Touring Paris, Maybe Mont St. michael

You're fortunate to have eight days in Paris. I think a simple hop on hop off bus tour is great for your first full day to get oriented. By your second day, you'll feel like a temporary Parisian knowing which bakery near your hotel is best for your morning croissant.

I would not spend the money for a Gray Line Tour solely to get to the Eiffel Tower. All that does is get you into a separate tour line for the tower entrance which, depending on the time of day, can be much longer than then the general entrance.

And only going to the second level misses the point. If the weather permits, you'll want to go all the way to the top! Would you pay Grey Line to take you only to the 97th floor of the Empire State Building?

Elaine,

With such a short time in France, I wouldn't bother with a day trip to Mont St. Michel this time. The travel time there and back from Paris is going to take a while, so you'd only have a few hours to spend at Mont St. Michel.

I agree with Doug on the Gray Line Tour and Eiffel Tower. It may not actually save that much time and I suspect it won't be cheap!

I've used the Hop On / Hop Off Bus tours ("Red Bus" or others) in several cities in Europe, and find the cost is reasonable and these provide a good "overview" of the major sites. It's a good way to become familiar with the layout of a part of the city, and they're also a great place to rest aching feet for an hour or so!

Happy travels!

We did the hop-on/hop-off bus tour last May in Paris. Pro's - you get an overview of the city and can get off when it is interesting to you. It goes everywhere a tourist would want to go. Con - When we were there, there was a traffic strike and a lot of traffic. The bus seemed to move slower at many times than we could walk and at one point we got stuck in a round-a-bout intersection going the opposite direction of traffic and the bus couldn't turn around for over 15 minutes, on top of that we had a 15 minute break at the Grayline office. We didn't think we'd stop there so long. As this is our only experience, I'm not sure that day was typical. We are going back to Paris in May to see more. I wouldn't do the hop-on hop-off bus a second time.

We decided to save time and walked up the stairs at the Eiffel Tower to the 2nd level. I'd do that again. The fresh air was great and I enjoyed seeing all the views from the staircase. I'd do that again if time in Paris permitted. The elevators seemed so crowded when they'd go by us that I was glad we were not on them.

There is also another option and that is to take the Batoboat. It is hop on hop off boat that goes past the main tourist stops on the seine and is a lot of fun.

Elaine, Mont St. Michel is worth more than a day. I'd go only if you can do overnight.

I sent you a PM on my last trip to Paris, which included a trip to MSM and the Normandy beaches.

We rented a car and spent the night at a chateau 10 min from MSM. This was better than our time spent in Paris!

Would you guys give us some details on an extended stay at MSM please? I went, climbed to the top, and climbed down again. Did I miss something? Merci mille fois. (Nevermind the tides; they don't run in June when I go).

Hello Elaine, Mont St. Michel is a breathtaking site, but I have always found it more beautiful "seeing" it than actually touring on it. For such a short stay in France whether it is advisable to go is really a matter of what is interesting to you. You could spend days just in museums in Paris; walking the streets and getting to see the many, many sights, etc. However, if you are someone who quickly tires of the sights, then trips outside will be well worth your time. MSM is one trip, but I would only do it if you also included time to see Normandy and the sites from the WWII invasion. Also, if you are a real cathedral buff, going to Chartres is ann easy day trip from Paris. This is one of the great cathedrals that one can study a lifetime and still not understand everything. Taking the trains are easy to do and will also expose you to the countryside. In reality, you won't make a poor choice. Take your time, enjoy each moment there, and always seek to smell the roses. Cheers. Michael B.

Regarding MSM, I second Michael's comments above. It is quite impressive to see it as you approach it during the day and even more so at night when the floodlights give it a special quality.

We were able to hire a private guide for the first three days of our visit to Paris. This was a splurge but it really did expand our visit and make it quite a lot easier since he took care of the logistics. At the time, we did it because my wife had been ill and we wanted to smooth out the visit as much as possible. If would have been a good idea anyway.

I suggest that you include in your plans the evening boat trip on the Seine. The one that leaves from Pont Neuf is a good one. www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/

Bill, I get your point about MSM, but I think people recommend you go for a more then a daytrip so that you can combine it with a visit to perhaps the D Day beaches, and/or Bayeaux.. I agree, in of itself,, you only need a few hours. I would hestitate to go in summer on a day bus trip Elaine,,, the crowds will stun you ( talk about traffic jam, you will be breathing other peoples air in some places, LOL )

I would take the L'Open Tour HOHO bus( it has more routes then the red bus and more stops) . The two day pass is only a few euros more then the one day pass, and its lovely to sit up top and see the neightborhoods as you pass through them. The metro is faster, but you are like a gopher on that,, popping up here and there.. LOL Great for those who have been before( as I said, it is faster, and it is cheaper) but the HOHO buses are a good orientation , and way cheaper then the big bus tours( where you just sit on the bus most of the time and "see" sites by driving past them)

You will encounter a line at the ET,, go early in am for least line time,, ( before it opens) but most other places lines are not so bad.. REally line time is not such a bad thing, gives you time to look at your guide books, ( read about what you are about to see) look a map, discuss next site,, etc etc.

PS I also second walking up ET,, its not so bad( I am well middle aged) and the line is shorter.

Elaine: Yes, the hop-on/hop-off tours will serve you well for your first day. After that, with a Paris bus map, you can plan your own tours. For instance, go to the Gare du Nord and get on Bus No. 42. It passes many of the Paris sites everyone wants to see. Get off the bus at the Champs de Mars. You can walk from the bus stop to the Tour Eiffel, if you want to. Or cross to the other side of the Champs and take Bus No. 69. This, too, is a good sight-seeing route. You can get off at Bastille, if you like (and take a walk on the Promenade Plantée) or continue and get off at Père Lachaise Cemetary. If you buy a Mobilis transport pass (5.80 euro for one day pass) you can get off and on the buses whenever you want, just like the HO/HO but way cheaper.

And by the way, if you book a Gray Line Tour just so you can go up the Eiffel Tower, I hope the Rain & Cloud gods are kind that day, otherwise you'll not see much.