Paris in one night two days

The first questions are, what time are you arriving and what time are you departing? Since you will lose 2-3 hours at each end clearing customs and going through security your arrival and departure times become critical. Also are you traveling light or will you have checked luggage? Since you are not planning on going up the tower or into the Louvre the is a chance that tings will work out for you.

Irv,

Well am thinking I be taking the Eurotrain. I wished to take the earliest in order to be in Paris around noon. Checking in somewhere and yes I shall be only taking a backpack or bag. And thinking about customs I guess I should make it two nights 21/2 days then since I didn't think about that. Thank you so much for your help!

Susy

Your first day plan can be done by walking, or you might take a taxi (from an official taxi stand) on a longer leg to or from Gare du Nord. Metro/bus tickets are cheapest if you buy a Carnet of 10 tickets.

To visit Giverny, take the train from Gare St. Lazare to Vernon, then a local bus or taxi from there. Direct trains on this route run about every two hours (such as 8:30 or 10:30 a.m.); other departures require a connection.

mssrivera, a few clarifications. The train that runs between London and Paris is called Eurostar. It takes 2 hours 20 mins. and runs approximately every hour. There is (unusually for trains) a check-in, minimum 30 minutes, recommended to go through the ticket barrier at least 45 minutes before departure. There is NO CUSTOMS between UK and France (both are in the EU). There is passport control, which happens before you board the train (hence the check-in time).

Full details from an independent website here: http://seat61.com/London-to-Paris-by-train.htm
Current timetable here: http://www.eurostar.com/sites/default/files/pdf/timetable/6551%20UK%20Issue%2077.1.pdf
The first train is 05:40 from London St Pancras, arrive Paris Gare du Nord 09:17. No problem getting there for noon.
Website for booking tickets here: http://www.eurostar.com/
The earlier you book, the cheaper the fare.

Hello Chris F

Thank you this help so much with my planning.

Hello Laura thank you for helping with the directions to Giverny can't wait to see it.

This is certainly a doable plan, and with only one night you can pack light, leaving most of your baggage wherever you're staying in London. Take an early morning Eurostar and you'll have most of the day to explore Paris as you plan. Then get an early train to Vernon the next morning. Giverny might take half a day, getting you back to your hotel (and bag you left there) in time to reach Gare du Nord for your return Eurostar -- making sure to allow plenty of time for check-in, as Chris noted. They have airport-type security, and passport control is at the departure point going both ways.

There are thousands of hotels in all price ranges in Paris. I'd suggest starting with booking.com, plug in some budget and other parameters and see what you find. The closer to the river, the more it will cost, other things being equal. The neighborhood around Gare du Nord isn't the most charming, but would be very convenient for your plan.

This makes so much more sense than a one-day trip from London to Paris and back, which so many people seem to want to do. Obviously your plan only scratches the surface of Paris, but you'll have time to appreciate the city and start thinking about what to do on your next, longer, visit.

BTW if you're a Monet fan you might also want to try for the Musee Marmottan, in the Passy district west of central Paris. The Metro stop is La Muette on line 9.

Hello Dick

Thank you so much for that suggestion. Monet is one of my main reasons to visit France. I will aim to go to the marmottan. Love this forums. so much wealth of knowledge and help will make my trip so memorable!

Thanks
Susy

The website giverny.org will link you to buy advance tickets for both Giverny and the Orangerie. Advance tickets are necessary, particularly when you have no time to waste.

If you are planning to "maybe walk around the city for a few hours" I suggest a relatively inexpensive way of touring a good deal of the city while siting down. Take the the good old, ubiquitous hop-on-hop-off tour bus around the city. Very touristy, but a great way to see the sites and get the lay of the land. Combine this with an every available Seine tour boat and you've done a lot of looking at Paris with little walking given your short time frame and low need to get into places.