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15 hours in Paris--what to do?

Posted by on

Hello,

I will have a 15 hour layover overnight in Paris coming up this June. It was an unexpected addition to our Croatia trip and we aren't too sure with what to do with this time. Our flight arrives at 1730 direct from Dubrovnik to CDG and we have a flight the following morning at 0915 directly home to SFO. Our bags will be checked through to the next flight and we will only have small carry-on's. A good friend who is quite knowledgeable with Paris suggested staying in La Marais and taking in a few sights and grabbing a meal in that neighborhood. But I saw that its about 40 minutes on the RER? To summarize here are my main questions:

Is La Marais a good location to stay for the night? Or would you recommend a different neighborhood? I am open to suggestions.

For those that have stayed in Paris before and loved it, what is one thing I must not miss? Reading Rick Steves' book I want to see it all! He makes it sound so wonderful but we have limited time...again open to suggestions.

Thank you in advance!

Posted by
444 posts

I'd stay somewhere close to the RER B line from CDG. I think La Marais fits with that. You aren't going to have a lot of time to enjoy the splendors of Paris. You arrive at 5:30 pm, assuming flights are on time, you need to disembark, walk to RER in airport and travel to hotel (+1.5-2hrs?). That's about 7-7:30 pm. Eat, walk around, sleep and then be back at airport about 3 hrs prior to flight. I would walk along to the Seine past Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. Find a nice restaurant/bistro to eat and then stroll back to your hotel on another route. Others may have more specific recommendations. Enjoy!

Posted by
10633 posts

When we have an overnight layover at CDG, we check into one of the hotels next to Terminal 3, drop our bags and buzz into the city on the RER train, usually to meet friends for dinner. Then we go back out to sleep at our airport hotel. For a 9:15 flight, you need to be back in your terninal (probably T2) 2.5 to 3 hours before. So 6:15-6:45.

In your shoes, I’d eat quickly in a brasserie near St. Michel, which is a stop on the RER B line, take a boat ride and walk around the area. You’ll have 3-4 hours in town. Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Co, the Latin Quarter, and on of the boat companies has a stop right there. You’ll see lit buildingsConciergerie, Louvre, Orsay Museum, bridges, and the Eiffel Tower from the boat.

Posted by
11881 posts

Since you are on your way home, here is a crazy thought--- Have dinner, wander , bar/cafe hop til the wee hours, go back to CDG and buy a pass to a lounge and just skip the hotel

Found one on this site that opens at 445AM-- https://www.loungebuddy.com/CDG.

You should sleep well on the plane and be at SFO in no time!

"I am open to suggestions."

You did not put a qualifier that they had to be sane :-)

Happy travels

Posted by
143 posts

I would check in an hotel at the CDG airport. Train into Paris. If I had never been to Paris, I would walk around Notre Dame, ile St Louis, the 6th arrondissement, have dinner or just grab a crepe or two, maybe do the river cruise along the Seine (the one that drops you off at the Eiffel tower), pre book tickets for the Eiffel tower that night, see it twinkle, come back late to your hotel at the airport, board your flight...

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