2 Days In Paris

[bdoster]

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.

 

Louve at sunset, the reflecting pool by the pyramid is enchanting, along with the muscians playing in vestiules...then walk over to the grassy areas near the gardens and wait for the Effiel to twinkle....Notre Dame...Ride the batobus

 

We stayed 9 days and could have stayed 9 more...would move there if I could!

[bdoster]

How about some suggestions for places to stay that won't break the bank? It'll be late October for a short visit for me.

 

We did vrbo.com, rented a flat in the Latin Quarter 2 blocks from Notre Dame. About 90 euros/day. Had to pay 1/2 down when booked, pay a deposit on arrival, which was refunded when we left. Would stay again. Walkd up 5 flights to get to the room, was very quant. About the size of my living room & kitchen...

[KCcruisin07]

We rented an apartment in the 1st arrondissement. That was a good area, as it was close to the 7th and to the near Montorgueil district. I loved the markets there, especially Paul's Bakery and a grocery where I could get vegetables and fruit.

I started with VRBO and somehow linked to something else. The building was ancient in a good way, but the apartment had been updated, so it was nice. It was a first floor apt., meaning it was actually on the second floor.

It had a washer, but no dryer, so we hung our clothes over the towel warmer. The last day we had to iron our clothes.

We had a little trouble with the phone and the TV, but maybe it's because we are techie dinosaurs! (If you get an apartment, be sure you understand how everything works before the landlord leaves!) They are usually happy to include a hair dryer and coffee maker. Looking back I guess we enjoyed renting there and in Rome because it was an adventure.

[vacation fool]

This is a great thread. My wife and I have never been to Paris and plan to do 3 days in Paris before our British Isles cruise starts in Southampton.

 

I had been looking at Sight Seeker's Delight Unique Walking Tours for two walking tours (4-hour Paris along the Seine tour and the 2-hour Montmartre tour). The main reason for the Paris along the Seine tour is to orient ourselves in Paris and help us to better come up with a gameplan for the remaining couple of days. She seems to get good reviews on Trip Advisor and we would still have plenty of time to spend on our own after these tours on consecutive days. My big problem will be that the cruise will probably seem like a big letdown after spending three days in Paris. We'll make the best of it. ;)

We did both of those tours with SightSeekersDelight in April. You will not be disappointed. The highlight of our time in Paris :) If you happen to have Karen please tell her Andrea from Florida sends hugs!

[hubofhockey]

We did both of those tours with SightSeekersDelight in April. You will not be disappointed. The highlight of our time in Paris :) If you happen to have Karen please tell her Andrea from Florida sends hugs!

 

I contacted Karen early in the summer about next year and it sounds like we should definitely book her tours. Thanks for the recommendation.

[rlse9]

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions. They were helpful, along with those from the people over in the TripAdvisor forums. Here's what we ended up doing, which we were quite pleased with.

 

We arrived into Paris around 4:30pm instead of the original 2:30pm because our first train had a problem with it and we missed our connecting train so we had to wait for the next one. Once in Paris, we took the metro to near our hotel and walked the rest of the way. We stayed at Hotel Nicolo, a reasonably priced (85 euros per night) hotel which was about a 10 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower but in a quiet neighborhood. It was a small hotel that had nice rooms, a great location, cheap internet (3 euros for the duration of the stay), and good free breakfast. Very happy with the hotel, would stay there again.

 

First night the only thing we did was going to and climbing the Eiffel Tower. Didn't buy tickets in advance since we wanted to walk up, not take the elevator. Line was kind of long but not horrible. We got up in time to see the view in daylight, enjoy the sunset, go up to the very top, then enjoy the nighttime view before going back down. By this time it was late and we were tired, so we grabbed sandwiches on our way back to the hotel and ate them in the room.

 

Next day we started with d'Orsay museum. The line to go through security was again long but bearable. We picked up 2 day museum passes right outside the museum and the line for people with tickets was a little shorter than for those without but not much. Spent a little over two hours in the museum, got one of the audio guides and stopped to learn about pieces we found interesting but for the most part just looked quickly and then kept moving so we could see everything fairly quickly. From there we moved on to Saint Chappelle, another fairly long line to go through security. We grabbed sandwiches from a restaurant just down the street so we could eat while we stood in line. Saint Chappelle was nice but it shows that they still have a lot of restoration work to do. It is cool how the entire place is stained glass all the way around but I didn't find the stained glass as impressive as at some of the other churches we've visited before. Next it was on to Notre Dame, again a fairly long line to get inside but it moved quickly. Personally, I was disappointed by Notre Dame, if not for its name I don't think it would be considered anything that special. That's not to say that it's bad, it just isn't anything special. We planned to climb the towers after viewing the inside of Notre Dame but they had already cut off the line for the day, so instead we went to the Pantheon. Finally, a place with basically no line to get in, and it had a very interesting history and some nice art inside. From there we started walking and had dinner along Champs-Elysees before heading to the Arc de Triomphe. Got up to the top a little before sunset, enjoyed the view, enjoyed the sunset, then climbed back down and walked back to our hotel.

 

Final day started late (not such a good idea) because we were tired and slept in a little later than planned. Took the metro back to Notre Dame to climb the towers, line didn't seem that long but it took over two hours. It was nice but not worth the wait and had I known it would take that long I probably would have skipped it. But once we got up there it was enjoyable. Grabbed some lunch at a restaurant across the street then got a crepe to enjoy as we walked to the Louvre. Had a Rick Steves audio tour that we listened to that highlighted the big things then just wandered around for another couple hours after that. There were some very impressive pieces of artwork that I really enjoyed, and it was funny how big of a deal the Mona Lisa is when it's so small and really rather unimpressive. The museum was nice but it was too big and too much to see, which we knew going in but it still is a little overwhelming. Personally, I'd rather they take the best 10% of the stuff they have there and put it in a smaller museum because it seemed like there was quite a bit of average stuff there. By the time we finished we were exhausted so we decided to again get sandwiches to take back to the hotel and relaxed for a few hours before returning to the Eiffel Tower one last time to take some nighttime pictures.

 

Next morning we had breakfast, checked out of our hotel, and headed to the airport. Definitely could have used a little more time but I felt like the time we had was well spent.

[SunDapple]

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

 

 

Oh my, lovely.... must go there! :)

 

Thanks for posting.

[hubofhockey]

I wanted to revisit this thread as we started to try to finalize our plans for our pre-cruise visit to Paris. We are going for three days as opposed to two days in the thread.

 

It became clear to me that three or even three and a half days in Paris was not enough to even do the basic things we wanted to do and I am going through some remorse for not deciding to spend a six or seven days in Paris and combine it with three to four days in Amsterdam or London.

 

In any case, we will arrive in after a red eye flight and stay at the Gramont Opera Hotel. It has reasonable (for Paris) rates for Paris at 207 euros per night for a 3-night stay. It seems to be a big favorite on TripAdvisor and has a great location and the boutique hotels seem to be popular in Paris.

 

On Day 1 we will be pretty tired and try to catch a nap before doing the Rick Steves tour of the Louvre. It just hits the masterpieces. We will also do the Seine cruise at night and catch dinner at a bistro and just walk around.

 

Day 2 we have the half day Paris Along the Seine walking tour with Sight Seekers Delight (hits all big spots). We'd like to do a tour of the Opera building in the afternoon followed by some shopping for in the afternoon and dinner reservations at L'Ange and Eiffel Tower at night.

 

 

Day 3 is Versailles in the morning and heading back early afternoon followed by lunch and then Sight Seekers Delight tour of Montmarte from 5 to 7:30 and then dinner in Montmarte. We could consider Moulin Rouge show. But the reviews are sketchy and the tour takes us by there. That's a big question mark.

 

We leave on day 4 for London. But our train is not until 3 or 3:30 and we will head to the Orsay Museum in the morning, check out, get lunch, and then head to the Eurostar for London.

 

I really do not want to rush any of this and the last thing I want to do is cram a week's worth of activities into 3.5 days. Again, a little remorse on this vacation. I believe a British Isles cruise after 3.5 days in Paris will be a big letdown.

[RAL54]

Hi All,

 

First time reading this thread. We are going to Paris this Sept. 2012 for the first time and I'm just starting to put together our itinerary. Thanks for the helpful links and websites to research. If there is any new or updated info to share we would much appreciate it. We are flying to London and will travel to Paris from there. Looks like the eurostar is the way to go. We have to decide where we are going to explore for two weeks before Paris, Ireland, England (did London last year), or perhaps a cruise to Greece. Any suggestions? It feels somewhat overwhelming to plan so much.

 

Thanks for all the help,

NorCal

[Tara Jane]

I have yesterday booked out tickets on the eurostar from london to paris for october. Got them for 42 euro each. I suggest you get to and book asap to get a good price. Some fares are several hundred euro.

[Hlitner]

We read with interest, the post by Rise about their first visit to Paris. But reading this post caused me to reflect on why Paris is DWs favorite city in the world (and we have been to over 120 countries). It is easy to get caught up in the great museums (Musee d'Orsay is our favorite art museum in the world), the normal sites such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc.... but this is only a small part of what makes Paris special. Paris is a city made for walking (and walking and walking) and soaking up its very special atmosphere. A long lunch in a well located outdoor cafe, dinner in a special restaurant, visiting one of the markets....these are the things that can be missed when running from site to site. We first took our daughter to Paris when she was 9, and now more then 20 years later she still remembers buying a pair of shoes in a Parisian shoe store and her dinner at Bistrot Breuteil where we had a terrific waiter. Her visits to museums, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc have long faded to obscurity. When we again return to Paris (been there many times) we will certainly make our usual visit to Musee d'Orsay and probably return to L'Orangerie (a must for Monet fans)...but taking a long stroll along the Seine, finding a favorite cafe on Isle de la Cite, exploring one of the fabulous open air markets (such as Rue Cler).....this is what will really define our visit and memories. Although our French is somewhere between terrible and non-existant....the term "Joie de Vivre" is what Paris is all about!

 

Hank

[hubofhockey]

I have yesterday booked out tickets on the eurostar from london to paris for october. Got them for 42 euro each. I suggest you get to and book asap to get a good price. Some fares are several hundred euro.

 

That's great advice. Prices go up after the cheaper rate ones are gone.

 

We leave in a month and still tinkering with our Paris plans. We moved our Paris along the Seine four hour walking tour to the day we get in (flight arrives at 6:30 am and tour begins at 10:00). Sometimes the best way to deal with jet lag is a good walk. We'll get a 2-day Paris Museum Pass and keep day #2 free to visit museums, walk around, and enjoy the full day and then hit Versailles on day #3 in the morning and Montmartre tour in the evening. We're trying to nice dinners and even do the Bateaux Mouches dinner cruise. Can't wait.

[Got2Cruise]

I found this thread buried and found it very helpful along with the 3.5 day thread.

[jkt1220]

We read with interest, the post by Rise about their first visit to Paris. But reading this post caused me to reflect on why Paris is DWs favorite city in the world (and we have been to over 120 countries). It is easy to get caught up in the great museums (Musee d'Orsay is our favorite art museum in the world), the normal sites such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc.... but this is only a small part of what makes Paris special. Paris is a city made for walking (and walking and walking) and soaking up its very special atmosphere. A long lunch in a well located outdoor cafe, dinner in a special restaurant, visiting one of the markets....these are the things that can be missed when running from site to site. We first took our daughter to Paris when she was 9, and now more then 20 years later she still remembers buying a pair of shoes in a Parisian shoe store and her dinner at Bistrot Breuteil where we had a terrific waiter. Her visits to museums, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc have long faded to obscurity. When we again return to Paris (been there many times) we will certainly make our usual visit to Musee d'Orsay and probably return to L'Orangerie (a must for Monet fans)...but taking a long stroll along the Seine, finding a favorite cafe on Isle de la Cite, exploring one of the fabulous open air markets (such as Rue Cler).....this is what will really define our visit and memories. Although our French is somewhere between terrible and non-existant....the term "Joie de Vivre" is what Paris is all about!

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank- my to be husband and I will be spending 2 and half days pre-cruise in Paris in late August 2013. Your post further supports my goal of planning our time there with a balance between site seeing, and make sure we take time to sit at a cafe, picnic in the gardens and stroll the streets holding hands <3 This is of course a lot easier to say or "type" than to do, but I'm putting every effort into planning such an itinerary for our short stay in Paris.

[jkt1220]

Hi All,

 

First time reading this thread. We are going to Paris this Sept. 2012 for the first time and I'm just starting to put together our itinerary. Thanks for the helpful links and websites to research. If there is any new or updated info to share we would much appreciate it. We are flying to London and will travel to Paris from there. Looks like the eurostar is the way to go. We have to decide where we are going to explore for two weeks before Paris, Ireland, England (did London last year), or perhaps a cruise to Greece. Any suggestions? It feels somewhat overwhelming to plan so much.

 

Thanks for all the help,

NorCal

 

How long will you be in Paris for? I recommended Rick Steves Paris 2012 to help plan your time there. Mentioned previously in this post is "Sight Seekers Delight" Paris Along the Seine- highly recommended on trip advisor & here on CC. I'd plan to do it early in your trip as it gives a good overview of the city. Good luck planning!

[3dogmom]

I am planning 3 days pre-cruise in Paris and this thread is very helpful! I'd love to know how your planning turned out and how your 2/3 days in Paris were spent.

 

We'll be there in July, 2014. We will take the Eurostar to London to catch our ship in Harwich for a Baltic cruise.

[Extraordinaire]

This was a great thread to obtain some valuable info about Paris! We are also spending a very limited time there this July, so good to get others' views (pun intended) on this!

 

Thanks everyone! BTW, we are not going on a cruise, but I just love this site.