less than 24 hours in Paris...

July 13, 2009 8:22 PM

In September I have a one-day layover in Paris (noon on a Saturday until 8am the next morning) on my way back to the US from the Middle East. Looking for suggestions to make the best of less than 24 hours in a city i've never been to!

Because I have such limited time (less than 24 hours), I would love AskMeFi suggestions on the best itinerary for someone that's never been to Paris and doesn't speak French. (just Spanish and some Portuguese)

I will be coming in on the RER from Charles deGaulle, but I haven't picked a place to stay that's central and close to the train that will get me back out to the airport in the morning. Any suggestions on a neigborhood (or cheap hotel/hostel to stay at?)

Aside from the obvious (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame) Any suggestions on things I should try to squeeze in or see in my brief time there? things of interest include cultural events, museums, architecture, and people watching. I'm not too big on nightlife, especially not for one-night with an early morning departure.

Thanks in advance!

posted by waylaid to travel & transportation (17 comments total)

My wife and I really enjoyed the Musee D'Orsay with all it's fantastic impressionist (pre and post) painting and sculpture (hardly any crucifixions or tortured saints). It's also a manageable size and easy to get around. It has a nice cafe as well.
posted by bonobothegreat at 8:40 PM on July 13

To be honest, if I were coming to Paris for the first time under those conditions, I wouldn't deviate too far off the beaten path. These places are all very easy to access via the subway. Take the train in to the touristy areas down near Ile de la cite, which is where Notre Dame is anyway. Go see the cathedral. It's worth your limited time because it's breathtaking and it won't suck up your whole afternoon. Don't try to tackle the Louvre this visit. It's too huge, and it really is worth an entire day to see properly. Instead, walk down past the Louvre and go through the Jardin des Tuileries. You'll get a nice sense of the museum, and that area (to me) feels very quintessentially Parisian. Keep walking through the tuileries until you get to the Champs Elysees. It's a wonderful, leisurely walk, and you'll definitely get that "I'm in Paris!" feel. Instead of the Louvre, take bonobothegreat's suggestion and see Musee D'Orsay, which is very near the Champs Elysees/Tuileries. From there, I'd go to Parc du Champs Mars/Eiffel Tower. It's cliche, but really -- you can't go to Paris and not see it! It's a lovely area -- touristy, but lovely. Of course, make sure you leave time for a great lunch/dinner in a Paris cafe. Later, have some coffee and get a pastry. I find Paris an oddly relaxing city, and to me, that's the biggest "don't miss this!" of the city. Don't rush around like mad tourists, especially since you have a morning flight. Be leisurely, remember you can schedule a longer trip to see the city, and soak in the atmosphere. It really is lovely.
posted by theantikitty at 9:04 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

I suggest you meet a captivating and mysterious woman who challenges you intellectually and you have a whirlwind 24 hour romance..
posted by mediocre at 9:05 PM on July 13

My wife and I found Charles De Gaulle airline security dreadfully, dreadfully slow on a Saturday morning recently. Dozens of people manning the xray machines. One checking passports. We almost missed our flight home. Don't cut it close.

That said, I might avoid going into the big attractions, and take a long walk. You can't 'do' everything, but you can see lots of it. Walk through both islands, along the seine, past the louvre and d'orsay, to the eiffel tower. Then wander back another way and maybe through the Marais. Stop anywhere for a coffee or snack or shopping that looks good to you.

Or take a boat cruise and see lots of that even faster.
posted by thenormshow at 9:45 PM on July 13

Sunset at Sacre Coeur, and a walk through the surrounding neighbourhoods, then walk down through the red light district to the Moulin Rouge.
posted by thenormshow at 9:47 PM on July 13

Walking along the Seine is key to soaking up some awesome atmosphere in my opinion, especially at sunset and dusk. The Seine bisects the city in a really nice way, you can't get lost, and you can pass perhaps four out of the five biggest attractions (Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, and Louvre) on the way.

Don't try to tackle the Louvre this visit. It's too huge, and it really is worth an entire day to see properly.

This. I studied abroad in Paris and it took me *months* to see the Louvre in all its glory. Going for a hasty hour visit will be reduced to rushing in, heading straight for the Mona Lisa, taking a picture, and leaving. Not at all worth it.

thenormshow's Sacre Coeur suggestion is a good one, but keep in mind that it's significantly further away from the rest of the attractions we're talking about here. I wouldn't bother trying to walk or subway all the way there and back when your precious time could be spent on the Seine instead.

Also, on the Eiffel Tower - if you want to go up in it, the 1st (and second, I believe) floors/platforms are way cheaper, easier to climb up, and less crowded with basically the same view. Going to the top takes a while, and you'll have to deal with a tiny crowded platform (and some dizzying heights.) I wouldn't bother. The lower decks have chairs and tables, a museum, space to walk around - much nicer.
posted by Muffpub at 10:00 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

Musee d'Orsay. It's MUCH better than the Louvre, you can devour it in one day, and legend has it that the architects and interior designers spent as much time figuring out where to put each painting as the painters spent creating their impressionist masterpieces. Go. Also, it's situated along the Seine, so it's really win win.
posted by ohyouknow at 10:09 PM on July 13

I love museums and I wouldn't spend my few hours in Paris in a museum. Instead I'd pick one sight - Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and plan a walk around seeing that. You could do worse than this plan from good old Rick Steves: Historic Walk Part 1: Ile-de-la-Cité & Historic Walk Part 2: Left Bank and Sainte-Chapelle.
posted by 26.2 at 10:46 PM on July 13 [1 favorite]

Good advice here but I'd ditch the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Couer etc and stay in the centre. Travelling to and queuing at the Eiffel Tower will eat up your time, as will travelling out of the centre of Paris to Montmartre, Montparnasse etc. Don't be too ambitious because you'll end up spending hours on the metro.

Stick to the Ile de la Cite/Ile St Louis from where you can see Notre Dame, St. Chappelle, Musee D'Orsay, Louvre, Tuilerie Gardens, the Marais and the Latin Quartier. You can do most of this on foot.

Check out the Paris tag.
posted by fire&wings at 12:30 AM on July 14

I had almost the same layover this time last year, and I really only had time to see the Eiffel tower and go out to eat/people watch for a little bit. You could probably do more, but you'd be rushed. If you do end up going to the Eiffel tower, I'm seconding Muffpub on only going up to the 2nd platform, rather than the 3rd/top (it took me at least two hours just to get to the 2nd on a Saturday afternoon).

I'd strongly suggest staying at a hotel near the airport rather than one in Paris. You need to be at CDG at least two hours before your flight takes off, and the RER doesn't reopen until 5 in the morning. Given that it's a half hour away and Sundays are a big travel day, that gives you best case scenario slightly less than a half hour of buffer time. I wouldn't risk it. I stayed at the Novotel CDG. This was mainly a business hotel and a little pricier than I would have preferred, but the entrance was literally IN the RER station and hence attached to the airport. The Ibis hotel was also connected to the RER and it was cheaper, although sold out by the time I tried to book it. This link has some great info on CDG hotels and getting them for cheaper than published prices.

Enjoy your trip!
posted by karyotypical at 4:43 AM on July 14

A quick follow-up: does your flight leave at 8 am, or are you aiming to be back at the airport at 8 am for a later departure?

I'd say you could have a great afternoon/evening sticking to the sights along the Seine, and perhaps, if you're feeling a bit out of sorts after sitting on a plane for some time, getting a bike from VeLib, the city's bike rental service.
posted by mdonley at 4:57 AM on July 14

If it is sunny, do not miss Sainte-Chappelle, as mentioned in 26.2's post above. It's right around the corner from Notre Dame, and is easily one of the most stunning things to see in the entire city -- the main sanctuary is narrow compared to other cathedrals, but the walls are high and seem to be made almost entirely out of stained glass. Walking in there on a bright day is akin to walking into a gigantic jewel box. It's glorious.

Do not miss buying a freshly-made crêpe from a street vendor. They come in a variety of flavors, but the ham and swiss ones are divine.

I concur with those who are saying to skip the museums. If you had anything more than a few hours to blow, I'd totally recommend Musee D'Orsay, followed by The Louvre if you had several days, but really, unless you're a major art buff I think it might be a waste of your time.

Oh, and touristy though they are, the river cruises up the Seine are terrific, especially at dusk. We hopped on one right by Hôtel De Ville just as the sun was setting, and came around the corner to the Eiffel Tower stop just as they set off the sparkling strobe lights. It was magical.
posted by shiu mai baby at 6:52 AM on July 14

@mdonley: My flight is at 8:25am, which - you're right - is cutting it a little close, especially as the RER B seems to leave 5 or so on Sunday morning. Hm. I can't seem to find a weekend schedule for the RER. Could you give a hand?
posted by waylaid at 10:24 AM on July 14

Sure -

Go to ratp.fr - click "horaries" (blue clock, lower left) - click "RER" - select the "B" and "tous les horaires de ligne" buttons, then click "valider" - under "les directions", select "Aeroport Charles De Gaulle" and under "les jours d'application", select "Samedi, Dimanche, et feries", then click "valider" - you'll be asked to download a PDF; accept it. Now you've got the weekend/holiday schedule

On the PDF schedule, you'll see that from Gare du Nord, the first RER leaves at 0456 and arrives at 0528 at CDG 1 and 0530 at CDG 2. Subsequent trains depart Gare du Nord at 0530, 0545, and 0551; all arrive at CDG 2 before 0630.

This bus, run by RATP, departs at 0545 and arrives at CDG 2 at 0629 and leaves from the Opera.
posted by mdonley at 1:03 PM on July 14

Ah! There's also a night bus ("le Noctilien"), #N140, that goes from Gare de l'Est to CDG. Schedule available by clicking on this link, then clicking on the light-blue N140 box.
posted by mdonley at 1:07 PM on July 14

Whoops, one more step - when you click on the link to download the N140 schedule, it opens another window in your browser - click on "summer timetable" at the top. Another PDF! Departures from Gare de l'Est are at 0100, 0200, 0300, and 0340, cost €6.40, and take an hour and 22 minutes. Since you're flying all the way across the ocean...why not just stay out all night, get the bus at 0300, and crash out on the plane?
posted by mdonley at 1:11 PM on July 14

Good call, except I go back to work on that next Monday. So I need to get SOME rest. :)

Thanks for helping me out there!
posted by waylaid at 4:16 PM on July 14