Paris for a day. What to do?

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cronos

You were advised to visit places like le Centre Pompidou and Montmarte where the Basilique du SacrÃ©-CÅ“ur is located. However, places such as this are not recommendable when you're only in Paris for a day. Like you said, you'll want do the "musts" more than the random. In the 15 hours that you'll be in Paris you will have the opportunity to do many things that you wouldn't think possible in that time span. These are the must-do's for a day trip to Paris:

Le Louvre - you were told not to go to museums supposedly because it would take up to much time. That's not true. You can go through the 3 wings of the Louvre at a leisurely pace in 3-4 hours. Obviously, you'll probably want to only see the most famous works. Most of the famous masterpieces are located in or near the Grand Galerie in the Denon wing. This would include the several works by Da Vinci and other master Italian artists. The Richelieu wing, which is much less visited, is where the apartments of Napoleon III are located. The jaw-dropping, ornate apartments are located on the top floor of the Richelieu and should definitely be visited. And, unlike the Grand Galerie, you will not be suffocated by hordes of tourists. A complete tour of the Grand Galerie, a visit to the Venus de Milo, and a trip up to Napoleon III's apartments can be done in 2 hours (at a very leisurely pace). Le Louvre, and what's inside it, are probably some of the most important treasures on Earth. Le Louvre is open from 9am to 6pm and is closed on Tuesdays. I would make this one of the first things you do in order to avoid the crowds (so go a little before opening and you can explore the Tuileries Gardens).
Eiffel Tower - Lines to go up in the tower's observation decks are very long so I wouldn't recommend trying. Photos of the tower from the Champs de Mars (park adjacent the tower) are especially beautiful on clear, sunny days.
Notre Dame de Paris - the cathedral of Notre Dame is an architectural icon of Paris, and France. Visit whenever, lines usually move fast. If you visit during a mass you will hear the beautiful pipe organs and choir, and if you're Catholic/Christian, you can easily attend the mass.
Les Champs-Ã‰lysÃ©es - the most famous street in Paris. A stroll down the street would require some energy but most people do it. L'Arc de Triomphe is also important to visit.
Montmarte - this is only recommended if you're interested in consuming a chunk of your time. Montmarte is where the white-domed Basilica de Sacre-Coeur is located. Beautiful and majestic, it overlooks the Paris. The views are spectacular. Have a great time.

Rammy

Don't get a room - it'll waste precious time! Like another answerer said, sleep on the Eurostar - I found it quite comfortable.

There are always the famous tourist spots - la Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de Triomphe, le Louvre, but if you've only got a day a museum would probably take up too much time. So you could go up la Tour Eiffel and l'Arc de Triomphe, then just try and take in as much of the city as you can in a day! Go and sit for a while outside a cafÃ© with a coffee and just watch the world go by, or take a river cruise. You can get one from Pont Neuf and it's a great way to see the city.

Also, make a point of visiting one of Paris' many beautiful parks. I love Parc Monceau, in the 8Ã¨me arrondissement as it's small but very beautiful and hardly any tourists know about it. Le Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6Ã¨me arrondissement is also lovely, but much busier.

There are many beautiful churches in Paris, too. There are the famous ones - Notre-Dame, SacrÃ©-Coeur but there are less famous ones that are just as impressive, for example Sainte-Chapelle on l'ÃŽle de la CitÃ©, and Saint-Sulpice in the 6Ã¨me arrondissement. I'm not religious, but I found all of these churches very beautiful and interesting.

There is so much to do in Paris that you can only get a tiny taste of it in a day, but I hope you have a great time!

Go Gators

1. Forget about getting a room; you can sleep on the Eurostar!
2. Do a river cruise. They show you most of the major tourist attraction. When it ends, you can jump on the Metro and go see the places that intrigue you the most.
Have a great time. I love Paris!

Angela G

we stayed outside of the city, it was near the airport at a little hotel that was about the size of a cruise ship room. We only paid 28 euros it was very clean and safe and just a block from the train station. It was the Classe Roisy. But why would you need a nap if you are only there for the day?

Anyways, must sees? If I went for just the day I would rent a GPS walking guide from digitours. Take the best of paris walking tour. It is a 7 hour walking tour that takes you to the best of Paris. When you get to the next site it has a little audio about what you are seeing. Then I would have dinner at a cafe across the river from the Notre Dam in the streets behind the little shops. Grab a croissant and some pastries to take home. Then head back over to the Eiffel tower for the sunset and see it all lit up.

OR maybe a river cruise if you don't want to walk too much.

have fun!You will be tired but it will be awesome!

I just returned from Paris and what a fantastic trip it was...my best ever!
1) As soon as you get there, buy a one-day metro pass which allows you to hop on and off the metro all day long (works out much cheaper this way than individual tickets).

2) I must recommend that you visit Le Louvre Museum during the day and you can buy a discount ticket while you are there later in the day for about 6 euros. I do not know when you are going, but do your research ahead of time if you are there on the first Sunday of the month, many museums offer free admission. An inexpensive way to see great museums and works of arts. By the time you exit the Museum, it will be lit up at night and it is such a spectacular site to see with all of the lights! I went to see it four days in a row!!

3) If you like architecture, then Le Pompideau is something to see and the water fountains should now be flowing to add to Paris' splendour. There is a mini museum inside (free).

4) The Eiffel Tour of course cannot be missed! It is quite magnificent to stand and watch its structure, from near or far. It is a great show to see it lit up at night, as well as the hourly twinkling show...

5) The Sacre-Coeur was a great site. The town of Montmartre was a nice and quaint area. This is the highest point in Paris so it offers a great panoramic view of the city during the day.

So take your pick...stop in at a tourist office at one of the main stations...Gare du Nord has an office with helpful staff and tons of brochures and maps!

Be sure to take good walking shoes! It is a city to be seen on foot.

As for hotels, you may wish to book a hotel in advance from London to get a better rate. Do your homework.

Bon voyage!

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