What can you see if you only have 2 days in Paris? Much less than 48 hours! Surely, after getting your first impressions of the most romantic city in Europe, sleep will not be your priority.
To some extent, the route depends on the time of year and weather, so there should be a backup option in case a “global flood” begins and walking becomes impossible.
The walking tour will be perfectly complemented by a river tour on batobus, giving rest to your legs and discovering the beauty of the capital from a new angle. The water bus runs along the Seine and makes many stops, so you can get off at any time to visit the Orsay Museum, the Louvre, stroll through the Botanical Garden or admire other attractions of the French capital.
River exercise is especially pleasant in the summer, when the city is sweltering from the heat. And if you leave this journey for the evening, you will witness a wonderful transformation of the city landscape. When multi-colored lights turn Paris into a fairy tale, one involuntarily recalls Hemingway’s impressions, poured out in his work: “A holiday that is always with you.”
There is a restaurant on the ferry, and you can buy a ticket that includes lunch or dinner, satisfying your physical and aesthetic hunger at the same time.
It is logical to end the first day in one of the nightlife establishments. If you don't want to leave the Champs-Elysees, the Costes bar, decorated in the style of the 19th century, is at your service; Impala Lounge in African motifs, Nirvana restaurant-club with excellent Indian cuisine and signature cocktails.
First day route
Second day in Paris
When you only have 2 days in Paris, you want to see as much as possible, but on the second day after the busy program of the first day there is almost no energy left, especially if they ended in one of the drinking establishments. Try not to overdo it in the company of Bacchus, so that later “it won’t be excruciatingly painful for the idle time spent.”
Use the service, and your legs and head will thank you.
Tours around the capital are offered by many companies, but especially popular ones:
- L'Open Tour with cars painted bright yellow;
- Les Cars Rouges with red double deckers;
- Foxity with orange shuttles;
- Cityrama;
- Balabus;
- Montmartrobus.
Each company has its own route. However, in many ways they are similar, with the exception of Montmartrobus, which travels exclusively around, including Place Pigalle, the red light district, Place du Tertre and the Sacré-Coeur Basilica at the highest point of the hill.
While driving around the outskirts of Paris, you can periodically leave the bus to look into one of the opening days, sit in a cafe or walk in the park.
Try not to lose your ticket, because only with it you can board again at another stop.
Take a short walk around Montmartre, check out the museum of the same name, as well as the Museum of Erotica and Dali, the Van Gogh House, and art galleries. Let the street artists on the street. Tartre will paint your portrait, and in Jean Rictus Square you will see the Wall of Love, decorated with hearts and the inscription “I love you” in different languages.
The bus ride will take 1-3 hours or the whole day if you choose a delicious gastronomic tour or an educational tour of majestic castles.
While on tour, use the built-in headphones next to each seat, select desired language and listen to an informative story about the objects you pass by.
After lunch, the rest of the day can be devoted to shopping, and the most convenient and fastest way to get around is (cheap and without traffic jams) - its web of branches covers the entire city and there are stations near all attractive retail outlets.
It is especially interesting to buy souvenirs and gifts at the Carrousel du Louvre, because many of the products have something in common with the masterpieces of the exhibition halls. The store is located under a glass pyramid next to the Louvre on Rue de Rivoli, where the Palais Royal – Musee du Louvre metro station leads.
Even if you don’t plan to spend a lot, just for curiosity’s sake, it’s worth seeing the Galeries Lafayette, which resembles a magic casket (get off at the Havre-Comartin metro station or the Chausée d’Antin La Fayette).
From there, you can easily walk to the Printemps Haussmann department store, whose building is not inferior in luxury and grandeur to Lafayette, not to mention the range of goods offered.
Again we jump on the metro and go to La Defense to visit Les Quatre Temps, and at the same time take a walk in the modern quarter of the capital La Defense, which is strikingly different in modern style from old Paris.
The village of Bercy, next to the Cours Saint-Emilion metro station, has a special charm. This is a cluster of small shops, cafes and exhibitions. Here you can find inexpensive original items and eat delicious food, washed down with fine wine.
If you need small souvenirs in the form of Eiffel towers, cups, refrigerator magnets, postcards, etc., they are sold almost anywhere in the city. There is a particularly large selection near museums and crowded tourist spots: Champs de Mars, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre, etc.
It is much more interesting to stroll through flea markets, where you are sure to find something original and unique.
The largest:
- Marche Saint-Ouen on Avenue Rosiere near the Porte de Clignancourt metro station;
- Village Saint-Paul Marche de Vanves on rue Georges-Lefebvre (metro station Porte de Vanves);
- Village Saint-Paul in the Marais quarter on the street and metro of the same name.
You can again end a fruitful day in a nightclub, but it is much more interesting to enjoy a performance at the Moulin Rouge or Lido cabaret. Naturally, you will have to worry about this in advance, because tickets to the grand show are always in great demand.
No matter how much you would like to cover more museums and attractions when going to Paris for 2 days, it is better not to do this. By turning on the “gallop across Europe” mode, you will only create chaos in your head and, when you arrive home, you won’t remember half of what you saw and heard. It is better to relax for your own pleasure, wandering around the city, enjoying its architecture, aura and opportunities.
Of course, you shouldn’t completely exclude the cultural program, but let it be especially significant objects. For example, admire the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles at night; walk under the Triumphal Gate; visit the Sacré-Coeur Basilica; take a stroll through the Montmartre quarter.
You don’t have to go to the Louvre, but this famous palace is worth seeing, as is the majestic Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, next to which the prime meridian passes, and if you make a wish while standing on it and turning clockwise 12 times, it will definitely come true .
The parks of Paris are real works of art, green pearls of the city, and it is impossible to resist their charm. The RER train will take you to the Luxembourg Gardens, where during your walk you can visit the local museum.
The Tuileries Garden is next to the Arc de Triomphe and not far from the Place de la Concorde. There are also the museums of the Orangerie, the Democratic Art and the National Gallery of the Jeu de Paume. You can get to the garden on foot from the Champs-Elysees, by riding a river bus or by metro, arriving at the station of the same name.
The forests of Vincennes and Boulogne keep many stories and secrets. True, they are located in different parts of the metropolis, so it is better to choose one of them to visit.
For those who like to act spontaneously
To see the French capital through the eyes of local residents, turn off the main highways onto inconspicuous streets. In cozy courtyards without sleek pavement and bright lights, far from the bustle and noise, more of the truth of true Paris will be revealed to you.
In quiet corners you can always find a cozy cafe that is not crowded with visitors. Even the dishes here are more appetizing because they are not put on stream.
It’s the same with shops - in shops farther away from the main streets you can buy the same things, but at more reasonable prices. In addition, the shelves are not overloaded with souvenirs, giving way to practical things.
For pedants
To make a 2-day tour to Paris memorable for a long time, think through all the details at home. The map will help you plot a convenient route directly from the airport.
Schedule your actions hourly, and then there will be no overlap with moving, but don’t make the schedule too tight - leave time for photo shoots and breaks.
Knowing your travel plan, it is easy to choose a place to stay overnight so that it is in the area of your last stop. Similarly with meals - decide when you will have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and see where it is most convenient to do this, taking into account your intended location.
When planning to have an expensive evening at a restaurant, reserve a table at your chosen establishment from home. This is not difficult to do, because all Michelin-starred establishments have websites with all the necessary information.
Paris is boulevards and also a spire Eiffel Tower, which is visible from every corner of the city.
Mikhail Kenegesov
walked all over Paris
There are hundreds of museums, cathedrals, parks and shops. It may seem that even a year is not enough to explore the city. But to get a first impression of Paris, a day is enough.
I made a route for 12 km. It’s easy to walk through it in a day, even at a leisurely pace. This is enough to see the main places of the city and feel its atmosphere.
Arc de Triomphe - best place to start your walk around Paris. It's easy to get there: at Charles de Gaulle Étoile station Lines 1, 2 and 6 of the Paris metro converge. From the observation deck at the top of the arch you can see a beautiful panorama of the city. It’s not too high up there, so you can see in detail the houses and streets that diverge in different directions, like the rays of a giant star. Climbing the Arc de Triomphe costs 12 € (920 RUR).
Champs Elysees- the largest avenue in Paris, which runs from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre. Street performers constantly perform on the Champs-Elysees, so it is always noisy and crowded.
Opera Garnier- one of the most significant opera houses in the world. It is beautiful outside and inside. The ceiling of the theater hall, painted by Marc Chagall, is a separate work of art. For tourists, the opera building is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; exceptions are rare. Entrance costs 12 € (920 RUR).
To the Louvre You can only get in after standing in a long line. A quick inspection of a small part of the exhibits will take several more hours. If you only have a day in Paris, it's not worth it. Instead, you can relax in the Tuileries Garden, which is adjacent to the Louvre.
Pompidou Center- a museum of modern art that stands out against the backdrop of classic Parisian architecture. The creators brought everything out load-bearing structures, pipes, elevators and stairs, so the building seems to be turned inside out. There are usually exhibitions of famous artists here, but if there are none, you can simply explore the center from the outside.
Notre Dame de Paris is located on the small island of Cité. It is believed that this is where the first inhabitants of Paris settled. At the entrance to the cathedral there is an archaeological exhibition where you can learn about the history of the founding of the city. Entry to Notre Dame is free. It is worth spending time on it, if only for the sake of the stained glass windows under the cathedral ceiling.
This article was written before the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019. The frame of the building was saved, but the roof and spire collapsed
Home for the Invalids- This is a beautiful building in the shape of a military bastion. French veterans live there. There is also a large museum inside dedicated to the wars in which France participated. Many tourists go to the Les Invalides Cathedral to look at the huge marble sarcophagus in which Napoleon is buried. Entrance costs 12 € (920 RUR).
Bridge Alexandra III is located directly opposite the Invalides House. From here you can view the city from the river. The bridge is considered the most elegant in Paris, but it seems too pompous to me. Although it still warms the soul to think that in the center of France there is a place named after the Russian Tsar.
To the Eiffel Tower It is best to go in the evening, when numerous tourist groups have left and only individual visitors remain. After sunset, at the beginning of each hour, the tower shimmers for several minutes - during this time beautiful photographs are obtained. To get to the beginning of the flickering, I advise you to climb the tower in the middle of the hour. When there is no long queue, the rise takes 20 minutes.
The tower has three tiers. There is a restaurant on the first one, so the elevator takes tourists straight to the second one - the main observation deck there. Many people also want to climb to the third, where the very top of the tower is. But it seems to me that for good looking It's too high up there for the city. It is also more expensive and time-consuming. A ticket for the second tier costs 16 € (1230 RUR), and for the third - 25 € (1920 RUR). To avoid standing in a long line, it is better to buy a ticket in advance on the official website of the tower.
Details
Food. It is better to avoid restaurants in tourist places: most likely, they are expensive and not very tasty, and the waiters can be rude to you. I advise you to have lunch on one of the streets of the Latin Quarter - this is a student area, and prices there are moderate. In our route, this is the section from Notre-Dame de Paris to the Invalides.
Traditional French dishes: onion soup, snails in garlic sauce and raw minced beef - tartare. One dish costs 10-15 € (770-1150 R). As for drinks, I recommend trying “Kir-kassis” - this is white wine with blackcurrant syrup, usually costs 3-4 € (230-310 R).
On weekdays, many establishments offer a business lunch - “formule” in French. According to it, snacks, hot dishes and a drink cost an average of 20 € (1540 RUR).
A cheaper snack option is large thin pancakes, called “crêpes” in French. This dish is very popular among Parisians. There are sweet crepes with banana, Nutella and liqueur for 3 € (230 RUR) or more hearty ones with egg, bacon and champignons for 5 € (385 RUR). They are baked in small cafes or right on the street.
Transport. If you get tired of walking, you can take the Paris metro. There are many stations and they are located close to each other. The ticket costs 1.9 € (146 RUR). If you say “Carne” when purchasing, you will be given 10 tickets at once with a 25% discount: instead of 19 €, pay 14.25 € (1095 RUR). It is beneficial if you are not traveling alone and plan to take the metro several times. It is convenient to plan the route on the website of the Paris transport system.
Safety. In tourist places and the metro there are a lot of pickpockets and scammers who first “give” you something and then demand money for it. It happened that my friends living in Paris had their bags and mobile phones snatched out of their hands in the subway. Therefore, be attentive to others and do not go into a dense crowd.
Based on personal experience, it is quite possible to explore the main attractions of the city in two days. Naturally, you will not only have to walk, but you will also have to use the Paris metro.
The capital of France is a large city, so we prepared for the trip in advance. To get started, be sure to check them out, they are on our website. If you have only one day to explore the city, then you will have time to explore on foot only the main attractions of Paris, located in the area of the Seine River and. If you have two days, then using the metro you can go to and visit. Well, three days spent in this city will provide an opportunity to visit one of the famous museums of the city. For example, .
Walking route Paris in one day
Usually, on the first day we try to explore the main attractions of the city center, and then travel around the surrounding area. As for Paris, everything looked simple for us. Most of the interesting objects are located on a straight line that starts at and then stretches along the Seine embankment towards (Notre Dame Cathedral). Our plan had only one drawback - it was off to the side, so we decided, if there was time left, to approach it by metro.
Our walking route started near. You could get here by metro (Charles de Gaulle Étoile metro station). Tickets for the arch can be purchased in advance. The famous Champs Elysees boulevard begins from the arch. Having walked it all the way from beginning to end, you will come to the Place de la Concorde, next to which there are several palaces. Further, a logical continuation of the Champs Elysees are the Tuileries Gardens and located behind them. Since visiting this museum will require at least half a day of free time, we did not go inside the museum. If you want to visit this museum, buy tickets in advance via the Internet (). This way you will avoid queues at the museum ticket office.
Turning right, you will come out onto the embankment of the Seine River, along which you can continue moving in the same direction. You will see the Pont des Arts, the Church of Saint-Germain, the Tower of Saint-Jacques, the Palace of the Conciergerie and the city hall. Near the city hall you will need to cross the bridge over the Seine to the Ile de la Cité. Continue along the same street further and you will come out to the cathedral. Here you will have to stand in line to get inside. But you should definitely go to the cathedral, it is very beautiful (note by Masha Pasha: in 2019 the cathedral burned down, it will no longer be possible to enter here)..
Further, we continue to go straight. You cross the Seine River again and on the other side go one block to the right. There you will exit onto the large Rue Saint-Jacques, along which you can walk to the Paris Pantheon. From here it will be close to . This beautiful park is the final stop on our one-day walking tour of Paris. This entire journey with stops to visit the cathedral, photography and food can take about 5-6 hours. If you still have energy, you can take the metro and drive up to the Eiffel Tower. Just in the evening the line there may not be very long. If you plan to stay in Paris for one more day, then you can leave the tower for later.
Paris on foot in two days. Eiffel Tower and Montmartre.
The main advantage is the panoramic view from its top. There are many people who want to get there (no less than those who want to go to the Louvre), so be prepared to stand in line. If you wish, you can buy a ticket in advance via the Internet (with a skip-the-line climb to the tower). In general, visiting the Eiffel Tower can take about two hours. From the Eiffel Tower you can walk along the Champ de Mars to the Military School, and from there to the Invalides, where the Army Museum and the Museum of Modern History are located. From here, crossing the Pont Alexandre III, to the other side of the Seine River, you will find yourself near two palaces (the Grand Palace and the Petit Palace), and from there you can go to the Place de la Concorde, which is already familiar to you.
Turning left after a few minutes you will come to the impressive and unusual Church of the Madeleine, to the right of which the Boulevard Madeleine goes, smoothly turning into the Boulevard Capucines. You can walk a little away from the boulevard and get to Place Vendôme with an impressive column with a sculpture of Napoleon. Go back to the boulevard. Walking further, you will come to the Parisian Opera Garnier. Once behind the Opera building, you will come to the chic Galeries Lafayette department store, which is an interesting attraction in itself.
There are still many interesting places in the center of Paris, but we have already spent half a day of free time, so we take the metro and go to . There is a beautiful place here, and the area itself is quite nice. That's all. You will hardly be able to visit anything more in one day.
Third day in Paris. Palaces and museums.
The third day in Paris can be devoted to visiting Disneyland Paris or one of the famous museums of the city (Louvre, Les Invalides, Pompidou Art Center).
We were in Paris for three days. On the third day we decided to visit, which is covered in a separate guidebook. Disneyland tickets are sold online. If we had more free time, we would visit Versailles or the Bois de Boulogne.
If you've been following along closely, we recently published an article on how to spend a day in Paris. Today we’ll talk about how to profitably spend two days in the fashion capital.
So, you can use what has already been written. Visit the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Montmartre and end the route with Notre Dame Cathedral.
Or you can purchase a ready-made package and see all the beauty in one day. We have already described the package in detail, let us only remind you that with the card you will catch three birds with one stone:
- climb to the second level of the Eiffel Tower
- take a boat ride on the Seine
- get the opportunity to use the excursion bus during the day
When the main attractions have been seen, it’s time to relax and the best vacation in Paris is shopping combined with a gastronomic tour.
To save on transportation, buy a day pass.
In the warm season, be sure to visit the open outlet villages:
The village of Bercy is a great place to eat inexpensively!
- a less profitable, but nevertheless well-known place, where there is a large selection of shops, and walking through them is a real pleasure, especially in the evening!
If the weather conditions are unfavorable, then you can safely go to large centers:
- To make your purchases useful, I recommend reading the article -
- Read about where the best exchange offices are and several useful tips that will help you save money.
- If you come to Paris during the sales season, then read about.
- Are you going to a restaurant and don’t know how and what dish to choose? Then check out a number of articles that will help you understand French cuisine - in the section
- If you don’t want to explore the city and its attractions on your own, you can use the services of professionals. Pay for the finished sightseeing tour.
See Paris in 2 - 3 days? Quite real!
If you only have a couple of days in Paris (for example, a weekend), ideal option will first look around the city, going along one of the. You can complement a tiring walk around the city by boat. A boat cruise is especially enjoyable in. It’s more convenient to walk: there is no wind, and it’s more interesting to look at Paris from the shore.
You can break one-day routes into 2 days, easily visiting others, such as Notre Dame. There are usually very long queues, so allow at least an hour for your visit. Then in one day you can walk from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffle Tower, go up, walk past to, go up there, walk around and walk to the Pantheon.
On the second day you can go to, then visit, for example, or, and in the evening go to, where life does not subside until late. Alternatively, end the evening with a visit to the famous cabaret Moulin Rouge(you just need to buy tickets much in advance).
Options for the second day:
- if you want to see the maximum, then a trip to.
- if you are with children, then a trip to Disneyland, Parc Asterix or France in miniature.
If you want romance...
if you want romance, go to Montmartre with its picturesque rocky streets and stairs, take a ride on the carousel on Place des Abbesses, where the famous wall is located Mur des je t'aime("I love you" wall) - designed by Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito, it is covered with the phrases "I love you" in 280 languages! The Museum of Romance is located nearby - Musée de la Vie romantic.
A little mysticism?
if you want something mystical, you can stroll around Père Lachaise cemetery and look into .
Free cultural program?
If it's the first Sunday of the month, don't miss the opportunity to visit the museums of Paris for free: Louvre,Orsay and other museums are waiting for you. Locks are also usually free (at least in winter).
Third day in Paris
Accordingly, on the third day you can choose what you didn’t have time to do on the second and first days - most likely you won’t have time to visit absolutely everything. You can take advantage of the third day to climb a couple and admire the city from above. Keep in mind that a visit to the Eiffel Tower will take at least 2 hours: huge queues at the ticket office and at the tower itself do not disappear in any season.
If you are tired of noisy crowds of tourists, then you can take a walk in relative solitude (if you have not been there in the first 1 - 2 days). This is also part of the history of Paris and its atmosphere, but completely different, a little mysterious.
If you want to make the most of it, you can go for the whole day to. This will significantly complement the picture of the trip and deepen knowledge of French history and lifestyle.
Well, if you have special preferences, you can use the thematic routes presented below.
