Paris Layover Logitstics question

The ET will not be lit that late at night (to my recollection) so I'm not sure what you will see in the dark. You could reasonably find an hotel in town, check in late, and get up REALLY early the next morning to get out and about by 6am to enjoy some sights of the city waking up. You could have a sunrise stroll, some warm croissants, and check out of the hotel at 10am and hop in taxi to get back to airport for 10:45 to check back in.

The tower remains lighted until 1:00 in the morning, so you should be able to make it if you check into an airport hotel quickly and take a taxi into town (50€ for the four of you* to Trocadéro for an excellent view).

Then back out to the airport for a little sleep (another 50€ taxi ride) and back to check in by 9 am for your 11 am flight.

(*I don't know for sure where I got the idea you are four people. It's 50€ for the first 4 people, then 4€ for each additional person.)

Very helpful....thanks! We are a family of 4. Our flight doesn't leave until 1 pm so we could squeeze in a morning stroll on the river or a bakery/bistro for breakfast.

I guess a hotel at the airport would solve the sleeping and baggage storage issue.

You'll be tired and the ET lit at night is nice but IMHO, not worth a trip that late. I would check into an airport hotel, get up early and check out. Store your bags and taxi to the city for breakfast and a stroll. Then back to catch your flight. Paris will be there when you have more time.

Consider the time it takes to get through passport control on arrival, (Unsure of wait time, varies greatly) and cab into the city 30 plus minutes at that time of night. I advise to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours ahead of time, plus cab ride to the airport minimum 30 minutes, probably more. At maximum you could be in Paris from 11 pm to 9:15 am, and the time is likely much less. Are you all sharing one room? Not sure how easy it is to find rooms with 2 double beds. Are all 4 going to shower? That is more time used up.

If you really want to see Paris, My suggestion is to pre-book a hotel near the Eiffel Tower, check in and decide if you have energy to walk to the tower that night; ensure you can have very late check in. Pre-arrange for a car service to meet you at the airport, your name on the sign kind of thing. Wake early, see the Tower and Seine, breakfast, checkout and cab to airport. Pre-arrange cab back to airport too. I agree with a previous poster, seeing the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero right across the river is my favourite view.

The Eiffel Tower area is safe enough, there are pick pockets and girls wanting you to sign a protest form in order to pickpocket you. I walk in that area alone a lot.

In 2014, I had a cab pickup from the airport; it was a suggestion from the apartment I rented, [email protected], parisatshuttle.com, 55 Euro, 1 person and I used the same company to return to the airport, nice service. Last fall I used an online booking to get back to the airport which might have been Les Cars, a good service.

Do plan a return to Paris!

Where is your 1 pm flight the following day to? I was assuming it's an intra-European flight, which means you only need to be at the airport 2 hours ahead of time, not 3. But if trans-Atlantic, definitely 3.

I wouldn't suggest the idea of going in in the morning, because traffic will be horrible. Late at night it won't be an issue at all. Yes you will get back to your hotel very late, it's not at all going to be a normal restful night of sleep, but when else will you get this chance to head into the city and glimpse the Tower in all her illuminated glory!! It's simply a choice. Do you want to expend the energy on what is a somewhat zany plan, or is it all a bit much and you want to just get some rest for the night before heading onward the next day. Of course another factor will be whether your flight actually arrives on time Sunday night. The later it gets, the less tenable any of the plan becomes.

I usually count on an hour from the plane landing until I'm out the door of the terminal. You could be lucky and it could be less.

You also do NOT need to reserve a service. June's experience is from before the taxi rates were standardized, so not as applicable any more. A taxi to Trocadero will be 50 euros. Period.