Visiting Paris pre- or post-cruise

After reading this blog "How to Spend 36-Hours in Paris" by one of our destination writers makes me long to wander the parks, boulevards and canals of Paris!

How about you? Would you choose her recommended tour #1 or #2?

https://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/int/blog/how-spend-36-hours-paris

If this is your first visit to Paris, definitely #1. While you're on the way to Notre Dame on Day 2, I recommend taking a little time to see Sainte-Chapelle in the Palais de Justice (closest Metro stop is Cité). It is simply stunning.

I would mix and match if I were you. Ask yourself what kind of tourist you are, and then pick out what sounds right. You won't do it all.

We just did this last fall. We like to be laid back, and take time to savour the place, not try to do everything.

In our three full days in Paris (plus a jetlagged half day), we did the Louvre and Orsay, the Medieval Art museum (Cluny), went to Galerie Lafayette department store, tried to get into Palais Garnier and failed, walked the Seine, saw Notre Dame inside and out, strolled around the Latin Quarter, had some memorable meals, people watched in some nice bars, and that's about it. Didn't even go to the Eiffel Tower (been there before.) And we saw the Marché Monge, listed in the off the beaten track itinerary, since it was near our hotel in the 5th.

So again, look at both lists and see if you can pick and choose. You can't do it all, that's for sure.

Firstly I would dispute that Paris is a walkable city.

I would plan to visit those sites that you have heard of eg Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and a River Cruise on the Seine, if it is your first visit.

I would question the claim that you could do it from a cruise starting and ending in Nice, which is in the south of the country. Paris is much closer to the Channel ports.

We're thinking of starting with Paris pre cruise for our cruise from Nice next year, and maybe working our way south to Nice as there are some beautiful cities on the way

Firstly I would dispute that Paris is a walkable city.

 

I would plan to visit those sites that you have heard of eg Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and a River Cruise on the Seine, if it is your first visit.

 

I would question the claim that you could do it from a cruise starting and ending in Nice, which is in the south of the country. Paris is much closer to the Channel ports.

You definitely need to take transportation to get from A to B within Paris, but there's lovely walking in many of the neighbourhoods. We took cabs when necessary, and the metro. No problems, although cabs aren't cheap.

As for Nice-Paris, a high-speed train would probably do the trick.

Of course, driving could be very pleasant if you want to plan an itinerary, and are confident driving. I would try to pick up/drop off the car on the outskirts of Paris somewhat I think.

Firstly I would dispute that Paris is a walkable city.

 

I would plan to visit those sites that you have heard of eg Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and a River Cruise on the Seine, if it is your first visit.

 

I would question the claim that you could do it from a cruise starting and ending in Nice, which is in the south of the country. Paris is much closer to the Channel ports.

So glad you mentioned this...as it is exactly what our day trip from London will consist of. I also got tickets for HOHO bus, so we can kind of take in a tour of the city. We do plan of making a full visit to Paris some other time, but since we were in London for a week, I really wanted to see Paris:D

Firstly I would dispute that Paris is a walkable city.

 

I would plan to visit those sites that you have heard of eg Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and a River Cruise on the Seine, if it is your first visit.

 

I would question the claim that you could do it from a cruise starting and ending in Nice, which is in the south of the country. Paris is much closer to the Channel ports.

Yes absolutely agree, I did not really find this blog very helpful or accurate sorry Bonnie

I guess the walking part depends on your mobility and fitness, but I just returned from Paris with my daughter and we were based in the middle of Rue Rivoli and walked very similar itineraries to these...it was 8-10 miles of walking per day according to my iPhone! We did use the Metro to cut down some of the walking to the Eiffel Tower and to return from Ile de Cite (Notre Dame) and to get out to the neighborhood where the Pompidou is located.

A couple of tips that I'm including in my own upcoming trip reports on my site, are

1- Don't feel compelled to "climb" or ascend everything just because it's available. You could get to the top of Notre Dame, the Arch de Triomphe, and the Tour Eiffel, there is no need to waste time in lines, pick just one and get an overview. As Bonnie says, the climb to the "etage deuxième" on the Eiffle tower offered great views without paying so much or queuing for the elevator. My choice would be to climb the steps up the Notre Dame bell tower (if you can climb- if not pre book the elevator for the Eiffle Tower) Notre Dame has Gargoyles on top that are interesting all by themselves, in addition to the "above city views"

2-If you plan to sample a couple of museums in a day, the Paris Museum pass was well worth the money; you get priority access! If you don't have a lot of time, and just want to get a good "sampling" of French art, I recommend going to the Petite Palais- it's between Place de la Concorde and Arch de Triomphe, so you can include it along the walk in Bonnie's itinerary. The building itself is spectacular! There are far fewer galleries in this city run museum but there are representative works of Monet, Pisarro, Rodin, decorative Art Noveau and Art Deco pieces, as well as Coubert. If you have a "non museum" person in your group, or short time, this is the perfect way to see a sampling of various periods and samples of French art without having to tackle 4 major waiting lines, and 3 or 4 separate buildings to see each of different periods. No you won't see the "block busters" but frankly the crowds in the Louvre and Dorsay for those works are appalling; selfie snapping tourists at least 10-15 people deep...pushing and mugging with art work. It's difficult to appreciate the art. The pace at PP is civilized, like an actual art museum, not a mosh pit! :p (Ill have pics on my site, if you havent been to see this spectacle yourself!)

By the way, of you are looking for a pre or post hotel, we stayed at the Hotel Brighton on Rue de Rivoli and it was an excellent property, very clean, great service and a terrific location directly across from a metro station and easy to walk to everything.

 

As for Nice-Paris, a high-speed train would probably do the trick.

 

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Having twice followed this route, and a friend has done so once as well, I can recommend it for a (fleeting) glimpse of the changes in France's countryside, an opportunity to experience French infrastructure, and a chance to share quarters with French students and businessmen.

This may only appeal to certain North Americans but, as others have noted, given the rather basic walking routes in the city, the reference to Midnight in Paris, and the very risible linking of Jackie Onassis with the "great intellectuals" Victor Hugo and Simone de Beauvoir as attendees at The Sorbonne, North Americans seem to be the target audience.

If the blog then encourages that group to begin experiencing more of France and Paris, I'm all for it.

I've had the good fortune to have lived in Paris twice. And one of my passions is to study the city, so I have combed it high and low. My tour of Paris would be off-the-off-the-off-the beaten path. I love all the odd places and have some history to go with it all. So for a first-time visitor, I would naturally advocate for the odd stuff. But in reality, the first-time visitor should review this excellent information and ask oneself what is most appealing? Some folks are determined to see the treasures of the Louvre, and others not. Some love the markets, canals and neighborhoods, others want the classic parks and monuments. My heart is in Paris. There is always a tremendous amount of stuff to do there. One should do at least a little bit of research before going and zero in on what is most appealing. One should plan to go back again for another taste. It's one of the world's greatest cities.

Yes absolutely agree, I did not really find this blog very helpful or accurate sorry Bonnie

I've been to Paris many times, so I respectfully disagree, I thought both itineraries were quite good for the time frames given, and the maps and distances for how far a walk is, were good, too. On the other hand, I'm a huge fan of Rick Steves' walking tours. Last time I was in Paris I think we did 3 of them, his cafe and restaurant recommendations are great too. Love La Dame Tatin, near the Pompidou-- best carpaccio ever, and cheap. Love staying at Le Relais Bosquet hotel-- 2 blocks from Rue Cler-- which street is so quintessentially Parisian.

I've had the good fortune to have lived in Paris twice. And one of my passions is to study the city, so I have combed it high and low. My tour of Paris would be off-the-off-the-off-the beaten path. I love all the odd places and have some history to go with it all. So for a first-time visitor, I would naturally advocate for the odd stuff. But in reality, the first-time visitor should review this excellent information and ask oneself what is most appealing? Some folks are determined to see the treasures of the Louvre, and others not. Some love the markets, canals and neighborhoods, others want the classic parks and monuments. My heart is in Paris. There is always a tremendous amount of stuff to do there. One should do at least a little bit of research before going and zero in on what is most appealing. One should plan to go back again for another taste. It's one of the world's greatest cities.

I think spending too much of limited time in Paris in the Louvre is not time well spent. While it's a great museum, it's just a museum without a real taste of Paris. For that, the smaller but more beautiful Orsay is where the great French Impressionist art is. It's more relevant and is a nice two-hour stop. This thread is dedicated to having a limited amount of time, so I would also suggest a great walking tour and skip the lines visit to the Eiffel Tower (and not battle lines to get to the third level). Other nice things to do and see that are not time consuming but give flavor are Seine River cruises around the city, Rue Cler, and the Marais.

You cannot do everything in 36 hours and trying to cram too much is probably a bad move.