Three middle-age ladies visiting first time for one day only. Arrive Eurostar 0930 on Friday, 9/21.
Obviously, we want to maximize our time and see all that we can. In addition to Tour Eiffel, our %26quot;musts%26quot; include lunch at a great sidewalk cafe sipping a good French wine, and %26quot;getting a feel for/soaking up ambience of%26quot; Paris, viewing the Mona Lisa. Would appreciate all help, and these specific questions:
1. Is L%26#39;Open Tour a good way to get the city overview? 2nd/better
choice if weather is uncooperative?
2. Shorter queues on Friday at Eiffel early a.m. or 1700? Restroom
locations near/at Eiffel?
3. Good sidewalk cafe for height-phobic friends to wait near Eiffel?
4. Time of sunset 3rd week of Sept.? Would love to experience
Eiffel day, sunset, night.
5. Best time of day for Louve? Any way to %26quot;beat the queues%26quot;?
All one-day itinerary suggestions welcome and appreciated!
Thank you!
6. Taxi fare from Gard du Nord to Eiffel? to Notre Dame?
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Forgot...............
7. Which direction on Champs Elysees is downhill? We%26#39;re no
spring chicks, but do enjoy walking/browsing.
Merci!
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Yes, if you are pushed for time L%26#39;Open Tour would be a great way to get round all the sights - by just hopping on and hopping off.
We walked the length of CE several times and I would highly recommend it - maybe if you have time at night - just slowly amble down. Enjoy.
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If you start at the Arc de Triomphe and and walk to Place de la Concorde it is a downhill walk.
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I was at Eiffel 17:00 last Friday. Queued 90 mins to get to 2nd stage then another 30 to get to the top. If you are only in Paris for a day it will be a serious waste of time. I only went because we had an Australian guest who was determined to get to the top.
There is currently a bar/snack area close to it on the riverside which would be as good a place to wait as any. From under the tower look for the little fairground - you%26#39;ll see a carousel - then walk towards and past that.
Paris is choc a bloc with tourists at present. No way to beat the queues.
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Thanks, brianc - hoping that some of the tourists have children that must be back home to start school before 3rd week of Sept.!
Parisians: Is there any substantial decline in queues between now and 3rd week of Sept.?
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Bump for a.m. - thanks!
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One day in Paris, the last thing you want to do is queue at the Eiffrel Tower. A much better vantage point is the Tour de Montparnasse; It is the only %26#39;skyspraker%26#39; within the centre of Paris. It is a concrete horror BUT the queues were NON existant, the admission CHEAP, the Eiffrel Tower was within its view, and it was not.
However the view from the Toccerado accross the Seine to the Eiffrel tower and the %26#39;champs de mars%26#39; -- now that is worth doing.
If you need to see the Mona Lisa, then fine go to the Louvre, otherwise arrange another trip with more time.
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There are public restrooms in the Champs de Mars very close to the Eiffel Tower. I don%26#39;t know how inviting they are though. I%26#39;ve never used them. You might also consider bypassing the lines at the ET and, instead, go up the Arc de Triumphe. The view is wonderful, no lines, and walking up the stairs is just enough exercise to feel virtuous about all the croissants, wonderful French chocolates etc. you%26#39;ll no doubt sample while there.
The Montparnasse tower also has a great view and no lines, but IMO, with just the one day, it%26#39;s a bit out of the way to get to.
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Hello --
Gare du Nord and the Tour Eiffel are on opposite sides of the city, and therefore not your best bet money-wise if you are willing to take the metro, which is efficient and cheap.
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However, now that I think about that, the trip from north/northeast Gare du Nord to west Tour Eiffel by metro would require a change from 4 to line 6, and the most logical place to do this would be at Montparnasse, which is not the most enjoyable of stations (it is ENORMOUS, with many lines crossing through it). If you are willing to drop the cash -- not sure of exactly how much but I%26#39;m sure you can expect to pay at least 15 euro -- it might be more convenient if you are not keen on thye idea of navigating big metro stations, or going on a relatively long metro ride.
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