** Paris on Saturday - Day trip only, tips for getting around? **

CharleneUK

Hi all.

Hubby and I are going to Paris for the first time on Saturday, and we're arriving at around 2pm via Eurostar.

We have an idea of the attractions we want to see: e.g Eiffel Towel, the River Seine, Notre Dame.

What I wanted help with was deciding if we should buy a hop on hop off bus ticket or the Paris pass? Or would it be better to travel around via the Metro, and seeing as we only have a small amount of time (We are leaving at 8.30pm) and we want to see as much as possible, we need help deciding what to go for.

Any tips at all would be so appreciated!

Mr_Wang

CharleneUK wrote: »

Hi all.

Hubby and I are going to Paris for the first time on Saturday, and we're arriving at around 2pm via Eurostar.

We have an idea of the attractions we want to see: e.g Eiffel Towel, the River Seine, Notre Dame.

What I wanted help with was deciding if we should buy a hop on hop off bus ticket or the Paris pass? Or would it be better to travel around via the Metro, and seeing as we only have a small amount of time (We are leaving at 8.30pm) and we want to see as much as possible, we need help deciding what to go for.

Any tips at all would be so appreciated!

Take the metro straight to Notre Dame or Chatelet. Have a mooch then walk down the Seine to to the Eiffel Tower, takes about 45 minutes.
Then walk across the road up past the massive building I can't remember the name of (with the fountains) for the best views of the Eiffel Tower. You'll see it in any case.
Then behind there is the metro station (Trocadero iirc) then head home.

iaps

Walk and enjoy

Paris In A Day - Self-Guided Walking Tour - Directions

http://www.paris48.com/the-big-walk.html

angelil

I don't know that Mr Wang's itinerary maximises your resources (I reckon you can do more than that in what is essentially the 5 hours you have) and iaps' suggestion would likely take too long.

I'd take the open bus tour without getting off. Should take no more than an hour or maximum two. Don't bother with the Paris Pass - it's a rip-off at best and is in any case intended for those staying much longer than you! Choose one SMALL museum - I'd suggest the Orangerie. This would give you time for a nice walk along the rue de Rivoli and around the Tuileries gardens afterwards, as well as giving you a closer-up view of the place de la Concorde. Further down the rue de Rivoli is a nice sweetshop and biscuit shop called La Cure Gourmande (yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's probably aimed at tourists, but whatever - it's nice in there). Its closest metro is Tuileries and it also brings you quite close to the Louvre, so you could probably go inside, have your picture taken under or outside the famus pyramid if that's your thing, and then head back to the Eurostar terminal, taking the Palais Royal/Mus!e du Louvre metro (line 1) to Chatelet and then changing for the RER B to the Gare du Nord, OR walking to metro line 7 via the big shops and going back that way.

Although - why are you only going for 5/6 hours?! Enquiring minds want to know

Mr_Wang

angelil wrote: »

I don't know that Mr Wang's itinerary maximises your resources (I reckon you can do more than that in what is essentially the 5 hours you have) and iaps' suggestion would likely take too long.

I'd take the open bus tour without getting off. Should take no more than an hour or maximum two. Don't bother with the Paris Pass - it's a rip-off at best and is in any case intended for those staying much longer than you! Choose one SMALL museum - I'd suggest the Orangerie. This would give you time for a nice walk along the rue de Rivoli and around the Tuileries gardens afterwards, as well as giving you a closer-up view of the place de la Concorde. Further down the rue de Rivoli is a nice sweetshop and biscuit shop called La Cure Gourmande (yes, it's a chain, and yes, it's probably aimed at tourists, but whatever - it's nice in there). Its closest metro is Tuileries and it also brings you quite close to the Louvre, so you could probably go inside, have your picture taken under or outside the famus pyramid if that's your thing, and then head back to the Eurostar terminal, taking the Palais Royal/Mus!e du Louvre metro (line 1) to Chatelet and then changing for the RER B to the Gare du Nord, OR walking to metro line 7 via the big shops and going back that way.

Although - why are you only going for 5/6 hours?! Enquiring minds want to know

When i said have a mooch about near Notre Dame it including having a walk over to the Louvre en route to the Eiffel Tower.
Considering they will stop for food, and for looking around I honestly believe my itinerary is as close to perfect as my ex wife thinks she is.

Catapa

The Metro will be the easiest. You can speed up the final section of your journeys with V!lib.

CharleneUK

Thank you all so much! Your suggestions have been really useful. Never considered just walking! Those bikes look cool as well.

We only have a short time as we have four children, one of which is 14 months, so we are dropping him to Mums in the morning. Not ideal, but the best we could do! We're also picking him up when we get back, so we just couldn't stay out too long.

If we have a good enough time, we'll return next year and he'll be fully weaned off the boob by then so we might be able to do an overnight stay as well!

Thanks again all, I'll be making notes.
xx

PompeyPete

Mr_Wang wrote: »

Then walk across the road up past the massive building I can't remember the name of (with the fountains) for the best views of the Eiffel Tower. You'll see it in any case.

All part of The Trocodero. Great views across the river and the tower. Some interesting museums up there too.
Paris Sewers, and the Catacombs are easy to reach on the West Bank.