Paris Day Trip

Author
Discussion

Stevem5

Original Poster:

120 posts

212 months

Monday 8th February 2010
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Hi guys.

I have booked a daytrip via eyrotunnel. I am due to arrive at Calais at 8am. How long fir mr to drive to Paris and where would I park or am I mental for even contemplating it? It's a surprise for wife she has always wanted to go up the eiffell tower and arc. I then need to be back at Calais for 10pm.

Thanks in advance

steve

Driller

8,310 posts

285 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
quotequote all
Stevem5 said:
Hi guys.

I have booked a daytrip via eyrotunnel. I am due to arrive at Calais at 8am. How long fir mr to drive to Paris and where would I park or am I mental for even contemplating it? It's a surprise for wife she has always wanted to go up the eiffell tower and arc. I then need to be back at Calais for 10pm.

Thanks in advance

steve
Blimey, that's going to be a bit knackering, why didn't you go by Eurostar instead?

Count 3 hours each way for Calais-Paris. Good luck! smile

neil-f

1,647 posts

214 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
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To save some time you may be better parking on outskirts and getting the train as the traffic is heavy at comuter times and throughout the day.

Stevem5

Original Poster:

120 posts

212 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
quotequote all
Those are the lind of things I wanted to know. Is it worth chansing a drive directly into centre and if I did where could I park?

If I were to park car up and get metro where would be the best place/area to leave car and get direct metro to city?

Steve

Planet Claire

3,349 posts

216 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
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I would double check that the top of the Eiffel Tower is open. I went at the end of November and the first time was in the morning and it was only open to the 2nd floor, "come back after 6pm to get to the top" they said. So went again a couple of days later after 6pm (we checked the internet booking site which confirmed that you could only access the top at night), and it was still closed. For me, there was no reason just to go up to the second floor.

PottyMouth

470 posts

203 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
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Eiffel Tower on Valentine's day. Be prepared for an enormous queue, rude staff, and tourists spilling coffee all over your shirt.

Then, when you get to the top, you'll not be able to see anything because of the rubbish weather.

Save the money and spend it on taking your better half to a nice restaurant (not in St Michel: rip-off tourist traps.) For Valentine's I can highly recommend dinner on a boat along the Seine.

With regards to the drive, 3 hours is reasonable if "pressing on" but traffic on the ring road can be a nightmare. Also, it's worth investing in secure parking for the car if you are planning to drive into the city centre. I recently left mine in a local garage that offered parking on the side. 20 € per night. A bit steep, but less than it'll cost if you get towed away or broken into!

Edited by PottyMouth on Tuesday 9th February 18:10

Mattt

16,663 posts

225 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
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Is Paris as bad now as I've heard? I last went (intentionally) maybe 5 years back, and it was very expensive/crowded then - I heard it's even worse now in the tourist spots.

Balmoral Green

41,761 posts

255 months

Tuesday 9th February 2010
quotequote all
The last time I went into Paris, I parked on Avenue de Suffren, hoping to be near the Eiffel Tower, parking was easy, and was very surprised when we walked up the road, into a park, and found ourselves at the base of the tower. We moved around the city a few times that day, it was nice to swank about in the Bentley, and we managed to find somewhere to dump it every time.

Just make sure you have the right parking ticket for the right place from the right machine and the right amount of time, otherwise you may get towed.

And remember, you MUST have the right mental attitude to just swanning up and nonchalantly finding somewhere to park. If you think it's going to be bad, and a nightmare, it will be, and you WILL fail. I always find somewhere to park, with little difficulty, this amazes my family, as they can never find anywhere to park, not that they'd ever dream of driving into Paris or Rome anyway biggrin

Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 9th February 18:22

Stevem5

Original Poster:

120 posts

212 months

Wednesday 10th February 2010
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Many thanks for all the replies guy's.

I think I will chance it and try to get right to the centre of Paris, if the traffic looks really bad then I will try and park on the outskirts. Does anyone have any reccomendations on where to park/ride on the outskirts of Paris?

The Eifell Tower website will let me book tickets, but just to be sure I have fired them an email to confirm it is open all the way to the summit.

Steve

Balmoral Green

41,761 posts

255 months

Wednesday 10th February 2010
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Stevem5 said:
I think I will chance it and try to get I am going to rock up and go right to the centre of Paris