Exploring Paris in 24 Hours

 

    As I was planning our trip to Germany, one of the first steps I took was searching to find the cheapest time to travel and the most efficient flight option. When I saw that we could fly from Chicago O'Hare to Paris Charles De Gaulle nonstop through United at a really good price, I knew I was on the right track. Thus began the planning of our two week trip to Europe. We wanted to spend the majority of our time in Germany, so that meant we only had one night in Paris before we took a train to Frankfurt. I started watching YouTube videos, following Facebook groups, and reading travel books to find out how we could see the main parts of Paris in 24 hours. (Tip: Follow Les Frenchies on Facebook and YouTube. They were so helpful and reminded me of things to plan for that I didn't even think about! Also, Rick Steves was useful for planning all aspects of an international trip.) This post provides the resources I used to create our itinerary, and how we saw Paris in a short amount of time.

Flight:

    Like I mentioned before, our flight was nonstop from Chicago O'Hare to Paris Charles De Gaulle. From Google searching, I discovered that March to early April was not considered peak season to visit Paris and Germany. Unlike the summer and fall, early spring is a more calm tourist time because of cooler temperatures and possible rainy conditions. The winter time brings an influx because of the Christmas markets. I was seeing the correlation with the prices of flights, so I planned that we would fly out on April 2nd. For three people in basic economy, we paid about $1,200 for our one-way flight. The original flight time had us departing Chicago at 6:05 p.m. and arriving in Paris on April 3rd at 9:20 a.m. That is about an 8 hour, 15 minute flight. It was also an overnight flight, so I figured we could sleep on the plane and then have an almost full day in Paris. That was wishful thinking; however, since our flight was delayed because of severe thunderstorms in Chicago that morning. All of the flights in Chicago were delayed the rest of the day, so it trickled down to our flight as well. Instead of departing at 6:05 p.m., we didn't depart until 10:00 p.m. Flying through United made the long, delayed flight somewhat better. Some of the things included with our flight was a blanket and pillow, earbuds (to plug into the jack for the seat screens with in-flight entertainment), a warm supper, and a breakfast sandwich in the morning. Sleeping on the plane was not successful for me, but some people were able to. The next morning, we arrived in Paris around 12:45 p.m. instead of 9:20 a.m. This took away even more time than we originally had planned in Paris, but we made it work!

Leaving the Airport:

    After we had landed and got off the plane, the next step was making our way to the city center of Paris. From what I had read on Facebook groups I had joined, I learned that it can take up to an hour to get through the airport and passport control, depending on how busy the airport is. Lucky for us, the line for passport control was long, but it moved pretty quickly. After that, we followed the signs to take us to the RER. I had read that others preferred to just take a taxi or Uber, but the RER was simple and easy for us. We bought our tickets from a ticket machine before we got on the train. The Airport Ticket costs about 13 euros per person. It covers your entire ride from the airport to your final train station. Using the RATP app, I was able to see when the trains would be arriving and from what platform. The app also planned my route, so I knew what station I should be switching trains and what stops I should get off at. It took a little bit to get used to how the app worked, but the train ride was pretty straight forward and easy to figure out. It was about an hour long train ride for us when you take into account the stops and transfers. 

    If you decide you don't want to take the RER, another option we had considered was the RoissyBus. It is the same price and about the same travel time, but the bus line didn't take us to the station that was closest to our hotel. If your destination is near one of the bus stops on this line, it may be a better option for you. 

Lodging:

    Figuring out where we were going to stay in Paris took some time to figure out because there were so many options at so many different price ranges! After I knew some of the locations we wanted to see, I was able to start figuring out what area we may want to stay in. We decided to not rent a car, so we wanted to be within walking distance to the sights. We finally decided to stay our one night at the Hotel Libertel Montmartre Opera. It is located near the Pigalle station where we could get off after the airport ride. It was also within walking distance of Montmartre and the first stop of the Tootbus route. With every hotel I looked at, I read the Google Reviews. I also used Google Maps to see the street view around the hotel. Even though I had read some Facebook posts stating it wasn't in the greatest area, we had no issues and I would stay there again. (Tip: Once you join a Facebook group, make a post asking about the hotel and the location you are considering. Locals and previous customers will give you the best information!) The room was small, but we didn't need much since we would only be there one night. The hotel was clean, and the staff were friendly. No complaints!

Our Itinerary:

    Since we lost a few hours in Paris because of our flight, we had to move around when we were going to see what sights. Originally, I had planned that we would leave our bags at our hotel until we could check-in. Since we were arriving later than planned, we were able to check-in to our room and leave our bags. We decided to ride the Tootbus since we were tired, and it timed out well to ride the entire loop before they stopped for the evening. I have used a Hop On, Hop Off (HOHO) bus in New York City, and it was a great way to see all of the main sights without having to walk. They also give you information about the buildings and landmarks to see while on the route. Another bonus is that it is a double decker bus, so you can ride on the top with unobstructed views. Since we were short on time, I knew that a HOHO bus would be a good option for us. Paris has two HOHO bus options, BigBus and Tootbus. We ultimately went with Tootbus because the prices were slightly cheaper. (Tip: Keep an eye on the websites to see if they run any deals to get you a discount.) On the website, I used their route to create our itinerary. We bought the 24 hour ticket, so we activated our ticket around 4:00 p.m. and was able to use it the next day until the 24 hours expired. 

Below you will find the stops and sights we saw:

-Stop #1 (located near La petite Bleue Brunch & Coffee - Opera). Get on the Tootbus here. You will see a sign for the stop. Ride the route until it loops back to this stop.

There were many more buildings and sights, but that would be too many photos! 

    After we got off the Tootbus back at Stop #1, we walked to Galleries Lafayette Haussman. I had read about this big shopping mall that had a terrace on the 8th floor with great views of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, they closed the terrace 12 minutes early, so we didn't get to see the view. 😔 However, we did get to see the impressive dome inside the mall. We had made reservations to go on the GlassWalk, but I had to cancel it because of the timing on the Tootbus. If you have the time, you can go on their website and book a free time slot to go out on the suspended glass walkway. Here was our view of the dome:

    After seeing the dome inside Galleries Lafayette Haussman, we made the walk back to our hotel. We found a place to eat along the way. (Tip: Make sure to ask for tap water, otherwise they will give you sparkling water. They charge for water in Europe.) 

    We were more than ready for bed that night and slept very well. The next morning, we started our walk around Montmartre. We left our hotel around 7:15 a.m. and began our walk. It was nice starting early in the morning because no one was awake yet. Here is a link to the Google Map walking route I put together. It was very helpful having the route already planned, so we could just open it up and go!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/hF9VkuksFJmVq2vN8. 

    I found this walking route on this website, and modified it to fit our route. https://www.ontheluce.com/montmartre-paris-walking-tour/.

Montmartre Walking Route:

    In case you didn't know, Montmartre is becoming a very popular tourist spot when visiting Paris. It has not always been that way, though. It used to be an area of drinking, dancing, and raunchy nightclubs. Montmartre is just outside of Paris' city limits, so it did not have to follow their city laws and taxes back then. Because of this, many artists gravitated to this area. 

    1. Moulin Rouge - Established in 1889, the Moulin Rouge is a well known cabaret. It is still a very popular dinner theater for tourists.

    2. 54 Rue Lepic - Vincent Van Gogh lived here with his brother, Theo, from 1886-1888. From the window of their 3rd floor apartment, Van Gogh did several paintings of Paris.

    3. Place Emelie Goudeau - In 1889, this was the hub of Montmartre's art scene. It contains the Bateau-Lavoir, which was a former factory converted into 20 small art studios. It was said to be very dark and dirty, and it would sway and creak on stormy days because of how unsturdy it was. "Artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Modigliani passed through its doors as well as composers, writers, actors, and art dealers." Picasso painted his famous painting, "Demoiselles d'Avignon" here. After WWI, the artists started moving out. A fire destroyed most of the original building in 1970.

   

    4. Moulin Radet/Moulin de la Galette - "Montmartre's 17th-century windmills originally ground grain to make bread. They were later turned into cafes and dance halls where people could socialize with a glass of local wine and bread from the mill." Parties here were popular with local artists. This is one of the remaining two windmills left in Montmartre today. There were originally around 30 of them.

    5. Place Dalida - "This tiny square is named after an Egyptian-born singer who became a huge star in France during the 1960's and 70's. Dalida - originally named Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti - lived on Rue de l'Abreuvoir and is commemorated with a bronze statue in the square. She sold millions of records, but her life was full of tragedy, and after she lost several lovers and friends to suicide, she eventually killed herself with an overdose in 1987 at her house in Montmartre. Dalida is buried in the Montmartre cemetary nearby, and she is still a cultural icon in France, with films, documentaries, and over 50 biographies written about her."

    6. Rue de l'Abreuvoir - This is thought to be one of Montmartre's prettiest and oldest streets, dating back to the 14th century. "At the top of the street is La Maison Rose, a candy pink cafe and restaurant. It was once the home of Catalan painter, Ramon Pichot, who turned it into a restaurant which hosted his friends Salvador Dali and Picasso. It was also painted by artist Maurice Utrillo. Today, it's a favorite for Instagrammers and was a filming location for the TV series, Emily in Paris."

    7. Vigne du Clos - (not pinpointed on the Google Maps route I made, but still easy to get to; turn left on Rue des Saules.) Paris' last remaining vineyard. "Vines have been grown in Montmartre since the Romans, who built a temple here dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine. Most of the vineyards were sold off for development over the years, but 1500 meters squared of vines were saved by a group of artists in the 1930's. The Clos Montmartre vineyard produces 1500 half-liter bottles of wine each year, which are auctioned off for charity. They're not France's finest wine, but they get snapped up for novelty value. You can visit the vineyard during Fete de Vendanges, a five-day celebration of French food and wine each October with stalls, parades, and fireworks."

    8. Sacre Coeur - "Sacre Coeur was built between 1876 and 1912 to honor the victims of the Franco-Prussian war, using travertine limestone that's designed to get whiter as it ages. It's a real mix of architectural styles which were a bit controversial at the time - some people described it like a gaudy, giant wedding cake - but it's grown on Parisians as time goes by. The steps outside the front of Sacre Coeur are one of Paris' best viewpoints, with the city stretching out in front of you. You can climb 300 spiraling stairs to the top of the basilica's tower for an even higher view. There is also a huge, golden mosaic of 'Christ in Majesty' behind the altar inside, and a crypt which allegedly contains Christ's heart."

    9. Wall of I Love You - This wall is made up of 612 tiles that say "I love you" in 250 different languages. It is becoming a popular selfie spot for tourists. We prioritized breakfast over this wall and didn't stop to see it. If you want a delicious breakfast near the Sacre Coeur, I highly recommend Le Ronsard!

    After breakfast, we walked back to our hotel to get our bags and check-out. We put our bags in a luggage storage facility that would be closer to the station stop we needed for later in the day. Around 9:30, we put our bags in City-Locker-Opera. Then we walked to Tootbus Stop #1 again to ride to the Notre Dame. Once we got to Stop #4, we got off to see the Notre Dame. Before we walked over, we stopped at Shakespeare and Company. A historic, little bookstore. I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside, but it isn't allowed.

    Then, we made our way to the Notre Dame. I had made reservations to get in ahead of time, but we thought it would be cutting it too close to make it to our train to Frankfurt. Because of that, we got into the line of people without reservations. It was very long and winded around, but it went very quick. I would say we waited about 30 minutes max at 10:30 on a Friday morning. I had read in the Facebook group I joined that sometimes people wait up to an hour or longer, so it definitely helps to go earlier in the day versus later. (Tip: If you want to make a free reservation to get into the Notre Dame, you should do it 2 days ahead of time when it is midnight in Paris. The reserved time slots go quick!) 

    After the Notre Dame, we got back on the Tootbus at Stop #4 and rode the loop back to Stop #1. (Tip: Get the Tootbus app to see where the buses are at on their loops in real time.) We got our bags from the City Locker and made our way to the Opera Station. This was probably the most stressful part we had when trying to figure out the train system. There were no ticket machines at the station, so we had to buy them on the RATP app. When we tried to validate the tickets on my iPhone to get us through the gate, it only accepted one ticket, but not the others. I had read that the app had issues with multiple tickets on one account, so I'm thinking that was the problem. I probably should have made my mom and husband download the app, so they could put their own tickets on their own account. Thankfully, some friendly Parisians swiped their passes to get us through the gate. We would have been stuck there, otherwise!

    If you are looking into taking a high-speed train to Germany or another country near Paris, they have that option. We bought tickets for an ICE train from Paris to Frankfurt. We left from the Gare de l'Est station at 3:21 p.m. and arrived in Frankfurt at 7:00 p.m. It was very convenient and much more comfortable than driving or flying!

    And there you have it! 24 hours in Paris! If you have more time than we did, Paris has so much more to offer and see. My last tip for you, plan out your itinerary ahead of time! Even though we were there during the off season, many attractions booked up fast! It makes a big difference in the long run if you plan everything out months ahead of time and do your research. You won't regret it!