Paris in 12 hours

Yes, you can leave luggage at CDG. If money is not an object I would maximize time by storing luggage at the airport, by a one day museum pass (to skip the lines) and taxi to the Ile de la Cite. From there I would do Rick's Historic Paris walk that includes Notre Dame and St. Chapelle. Next I would head to the Louvre (or Orsay if you prefer impressionists to old masters). Next I would choose between wandering up the Champs Elysee ending at the Arc de Triomphe or I would go to the Trocodero and see the Eiffel Tower. Then taxi back out to the airport and sleep on my next flight.

I think Janelles post is optimistic, but missing some of the timing factor. Don't think you could get all that in,, Andy, you must be back at airport to 3 hours in advance to retrieve luggage and get through security. It takes about 40 minutes on RER in and out of Paris. Give yourself time to get luggage, then take it to storage ,, then get train tickets into Paris.. ( got euros handy, or will you need to go to manned kiosk to buy tickets as opposed to machines) . There is no one day musuem pass for Paris. Choose one main "must do" site, and then work around that. For some it would be ET, others the Louvre, others just want to wander in Latin Quarter and sit at a cafe and admire Notre Dame. Break your time down. 1 hr spent arriving at CDG , getting luggage and checking it into storage 1 hr getting RER tickets and taking train into Paris
3 hours at least on return That leaves you about 7-8 hours in Paris. Travelling between sites if in different areas take up time too. Yes metro ride may only be 5-10 minutes but theres walking from site to metro station, finding platform etc. You DO have time to visit Paris. but you need to edit what you want to see, and plan the routes ahead of time so you are not wasting time. What do YOU really want to see. There are no tours that take you from airport. RER is about 35 minutes and leaves often , it is the fastest way in, taxis are easy but you don't want to get stuck in road rush hour.

I wouldn't try to pack too much in but rather wander to the main sights you want to see, be sure to leave time for a boat ride on the Seine (an hour for the ride and time to get to the dock and stand in line), sitting at a cafe watching the world, and a meal somewhere.

Whether or not you are checking luggage will greatly impact how much time you will have. I've had it take up to almost two hours to get my luggage and clear customs/immigration at CDG. I would recommend you start by purchasing a one day Paris Visite Pass for zones 1-5. This will give you unlimited transportation (bus, metro and RER) for the day. It's also going to cost less than rt RER fare to/from CDG. While a taxi sounds tempting, it could end up taking a lot longer than the RER if you hit bad traffic. From there you'll have to prioritize. I like the idea of a HO/HO bus for people with limited time. A trip to the Eiffer Tower + Seine River cruise could be nice, or even just spending a few hours in the Louvre. Your call. And leave plenty of time before your flight to get back to the airport. You really should be leaving Paris 3 hours before your flight departs CDG.

Eiffel Tower, Rodin Garden, & Orsay Museum. Probably good idea to get advance ticket to the Eiffel Tower if you do plan on going so you spend less of your time in line.

Is early October a busy time for tourism in Paris ? Should we expect to line up for Eiffel Tower and river cruise ? Thanks for all the good comments .

I would second Pat's recommendations all around. And as to museums, be careful about the possibility of long lines. I was recently in Paris for 2 days, and we planned to go to the Musee d'Orsay one morning. We spent a fair amount of time getting there, then saw a massive line that wound around and around several times, so we left and wound up at the Carnevalet Museum eventually (no line, and great). We were used to just walking up to the Orsay and getting right in. But that was 10 years ago. Maybe there was a special exhibit, or maybe that's become the norm.

Andy, Since you may be quite tired after a long travel night and then facing another long flight, I would definitely limit your time in museums and monuments. I suggest picking just one or two, then enjoying a lovely mid- day meal in a cafe and perhaps a garden stroll. Linda

@ Robert: Massive lines at Orsay are definitely the norm. That's why Rick emphasizes so much buying tickets in advance (either separately if you're going only to one or two museums, or with the Pass) to avoid the big line. There can be a small line for those with advance tickets, but never anything like the big line.

Dina's idea on the Paris visite for transport into the city is good; if you think you can only go to the Orsay and Rodin (along with some Seine strolling, and this makes sense because they're located near to each other), I think you can print your own (individual) pre-purchase musem tickets by going to www.fnac.com. (You used to have to go to FNAC to pick them up, which wouldn't be great for you, but check it out -- if you can print them at home and bring them with you, that would be a great option). At the FNAC website, click on "Spectacles." I think they have enough English to get around the site. Good luck!