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Paris - Sacré-Cœur for late afternoon, sunset, dinner?...

So, I know this is a bit crazy, and maybe not even "do-able", but I wanted to get input from the forum! We are flying overnight to Paris (via Munich) from the states. Long overnight with hopefully some sleep (but I know it won't be all that restful). We land at CDG at 14:00 (2:00 pm). Our plan is to overnight near the airport for a morning flight to Venice (we thought about a 3rd flight to Venice that day but leaning toward not doing that).
After clearing customs at CDG and checking into a nearby airport hotel (and accepting that we'll be somewhat tired. but we're not too old yet!), we'll need to eat and I was thinking we could possibly work our way over to the Sacré-Cœur area. We've seen much of Paris previously, but never made it to Sacré-Cœur.
Questions:
How to best get there/back (taxi?)?
Where to eat?
What to focus on while there?
Are we crazy for trying this, even with an early evening (back at hotel by no later that 21:00)?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts.
Mike

Posted by
3702 posts

I am not sure that I agree with your itinerary -- I'd just go on to Venice but that is not your question. I'd probably take a taxi. It is not especially easy to get to Sacre Coeur from CDG so I would just take a taxi. I'd stay in an airport hotel so I could easily get a fixed rate taxi. What kind of food would you like?

Posted by
30 posts

Thank you for the prompt reply. I am not 100% set on the overnight near CDG if the consensus here was suck it up and to continue onward to Venice (we'd land there about by 21:00 and would want to crash at the closest hotel for the night. Would love to hear from others on that scenario as well.
Anyway, continuing with the assumption we take a taxi from a CDG hotel, my response to the food question would be we're looking for a memorable experience (great food/great atmosphere), but I don't want to have to "dress up", so nothing high-end (does that help?).

Posted by
10201 posts

Montmartre isn't far behind the Gare du Nord, where the RER from CDG chugs into Paris. You could walk, get some fresh air. I'd avoid a taxi into town because it will be rush hour. You might want to take a taxi back out since it will be going on 21:00.
As for dinner, restaurants don't start serving until after 19:00, more like 19:30, so you wouldn't have time to eat a real meal, much less a memorable one, and be back at CDG by 21:00. In any case you'll be fried. But you certainly could look around and have something at a cafe or brasserie and then head back. I think some of the tourist restaurants up on the top of the hill do serve continuously and could be fun but it's not the best food in town.

Posted by
3702 posts

It's about a 20 minute walk from Gare du Nord to Sacre Coeur, which is not bad. I thought that you would not want to walk that far after the long trip but walking from Gare du Nord could work although it is not a walk that I especially enjoy. I forgot to offer up a restaurant in my first post. If you want French food take a look at Chez Toinette on Rue Germain Pilon. It's about a 10 to 15 minute walk from Sacre Coeur

Posted by
7175 posts

Are you flying Lufthansa/United?
Have you considered re ticketing directly to Venice from Munich?

LH 9456 / UA 9699
Departs from MUC at 11:35 am.
Arrives at VCE at 12:35 pm.

Posted by
30 posts

Yes. Lufthansa from Denver. Unfortunately, the great roundtrip fare ($500) went to Paris and was MUCH more to go to Venice. Frustrating to have to head west from Munich, only to head back east and extra flight/time. Even the direct to Frankfurt was $400 more (x2).

Posted by
8063 posts

I can't imagine why you aren't flying open jaw but what is done is done.

You need to stay AT not near the airport. There are several hotels right at the airport; the Ibis and Novotel are budget hotels. If you want to go to Sacre Coeur you could just take a taxi; it will cost you 50 Euro and be quick. Find a walking tour guide (book) so you can map out your stroll -- you don't IMHO want to eat near Sacre Couer itself. Alas my favorite restaurant in Montmartre has closed so I will hope someone else has good recommendations -- or look at the Trip Advisor reviews for Montmartre restaurants. There are lots of awful tourist trappy restaurants in Paris and in areas like this especially so you will want to identify and perhaps make a reservation. If you don't do that, you might try one of the places on Abbesses.

If you want to save money and take the train, you can take the RER to Gare du Nord and then take the #2 line from La Chapelle (it is reached by following signs in the Nord train station; you use the same ticket) The two goes along the base of Montmartre. You can get off at Anvers and walk up Rue Steinkirk (sp?) and then take the funnicular up the hill or walk up the stairs. Or you could get off at Blanche two stops further down and walk up Rue Lepic to Abbesses and then from there wander up to Sacre Coeur which is a pretty walk in Amelie territory; you could eat at the restaurant in the film which is about half way up Rue Lepic or at one of the places on Abbesses. You could also take the little tourist train up the hill from there and go up to Sacre Coeur. (I think it starts at Pigalle stop) Frankly the Anvers entry to Montmartre is quite hideous and filled with con men running 3 card monte games, pickpockets and tacky souvenir shops -- going up Lepic or using the little train would be more charming.

My favorite route is to go to Lamarck Caulaincourt (you would have to transfer to line 12 on the metro from line 2 at Pigalle, still on the same ticket) You exit the metro and turn right and walk up the gradual incline to Rue Caulaincourt turn right and then at Junot across the street on the left up a block or two you cross over and walk up Junot. This takes you through some pretty parts of Monmartre. Towards the top of that hill is the little square with the sculpture of the man walking through the wall is -- an old French short story. If you go left and down hill here you come to the Vineyard and can turn right and walk up through very pretty houses to the back of Sacre Coeur. If you keep going straight and don't make that left, you come to Place du Tertre the Artists Square (fake artist tourist trap nightmare as far as I am concerned) and once you walk through the tourist tat you come to Sacre Coeur. This is a route that will give you a taste of the charming parts of Montmartre and there are cafes and restaurants along the way.

Be sure you are pickpocket proof with passports and cards and most money under your clothes in a money belt. This is pickpocket heaven -- particularly on the train, in crowded areas like Place du Tertre, and near Sacre Coeur.

You can easily take the #2 line at the base of Montmartre back to Gare du Nord (la Chapelle stop) to catch the RER B back to your hotel. When we did this the Novotel was literally on top of the RER line. If you drop your bags at a room here the train station is literally downstairs; buy tickets to and from and you are all set.

have fun

Posted by
2466 posts

Restaurant suggestion near Gare du Nord:
Chez Casimir (rue de Belzunce, near the church)

Restaurant suggestions in Montmartre:
Eugene Sue
Cocorico
Jeanne B

Since you'll have to be wandering around on foot in Venice, and might conceivably get lost on your way to a hotel, I'd recommend spending the night in Paris after dinner.
There are plenty of decent hotels in the vicinity of Gare du Nord, at affordable prices. Don't let anybody scare you with tales of "gritty neighborhoods" - you'll only be there to eat and sleep.

Flat rate fees to Orly airport - from any location - are 30 EU from the Right Bank, 35 EU from the Left Bank.

Posted by
1369 posts

You don' have to eat at a "restaurant", there are plenty of Cafes that serve food. My girlfriend and I enjoyed La Cave Gourmande just down from Sacre-Coeur @ 96 Rue des Martyrs. They start serving dinner at 18:30 (6:30pm), we had reservations at that time through, www.thefork.com, but we were seated around 18:00 because we stopped by just to locate the place & they let us sit and order since they were opened already. There will be plenty of restaurants & cafes to choose from. Enjoy your trip.

Posted by
8063 posts

The OP is not going to Orly. And since he has an early flight out of CDG, being AT the airport will give him an extra hour of sleep; there is no advantage to being in Paris for the night since there isn't any time in the morning to enjoy Paris. He needs to be at the airport terminal 2 hours ahead of his flight. To be back at the hotel at the airport you would leave Paris at about 8:15 -- plenty of time to see a little of Montmartre and have an early dinner -- which means a cafe or brasserie since restaurants don't serve till 7 and often 7:30. Restaurants are just filling up at 8 pm. But there are plenty of places in Montmartre where you could get a meal earlier and be able to head back to the airport.

It has been awhile since I spent a few days in Venice but I would encourage you to spend one day just walking as far as you can go -- Venice is islands so you can't get lost -- just ask someone the direction to San Marco and keep doing that till you are back at the center. Venice gets more and more interesting the more you wander from the center and if you are a photographer you will get some great shots.