Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame -- walkable?

[DeloreanGirl]

Hi all,

 

We get a "bonus stop" to Le Havre on our British Isles cruise and I'm one of the crazy ones that is taking the SNCF train into Paris for a few hours. I know a few hours isn't nearly enough to see everything, but this is a once in a lifetime shot at the moment.

 

The only train times that work with our day in port (7am-8pm excluding clearance coming into port and being onboard 1+ hours before sailing) is a 9:50am train getting into Paris at 12:10. And a 3:50pm train getting back to LeHavre at 6pm.

 

If we take the Metro from the Paris train station to the Eiffel Tower, could we walk alongside the river from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame (Notre Dame via Batobus of course since it's on an island, right?) This would be the section we'd like to visit most. How many miles is it? Is it too far for a stroll? We know we won't be able to go up in the tower or go inside the Louvre, but just being in the city and taking photographs of the major sights/museums/bridges/arches or riding the Batobus or eating a croissant would be enough of a Bucket List day for me. :rolleyes:

 

Ideas? Thoughts?

 

Thanks for reading! :eek: :D

[John Bull]

About 3 miles - so it'll take up to an hour out of your short day.

But the French figured out how to build bridges a few years ago :rolleyes:, so just walk across to the island. :)

 

Bateaubus operates from the quayside at Eiffel tower to Notre Dame.

Less energetic but I don't know how much quicker

 

JB :)

[DeloreanGirl]

John Bull, I didn't know you read the France threads! You're the best! :D

[John Bull]

John Bull, I didn't know you read the France threads! You're the best! :D

 

I can drive to Paris quicker than you can drive to San Francisco :cool:

Even though I have to go over or under the big ditch between England & France :D

 

JB :)

[KristinTravels]

Yeah I wouldn't really walk it in your short time. It probably would take you an hour or longer depending on how fast you walk. I would head to the Eiffel tower and then take a taxi to Notre Dame, You will still be able to see all the site. There are a lot of nice cafes around Notre Dame. if you want. Definitely get close to the doors of Notre Dame there is a lot of detail then head to the garden in the back for beautiful view too. Watch out for gypsies with pieces of paper written in English giving you a sob story. They are prevalent in this area.

 

Then I would walk back towards the Eiffel tower along the river if you have time this way you can maximize your time in both places.

[KirkNC]

It would be a bit of a hike. If you are trying to cover ground to see "stuff" I would take the metro, easy and cheap. If you want to take a stroll, take in the sights and breath in the Paris air, take the walk. Paris is a wonderful city but you can't get much of a flavor in 3-4 hours. We were there last summer for fours days and barely scratched the surface.

[Grannycb]

We wish to do the 5.5 hour DIY Paris. Walking from point to point takes too long. There are a lot of steps up and down from some of the Batobus stops. What would cabs cost from Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, then to the Louvre, on to Museum d'Orsay for the sewers, and then back to the Eiffel Tower? Or would strolling as OP mention be a better option?

 

Does it pay to get tickets for everything before going?

[dogs4fun]

I would also take the metro....very quick & easy. :)

Enjoy Paris!

jill

[DeloreanGirl]

The Batobus was another option for me. If anyone has been before, would this be better than walking?

[John Bull]

The Batobus was another option for me. If anyone has been before, would this be better than walking?

 

Certainly a lot lazier, so gets my vote ;)

 

Difficult to figure the time-scale, they don't publish a timetable for each stop. I think it'd be quicker, but then there's waiting time of up to about 15 mins.

 

I think you should do the decent thing.

One of you walk, the other take the boat.

Then post & tell us which of you missed the bus back to the ship :D

 

JB :)

[KirkNC]

We wish to do the 5.5 hour DIY Paris. Walking from point to point takes too long. There are a lot of steps up and down from some of the Batobus stops. What would cabs cost from Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, then to the Louvre, on to Museum d'Orsay for the sewers, and then back to the Eiffel Tower? Or would strolling as OP mention be a better option?

 

Does it pay to get tickets for everything before going?

 

Gosh, take the metro, it is cheap, easy and fast.

 

I would definitely get reservations for the ET, it is a ZOO. Understand that even with reservations it can take 2 hours to get all the way to the top and back. (Maybe you are just looking at it and not go up?)

 

You can walk from Notre Dame to Louve, it takes about 15 minutes tops. The Louve also will be quite busy, you can also easily spend 2 hours there as well. The Orsay was not as backed up for us but we had the Paris Pass so we got in a special line.

 

You have a lot to see in 5 hours, we spent almost two days seeing what you are seeing.

[Grannycb]

You have a lot to see in 5 hours, we spent almost two days seeing what you are seeing.

 

Thanks for the advice on transportation and timing. We should scale back our plans to include Notre Dame and the Louvre only. Add in lunch and our time will be gone. Is there such a thing as a quick lunch in Paris?

[dogs4fun]

Thanks for the advice on transportation and timing. We should scale back our plans to include Notre Dame and the Louvre only. Add in lunch and our time will be gone. Is there such a thing as a quick lunch in Paris?

Not to throw a wrench into your plans, but...have you considered a visit to Sainte Chapelle ( also on Ile de la Cité)? My personal favorite, Sainte Chapelle contains 2 chapels: the lower for the servants of the King, and the higher for the Royal Family. The awesome stained glass windows, restored in the 19th century, originally date from the 13th century and cover 620 square meters. They are truely amazing! :)

Sorry, I will shut up now. ;)

jill

[Grannycb]

Not to throw a wrench into your plans, but...have you considered a visit to Sainte Chapelle ( also on Ile de la Cité)? My personal favorite, Sainte Chapelle contains 2 chapels: the lower for the servants of the King, and the higher for the Royal Family. The awesome stained glass windows, restored in the 19th century, originally date from the 13th century and cover 620 square meters. They are truely amazing! :)

Sorry, I will shut up now. ;)

jill

 

Don't stop! That was something not considered. More research because I love stained glass windows. Yeah!

[KristinTravels]

Don't even try really to do the Louvre, unless you are only running in to see the Mona Lisa. The place is so HUGE! I spent hours there and didn't even see all the rooms, it took me an hour alone to find my way out, you will see exit signs every where and they just lead you through a maze if you don't have a map.

 

d'Orsay is on the same side as the ET and not too far. Much more manageable and overall I thought a much better collection, especially if you are a fan of impressionist.

 

Sainte Chapelle is beautiful but definitely would consider that for a return visit when you have more time to hit less "touristy" sites.

 

Yeah to cover all the basics throughy you would need a few days.

 

Definitely, most definitely, can get a quick lunch in Paris, there are hundreds of little sandwich shops with pre-made sandwiches that are so good! Fresh made every day with french bread, different options to suite all tastes. I lived off these things for lunch for a week there and very inexpensive!

[nyyhoneybee]

I will be spending 3 days in Paris post cruise (but we want to do the beaches of Normady one day) so I'm loving this thread!

[dogs4fun]

For those of you who may be overnighting in Paris...if you don't fancy waiting in long lines for the Eiffel and meeting with heavy congestion at the top, I suggest the Montparnasse Tower (Tour Montparnasse) as a great alternative. No long lines on any of my visits, taller than the Eiffel & georgeous views. You can check it out at:

http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/index_EN.php#/home

jill

[Grannycb]

For those of you who may be overnighting in Paris...if you don't fancy waiting in long lines for the Eiffel and meeting with heavy congestion at the top, I suggest the Montparnasse Tower (Tour Montparnasse) as a great alternative. No long lines on any of my visits, taller than the Eiffel & georgeous views. You can check it out at:

http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/index_EN.php#/home

jill

 

Wonderful! I could sit and look at the 360 view for hours! It took a moment to discover the view could be moved in all directions by selecting visitor's center, then interactive panorama.

Thank you!

[weggs]

Wonderful! I could sit and look at the 360 view for hours! It took a moment to discover the view could be moved in all directions by selecting visitor's center, then interactive panorama.

Thank you!

Batobus? Could we just ride it and see all the sites without getting off? My husband uses a cane and has limited mobility because of that. First time to Paris and would like a nice overview the easiest way without a full bus tour. Does anyone know where a ships tour drops people off on a "do it yourself" tour. anyone done that? What did you see just on the drive in/out part?

[DeloreanGirl]

Batobus? Could we just ride it and see all the sites without getting off? My husband uses a cane and has limited mobility because of that. First time to Paris and would like a nice overview the easiest way without a full bus tour. Does anyone know where a ships tour drops people off on a "do it yourself" tour. anyone done that? What did you see just on the drive in/out part?

 

Hi Weggs,

 

From what I've read, it seems like the Batobus is merely a "hop on, hop off" mode of transportation that is river-based. You do see some of the sights, but possibly just the backside of them (though I've heard it's a better view of Notre Dame).

 

Here is their website: http://www.batobus.com/english/

 

You'd still have to walk up and down some stairs to get onto the flat boat, so that might be an issue. I've heard from others that the ships on-your-own tours drop you off near the Eiffel Tower. John Bull might chime in on this one.

[canuck.qc]

I will be spending 3 days in Paris post cruise (but we want to do the beaches of Normady one day) so I'm loving this thread!

I find a good travel plan will save you precious time..

One hint that is a time-saver is to book evening tours....I recently took an evening tour of the Louvre (on specific days only, booked it online) it is less crowded and smaller tour groups (10-14pax). Book any entrance tickets in advance online, avoid waiting hrs in lines ex:Eiffel. Staying in a centrally located hotel will save time on travel, there are several mentioned on these boards. The HoHoBus will also give you a broad overview of the city, there are different colored routes. It will also allow you to sit and rest and review your plans....Normandy within these 3 days might be a bit ambitious...

[CathyCruises]

Okay, here is my $.02 worth. I THINK the OP just wanted to photograph the Louvre from the outside. No way with her 3 hours could she even attempt to go inside. I have been multiple times--2 hours there would barely get you anywhere--it is a gigantic zoo and usually packed to the gills so that one just shuffles along. There is SO much to see--I learned the hard

 

The Musee d'Orsay is much easier to navigate, is a beautiful building in itself and has art much more to my liking. BUT the lines are long unless you pre-buy your tickets. If I only had one day in Paris, I would have a hard time being indoors at all, but if you must go to a museum, this is the best choice IMO.

[DeloreanGirl]

Okay, here is my $.02 worth. I THINK the OP just wanted to photograph the Louvre from the outside. No way with her 3 hours could she even attempt to go inside. I have been multiple times--2 hours there would barely get you anywhere--it is a gigantic zoo and usually packed to the gills so that one just shuffles along. There is SO much to see--I learned the hard

 

The Musee d'Orsay is much easier to navigate, is a beautiful building in itself and has art much more to my liking. BUT the lines are long unless you pre-buy your tickets. If I only had one day in Paris, I would have a hard time being indoors at all, but if you must go to a museum, this is the best choice IMO.

 

Yep! You got it. Paris is sort of a "bonus" stop on our British Isles cruise. The 2-hour train ride in and out eats up a bit of time, plus me padding it to make it back to the ship, so we only have 3.5-4 hours to walk around in Paris. I'm sort of in that "well, hey, we're here, might as well go for it" situation.

 

It looks like most of the good sights are along the river which was why I was wondering if we could take the Metro to the Eiffel Tower, then walk along the river to Notre Dame, and then take the Metro back to the train station. Otherwise, we can hop on the Metro from sight to sight allowing us to spend a bit more time at each sight.

 

It'll be a "snap pictures and run" stop, but I figured we're young so we'd go for it.