Return to France
Although everyone knows it would be impossible to do this wonderful city in a day, you can still use this "tour" to find some interesting things to see and do while you are in Paris.
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After breakfast you might want to take an early morning walk or take a taxi to the Eiffel Tower so you
can miss the crowds. After seeing the city from the top of the tower, take a short walk towards
the Ecole Militaire (I am assuming that you have a street map with you) so you can get a nice
picture with the Palais de Chaillot behind the tower. Then walk back towards the tower and
the river to Quai Branly (the road along the Seine) and walk left to the Metro.
Take the Metro to the Charles de Gaulle stop (just look at the signs and make sure you are headed in the right direction) and head up to the surface to see the Arc de Triomphe. From here you can walk down the Avenue des Champs Elysees and perhaps do a little shopping or sit a while at a sidewalk café for a coffee. Be sure you do not walk any further than the Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt. When you reach Roosevelt you will head right along the Avenue Montaigne to the Pont de l’Alma on the Right Bank of the Seine. From here you can catch one of the Bateaux-Mouches cruises on the Seine. |
Take the Metro to the Charles de Gaulle stop (just look at the signs and make sure you are headed in the right direction) and head up to the surface to see the Arc de Triomphe. From here you can walk down the Avenue des Champs Elysees and perhaps do a little shopping or sit a while at a sidewalk café for a coffee. Be sure you do not walk any further than the Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt. When you reach Roosevelt you will head right along the Avenue Montaigne to the Pont de l’Alma on the Right Bank of the Seine. From here you can catch one of the Bateaux-Mouches cruises on the Seine.
| After your cruise you should hail a taxi and tell the driver to take you to Notre-Dame so you can tour this wonderful cathedral. After a visit at the cathedral, you can either choose to visit the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay. I prefer the d’Orsay. To get to the Louvre, cross over to the Right Bank on one of the bridges to Quai de la Megisserie and walk towards Quai Louvre and the museum. If you opt for the d’Orsay, cross over to the Left Bank on one of the bridges and follow the river to your right to the museum. It will be on your left just past the Pont Royal. |
After your museum visit, get another taxi and tell the driver to take you to the steps in
front of Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre. Climb the steps and visit this wonderful church.
Then, when you come out of the church, walk to your right around the church to the
small street that leads to your left. (Just follow the rest of the people.) This will take
you a short block where you will again turn left and then right into a nice little artists
square where you can have your picture drawn or enjoy a coffee at one of the
interesting little cafes that line the square. If you want to experience a nice little bar
in the area, as you are walking into the square from Sacre-Coeur, just continue
straight ahead for about a block past the square and there will be a small bar
on your left at the corner. You will know you are in the right place if there is a piano
inside with a man playing a little jazz. Also, stapled to the ceiling in the corner of
the bar that is nearest the street is a dollar bill I put there several years ago. You may
recognize this as the bar Rick Steves visits at the end of his Paris visit on his
Travels in Europe series.
From here, and if you want to get a little view of the “red light district” of Paris, head
back down the steps and continue straight ahead to the Main Street (Rochechouart)
and head to your right along the Boulevard de Clichy. However, you need to know
you will quite probably have to fight off the pornographers and hustlers trying to lure
into the seedy sex joints along the way. This is one giant tourist trap and a lot like
Times Square in New York City and almost everyone who comes to Paris invariably
winds up here at one time or another. And, this is the way to the famous (or at least,
most talked-about) nightclub in the city, the Moulin Rouge
From here you can walk back down de Clichy to the Pigalle Metro Station and take
the Metro to the Concorde Station. Again, just watch those signs. When you arrive
back up on the street you will be in the center of the city again.
If you have the time (don’t have to head to the station to catch the Eurostar back
to London or anything) head north (away from the river and the Obelisque) along
Rue Royale to the Place de La Madeleine. Walk to your right around the building
to the Boulevard de la Madeleine and head straight ahead to the Boulevard des Capucines
which will take you to the Opera. You will find a lot of nice places to shop along this route,
and even more if you continue across the square to the Boulevard des Italiens.
This entire area is filled with stores, shops, and restaurants.
To help you during your visit (in this case, a very short visit) to Paris, you might want to
pick up a copy of Frommer’s “Paris” which has a small map and a map of the Metro in
the back that will help you find your way around. And then you will have a guidebook
to help you when you come back and do Paris right – a minimum of 4 days!
I trust this will help a few of you out there who only have a day and want to “do Paris.”
Feel free to contact me if you believe I can be of further help or assistance. I will be
happy to help in as much as I have the time to do so. Jim . mailto:jimbruner@gettingaway.com
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