Arriving late evening in Paris at CDG in June as part of a layover. We are staying at a hotel at the airport and plan on waking up early to get a few hours in Paris. Will need to make it back to CDG for our [international] flight at 3pm and also retrieve our bags at our hotel (since we can't check them in the night before....). There are 3 of us - late 40's parents and our 6 year old. Husband has been to Paris, daughter and I haven't. Looking more for the experience rather than seeing typical tourist spots. What would you do with so little time? Thanks in advance!
1
ben
Personally, and I insist this is totally personal, I would take the RER B and get off at St-Michel, then have a look at Notre-Dame, then move south toward St-Germain des Prés, then have a meal in one of the many outside restaurants on Rue Mouffetard then move back toward Charles-de-Gaulle airport.
Have fun
2
clementis_fur_cap
The wording here is unclear.
Is it a 3 pm flight? Or a 5 pm flight and you're already allowing 2 hours to get past security and re-check your bags?
If it's a 3 pm flight, you probably need to leave Paris proper at 11;30 or so, to also give you time to collect your bags. And that hardly seems worth the (potentially jet-lagged) effort.
Looking more for the experience rather than seeing typical tourist spots
Again, the wording--the distinction you're trying to make-- is unclear. Seeing a sight is (or can be) an experience.
Anyway, I'm not sure you have much choice but to pick a neighborhood or two that most appeals to you and wander until time's up.
Personally, I'd probably opt to sleep in and skip the city entirely. That way, I could arrive fresher and more rested in my first real destination.
3
kenko
I agree with Ben. Hop on the RER commuter train for the 45-minute ride to St.Michel station which is close to Notre Dame and Ile de Cite. St. Chapelle- the monarch's chapel- is here also. So is the Conciergerie- the prison where Marie Antoinette was held. Walk alongside the Seine past the massive Louvre Museum and through the Tuileries Garden. Maybe stop in at Angelina's for a bite to eat and a cup of authentic hot chocolate. Angelina's is at 226 Rue de Rivoli. Beyond is the Place de la Concorde where a lot of aristocrats lost their heads in the wake of the French Revolution. Crossing over the Seine and working your way back toward St. Michel, you will pass the Musee D'Orsay with its world-renowned Impressionist Art collection. There's a gilded restaurant inside from the golden age of rail travel when the D'Orsay was a train station.
You can also catch a public bus to get a quick tour of central Paris before taking the RER commuter train back to CDG Airport.
You definitely have a few hours to explore Paris during your stopover. Enjoy!
4
onyx007
I'm a pretty fit walker (but you have a 6 year old, so that's no option, but just a thing one can do, if one has just a short time in Paris). I was several times already in Paris and once I was only in transit to the Normandy. I arrived in the evening for one night in Paris and within about 4 hours I went up Tour Montparnasse and walked all the way from there trough the Jardin Luxembourg, Notre-Dame, had a dinner Close to the City-Hall (Hotel de Ville) from there to the Louvre, Place de la Concorde and finally to the Eiffel Tower and back to my Hotel next to Montparnasse.
So if you plan ahead and have the time you can see a lot in a short time. The Tour Monparnasse might be a nice option (without a long waiting time) to have a look at whole Paris. And from there you might take the walk through the very nice Jardin Luxembourg to the Notre-Dame. The quarter beside Notre-Dame has nice old houses with many nice restaurants.
5
worldinparis
Hi,
I don't tend to share links to my blog unless they are relevant to the questions. But this one looks like the perfect answer to yours
http://worldinparis.com/unique-things-paris-layover
Hope it helps. Have fun in Paris, even if it is only for few hours ;-)
Elisa (World In Paris)
6
lilyramone
Another option which involves less walking and the 6 year old should like ànd you'll see the Eiffel tower from close by: RER B to St Michel as above, check out the Notre Dame and Ile de la Cité and walk to nearby Pont Neuf for a 1 hour cruise on the Seine river.
http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/home/
7
kerouac2
The RER B to either Châtelet-Les Halles or Saint Michel-Notre Dame both offer lots of exceptional "wandering" options without actually requiring you to visit monuments and such, since you won't really have time for that.
8
Thorn Tree
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