Are you flying to a different part of Europe (or perhaps between two different continents) and have a long stopover in Paris? I have good news! There’s no need to break your wallet booking an expensive itinerary just to get a more convenient flight schedule! Instead, you can book a long stopover in Paris, and enrich your experience with a visit to this worldwide famous capital city! And no need to worry about claiming your luggage, because it will go to the final destination.
Teo’s Travel Tip: if you want to take advantage of the long stopover, make sure that your ticket is booked as one ticket to your final destination. Do not book separate tickets, because then you must claim your luggage and check-in again. That will not allow you enough time to visit the city.
If your stop is 6 hours or more, here’s how to visit Paris in one day:
Getting From the Airport to the City
While taxis may be expensive, getting to the city center is easier than you think! After all, you may encounter traffic when taking a taxi. Take the Line B train, which departs from Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle International Airport and goes directly to the city center. Get off at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and change to Line C, which will take you to Champ de Mars Station. At that point, you will get off the subway and voila! The Eiffel Tower will be in front of you! The total travel time is less than an hour.
Visiting the City
Admire the views of the Eiffel Tower and take your selfies, then walk towards the banks of the Seine River. From there, board the Batobus, a hop-on hop-off boat which gives you the freedom to hop on and off at your own pace. Just to set the expectation: this is not a guided boat tour. The boat runs every 30-45 minutes between 10:00 and 19:00, allowing travelers to create their own itinerary. A one-day pass is €19 per adult and €9 per child. The total journey, if you do not get off anywhere, is about an hour. Stops that you can disembark on the Batobus include Invalides, Musee d’Orsay, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Notre Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hotel de Ville (City Hall), Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Those are pretty much the top attractions in Paris.
Any stops you decide to make, keep in mind that the return journey to the airport could take up to an hour, and you need to be back at the airport about 2 hours prior to the departure time of your next flight. For lunch or dinner, get off at Notre Dame. You will be in the Latin Quarter, where you will find restaurant after restaurant.
Once you’re done, the easiest way to get back to the airport is to disembark the Batobus at Notre Dame station. From there, it is a 5-minute walk to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame train station, and you can take the Line B train directly to Charles de Gaulle International Airport.