Paris Layover

If by "see" you mean, "enter, climb on top of, and otherwise tour," I'd say, no.

But if you mean "see" as in "look at," I encourage you to go for it.

For instance: take the RER to Place Charles DeGaulle and admire the Arc. You'd probably have time to climb it and enjoy an amazing view of the city. Then walk to Trocadaro and feast your senses on the tower.

If you have time, cross the river and see it up close, or jump on the metro for a quick visit to Notre Dame. Then back via the RER.

Beats sitting around the airport.

Hi Marc: While 5 hours sounds long enough for your plan, I would be especially careful: CDG is quite far out of the city center with a minimum of an hour's trip. Also, if you are in transit, you would probably (I have never done this) have to go through security again. CDG can be terribly disorganized. I have a l hr 5 min layover there is April and am seriously concerned about even making the 2nd plane.
As for transportation into the city: try the Paris web site; it may offer options There may also be a Metro guide available on line. GOod luck...enjoy Rome.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it. Given the time it would take to get into Paris, plus the time to get back through CDG, wouldn't give you much time to see anything. I missed a connecting flight at CDG, which should have been easily made, due to the pokiness of French bureaucracy.

Marc -

Travel time alone with rail can take you from 30 minutes to 45 minutes each way to get to these locations - so minimally you are looking at 2 hours travel time alone via a train. Then you have to consider that you will have to go through all your security again. Perhaps another 30 minutes etc.

What you could do is take a taxis to hit one of the locations - Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame. However, you are looking at 40 Euros each way - ouch.

Should you decide to risk the run into town - For Arc take the RER B to Chatelet - Change to the Metro line 1 (direction La Defense) get off at Charles de Gaulle Etoile.

For Tour Eiffel - RER B to Saint Michel change to RER C (direction Versailles) to Champs de Mars

For Notre Dame - RER B to Saint Michel - it is a short walk (this would be the closest and most direct site for you - of those you listed).

Charles, I sympathize with your desire to see some of Paris during your layover, because I can't imagine sitting in dreary CDG for 5 hours, when such beauty is relatively close-by. But you want to make your flight too. Personally, if I was arriving there and it was not during rush hour (when the trip into town could take 1 hour) I'd take a cab to the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame. Both are worth seeing even if only for a few minutes. I would consider it money well spent.

If your five hours is from your scheduled arrival at CDG to your scheduled departure for Rome, it won't be worth it. It can take up to an hour to clear immigration/passport control, just under an hour to get to Paris, and just under an hour to get back to CDG. Even if you don't have to check in for your flight to Rome until one hour before departure, that leaves you with only one hour in Paris.

As an alternative, you could take a 20-minute bus ride north to the medieval walled town of Senlis, wander around a bit, stop at a cafe, and get back to CDG in plenty of time to check in for your flight to Rome. Here is the URL for the bus timetables: www.metro-pole.net/hor/fiche/1400.01.html.

Hi Marc - I have the same question for a flight in a couple of weeks. What did you decide to do? Did you leave the airport? Any help or advice you could provide would be great!

Thanks!

Ummm. Priscilla, Marc posted a year ago. Doubtful he's still here. Please don't wake the zombies.

It's perfectly OK to post your own question so responses are contemporaneous.