My husband and I are leaving for Paris in August. Does anyone have any %26quot;must see%26quot; sights and places to eat (we are looking for something not too pricey)? We are staying at the Hilton Arc De Triomphe (R51-57 Rue de Courcelles). Does anyone have any idea about how long of a walk it is from there to the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, and possibly to the catacombs. If walking seems like its too far, does anyone know how to use the metro for these stops?
Thanks!
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you need to get a guide book and a map and familiarize yourself with Paris -- then you can ask questions for which the experience of people who have traveled to Paris can help you
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Actually I have read and searched online also. What I am not finding though is walking distance since the metro has me somewhat confused. I wouldn%26#39;t post anything without trying to find the information myself first. For someone who has not been to Paris, I am trying to gather all information possible to make the most of our trip. So, if you or anyone can give me approx. walking distances to these places I%26#39;d appreciate it.
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http://mappy.fr/sidMfs+KPymZ1LMn21w/Z?out=2%26amp;xsl=hp%26amp;lang=en
Ugly URL, but it will do the job for you.
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Not sure exactly where your hotel is, but here is some walking times we encountered (longer if you stop to smell the roses)
Arc De Triomphe to Notre Dame - 35-40 minutes
Arc De Triomphe to Catacombs - FAR! definitely do the metro or take a cab
Arc De Triomphe to Eiffel Tower - 30 minutes
Here is the best post I found on TA for using the Metro. Everything you need to know to navigate the Metro with ease....
www.atkielski.com/PDF/data/ParMetro.pdf
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ckkfamily,
Mapquest will give you distances from one point to another. If you have a good map you can use the scale to figure out approx. distances as well. The metro is pretty simple to use when you are doing the major sites it just takes a little studing.
Of course the must see%26#39;s for first timers would be the four you listed as well as the Louve, Musee d%26#39;Orsay and St.Chapell. But this all depends on your interests. Honestly with out knowing you and your husband the best advice is to get a couple of guide books and maps and study the different sights to figure out what will make the trip memorable for you based on your personal interests.
The planning is part of the fun so don%26#39;t get overwhelmed by it. This forum is fantastic for answering more detailed questions so keep posting, you will learn so much from other dreamers and travellers.
Deb
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Thank you! I appreciate all the help.
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Paris is a great walking city. If you like to walk, you will love Paris. The metro is very user friendly, and you will have no problem being able to use it . Just remember to watch that you are heading in the right direction.
As you plan your routes from one attraction to another, you will come upon amazing things along the way. This adds to the transit time, but enhances the total experience. For example, of you are visiting Notre Dame, close by is St. Chapelle, and I thought the windows in the upper chapel were one of the highlights of our trip.
We didn%26#39;t stress much on places to eat, (there are so many), all have menus posted outside, and you can get a feel for them just by looking. Have a great time planning!
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Definitely familiarize yourself with www.mappy.com and use the pedestrian feature. It will give you walking directions, distances and approx. times between any two points, and it is extremely user friendly and intuitive in intrepreting what you type in if it isn%26#39;t an exact match. It works well with landmarks, when you don%26#39;t have an exact address.
%26quot;not too pricey%26quot; is a relative term on TA, and it would be better if you could give us a range. Then we can help.
The Metro is very easy to use. Search here for threads on using the Metro, and you%26#39;ll find many posts offering step by step instructions and tutorials.
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I just returned from my first visit to Paris...the metro is very easy to use...as a prior poster said, just make sure you are going the right direction, look at the ending stop on the line you want and proceed to that train. Once on the train you can spot your stop on the routing and you%26#39;re on your way.
I bought StreetWise Paris and the Paris Map Guide. I used both of them while there. Paris map Guide was bigger print and more detail, but a bit harder to use until I got the hang of it!!!
We did a great deal of walking, that was our first method of getting around. When we got tired, we looked for a metro that would get us back to our apartment. There is so much to see as your walk, and so many great bakeries (loved Paul%26#39;s), the walk went quickly.
I can%26#39;t comment on places to eat, we usually just looked at menus and pricing and made a quick decision. Two restaurants near the Arts %26amp; Metiers metro stop near our apartment that we liked were Cafe Leonard and Cafe Absinthe...both very good and reasonably priced. Also, like the Pizza place across from Metro St. Michel..it was very good....
Have a great time....I researched our trip for 8 mos before going, I was in overload by the time our plane took off. You will have a wonderful time...I can%26#39;t wait to return someday.
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Go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and get Paris Streetwise map, its less than $10 and worth the money. It has all major sights marked. We also when for our visit to paris last month, and checked out all guide books and travel videos from the local library. The website http://www.ratp.fr/ also gives easy directions on which metro to take, where to change, and approx walking times also if you give address of the hotel. You can also find if metro or bus is a better option for where you are going.
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