Hi - I have two teenagers and we are doing the Best of Europe in 14 days in September. We will get to Paris in the morning the day before the tour starts. We are looking for ideas of what to do. So far, we have considered, going up the Eiffel Tower or Giverny's Monet's Garden. Any thoughts or ideas?
Thanks in advance, Stacey
Either of those sound good. Actually, whatever isn't on the tour and appeals to you would be good. It's possible that you just want to rest up after the flight and get acclimated before your tour starts, so maybe play it by ear and see how jet-lagged you or the kids might be.
While Giverny is a great place to visit, I wouldn't do it on the day I arrived after a transatlantic flight. You'll be jet lagged and possibly sleep deprived. You will have to check into your hotel and drop your bags before you do anything else. Even with an early morning arrival, by the time you have cleared immigration and gotten to the hotel, it will be late morning already.
As long as it isn't storming, get outside for a few hours. Pick one or 2 things to do that aren't on the tour itinerary. Perhaps one of the walks in Rick's book. His historic Paris walk is usually the first thing we do. Have a nice lunch at a cafe. Stroll along the Seine. Maybe take a river cruise ( highly recommend doing this after dark). Then have an early supper and get to bed at a decent hour so you're rested for the next day.
If you are up for walking, the Paris Walks tours are great for seeing the less touristy areas of Paris and give you a more local experience. We took the Hemingway Walks tour which led us back into streets and scenes we probably would not have seen on our own. That tour ended at Rue Mouffetard--- a wonderful street full of markets.
