Strategies for a mid-day break in Paris

Use the Metro! That can get you around the city easily. When we were on HOF, using the Metro was one of the things they took pains to show us how to do so that we could use it in our free time to get around.

But there's no question that once you get somewhere, you do need to walk a lot. Our strategy was to have only one major thing to see, and use the rest of free time just wandering, stopping at cafes, shopping, or whatever non-intense thing we felt like.

It's a no-brainer for us: main meal at lunch. So find a place serving a real meal, sit down, eat a first, main, dessert, bread, wine coffee and now you are ready to tackle the Marais and more. It's a twofer: rest and refuel.

My husband is French, so we have always eaten our main meal during the day on the weekends and now in retirement, everyday. Then in the evening just order a large salad or soup and a plate if cheese--with wine, of course.

Is this your first time in Paris? Spread museums out ( d’Orsay, l’ Orangerie( small!) as they can be exhausting, visit early in the day.
Neighborhood walks shouldn’t be exhausting.
What else is on your list?
First thing to do on your arrival day is take a Seine cruise to orient yourselves to Paris and it’s famous monuments. So many famous sites are along the river banks. The breezes on the open deck will keep you awake and save your feet from walking too much.
Eiffel Tower
Les Invalides( museum and Tomb of Napoleon)
Notre Dame
Sacre- Coure
Arch d’ Triomphe- see from outside or you can go up inside to the top.
Isle de La Cite and Concergerie
Luxembourg Gardens( buy to go crepes and eat them on a beach in this park)
If you need/ want to see more of Monet’s art after d’Orsay and l’Orangerie, visit the Marmottan
We have stayed in the 5th,6th,7th and 8th. Did not like staying in the 8th. Neighborhood walks in the first three would be good.
With five days you should be able to see these without being exhausted. Have a sit down lunch.

for most trips in Paris, your feet will do the work. For medium or longer treks, taxi or Metro. Don't begrudge yourselves taxis if you're tired and it's far and the weather isn't the best, as even Rick admits it can be money well spent.

@Bets - Great advice! I will start researching a nice, relaxing, fortifying lunch in the Marais...

Consider getting a day pass and take the bus. You can see where you’re going and with a pass, you can ride for a few blocks when you tire…or ride for a long way just to view some different neighborhoods.

You could also eat in the Latin Quarter, then stop at Berthillon on the Ile Saint-Louis for ice cream as you walk to the Marais. They have a sitdown ice cream parlor in addition to the take away line.

On the tour, I'm sure you will be oriented to the Metro and the group will take it from your hotel to the Cite metro stop! It's your first full tour day and that is something the guides try to work in early on. One of the aspects of Rick tours that I appreciate is they help you learn how to use public transit. I think on my Paris and HOF tour we were given 4 Metro tickets to use for the days we were there.

You can easily head from the Latin Quarter back across the river to the Marais and from there back to the hotel either on foot or by Metro if that works out. I am sure the guides end the walking tours in different places but they will have you near a Metro stop in any event which is good to orient yourselves.

I'd probably head to the Marais for lunch...but then I love falafel! My favorite falafel spot is on Rue des Rosiers...it's MiVaMi. It's located right across the lane from a busier but more famous L'As du Fellafel. I like the falafel mixture better at MiVaMi. There are also traditional restaurants in the area if that's what you would like.

I suggest downloading the CityMapper app. You can use it to get from wherever you end your guided portion of the day across to the Marais. It's not really very far.

Do plan to sit down on occasion and have a coffee, drink, snack ice cream. There are also some delicious bakery products in the Marais...just a few doors down from MiVaMi, lol!!

There are plenty of benches to sit on and you should use them! I also recommend packing some plastic bags thicker than grocery store plastic but not really heavy. I used Trader Joes plastic bags and also have a heavier tote bag type thing from Ross Dress For Less. Often the benches in Paris will be covered with bird poo or stickiness from the trees above them so it's good to have something for you both to use for better sitting!

Keep in mind that meal times are a bit different in Europe. Lunch is typically between 12-2:30, then restaurants close. They re-open around 8:00 for dinner. If you’re used to eating dinner at 6:00, or you miss lunch and get hungry at 3:00, you might have some trouble. You certainly won’t starve in Paris, but your options may be more limited. This means you may be out later than you would at home, meaning an mid-afternoon break at the hotel is feasible.

We always plan our “must-see” for the morning, eat lunch (preferable somewhere with a view), return to the hotel for a little break, then head back out for more sightseeing and dinner around 8/8:30.

The advice to download CityMapper, take advantage of the metro and bus, and have a nice relaxing lunch are all excellent.

Depending on what time of year your trip is, I also recommend some time spent relaxing and people watching in the park -- preferably the Tuileries or the Luxembourg Gardens, but any park will do ! Take a load off your feet, enjoy the views, and observe the different kinds of people also enjoying the park - retirees, parents out with little kids, groups of friends, young lovers, other visiting tourists from all over, etc.

Addressing the day you described as I understand it... You have a long walking tour in the morning -to-early afternoon that will end in the Latin Quarter area, and that day is the only day you have for the Marais.

I would play it by ear in terms of how you feel when you depart the tour and where you are. If you are tired and hungry (as I would be), I would likely choose a place for lunch in the vicinity. After sitting for a bit, and eating, you'll be refreshed and ready to either hit the metro to the Marais or (depending where you actually are at that point), walking to the Marais. If you're fairly close to the Seine, walking over might be the same difference as walking to/through the metro from where you are in order to cross the river. And don't be afraid of the busses - easy to figure out and use.

Or, if you're feeling like you want to keep going after your tour, head right on over to the Marais (again either on foot/Metro/bus) and have lunch there. I would just caution if you're already really tired and hungry that giving in and eating where ever you are might be a better idea. Personally, I know I am starting to give out about early afternoon and having to navigate to a different area and find a place to eat just makes me hangry LOL. #beentheredonethat

Since you are a walker, it will be good to have a base of walking each day so the walking on your tour will be second nature. Also, be sure to have a great pair of walking shoes broken in. That said, the Marais area is nearby just across the river from the Latin Quarter. Lunch there would be nice. We usually plan to be away from the hotel all day so we pack a day bag with what we might need. The great transit system (metro and busses) make it doable. We have done this several times in Paris and are getting ready for another week there in early September.

SO much great advice!

My husband used to be the go go go, type of traveler. I am not. So we have worked out a good system, we get up reasonably early, have a big breakfast and hit a popular tourist attraction right when it opens. Then hit a B list locations, wander and have an earlyish light lunch. The beauty of Paris is you can linger over lunch and you should!

Recharged, we hit a must do in the afternoon, other B list locations, wander and head back to the hotel. My husband loves an hour nap, I like to read, write down notes and revisit our next day plans. We both like to freshen up and change for dinner. Nothing fancy, but fresh and a step up from our shlepping around all day clothes. We tend to eat near the hotel, with an occasional cab to a special restaurant.

The hard balance is always feeling like you got to what you wanted to, and not be so stuck to a list that you can't be spontaneous or even look up and see the beauty of Paris. Parks and benches on beautiful streets, will give you nice breaks, and ice cream, coffee, wine, whatever you choose. You have to accept that you will not get to everything on your list, better to really enjoy what you do.

We have never been on a tour, but my mother in law did quite a bit and often felt exhausted. If, for instance,
a museum tour is beyond your interest level, you can cut out and take a break. Only you know your style, but don't exhaust yourself before you leave Paris.

The Metro is the fastest for cross town travels, but we mainly use the bus because we love to check out the areas we are going through, and we always hop in a cab when we are headed back for our rest! It is really important to group your days geographically, to not backtrack. Have a great time!

Some great responses. My original question was not about this day specifically, but about long days in general when it is not feasible to return to the hotel for a midday break. I would still love to hear more of those ideas!

That being said, I do think I have this specific day planned. Yes, we will walk from Latin Quarter where the tour ends and eat a “fortifying” lunch there, on Île St Louis or in the Marais. No bus or metro needed as it seems pretty close. We will try to pace ourselves and just make it a long long day, probably modifying our expectations as we go. As far as going back to the hotel…that would be the end of the Marais for us, I fear. Similar to taking the subway back to Queens and then head back to Manhattan. Not realistic. We would just grab dinner by the hotel. (However, it is smart, and on other days when this is feasible, I have actually planned a break like that into the schedule.)

If your plan is to walk across the Ile Saint Louis, there are two big cafés/brasseries right after you cross over. Susan who posts here recommends the one on the left. It has a large, standard brasserie menu. Then, you're just a hop away from Bertillon for dessert, though the brasserie will serve their ice cream, too.

Sounds like you have a great plan!

I wasn't suggesting going back to the hotel in the middle of the day, but not to leave in the morning and stay out all through dinner. We usually head back about 4, rest, freshen up and do a little more wandering before dinner.

I don't know if your wanderings will take you into the 10th, but we LOVED La Marine on Canal Saint-Martin!
It is such a pretty area to enjoy and fun to watch the boats go through the locks system. It is really lovely and interesting!