Paris one day/night

You do not need to get to Orly at 7 for a 10 am flight to Barcelona. Getting there 2 hours before departure time should be fine. If you are planning to take a taxi into Paris and then from Paris to Orly, I suggest staying near the Eiffel Tower. That way, you drop off your luggage at your hotel, go to the Louvre, then go see the ET up close, and have dinner near your hotel. Then grab a prearranged taxi the next morning to go to Orly. Easy transit to me means taxis. Near the Eiffel Tower, I like Hotel de Londres Eiffel.

If it were me, I'd stay at/near the airport and take the train or a taxi into Paris. That way you avoid the stress of having to wake up at 5:00am to get to the airport by 7:00.

This makes no sense. They are arriving into CDG, and departing the next morning out of Orly.

Go ahead and go into Paris and stay in Paris for Saturday night. You have two things working in your favor: for a flight to Barcelona, you have no need to be at the airport at 7 am (three hours prior to a flight within Europe is overkill -- two hours is abundant), and Orly is so much closer to the city (on the other side of town) and getting there is so much less of a hassle than getting to CDG.).

Taxi will be 56€ or 65€ from CDG into the city to a hotel on the Right Bank / Left Bank respectively ; from the city to Orly, the fixed rates are 45€ from the Right Bank and 36€ from the Left Bank. (I don't recommend trying to mess with Uber leaving Charles de Gaulle, it is a huge hassle. But it's true that going from the city out to the airport via Uber or Bolt can be cheaper than the fixed rate, and that should definitely be true on a Sunday morning.

(there's also the option of course of the metro line 14 to Orly, but as you say "we," honestly, with at least two people "splitting" the fare, a taxi/Uber/Bolt is the same price practically as a cab, especially from the Left Bank.)

This makes no sense. They are arriving into CDG, and departing the next morning out of Orly.

Kim,

Thanks -- I missed that little detail. I deleted my post.

-- Mike Beebe

Kathryn d,
Be sure to get a reserved time for the Louvre.

In the interim, thinking the Eiffel Tower and the Louve would be two items to see.

The key word should be "see" - the best view of the Eiffel Tower is from the Trocadero - start there, and then walk over to it for a closer view - staring up from underneath is quite an experience. The second best view may be from the terrace in front of Sacre-Coeur, looking out over the city from the top of Montmartre. With just basically an afternoon and evening, I'd be happy just walking around and soaking in the ambience of Paris, sitting outside at a cafe, sampling the great food, etc. Save the Louvre - with the potential hassle of dealing with crowds - for a future visit. Look at the walks offered in the Rick Steves guidebook.

If you have to see the Louvre then get a hotel near there. Because you're going to want to crash/nap in the afternoon unless you somehow get enough sleep on the flight. I use Hotel Moliere, which is very nice and 5 minutes from the museum. I wouldn't bother with going right up to the Eiffel Tower; it's best seen from a distance. In the evenings walk the Tuileries or the Palace gardens, have a good meal, and take it easy. Or take the metro up to the Arc de Triomphe and stroll down the Champs Elysees.

You're flying inside the Schengen area. You don't need two hours at the airport. It's local, not international.

One thing you might want to consider; Sunday mornings are usually slow, so if the sun is up and the weather clear, if you get up early You could take the metro to the tower and grab a shot, with minimal tourists in the way, on the way to the airport.

Take an official taxi from CDG into your Paris hotel. Make the hotel somewhere central for easily visiting the Louvre, Hotel du Louvre for example, or any of the hotels near the Louvre. I would really need budget guidance to suggest further.

Visiting the Louvre requires a reservation:

http://ticketlouvre.fr/

I would normally suggest getting to your hotel early and take a nap but, your first time in Paris, you will be too excited and anxious. Reserve the Louver for sometime around 12h or 13h.

Tickets are for the Eiffel Tower can be illusive, I would suggest a time in the afternoon if you do that:

https://ticket.toureiffel.paris/en

You'll want to find a café for dinner, restaurants do not open until 19h, and go to bed early.

The next morning I would walk to Pyramides and take métro 14 to ORY. Cost is 14€ and takes maybe 20 minutes, maybe less. Alternatively, arrange for taxi pickup around 07h30 for ORY. That should get you there by 08h with plenty of margin for error. Know your departure terminal and tell the driver.

Either way, arrange for transportation to ORY on Saturday, by either purchasing a airport ticket or arranging for a taxi pickup.

https://www.g7.fr/en/
English speaking operator +33 1 41 27 66 99

In addition to the fixed fares to ORY, there will be a 7€ scheduling charge.

With only a day and a night, I would resist the temptation to visit a museum. Paris is kind of an open air museum, and I would spend my energy just getting around and seeing it. Stay somewhere central, near a metro line and just explore a little.

I love how much Paris kind of lines up for you. Take a stroll through Tuleries, see Place de Concorde, hop on the metro to Arc de Triomphe, then metro to Trocadero for a view of the Eiffel Tower, take a boat back to Notre Dame, go from there. Maybe walk to Hotel-de-Ville, get some cafe time in… honestly I’d do that right now if I had the chance.

If you’re itching for some art, I’d recommend Orangerie. It’s small and just as incredible as Orsay or Louvre. And while I always read about ppl being in line, pre-purchasing tickets, etc for Saint-Chapelle, I’ve always had terrific luck just walking right up.

Imho, Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur’s magic is severely overrated. It’s a drag to get up there and at this point pretty overrun. With just a night, I’d stick to Latin Quarter.

Thanks everyone. A lot to think about. I couldn’t imagine going to Paris without seeing the Louve, and putting all those art history classes from my BFA to work lol. But knowing I’ll come back I’m thinking I should reconsider. With only one day I certainly don’t want to stand in any lines if I can help it. Hotels seem tricky - ranging from $200-1200 a night. I’m learning towards the Saint Germain area. Thanks

Your budget will allow for lots of choices. I suggest Hotel Madison, Hotel Da Vinci, and Hotel de Buci.

You can see the Louvre or at least get it started in one day. We visited 5x on our first trip but with your art background I think it would be painful to stay away. If you really want to bypass lines and don't mind giving the Louvre a donation, get an Amis du Louvre card. Skip the lines and get stuck in a shorter security line. They use the money for new art acquisitions. I figure vacation time is valuable and it's a way of making the most of our time. (And I actually saved money on mine by going back twice more last fall). Also gives you 10 percent off at gift shop and food there.