Paris First Day Suggestions

I would go to the Ile de la Cite and check out Notre Dame and then walk around the area, possibly over to the Ile St. Louis. It's a small area with lots of stores and cafes and a wonderful river view. If you're tired you can find a place to sit and eat or drink and relax. If the weather is not good, I'd go to the Louvre and hang inside for a while. There are cafes and a food court/shopping mall attached to it. Or you could take the hop on / hop off bus and just ride around for a while. I think the Eiffel Tower might be too much activity to do the first day. Rest up for this.

Those are all good ideas--especially if the weather is nice--fresh, sunny air is a great cure for jet lag. I also like to go to museums the first day (Louvre, d'Orsay, etc.) so that I can sit a doze a few moments if I need to.

European hotels are accustomed to early morning American arrivals and if a room is available, many will let you check in. At least, you should be able to store your luggage. Bon voyage (we're leaving for Paris tonight!)

We did a Segway tour. It gave us a great get-acquainted trip around the city and was outdoors in the fresh air but did not require the energy of walking around.

We went down Rue Cler, got a bottle of good red wine, stinky delicious cheese and rich chocolate dessert. Then we laid on the Eiffel Tower lawn and soaked it in. It took all my travel jitters and jetlagged weariness right out of me. Laying there, staring up at the Eiffel Tower - it is impossible not to realize you are a million miles from home and all your cares and worries.
Also, as we laid there - we looked at our books and decided what we wanted to do once we left our picnic.

You may be able to check in early, depending on your hotel. On my last trip, I arrived at about 10 am and of course it took a while by train to get to the hotel. I had a nice big omelet for breakfast at a restaurant near my hotel. It felt good to have a normal meal after the gross airplane food.

I suggest strolling through your neighborhood, scope out the pastry shop, grocery store, buy some fresh fruit or snacks for the next day, find other necessities like the nearest ATM machine; I'm sure the hotel can assist with locations of all the above. See a site that is near your hotel or easy to get to, with no transfers on the metro which might be challenging when tired. A walk along the Seine is always wonderful and seeing the sunset with the Eiffel Tower in view is heaven to me. Have a great trip.

Jean, depending upon the location of your hotel room check our one of RS's suggestions: the Bus #69 ride, the Historic Paris walk tour. My wife and I plan on doing both after we check our luggage at our hotel. We will do the Paris walk (4 hours) and take the Bus tour at twlight. Go to your library and check our RS Paris book. Dorsey

The St. Martin canal boat tour is a great introduction to Paris. It takes 2 1/2 hours from either the Quay d'Orsay or the Cite des Sciences. You can hang out in the fresh air on top of the boat or listen to a very funny tour guide inside.

Our first visit, we took an open air bus tour. It was a fantastic way to get the lay of the land, so to speak. We "saw" all the sites as we rode and figured out how far things were from our hotel. It made it so much easier to plan our visit.

Also, your hotel will let you store your bags, even if you can't check in. But our experience has been that people tend to check out early, as they have travel plans.

I am going to second the above recommendation to go to the Ile de la Cite and see Notra Dame and the surrounding area. Saint-Michel Metro station is a good starting point and then just stroll around. That was the starting point of my first view of Paris and I will never forget it :)

My first day in Paris (which was also my first trip overseas) was spent walking around the city, getting a feel for where things were, and going to Notre Dame. I like the idea of doing a tour so you can see a good bit of the city. And the walking helps keep you awake and is a good stretch of the legs after a long flight.

The Batobus is a great value. It is a hop-on-hop-off boat tour with stops at major sites, including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. I paid about 13 Euro for a 2 day pass 2 years ago. You can ride for a while, get off and wander, and come back to it later after you've checked into your hotel. (Most of the hotels I've used at least will store your luggage on arrival -- check with yours to be sure.) It might be a little chilly in March, but all of the seats are inside, so it's not bad at all.

I've learned to avoid the large, physically demanding sites on Day 1, such as Versailles or the Louvre. I was so excited/groggy my first trip, that I injured my foot on the first day, and never realized it until the next morning.

A bus or boat tour that included the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame would be ideal. There is a moving ceremonial re-lighting of the flame at 6 PM at the Arc de Triomphe, by the way.

I second the recommendations for a boat or bus tour. You want to do some walking, but I did one on the Seine which was just right. I agree too that you'll likely be able to at least drop off your luggage and may get into your room. That shower before going out touring sure is terrific. ; )