Ideas for sight seeing first day upon arrival while waiting for room

if it's your first time in paris, and you can find some energy over the jet lag, do the bike tour of paris by fat tire. we did three of their tours when we went, but the general overview is a great one to orient yourself with the city.

Walk down to the Seine by the Eiffel Tower, and take a boat tour. "Batobus" is more a water taxi, but you can buy a two day pass and jump off and on at several points. or just ride it round trip back to where you got on. It's a great, quick overview of the main attractions, plus some great photo ops, and helps you get your bearings for where you want to sightsee later.

Rather than specific, in general do something active and outdoors. The physical activity and sunlight will help any jetlag. I assume that you will by the hotel and have them hold your bags? If so, then even walking distance is not an issue with the Metro available. As for specific, walking the Champ du Mars, maybe doing the Eiffel Tower, then across the river, maybe walking as far as the Arc de Triomphe is a good option. The Rodin Museum is also nice, smaller inside exhibit then a nice sculpture garden. The Montmarte area is a nice walk and great views, plus there are a number of parks and cemeteries that give a few pleasant options. Think walking tour with a few stops.

You could hop on a hop on an off bus, get an overview of Paris, the two day pass is only a few euros more then the one day pass, so its not a bad deal,, no need to learn the metro on your first day! Google and find the L'Open Tour buses( I think they are part of Greyline). We used them twice and they are fun ,, if weather is good,, since you can sit up top and get a good view of the neighborhoods as you go along, and get out where and when you like( they stop at all major sites) and then reboard at will. You buy ticket on boarding, and it comes with earphones for a basic tour commentary. Also second recommendation of the Fat Tire Bike tour , they leave twice a day, and once at night, they are EASY, ( paris is pretty much flat, at least the areas they go) and fun, and the guides are American so give lots of good tips for things you will want to go back and see more of.. they have a good website too, and no need to prebook, just show up at appointed times at foot of Eiffel Tower, think one leaves around 10:30 and one in afternoon. Don't discount a bike tour, I took my first one after not having been on a bike for almost 30 years!! Friend talked me into it, and now I have taken them all( over a five year period)

The Trocadero Esplanade is a thirty-minute walk and you can do most of it down the middle of the Champ de Mars. Besides the iconic views of the ET, there's a couple of largely-missed museums in the southern wing of the Palais de Charillot (Maritime and Mankind). It might be a good time to get over that way since it's a bit of a stretch from most of the other things you'll probably be interested in seeing. The Sewer Museum is fifteen minutes away at the southern end of the Pont de l'Alma bridge. That's good for an hour. Invalides is just around the corner with the army museum and Napoleon's tomb. A couple of hours inside is plenty. If you really want to stretch your legs and stay outside, you can hike across the l'Alma bridge then hump the hill to the Arc, then the darn obligatory hike down the Champs Elysees to Roosevelt and cut back across the Invalides bridge. Figure an hour and a half of walking (three miles, maybe a bit more) including the gawking and thirty minutes to get up and down the Arc.

Harry Always ask your hotel for early arrival 5 or so days before you leave. If you let them know what time your plane lands, they can estimate when you might be at the hotel. I think they are very accommodating when you have flown across the pond. Or at least can tell you when your room will be ready. If you still need things to do before your room is ready, I second the small Rodin Museum in a manor home with its lovely statue garden. There is a little cafe as well. Also second a walk in the Champs de Mar, the park on which the Eiffel Tower stands. And the Fat Tire Bike Tour. Bobbie