Looking for BTDT on 8 hour layover in Paris in early July; exploring the city before your connecting flight?

[Anonymous]

Any tips and/or advice on leaving the airport during an 8 hour layover. I would like to do this but I'm a little nervous. If we have just our personal item (backpack), can we take them into Notre Dame? Would we have time to go near the base of the Eiffel Tower? Public transportation or taxi/uber? Don't speak any French, will this be an issue for in-and-out tourists? (My elementary language skills are in other non-romance languages.)

[Anonymous]

I'm too chicken to do this kind of thing. I did visit Paris in 2023 and took public transport from CDG into Paris to stay for a week.

My budget would be to allow 1.5 hours to get from CDG to Central Paris and also for return. And you're supposed to be at CDG 3 hours before departure. You therefore barely have any "safe" time on the ground.

I would try two possibilities.

1) Guided driver tour...they are your taxi and guide for the day. As long as you're not going or coming at rush hour. Can be quite expensive.

2) If you get downtown yourself, take the hop on hop off Seine river cruise on one circuit and sail past the landmarks. It's called the Batobus. There are other cruises but that one just circulates so you won't be late for a sailing. It stops at the Eiffel Tower area.

https://www.batobus.com/en

Here's a Reddit thread from braver people.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelHacks/comments/1ixgspe/layover_in_paris_for_8_hours/

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to know French.
You can take the subway into Paris. You can get a metro ticket that covers the cost into city and then unlimited subway rides. To get back to the airport, you have to pay another fare to airport. I think it’s an hour into the city.
You can bring a personal bag into Notre Dame. Unless you can buy a timed ticket, it’s a really long wait. 1-2 hours in line. You can try attending Mass at Notre Dame, If you want to avoid a line.
The main attractions are all accessible by subway including Eiffel Tower. Try to look at a map of the subway beforehand.
I have never taken a taxi or Uber in Paris.

It might be better to choose one area to stroll around in, have a nice meal, check out a bakery.

[Anonymous]

Can’t you get tighter flight times? Or spend a night or two there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can’t you get tighter flight times? Or spend a night or two there?

I absolutely can get tighter times. That is not the question here. Have you done such a thing in Paris? If so, what are your lessons learned and what would you recommend to someone else who is considering it.

I just want to see Eiffel Tower from the ground, and ideally go into Notre Dame not necessarily the tower. Our main excursion is to see family in another country and do things there. It is likely our once in a lifetime trip. We are not the wealthy Richie Rich family of the DMV. Thought this might be a fun a try on our way home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t you get tighter flight times? Or spend a night or two there?

I absolutely can get tighter times. That is not the question here. Have you done such a thing in Paris? If so, what are your lessons learned and what would you recommend to someone else who is considering it.

I just want to see Eiffel Tower from the ground, and ideally go into Notre Dame not necessarily the tower. Our main excursion is to see family in another country and do things there. It is likely our once in a lifetime trip. We are not the wealthy Richie Rich family of the DMV. Thought this might be a fun a try on our way home.

If it's a once in a lifetime trip, would you have a reasonable option to spend at least one night in Paris? The thing that would make me nervous about this is that CDG is a really big airport and as others have noted it takes time to get into the city. If you decide to do it, then absolutely get timed tickets to Notre Dame and then you could hop on the batobus (IIRC there's a stop close to Notre Dame) and cruise down to Eiffel tower. The RER B goes from the airport to close to Notre Dame. When we went to Paris last year we got a taxi from the airport and the traffic was awful, we should have just taen the train. Plenty of cafes and pattiseries in St. Germain or Latin Quarter (close-ish to Notre Dame).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t you get tighter flight times? Or spend a night or two there?

I absolutely can get tighter times. That is not the question here. Have you done such a thing in Paris? If so, what are your lessons learned and what would you recommend to someone else who is considering it.

I just want to see Eiffel Tower from the ground, and ideally go into Notre Dame not necessarily the tower. Our main excursion is to see family in another country and do things there. It is likely our once in a lifetime trip. We are not the wealthy Richie Rich family of the DMV. Thought this might be a fun a try on our way home.

If it's a once in a lifetime trip, would you have a reasonable option to spend at least one night in Paris? The thing that would make me nervous about this is that CDG is a really big airport and as others have noted it takes time to get into the city. If you decide to do it, then absolutely get timed tickets to Notre Dame and then you could hop on the batobus (IIRC there's a stop close to Notre Dame) and cruise down to Eiffel tower. The RER B goes from the airport to close to Notre Dame. When we went to Paris last year we got a taxi from the airport and the traffic was awful, we should have just taen the train. Plenty of cafes and pattiseries in St. Germain or Latin Quarter (close-ish to Notre Dame).

Thank you. I'm leaning against going to Paris at all. Getting through customs and back plus the Paris traffic are challenging enough, but now with the added nonsense going on in the world (e.g., war in Iran), we have a greater chance of missing our flight with possible extra security, planes being re-routed, etc.

I was just trying to see if it was possible to snap a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower and maybe just walk around the main floor or the outside of Notre Dame then head back to the airport.

The cost to do an overnight in Paris probably would have put us even more over our budget. Weirdly, when I tried putting Paris in as a stop (versus layover), the website said there were no options anyway. Maybe if I gambled, which I don't, we could win the lottery and go another time.

[Anonymous]

If you do it, I highly recommend you take the train into Paris. When I was there last , it took 90 minutes to get to our hotel from the airport and it was $$.

[Anonymous]

We spent night at hotel next to airport took uber into city really early, did river cruise, which was good way to see everything, went to a bakery and a park then uber back to airport at 2 pm. Oddly enough my kids now think they’ve “done” Paris!

[Anonymous]

You can book an entry time to Notre Dame in advance to avoid the line. Take a cab from the airport directly there. Then walk along the Seine over to the tower or cab), and then Uber or cab back to the airport. Definitely give an hour+ for travel each way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t you get tighter flight times? Or spend a night or two there?

I absolutely can get tighter times. That is not the question here. Have you done such a thing in Paris? If so, what are your lessons learned and what would you recommend to someone else who is considering it.

I just want to see Eiffel Tower from the ground, and ideally go into Notre Dame not necessarily the tower. Our main excursion is to see family in another country and do things there. It is likely our once in a lifetime trip. We are not the wealthy Richie Rich family of the DMV. Thought this might be a fun a try on our way home.

If it's a once in a lifetime trip, would you have a reasonable option to spend at least one night in Paris? The thing that would make me nervous about this is that CDG is a really big airport and as others have noted it takes time to get into the city. If you decide to do it, then absolutely get timed tickets to Notre Dame and then you could hop on the batobus (IIRC there's a stop close to Notre Dame) and cruise down to Eiffel tower. The RER B goes from the airport to close to Notre Dame. When we went to Paris last year we got a taxi from the airport and the traffic was awful, we should have just taen the train. Plenty of cafes and pattiseries in St. Germain or Latin Quarter (close-ish to Notre Dame).

Thank you. I'm leaning against going to Paris at all. Getting through customs and back plus the Paris traffic are challenging enough, but now with the added nonsense going on in the world (e.g., war in Iran), we have a greater chance of missing our flight with possible extra security, planes being re-routed, etc.

I was just trying to see if it was possible to snap a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower and maybe just walk around the main floor or the outside of Notre Dame then head back to the airport.

The cost to do an overnight in Paris probably would have put us even more over our budget. Weirdly, when I tried putting Paris in as a stop (versus layover), the website said there were no options anyway. Maybe if I gambled, which I don't, we could win the lottery and go another time.

I was just in Paris last fall. Check now to see if you can book a timed ticket for Notre Dame. When I went, no time tickets were available, yet there was no one in the timed ticket line. So everyone was in the same line.

If it were my one and only trip, I'd just aim to see the Eiffel tower, and then any other extra time, I'd hit a bakery and get some croissants and baguettes.

I had to get from CDG to Orly in 4 hours. The train goes to the center (Chateau Halles) which pretty much has connections to all parts of Paris. I got out and walked along the Seine to check out Notre Dame. I went to a café and had a croissant, walked around Latin Quartier.

Then went back to Halles to catch the train to Orly.

In 8 hours, you could definitely see two attractions from the outside. But would not count on getting inside Notre Dame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t you get tighter flight times? Or spend a night or two there?

I absolutely can get tighter times. That is not the question here. Have you done such a thing in Paris? If so, what are your lessons learned and what would you recommend to someone else who is considering it.

I just want to see Eiffel Tower from the ground, and ideally go into Notre Dame not necessarily the tower. Our main excursion is to see family in another country and do things there. It is likely our once in a lifetime trip. We are not the wealthy Richie Rich family of the DMV. Thought this might be a fun a try on our way home.

If it's a once in a lifetime trip, would you have a reasonable option to spend at least one night in Paris? The thing that would make me nervous about this is that CDG is a really big airport and as others have noted it takes time to get into the city. If you decide to do it, then absolutely get timed tickets to Notre Dame and then you could hop on the batobus (IIRC there's a stop close to Notre Dame) and cruise down to Eiffel tower. The RER B goes from the airport to close to Notre Dame. When we went to Paris last year we got a taxi from the airport and the traffic was awful, we should have just taen the train. Plenty of cafes and pattiseries in St. Germain or Latin Quarter (close-ish to Notre Dame).

Thank you. I'm leaning against going to Paris at all. Getting through customs and back plus the Paris traffic are challenging enough, but now with the added nonsense going on in the world (e.g., war in Iran), we have a greater chance of missing our flight with possible extra security, planes being re-routed, etc.

I was just trying to see if it was possible to snap a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower and maybe just walk around the main floor or the outside of Notre Dame then head back to the airport.

The cost to do an overnight in Paris probably would have put us even more over our budget. Weirdly, when I tried putting Paris in as a stop (versus layover), the website said there were no options anyway. Maybe if I gambled, which I don't, we could win the lottery and go another time.

I was just in Paris last fall. Check now to see if you can book a timed ticket for Notre Dame. When I went, no time tickets were available, yet there was no one in the timed ticket line. So everyone was in the same line.

If it were my one and only trip, I'd just aim to see the Eiffel tower, and then any other extra time, I'd hit a bakery and get some croissants and baguettes.

I had to get from CDG to Orly in 4 hours. The train goes to the center (Chateau Halles) which pretty much has connections to all parts of Paris. I got out and walked along the Seine to check out Notre Dame. I went to a café and had a croissant, walked around Latin Quartier.

Then went back to Halles to catch the train to Orly.

In 8 hours, you could definitely see two attractions from the outside. But would not count on getting inside Notre Dame.

I'm the PP - just double l checked and I had almost 7 hours from landing at CDG, to get to ORLY.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it. I have done this before for London and Amsterdam but those airports are more functional and the time to downtown considerably less. CDG would make me very nervous.

[Anonymous]

I have done this from airports all over Europe, but I probably wouldn’t count on it with Paris. On the last trip it took two hours to get into the city from the airport. There was an issue with the trains, but I don’t think that’s uncommon. You can see how it looks when you arrive, but it’s not an easy in and out.

[Anonymous]

I am currently planning a trip to Paris, and multiple resources mention that CDG is one airport where you really need to heed the advice to show up 3 hours before your flight. So for me 8 hours would be uncomfortable.