Hello. I will be in Paris for the first time for two days at the end of August and I am staying at the Hotel Mercure Austerlitz Bibliotheque. I have read about how "walkable" Paris is, and the quality of the public transit, but I am wondering about travel times within the city. For example, how much time would it take me to get to the opposite end of the city where the Champs-Elysees and other such tourist attractions are using public transit? I want to leave as much time as I can for exploring, but there are also some sites that I really want to see.
Thanks for any advice!
mbinto
1
iliana
Well, it looks like your hotel is right by a metro stop (Bercy) on the 14 line. You can take that straight to the Louvre, for example. The trains on the 14 line run fast and frequently.
2
morag
Your hotel is actually right beside "Quai de la Gare" Metro station (line 6), but do as #1 suggests. Walk across the bridge to Bercy (line 14). Using the Metro, you can be anywhere in central Paris within 20 mins.
Just plan a route, take the metro to one end of your route, then walk.
3
kerouac2
I agree with the 20 minute figure. 30 minutes max for the most remote areas of Paris. (Add 10 minutes maybe after 10 pm, for waiting time.)
4
clumperino
The Metro is v efficient and the trains are regular and don't forget the buses - they are really worth checking out - might take you longer to get from a-b but you get to see the city en route! And gives you a sense of where everything is. And besides no matter where you are in paris there is so much to see and do - stop stressing about how long it takes to get aroundd, just relax and walk and get a feel for the place - it is worth it.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
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