everyone! I "get it" now and it sounds so wonderful. Can't wait to go. (first week in Sept). I will be walking and smiling all the time and thinking "I'm in Paris!!!".

I suggest you purchase a guide book that contains guides for walking tours throughout the different areas of the city. Although you may not follow any of them exactly, the guides will open your eyes to the many delights you will encounter as you make your way from one place to another. <BR><BR><BR>

Paris is much larger than Manhattan, it's about 34 sq mi within the peripherique, NYC is only 22 sq mi. I've lived in both and Paris feels a lot larger, also. Manhattan is not really very big east to west, only a couple miles, whereas each half of Paris is probably that far from Seine to border.

Hi Betty,<BR><BR>I live in NYC and love Paris. Paris and NYC are similar in that they both have neighborhoods that you can walk around in, but you'd probably take the bus or subway/metro to get from one neighborhood to the other. For example, if push came to shove, one could walk from Greenwich Village to the Metropolitan Museum or Lincoln Center--but why would you when you could take a nice bus ride? On the other hand--I can't imagine anyone who'd do anything but walk around the Village and SoHo. So, IMHO, you've got exactly the right idea. Just familiarize yourself with the public transportation (bus and metro)which is convenient to your hotel and you'll be fine.

Betty,<BR><BR>The first time we were in Paris the subway went on strike so we had to walk! I wouldn't do it any other way now! Take good shoes and enjoy every window and narrow street! Just remember to take business cards from each shop you are interested in because you may not be able to find them again! My husband and I tend to "get lost" in the beauty of Paris each visit! Have a wonderful first trip to Paris!

Yes, take notes for addresses. We passed a chocolate shop that wasn't open on Sunday a.m. and couldn't find it again although we traced and retraced what we thought was the route.

I agree that Paris is a walkable city but disagree with those who say it's compact. You would not want to walk from the westernmost attraction, e.g., the Arc de Triomphe, to the easternmost, let's say, the Bastille, or the Jardin des Plantes. There are many areas in Paris and all walkable but connecting some of them would be quite a hike!

Betty, I grew up in Atlanta, and now live in Miami - and you can't possibly compare U.S. cities like these to Paris. They are so spread out, and impossible to walk anywhere! Paris is a walker's paradise - I'm sure you'll agree after you go there. Everywhere you go is interesting and beautiful, and if you get tired, just get on the wonderful metro system. Metro stops are quite close together, and will get you anywhere in a few minutes. <BR><BR>I love Atlanta, and it's a great place to live, but Paris it isn't! The "high spots" are few and far between, whereas in Paris, everything is a "high spot".

I walked everywhere I went in Paris except from the Gare du Nord to my hotel on Rue Jacob. Now I did not go to Montmartre, but I walked to the Eiffel Tower by way of the d'Orsay, Musee Rodin and Invalides. I went to the Opera Garnier, the Luxembourg Gardens, Place de Voges, the Beaubourg, the Picasso Museum, and of Notre Dame and Ile Saint Louis. Can you see all of Paris by foot, no; but you can see a great deal.

Hi Betty,<BR>Yes, Paris is a walkable city but one way to cut down on the walking is to take the "hop-on, hop off" Open top bus tour, complete with commentary.<BR>This way you are transported to the major points of interest, where you can "hop off", explore the area and then "hop on" again to be transported to the next site, getting a good view of Paris street life, traffic jams etc. en route.<BR>We did this last year and found it an ideal way to explore the city.<BR>Enjoy your vist.<BR>Regards<BR>Maggie.

Paris is arranged by arrondisements which are numbered, spiraling from the center of the city outward.<BR><BR>So if you are talking about walking from the Latin Quarter (5th) up to the Eiffle Tower (7th) it is far but do-able. If you are talking about walking clear from the south end - north end, or east edge - west edge of Paris proper, ya got a LONG LONG day ahead of you.<BR><BR>I think when people talk the "walk walk walk" they are referring to Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elise, Notre Dame, Eiffle Tower, Louvre, St. Chapelle, like that (pardon my terrible French spelling).<BR><BR>I walk because it IS interesting and less confusing to me than trying to take the Metro ;-)

Hi Betty,<BR>Yes, Paris is a walkable city but one way to cut down on the walking is to take the "hop-on, hop off" Open top bus tour, complete with commentary.<BR>This way you are transported to the major points of interest, where you can "hop off", explore the area and then "hop on" again to be transported to the next site, getting a good view of Paris street life, traffic jams etc. en route.<BR>We did this last year and found it an ideal way to explore the city.<BR>Enjoy your vist.<BR>Regards<BR>Maggie.

Yes, Paris is a very walkable city. I went once in December 1996 to spend a couple of weeks with my daughter who was finishing up a semester abroad and we pretty much road the metro everywhere. I went again last summer with my husband and we walked everywhere! The walking was a much better way to see the city. Also nice to be able to stop at a cafe and get a feel for the different neighborhoods. An added plus -- we ate like crazy, but walked all over and I was able to come back to the US about 5 pounds thinner after 3 weeks in France! I go to NYC often and also walk there, but I found Paris a much more "walkable" city than NYC...It seems smaller; there is more diversity over relatively small areas and therefore more to see.

Ok folks - you are getting me even more excited about my trip!

Yes, Paris is a place to walk, but it seemed much larger than the guidebooks indicated. You will walk and walk and walk, and Paris can wear your feet down to stumps. So - take the advice to break the city down into sections to make better use of your time and save your feet. My feet have never hurt more than they did in Paris, so make sure to have very comfortable shoes that allow for swelled feet. I found Vienna and Florence much more compact than Paris. The only problem with the subways in Paris is that you have to walk a long ways inside the tunnels to get to the tracks, so even this will result in a lot of walking. Still, I would rather be on bloody stumps in Paris anyday than with perfect feet most anywhere else.

Betty: I wish I'd bring a pedometer with me to guage the exact mileage I cover walking in Paris every year, but I always forget. It is the most walkable city in the world, even though it has fabulous m&eacute;tro and bus systems. I would venture to guess that last week, as in many previous years, we walked 6-7 miles a day in Paris, and that's not counting the in-store walking we did while shopping. We always start out thinking we'll hop the m&eacute;tro at a certain place, but then there is so much of architectural interest, so many lovely shop windows to gaze into, so many little courtyards to peek into, that we keep walking and walking and walking. We often walk from, say, La Samaritaine department store down the right bank to the Champs Elys&eacute;es and then over to the Place Victor Hugo and then across the river to the Tour Eiffel and then down the Champs de Mars and over to the Place de l'Ecole Militaire - this is not a short walk! <BR>Good shoes are a must. But Paris is also easily navigable on the m&eacute;tro and the buses (I've come to love the buses in recent years because they allow you to see the city from above ground and because the routes are SO ingenious - they take you from one congested part of the city to another by way of small streets that you'd never find on your own but that get you where you're going fast!)<BR>Bring good shoes and plan to walk and walk and walk - but be aware that the buses and m&eacute;tro are always a block or two away if your blisters are acting up.

The advice to "walk, walk, walk" all over Paris is excellent. Paris is chock full of architecture, shopping, restaurants, cafes, and otherwise fantastic scenery ALL over. To me, however, it's best not to plan on walking from one destination to another. You'll be worn out by the time you get there. For example, it's best not to WALK to the Louvre, as there are miles and miles of hallways and exhibits once you're in. And, if your time in Paris is limited, a few days as opposed to a couple of weeks, walking will just wear you out. You know, when visiting Washington DC, all those Smithsonian buildings are side by side on the map. But, it's a hike from entrance to entrance and, once inside, several stories of miles and miles of corridors. On our first trip to Paris, we'd look at a map and figure where we were and where we'd like to go next and realize "it's right over there"! Well, "right over there" is quite the "walk". If you live "close" to Atlanta, you may be used to hopping in your car and parking not too far from your destinations. If you don't do all that much walking at home, "walking" all over Paris will be quite exhausting.

I saw on the web for "Go To Paris" I could get a 2 day hop on hop off bus ticket (for $30.00), but they charge $12.00 to mail the ticket to me! So, where do I go and buy it after getting to Paris?

I'd suggest buying a carnet of tickets (about 10) in a Metro station. You can use them to ride the Metro or the bus. And the maps at bus stops pretty clearly tell you which buses go where and even how often they come by. Much less expensive than the hop-on-hop off tour bus, and you'll feel more like a Parisien than a tourist.

Totally agree with Diane--just say "oon karnay silvooplay!"

can't be more than 2 - 2 1/2 miles from the Arc de Triompe to the Marais down the Champs des Elysees continuing on the Rue de Rivoli. awful lot to look at on that stroll. you can use the main east-west metro line to shorten most journeys while seeing many sights close up. doubtful you'd want to see anything more than 4 miles fron Notre Dame in any direction.

My wife and I returned yesterday from a week in Paris. The weather was ideal (72-75 every day), and we walked everywhere. Because we stayed within two blocks of the Seine and the Louvre, we were easily able to walk amost anywhere we wanted to go. From the Louvre, it is about a 5 minute walk to the Musee d'Orsay, a ten minute walk to Isle de Cite, a 20 minute walk to Place St. Michel in the Latin District, and another few to Jardin de Luxembourg, 15 minutes to Montparnasse / Blvd. St. Germaine, and a 30 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. We took a cab to Montmarte and Musee de Picasso, either of which would have been at least an hour walk from our hotel area. If you aren't staying in an area that is pretty central, I'd recommend that you just have a cab plop you off at Jardin de Tulieres / Louvre for Right Bank activities (except Montmarte) or Jardin du Luxembourg for Left Bank activities and wander around from there. Take a book that isn't too cumbersome and has a one-page map for each arrondisement. Don't get stuck in a strictly highlight-hopping mode because you will really miss out on what we loved most about Paris, which was simply immersing ourselves in the city's nooks and crannies. If after a day or two you notice that you are constantly surrounded by large groups who seem to be together, or that everyone around you seems to be speaking English, reevaluate your approach to Paris. Just jump in and see where the flow takes you.

Hello again Betty,<BR>You can buy the tickets for the "hop on, hop off" Open top bus as you get on the bus at any of the stops.<BR>We really did find that this was a marvellous way to get around the city.<BR>You can also pay for them by credit card on the bus.<BR>Regards<BR>Maggie.

It is very walkable but there are a few areas where using the metro is better/easier. If you are staying in the Marais, you probably don't want to walk to the Eiffel Tower. If you go to your nearest bookstore they have plastic fold-up maps that typically indicate not only the streets & sights but also the metro stops,etc. As one of the prior responses stated, take the metro to the neighborhood you wish to explore & walk that area. I won't even comment on Atlanta.

We are staying at a hotel on Rue de Rivoli, so it sounds like we can walk everywhere we want to go from that area without any trouble. Thanks again everyone. Hey - Atlanta is my capital, but wouldn't to walk around the city, sorry to say!