Nikki

I think going up in the Eiffel Tower should depend on whether you really want to do it. I think it is more impressive to see it than to go up in it, but there are some people for whom a trip to Paris wouldn’t be complete without the experience. It does take up a good chunk of time on a short visit.

janisj

>>We like the idea of the HOHO because we could spend time in the city and at least get a good drive by view of things since we definitely won't have enough time to stop and see <<

OK - I'll ask a question and I honestly don't mean it as snarky -- an question only you can answer. When you travel are you box checkers or do you like to see fewer things but actually visit them. Box checking is fine if that is what you want. But what will you have 'seen' driving past the Musée d'Orsay or riding in a bus and getting a look at Notre Dame from across the river?

And on such a short visit I would never spend the time to go up the ET. If you want a better view quicker, go to the top of the Montparnasse Tower - a big advantage is the ET is in the view -- and the MT isn't

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...n_5609433.html

PalenQ

Yes they do say that the best view of Paris is from the Montparnasse Tower because you can't see the sore thumb to many Parisians the MTower. Redolent of when Eiffel Tower first went up - loud cry about how ugly it was and a blemish on cityscape - well the rest is history.

MmePerdu

Though it's been 52 years since I was up the Eiffel Tower, I clearly remember the view. But that was when one just arrived and went up, I even parked alongside on the road that parallels the river (even saying "parked" is quaint!). Those days are certainly over so I suppose what needs to be done is to calculate how much time & trouble it's worth. I haven't been up the other one but part of what made the ET view memorable was the proximity to the river and to Etoile and the avenues radiating from there. Or am I embellishing the memory?

5alive

I really think it comes down to what you want. You can also go to the top of the Arch. No waits when we went.
went.

Reserved tickets to the Eiffel Tower were sold out when we booked our stay in Paris. My youngest was pretty disappointed. We did go by the base just so everyone could see it. I asked a guard if we were to get up early and show up, what is the likelihood of getting in? And he said, be here by 8 am and I think you'll get in. He pointed where to line up. The two of us did that, we got in and saw the site and left before many of the attractions were even open for the day.

There is a risk you won't get in going this route, but also you aren't committed to being there at a set time in the middle of the day, and if somehow you have rainy weather you can skip it .

ssander

The issue with going up the ET is this: What will the weather/view be like? Rain & fog and clouds can render the view less than you had hoped for.

In general, the choice is this:

(a) Reserve a day and time in advance and pray for good visibility on that day.
(b) Go on a day with good visibility and wait in line.

Since you are only there for two days, it makes your decision somewhat constrained vis-a-vis option (b).

If I only had two days on Paris for my first visit (is that assumption wrong about you), I would not go up the ET...the view of the tower from across the river is excellent.

Other than that, I ditto:

• Take Eurostar. 2:20 from St Pancras to Gare du Nord plus 10-15 minutes on either end to/from the center of the city. You do have to arrive at the station a half-hour or so in advance, but, even so, I doubt any flight can match that for speed, comfort or convenience...and if you buy your ticket well in advance, probably not price either. The entire trip is probably under 3:30 hotel to hotel.
• Learn Bon jour, Au revoir, Please, Thank you, Excuse Me...and USE THEM. I found the French very polite & less informal than we in the US, and they expect you to be polite as well. Unlike in the US, it's considered very rude to just walk up to an employee in a store or restaurant (or anywhere else for that matter) and just start talking without the above-mentioned niceties.
• Don't use the HOHO bus.
• Take a cruise...we like Vedettes du Pont Neuf...you can get a discounted ticket online that does not require you to commit to a date and time.
• You have limited time. Don't try to do too much.

I will add this:

• Take a self-guided walk in the historic core of the city. Nearly all major guidebooks have one.

ssander

mjs

As others have indicated, best to do a trip like this open jaw, and fly home from Paris so you do not waste a half day returning to London. You could do a trip like this in reverse as well assuming of course that you have not already bought your air tickets. If flights are already booked I would not recommend returning to London on the same day as your return flight.
Agree with no on the HOHO bus. Could do the Eiffel Tower by dining for lunch or dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant on the second level of the tower. It has its own private elevator and I think you can still buy tickets on the second level to go to the top.

jenalr

So much helpful information and food for thought here. (Thank you all!)
I did look at the CV Tours and that looks promising and worth our time. Also, it was asked what type of travelers we are.....and for this trip we are the "box checkers" as mentioned. We'd like to check off as many landmarks as "saw that" by the end of this trip so that our next trip (and there will be another one!) we can focus more in depth on places we want to go in and tour (Louvre, etc.)

I looked at the Montparnasse Tower as well. That looks like a great place to get photos of the city, including the Eiffel Tower!

Our flights to/from the US to LHR are already purchased. We plan on taking the Eurostar back to London the night before our flight - so we're not too concerned about return time from Paris. I was just wondering if they were known for having delays.

Is Paris known for being rainy in July? Or is it just hit or miss for foggy days?

Since we are re-thinking hotels due to not using the HOHO - where would you stay? I have anniversary certificates for IHG - so we would want to use those, which would make our hotel free. Where or which hotel wold you choose?

Thanks again for all the help! One thing I wish that Americans would do here in the states is incorporate the "Please" and "Thank you" when asking for directions/help, etc. Common courtesy and manners go a long way!

TPAYT

Intercontinental looks lovely but for location alone I’d choose Holiday in Nôtre Dame. Your only there for 1 night and as I said above...as close to The Seine as possible. From there everything will be walking distance or close by cab or boat
The Metro is a great way to get around but I don’t think you want to figure it out in the short time you have,

I see one of your hotels is near Montparnasse. If you want to go to the tower do so but don’t stay there...too far from everything. We stayed in the area twice.

In July they truck in sand along The Seine and have a beach. The one place you should go in is Nôtre Dame. The line moves very fast so it doesn’t take a lot of time. Also around Nôtre Dame and the pedestrian streets of the left bank there is a lot of street entertainment at night so fun to walk around or sit at a cafe & people watch.

TPAYT

i suggested Holiday Inn Nôtre Dame because it was one of your free properties. If you want more elegance there
are so many options in that area.

menachem

If you do end up near Île de la Cité, a nice place to have dinner with a view is the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA). They've got a good rooftop restaurant and the views are great.
https://www.imarabe.org/fr

I see there's a Holiday Inn across from Gare de l'Est, which is a 10 minute walk from Gare du Nord and has great transport options. Especially because yours is a flash visit, it could be an advantage to be able to drop bags on your way into the city, and on the day of departure, have a place to stash them close to Gare du Nord, so you won't have to call at your central hotel to retrieve your bag. Also, Canal St Martin will be nearby, always good for a stroll and interesting, artsy shopping and food.

wunderbar2

Holiday Inn Notre Dame is an excellent choice for a short stay in my opinion. We’ve stayed there several times as we too have/get points. While it’s not all that charming, it is a known and don’t forget to visit the roof top bar for a drink, it’s only for guests and it has a wonderful nighttime view of Paris.

PatrickLondon

Another vote for going up the Arc de Triomphe if you can find the time: no massive queues when I went, and you can be amused/amazed at the manoeuvring of the traffic around it, as well as catching the distant views. See if you can get there after dark - you might catch a great view of the Eiffel Tower illuminations.

Another option for a late Friday evening might be to see the roller-blade rally (they follow a different route each week - you'd need to run their website through a translation program, I'm afraid)

Visitor Information

Point de RDV ? Pari Roller

angeloq

I've been to Paris several years ago under similar circumstances (a couple day stay). Majority of the most interesting things to see are packed very compactly in the city center - no more than 4 kilometers square. You should definitely leave some time to go around the city on your own as it is a great experience and a thing to remember. Depending on your preference you can take a quick guided tour, back a the time there were plenty of them to offers, from 1 hour bus ride to a full day walk. There should be no language problem too, all the people in the stores, pharmacies, police and everyone who can potentially contact with the visitors speak decent English. People on the streets were quite friendly as well and tried to help even if they did not understand something at first.
Not sure about now, but at the moment of my visit the Paris metro did not have the best reputation. Several people told me that its dirty, not very easy to navigate and can carry some crime risks. Maybe it is a good idea to stick with a cab for the first visit.
Overall I really liked it and planning to come back in the near future. Hope you will enjoy your stay as well.

PalenQ

One wonders just why then Champs Elysees is world famous? I agree it is ho-hum.

ssander

I love the Paris Metro & RER and especially the bus system...my wife and have used it extensively on our visits. If you lived in the Philadelphia area as do I, you would really appreciate the Metro & RER. (Our system's suburban rail is a joke compared to the RER).

I agree with PalenQ about the Champs Elysees. Maybe there was a time when it was special in terms of its stores. I may be wrong, but doesn't it have a lot of regular mall stores now?

ssander

PalenQ

Yes Champs I understand still a shopping mecca for younger folk who flock here on weekends I hear - still movie theatres and such. Not much interest for tourist however. Is the Drugstore still a main feature?

PalenQ

All said however going to Paris and not strolling the Champs-Elysees? Europe's most famous street? And, the Arc de Triomphe is at the end of it -reason to go.

MmePerdu

Not. The definitive example of why there's no such thing as "must-see".

StCirq

The Champs Elysées really has no right being "Europe's most famous street," if it even is. I'll take the Appian Way any day. IMO, and especially for someone with only two days in Paris and someone who probably isn't going there to buy a car, the Champs Elysées is totally missable. If the OP thinks otherwise, that's fine too.