As previously shared, I scored a ticket to Dubai with a 14 hour layover in Paris on Etihad for under $300 (read about it HERE). I had strategically planned so that my layover in Paris was long enough to make a day trip out of it. Since i was going to be in Paris for less than 90 days, i didn’t need to get a Visa (for full entry requirements click HERE.) The biggest piece of advice i can give you when doing any trip, especially one this short, is to do your research ahead of time. If you only have one day, like i did, make a “top three list” prioritize! Know how to get there, how long it’ll take and how long you’ll want to be there.
Arrival
Landing at about 7am was great; the flight from JFK to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) was perfectly timed. Leaving the evening before, you get to have dinner, a good sleep and breakfast. If you have never flown on Etihad Airlines you will be pleased to know they serve wine and beer at no additional cost! Since this was a layover there was no need to spend any extra time at the airport waiting on my luggage. I had already arranged so that the important stuff like my wallet, phone and passport of course, were in my hand bag and always with me.
Getting Around
I knew that the fastest and cheapest way to get into the city was via the Paris metro. As soon as i saw “Metro” i just followed the signs. The ticket machine only took one try to get right and then it was a matter of figuring out what track the train was on. I rode the metro for a bit looking out the window and observing how the airport turned to the city as the sun rose over the city.
Tip: The application “World Lens” is a great visual translation app that translates text you see in one language to your language of choice.
Saint Michele & Notre Dame.
My first stop took me to the Latin Quarter, if you walk up the metro stairs it will take you to the main entrance of the station and to the left bank of the Seine, the river offers lovely sights. We walked around looking at several menus outside of little restaurants all while making mental notes. Further exploring led us down quaint and narrow back roads where businesses were getting ready for the day. We found a bank, got some Euros and we walked around St. Michele and admired the architecture and the fountain.
Café Le Petit Pont.
When we decided to have a meal here we made sure there were outlets to plug our phones, how else would i capture memories? Since it was early, there wasn’t a huge crowd. The staff was friendly and accommodating and smoking is allowed, which could be a big plus for some and a turnoff for others. The menu has lot of choices but for me, the best value was the breakfast. My meal included coffee, juice, eggs, chocolate croissants, bread and yogurt, it was a lot of great food!
After stuffing face, the journey continued for photo-ops in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral, we walked through the gardens and crossed over the love bridge brimming with locks and art. The walking tour continued as we crossed the Seine at various points towards the Louvre Museum, Arc du triomphe du Carrousel and Tuileries Gardens, it was beautiful! From there you can easily reach the Champs-Elysees where we ended up doing some shopping.
The Eiffel Tower.
I planned to take a cab originally but we ended up walking. Just walking towards it was an adventure in itself. Being under the tower was a great feeling, it’s huge! The park was nice as well and although the grounds weren’t open, I got some great photos! Unfortunately, on this trip i didn’t get to go up!
We ended the day by walking to another bar/café to recharge from all the walking. Afterwards, we did some more wandering and saw the Eiffel Tower’s light show from a distance. We were cutting it close on time for our 9pm flight so we cabbed it back to the airport and ran to check-in for our next journey. I got to see the “top three” in my list, so it was a successful 14 hours.
Some Lodging Advice
Paris has 20 neighborhoods so it can be overwhelming for a first-timer when trying to decide where to stay. Although we didn’t stay the night in Paris during this particular trip, we will go over some of the Neighborhoods we recommend staying in:
-The Marais: Central location with a cultural mix. Great shopping doesn’t hurt.
-St Germain: still considered a central location but with more tourists. Close to the Notre Dame.
-Want to get a real local feel? The neighborhoods of The 9th or the 10th will give you just that! You won’t find many tourists here, what you will find are great local bars and restaurants. You will probably even forget you are just visiting. It is still close enough to explore all the big Paris attractions.
Bon voyage Paris!
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Edits and additional information:
-Gaby Garcia
@Suzzstravels
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