2 Days In Paris

[rlse9]

I'm working on planning a post-cruise trip through Italy, Switzerland, and Paris for late July/early August. I've pretty much finished the Italy and Switzerland portions and I starting to plan the Paris portion. Haven't figured out exactly how long we'll be there, still need to finalize the details of the earlier portion of the trip (the more I look at info on Switzerland the longer I want to stay) but probably 3 nights.

 

I know there's a million different answers and it's different for everyone, but if you had 2 days in Paris, what would you do? I have some ideas of what I want to see but I thought it'd be interesting to see what people who have been there (or haven't made it yet but want to) would do with their time.

[Shutterbug337]

Wow... I spent 9 days there and THAT wasn't enough...

Hmmm... 2days.... Must sees:

LOUVRE (takes a full day, or at the very least half day... Visit the website http://www.louvre.fr )

 

And of course the Eiffel Tower it wouldn't be Paris without a visit to it, you must go to the top... Amazing views and great photos from up there.

 

And I LOVED Notre Dame.... BEAUTIFUL!

 

I loved every moment I was there. I loved walking around the river watching the artists painting, and the architecture of the buildings was breath taking in itself. Goggle what to do in Paris, and it has MANY ideas. Those were my three favorite if you only have 2 days. I couldn't be there only that long.

[Keith1010]

as mentioned, I would spend a day seeing the Louvre and Notre Dame. I would also visit other sites such as the Eiffel Tower and Napoleon's Tomb.

 

Give yourself time to walk around the city.

 

Keith

[Devon Bloke]

I'm working on planning a post-cruise trip through Italy, Switzerland, and Paris for late July/early August. I've pretty much finished the Italy and Switzerland portions and I starting to plan the Paris portion. Haven't figured out exactly how long we'll be there, still need to finalize the details of the earlier portion of the trip (the more I look at info on Switzerland the longer I want to stay) but probably 3 nights.

 

I know there's a million different answers and it's different for everyone, but if you had 2 days in Paris, what would you do? I have some ideas of what I want to see but I thought it'd be interesting to see what people who have been there (or haven't made it yet but want to) would do with their time.

 

Hi there Rise9,

 

My partner and I have been to Paris many times - it's our favourite European city.

Main tips:

• It’s going to be really hot.

• Try and book as much as you can on-line in terms of tickets and dinner reservations

• Get a Paris museum pass http://en.parismuseumpass.com/, it really does save time and money. Check the web site out for best places to get it – can buy it on line and have it delivered to a European address. Best places (with not too much queuing) to get it are at the Pantheon, at the airport or at Office of Tourism and The Paris Convention Centre the main train stations.

• Buy a “carnet” of tickets for the metro (that is 10 tickets). Self-service machines at all stations, with English instructions available. The metro is marvellous to get around. We planned all our journeys, before we got to Paris, on the brilliant official on-line RATP journey planner (http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/en/ratp/recherche-avancee - saved us loads of time trying to find out which station, lines and connections to make.

• If you have an i-phone – there’s a really good app for language translation (traducteur + ) and a stunning one for menu translation (International Translator for Food & Beverage – from magenta ltd http://www.magenta.gr/index.php/en/ - really powerful and easy to use. Would be lost without it in Parisian restaurants

 

Last year, in July, we took our 16 year old all-American niece on her first tip to Paris. Here's the itinerary that I put together - and it was a great success!

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers

 

Andy

 

Sunday 18th July

12:29 Depart St Pancras on Eurostar (http://www.eurostar.com) Train # 9024 London to Paris

15:50 Arrive Gare du Nord (train station), Paris, France – 2½ hrs after leaving London!

Taxi to hotel

16:45 Check into hotel : Hotel Jardin de l'Odéon, 7, rue Casimir Delavigne, 75006, Paris, http://www.hoteljardinodeonparis.com/

19:30 Dinner at Brasserie Balzar (http://www.brasseriebalzar.com/en/ - can book online, part of the Flo Brasserie chain small, informal, crowded, noisy & typical French brasserie!) (What to wear? Informal)

23:00 Jazz evening at Caveau de la Huchette, at 5 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris – excellent old-style jazz club with great music and dancing, in an old Parisian cellar. http://www.caveaudelahuchette.fr/1514/25702.html

 

Monday 19th July

Morning Segway tour around Paris http://citysegwaytours.com/paris – such good fun and you really get a taste of Paris and the sights) (What to wear? Comfortable walking shoes etc ready to wander around the sights, later)

13:30 Head to Montmarte on the Metro (Paris subway)

Afternoon Montmarte (very old fashioned Paris -

Mid afternoon Go to Metro to get to Notre Dame - well everyone has to say they’ve been there!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris

Early eve. Dinner at La Rotunde http://www.rotondemontparnasse.com or La Coupole http://www.lacoupoleparis.com/en/ in Montparnesse More than jeans n sneakers! Not really formal – so smart casual

 

Sunset Beautiful views of Paris from the top of the Tour Montparnesse

http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/uk/informations/visite_panoramique.html

 

Tuesday 20th July

Early start (breakfast at 07:30) so we can get to the Eiffel Tower http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ by 09:00 before the lines get really long ...tickets purchased online before we got to Paris. What to wear? Comfortable walking shoes and what you would normally wear to go to the mall or any other kind of clothes shopping trip!

 

09:00 Eiffel Tower

10:30 Walk to Les Invalides (Napoleons Tomb) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides

11:30 Take Metro to the Arc De Triomphe( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe )

Lunch

14:45 Shopping!

18:00 Head back to hotel

20:00 Dinner @ La Vaudeville, 29, rue Vivienne 75002 Paris http://www.vaudevilleparis.com/en/ (you can book online) wonderful brasserie, part of the Flo Brasserie chain – but really a truly great experience. Dress: Smart casual

 

Wednesday 21st July

Morning What to wear? Comfortable walking shoes etc to wander around the sights.

• Walk from hotel to a typical Parisian street market

• ...and then walk on to Sainte-Chapelle - a truly fairy tale building near Notre Dame...it’s stunning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle

• Take Metro or walk to the Louvre Museum - to see the highlights - not going to spend long there!

http://www.louvre.fr/llv/pratique/horaires.jsp?bmLocale=en. (you can download free self guided tours from their activities site http://www.louvre.fr/llv/activite/liste_parcours.jsp?bmLocale=en so that you can do a “targeted” specific tour, without wasting time on things you’re not interested in. Really useful.

Lunch

 

Afternoon Free for whatever! Maybe shopping (perhaps go to the “high-end” Le Bon Marché department store (first department store ever in Paris or the world opened in 1852) or more sight seeing

Our Final Evening: Dinner cruise on the Seine on Bateaux Parisiens. Dress: Fancy, but no tie required. Food was great, service was superb, and ambience was delightful, live background music was lovely. Was not at all “cheesy” or tacky. It was a wonderful way to end our nieces’ first trip to Paris.

[nimmoe2]

There are many ways to see Paris , if you are fit and able walking is great to soak up the atmosphere , it you can go on the sightseeing bus and take a tour , thats good because they give you background info. Once you have your bearings the underground is great . Beware of pick pockets especially around thr eiffel tower , like lots of busy tourist a reas.

[agabbymama]

They also have what is called "Batobus", it's like a hop on hop off bus, only it's a boat on the river. Takes you to all the major sites. We only had 8 hours in Paris pre-cruise, so it was a whirlwind day. We got to see all the major sites, but not go into them and browse in depth.

 

Then post cruise, we spent 2 more days in Paris and didn't get to see a thing, as it was pouring rain. I had reserved a car and planned to drive to Normandy, but the clouds were so low/fog/rain, we cancelled the car, and we never left the hotel.

 

Have a great trip!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Paris is a wonderful walking city. If you only have two days, I highly recommend the hop- on- hop off bus. Great way to see alot in a little time. Then you can get off at the Louvre or anywhere else that interests you. The best time to go to the Eiffel Tower is at night. The best way to get to the top is by making a reservation at Le Jules Verne restaurant. The is another restaurant but it is only on the first level and not as spectacular a view. If you have a reservation (you must book way in advance)- then you go up on a special elevator and avoid the tremendously long lines. We were unable to get reservations on short notice and we went at night to avoid the heat. It took 1.5 hours of standing in line to get to the stairs. We walked up to the first level- braver souls than us went higher. If you have to wait for the elevators- it will take 2-3 hours of standing in line and you will be in there like a sardine. For a claustrophobe like me- I was glad I took the stairs. Plus, I felt proud of myself and the view from the first level is still pretty high up. This was a great experience and we did talk with interesting people while standing in line.

 

I did a completely separate trip just to Versailles. That was wonderful but you really need three days in Paris to explore Paris and Versailles.

[diathoney]

I'm working on planning a post-cruise trip through Italy, Switzerland, and Paris for late July/early August. I've pretty much finished the Italy and Switzerland portions and I starting to plan the Paris portion. Haven't figured out exactly how long we'll be there, still need to finalize the details of the earlier portion of the trip (the more I look at info on Switzerland the longer I want to stay) but probably 3 nights.

 

I know there's a million different answers and it's different for everyone, but if you had 2 days in Paris, what would you do? I have some ideas of what I want to see but I thought it'd be interesting to see what people who have been there (or haven't made it yet but want to) would do with their time.

 

What station do you arrive at? We are doing a similar trek, but before the cruise. We arrive at Gard du Nord, but too early for the room. We're storing luggage at the station to see MontMartre. Our hotel is near the Eiffel Tower. In the afternoon, we'll check-in, go to Rue Cler for dinner, then end with a evening Siene river cruise and the Eiffel (it's open until midnight). We are in Paris for 3 days. Depending on your days, the Louvre, Orsay or Rodin may be open late.

[dougt1957]

One thing you want to consider is where you will stay. I'd try to get close to one of the major metro stations, as this will make getting around a little easier and save your feet and precious time. We stayed close to the Arc de Triomphe our last trip and that was close to the Champs Elysee and the main station for the metro that runs to the Louvre and allowed us to connect to other lines easily. The Louvre is overwhelming so just concentrate on one wing. I highly recommend the Museum d'Orsay. It's in a beautiful old train station, and is easy to see in a few hours. Several Monet paintings are among the collection. As for the Eiffel Tower, yes, you want to see it, but the line can be awful to go up. There is another option I'll suggest. My wife and I made reservations and ate in the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant one night. The food was decent and the view was wonderful. And you get to ride the elevator without waiting in line. It's a little pricey, but not ridiculous. We enjoyed going to Galleries Lafayette. You can go upstairs and go out on the roof, and the view of all of Paris is very nice. It's next to the Opera Garnier. And don't miss the Isle de Saint Louis just past Notre Dame. Berthillon's has the best ice cream ever! Last but not least, just walk the streets. There's always a pastry shop, cafe, or market just around the corner it seems.

[cruisemom42]

My suggestions:

 

1. Visit Notre Dame; while there, climb to the top to see the bells and gargoyles up close -- sublime if you can time it so that you are up there when the bells ring at noon. :)

 

2. Visit the Louvre, but realize you won't see it all. Pick a few areas that you're most interested in. I love museums but can only spend about 5 hours or so at a time without getting overwhelmed.

 

3. View the Eiffel Tower, by all means, but skip the wait in line. Personally, I don't think it's worth it -- you can get grand views of Paris from many other places, and the Tower actually looks better from a distance. (Many will disagree.....)

 

4. Do not skip Sainte Chapelle. Take a good guidebook with you, sit down, and REALLY look at the gorgeous windows and the stories they tell.

 

5. Stroll along the Seine at various times of day (and in the evening).

 

6. If you're into food, look up some of the great NEW French chefs who are more into serving great food at a reasonable price than the stuffy French chefs of old. If you're not into food, just walk around in some of the livelier areas and pick a place where you can either people watch or have an excellent view.

[diathoney]

You must verify, but for my month -

Musee D'Orsay(closed Monday, open 10-6, except Thursday 10 am-9:45 pm); Weds night Louvre is 6E and from 6-9pm and the Army Museum/Les Invalides (open until 9pm on Tuesday)

[ollienbertsmum]

I'm working on planning a post-cruise trip through Italy, Switzerland, and Paris for late July/early August. I've pretty much finished the Italy and Switzerland portions and I starting to plan the Paris portion. Haven't figured out exactly how long we'll be there, still need to finalize the details of the earlier portion of the trip (the more I look at info on Switzerland the longer I want to stay) but probably 3 nights.

 

I know there's a million different answers and it's different for everyone, but if you had 2 days in Paris, what would you do? I have some ideas of what I want to see but I thought it'd be interesting to see what people who have been there (or haven't made it yet but want to) would do with their time.

 

 

Hmm I have this dilemma next month. I have been to Paris for a full week a single day - and this time it is a long

 

weekend with friends who have never been. One of our days will be spent in Versailles but with only 2 days I would miss

it out.

 

We will start with Notre dame and a river cruise. I also want to visit st chapel, but may do this when my friends go up the tower.

 

When it comes to art galleries I think that only you can decide if you want to spend half of your precious days inside . You can do your homework and choose what you want to see in the louvre - and be in and out in an hour. I prefer the art in the orsay museum.

 

It is worth visiting Montmartre and then passing by the moulin rouge which looks scruffy in the day but is iconic.

 

I think paris is not just about museums, it is also about walking about ans eating and shopping. We will also want to go to a couple of the beautiful shops like galleries lafeyette and printemps. Then there is the visit to boulevard st germain (i just love saying that) and the cafes there- de flor and les 2 maggot

 

 

The Eiffel tower can now be booked on line so I would do that at dusk andake sure that you are around to see it twinkle on the hour (at ten?)

 

Go to Notre dam

[ollienbertsmum]

I should not use my iPod to post I could not scroll down and correct what I had Written. I meant to say to go to the tower in the evening. The last bit of Notre dame was a repetition. It also correctedmy 2

Magot

 

We have to face the facts though, two days is not enough. You have to decide if you have a specific thing you want to see, if you want to visit food or fashion shops, if you enjoy spending time people watching in cafes or if you want to do the tourist museums and buildings.

[cleobella]

We were in Paris for 5 days two years ago. My favorite must see sights were: The Louvre (plan at least an afternoon), Notre Dame Cathedral (could be seen in an hour) and the little church in St Germaine de Pres. All of these sights are located a short walk from each other and are in the area of the Seine River and about three bridges. There is also a great, very Parisian shopping district in St. Germaine de Pres. My advice would be to get a hotel in this area and you could do Notre Dame and the Louvre on Day 1. In the evening you could drive by the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up. Then Day 2 you could do a panoramic tour in the am and if you like shopping you could shop St Germaine and stop at the Eglise (church) in the afternoon.

 

Have fun!

[katiestan1]

Devon Bloke...this is a great post and very helpful....I will use some of this information on our trip next week. Jen

[Devon Bloke]

Devon Bloke...this is a great post and very helpful....I will use some of this information on our trip next week. Jen

 

Thanks katiestan.

 

Couple of updates and other things - Tour Montparnesse reallly does give you the best views of Paris....better than the Eiffel Tower, much less hassle to get up AND you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower itself. I realised that the link I'd given is broken. The link to their new and improved English web site is

 

http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/index_EN.php#/home

 

I can't recommend it enough. Horrible tower from the outside, but breathtaking views at the top.

 

Other thing I just remembered...The Louvre is shut on Tuesdays.

 

Dougt1957's comment about Isle de Saint Louis is spot on - it's lovely.

 

ollienbertsmum is absolutely right about " boulevard st germain (i just love saying that) and the cafes there- de flor and les 2 maggot"...it's gorgeous.

 

Also near there is Brasserie Lipp - a Paris institution. It is "fiercley French", with very basic and substantial brasserie food. Service is brusque and brisk - in fact typical Parisian.

 

On that point of service in Paris restaurants - particularly brasseries...waiting tables in France is a profession not something that people do while waiting for something better to come along. If the waiters appear cold or stiff...it is merely the French way of providing quick and efficient service. It is not the French way to be like some servers in American eateries...of lots of smiles and saying "Have a nice day". Like all French they will use the shoulder shrug if not sure about something - it's not them being rude to you, it's just a manner of expression. I really like French waiters and love that (what appears to be) aloofness that they have! As long as you attempt a few basic words of French, that goes some way to breaking the ice!

 

cruisemom42 is so right about Saint Chappelle - just imagine going into Camelot (the musical film)...it is pure magic.

 

Musee d'Orsay: I agree with all the comments about it. Really good + great audio guides - and it is on the Museum Pass I mentioned.

 

I found a web site that described "Paris' Ten Most Romantic Spots" http://www.parisvoice.com/guides/28-paris-ten-most-romantic-spots - I've been to each they suggest...and they are absolutely spot on

 

One of the places they talk about is Jardin du Luxembourg - a truly beautiful park. Other great park to get away from the crowds is Parc Monceau - not far from the Arc de Triomphe.

 

agabbymama's point about the "Bato bus" is well made http://www.batobus.com/english/index.htm - seeing Paris from the Seine is a great way to see the City...and it is way cheaper than a large, tourist boat...plus it gets you to various key locations.

 

Any other questions? Just leave 'em here on this thread and I'll check in and see if I can answer them

 

Cheers

 

Andh

[Goldygolfer]

Hi Devon Bloke - Just loved your description of the 4 days showing Paris to your niece.

I was green with envy. If you are considering adopting any additional "nieces" - I'm available !!!

Hoping to get to Paris one day and see the wonderful sights. Reading this thread has made me even more enthusiastic to get there.

[bellagirl]

In your opinion, which is a better buy-the Paris Museum Pass or the Paris Pass? The difference in price is quite substantial,but I understand that the Paris Pass includes transportation which the first pass does not. Your thoughts?

Thanks, Shelly

[joandian]

Devon Bloke

 

Great information, thanks. We are spending 4 days in Paris in early June.

 

My husband has an i-phone so I have a question about the app you mentioned. Do you need data access to use it? Sorry if this seems a silly question but I don't know a whole lot about i-phones.

 

Jo

[Devon Bloke]

Devon Bloke

 

Great information, thanks. We are spending 4 days in Paris in early June.

 

My husband has an i-phone so I have a question about the app you mentioned. Do you need data access to use it? Sorry if this seems a silly question but I don't know a whole lot about i-phones.

 

Jo

 

Glad you liked the information, joandian.

 

The International Translator for Food & Beverage you download to your phone and it stores the complete translations on your phone. It can translate an incredibly wide range of menu items, food stuffs and drinks between English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Greek and Russian.

 

No wifi access is required once you have downloaded it. So you can use it where ever you need it.

 

 

The "traducteur +" doe require data access - as it does the translation in real time. Also it is a French app...so some of the initial instructions for set up are in French...but once done and set up, I found it really useful. (there is also an audio pronouncing the words/sentence that you have typed in)

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[floridafolks]

sorry. double post

[floridafolks]

I'm working on planning a post-cruise trip through Italy, Switzerland, and Paris for late July/early August. I've pretty much finished the Italy and Switzerland portions and I starting to plan the Paris portion.

 

 

We lived in Paris for a year and never exhausted all there is to see and do. Our last visit was 4 days post-cruise last year - so here are my suggestions for an abbreviated version:

 

Walk the Champs Elysee from Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.

 

Museums--

Louvre, D'Orsay, and L'Orangerie. The L'Orangerie was designed by Monet to showcase his works- Truly a unique museum starting with the stark white decompression chamber to get visitors ready to absorb his works. It is a small museum, but one of the highlights of our trip. It is near the Place de la Concorde at the corner of the Tuilleries Gardens. I would suggest going there then walking through the lovely Tuilleries to the D'Orsay. There is a combo entry ticket for both the D'Orsay and L'Orangerie that saves a little money.

Rodin Museum is lovely too- especially if sculpture is your thing

 

Notre Dame-- then nearby do not miss Saint Chapelle- my DH's favorite site-- try to hit it when sun is out for the most glorious stained glass windows-- then hit Berthillon for ice cream

 

Arc De Triomphe-- we went to the top near sunset for glorious views down the Champs and then stayed for looking at the first light show on the Eiffel Tower Note: all the guide books talked about climbing stairs, and I finally convince DH to go-- When we got to the front of the line someone asked about an elevator and YES they do have an elevator if you ask. So do not skip going to the top just because of the stairs.)

 

Eiffel Tower- from the Champs de Mars you can see the scale of La Tour but for the light show, I would suggest viewing it from Trocadero with the lovely fountains framing it.

 

Gardens- Tuilleries(as mentioned above), Luxemboutg near the Latin Quarter-- if it is June there is a fabulous Rose exhibition at Parc de Bagatelle(probably a little far out for a 2 day visit to Paris)

 

Then of course just roam and stop at cafes for the ambiance- many enjoy the latin quarter or walking Pigalle. Be prepared for a lot of walking- that is the way to be really immersed in the city.

 

If you take the Bateaux Mouches, I would suggest a sunset time to see the lights on the monuments and hope for a lovely sunset.

 

 

Rise9--you said you had completed your Switzerland plans, so could you share those? We are leaving in 2 weeks on a TA to Rome and are then going from Italy into Switzerland so I do not want to miss something great.

[newlifeca]

Visit Montmarte - a little village area behind the Sacre Cour Basilica - Here's a picture - http://www.photoatlas.com/pics01/photo-of-france-17.html

[Skai]

As the options are virtually limitless and others have already made some decent suggestions here...I will only offer up one recommendation for a restaurant.

 

If you would like to experience a place where everyday Parisiens dine? A place that is non-pretentious/very reasonably priced and most importantly authentic French fare? A place that may serve as an alternative to the numerous tourist restaurants/cafes that charge three different prices depending on where one opts to sit?

 

LINK: Restaurant Bouillon-Chartier. - Just steps off the Metro - Grands Boulevards.

[joandian]

Glad you liked the information, joandian.

 

The International Translator for Food & Beverage you download to your phone and it stores the complete translations on your phone. It can translate an incredibly wide range of menu items, food stuffs and drinks between English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Greek and Russian.

 

No wifi access is required once you have downloaded it. So you can use it where ever you need it.

 

 

The "traducteur +" doe require data access - as it does the translation in real time. Also it is a French app...so some of the initial instructions for set up are in French...but once done and set up, I found it really useful. (there is also an audio pronouncing the words/sentence that you have typed in)

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Andy

 

Thanks Andy, that is very helpful. We'll also be in Barcelona for 4 days so I'll make sure my husband downloads this app.

 

Jo