Hello Francophiles!
My wife and I will be spending 22 days throughout France in October, but just adjusted our itinerary to add one full day in Paris right at the end. We’re diving into Paris from Eguisheim and will stay (2 nights) at or very near CDG.
Please shoot holes or embellish the following plan:
For our full day in Paris, we’ll start early, catching the RER B train from the airport to head into Paris. Our first stop is the Catacombs. Next, we’ll grab breakfast at a nearby café, then take the Metro to the Latin Quarter (stroll the streets, browse bookstores, and take in views of Notre-Dame). We'll then explore the Île Saint-Louis.
Next up is lunch in Le Marais. After lunch, we’ll walk through the Marais, see the Place des Vosges, and maybe pop into the Musée Carnavalet.
Then over to Trocadéro for an Eiffel Tower photo op. Dinner somewhere (Rue Cler area—nothing too extravagant) before, maybe, hiring an evening driving tour to see the lights of the city before returning out room and fly home the next day.
This feels doable and full enough at a nice pace.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Posted by
922 posts
Charles, if this were my trip, I would get rid of the car in Strasbourg, take the train to Paris. Stay in Paris both nights. Get a taxi to the airport. If you have a very early flight, stay one night at the airport. So much more fun to stay in Paris than at the airport. As for your one day, sounds busy, but it works. You can always cut something out if you dawdle.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
15731 posts
I stay in the Rue Cler area but it's not someplace I'd seek out for a meal if that is not where your hotel is. The restaurants are good, none are extravagant but I would not travel there from the Trocadero area for a meal.
To me you have too much ping-ponging across town for a one day adventure but it's your vacation and your travel style differs from mine. Catacombs to Marais to Trocadero to Rue Cler. At least it looks like the only timed entries you'd need would be Catacombs and then a reservation for your night tour so you can cut and rearrange as needed during the day. The Carnavalet does not need a timed entry.
Did you mean to have breakfast after you visit the Catacombs? They don't open until 945 so if you are out by 1045 you'll hit lunch in the middle to late afternoon.
What day of the week would this be? Carnavalet is closed Mondays. There is an excellent free Museum across from the entrance to the Catacombs which is on the Liberation of Paris and the Resistance. Also closed Mondays.
Posted by
OP
Pacific Northwest, Washington State
11 posts
Thank you!
Eef - I appreciate that advice to ditch the car in Strasbourg. This would fit nicely into our plans! Have you traveled that rail before? Is it the TGV rail, or a different regional train you recommend?
Pam - Our full day in Paris is a Wednesday. Thanks for mentioning the "ping-ponging". As I looked at metro stops it did seem wonky. We don't want to try to "do Paris" all in one day--that seems cruel and masochistic. But we want to savor a few highlights at the end of a trip that covers a lot of other ground.
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
2263 posts
The suggestion to return the car in Strasbourg is spot on. There are more than one TGVs to Paris (Gare de l'Est). Ditto the comments about Rue Cler restaurants, and also about your routing. Have breakfast before the catacombs. In fact all the comments above are very helpful and IMO correct. Your choice of things to see are good. Have a wonderful final day in France!
Posted by
Boston
303 posts
Definitely ditch the car in Strasbourg and take the train. For point to point tickets look on sncf-connect.com. Much like airline tickets, train tickets are dynamic. So purchase as soon as you know your dates for cheapest fares. And do stay in Paris, not out near the airport. It's easy enough to get there on the day of your departure.
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
227 posts
Do whatever you want, see whatever is tops on your list. But if I had ONE day in Paris here's how I'd spend it:
(First of all I wouldn't bother with the Catacombs, but that is just me. I wouldn't do any museums, and I wouldn't stand in any lines to see any attractions, I'd save that for another time.)
I'd take the Metro from wherever I was staying to the Châtelet station because it is very central - umpteen metro and train lines converge there so you can get there from almost anywhere in the city. I'd get out and walk along the Rue de Rivoli, head over to the Louvre just to walk around the courtyard and see the Pyramid. Stroll through the Tuileries Gardens, and along the river, and cross the bridges here and there. Mill around Place de la Concorde, head down the Champs Elysées, see the Arc de Triomphe (I won't stand in line to climb up it, just see it.*)
Then I'd get on the Metro at Étoile and go to the Eiffel Tower (*ditto) and the Trocadéro. Depending on the time and availability, I'd take a cruise on one of the bateaux mouches so I could get a nice overview of the city and see such sights as Notre Dame.
The only other "must see" for me is way across town - I've have to end the evening at Montmartre. (I'd take the Metro if it wasn't getting too late, or else grab a taxi. This is ONE DAY in Paris so I want to save time and make the most of it.) There are great restaurants in Montmartre and a little bonus would be a glimpse of the Moulin Rouge. Take the funiculaire to the top and watch the sun set over Paris and the lights twinkle on the Eiffel Tower. IMO this is the best view of Paris.
Having done all that, I would feel that I'd gotten a glimpse of the most beautiful sights in the city without rushing, worrying about timed ticket entries or standing in lines. Again, this is just my take on it, but everyone's priorities are different so you need to figure out what is most important on YOUR list and go for it.