# Paris for 8 hours- How to get around?



## mjm1 (Apr 23, 2011)

We will have a break between flights from the US to Milan and will arrive at DeGaul airport at 11 am.  Our flight to Milan departs at 7:30 pm.  Do we have time to go into Paris to look around?  If so, what is the best way to get there?  By train?  Should we buy a pass for the day?  Not sure how long it will take to get out of the airport and then get back through the airport to the gate.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Jimster (Apr 23, 2011)

*Paris*

Your time there is marginal for any visit to Paris.  Don't forget you have to arrive on time, clear passport control and then return through security.  CDG is not located exactly down town.  It will probably take you an hour to get there and then an hour back.  That doesn't mean it cant be done but it will be a whiz bang tour LOL.  Personally, I'd look to some areas near CDG.  This exact topic was the subject of a post about 3 or 4 months ago.  Do a search of this forum and get the opinions of about 20 people in one shot.  
PS If i had booked this (and it was possible with the airlines), I would have booked the flight with a 20 hour gap.  You can do this without it being a stop over on many airlines.  In other words, I'd have booked the same flight a day later and then you'd have a night there. I think on most airlines you can stay in a city up to 24 hours before it is a stayover.  I know there are other flights to Milan that would have worked.  BTW- Talk about being in the middle of nowhere- Milan's airport is very far out.  Check out the "Last Supper" but get your reservations on line AND in advance.  The day I went there the only reason I got in was because I had my tickets already-they were sold out.


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## mjm1 (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks Jimster.  I will take a look at the other posts you mentioned.  We used miles for this trip, but I wish I had thought our your idea of 20 hours.  Great idea.  With regard to The Last Supper, we tried to get them online but they were already sold out.  We may try to see if there are any cancellations, but most likely won't get in.


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## MichaelColey (Apr 23, 2011)

FWIW, when we went to Milan, we went to Santa Maria delle Grazie without reservations/tickets and were able to buy them on site without much of a wait.  Went went across the street to a great deli (don't remember the name) for a quick bite to eat while we were waiting.


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## Passepartout (Apr 23, 2011)

We were fortunate enough to have a flight delay at Milan Malpensa- and yes it is a piece outta town, but there is a rail station in the lower level. We had timed tickets to view the Last Supper. It was truly a highlight of an already wonderful trip to Florence.

Jim Ricks


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## Carolinian (Apr 24, 2011)

On a connection, you do save the time you would spend checking in, since you already have your boarding pass.  I go into the city all the time on a European connection with 6 hours or more in an interesting city.  I have done it in Paris numerous times and did it most recently a few weeks ago in Vienna.  You just need to be constantly aware of your timing on your return to the airport.

For Paris, I go in to the city on the RER train.  Buy a round trip ticket at the airport, and add the 24 hour ticket on public transportation within Paris.  There is no way I would hang around the airport for 8 and a half hours when I can go into Paris!


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## Carolinian (Apr 24, 2011)

Most airlines on an ff ticket will allow a free stopover enroute, and if flying one of those airlines, this could have been scheduled with as many days as he wanted in Paris at no extra cost in miles or dollars.

Another option for more time in Paris, would be getting your TATL ticket from the US as an open jaw, into Milan and out of Paris, then buy a cheap ticket on an LCC between Milan and Paris.  EasyJet uses Milan Malpensa, the same airport as the TATL airlines, while most other LCC's use Milan Linate, the old international airport that is closer in to the city or Milan-Bergamo, which is even farther out than Malpensa, but is very close to the interesting city of Bergamo, with its walled medieval old town on the hill.  Personally, Bergamo is my favorite airport to connect through in Milan and I stay in Bergamo rather than Milan.  Paris also has three airports, and if using an LCC you need to look at which one that LCC uses.  The TATL airlines use Charles de Gaulle, but most LCC's use Orly, the old international airport, which is closer to Paris and has good connections into the city or Beauvais, which is a very long way from Paris and less good connections into the city.  Using the open jaw plus LCC method, you could spend a leisurely few days in Paris.




Jimster said:


> Your time there is marginal for any visit to Paris.  Don't forget you have to arrive on time, clear passport control and then return through security.  CDG is not located exactly down town.  It will probably take you an hour to get there and then an hour back.  That doesn't mean it cant be done but it will be a whiz bang tour LOL.  Personally, I'd look to some areas near CDG.  This exact topic was the subject of a post about 3 or 4 months ago.  Do a search of this forum and get the opinions of about 20 people in one shot.
> PS If i had booked this (and it was possible with the airlines), I would have booked the flight with a 20 hour gap.  You can do this without it being a stop over on many airlines.  In other words, I'd have booked the same flight a day later and then you'd have a night there. I think on most airlines you can stay in a city up to 24 hours before it is a stayover.  I know there are other flights to Milan that would have worked.  BTW- Talk about being in the middle of nowhere- Milan's airport is very far out.  Check out the "Last Supper" but get your reservations on line AND in advance.  The day I went there the only reason I got in was because I had my tickets already-they were sold out.


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## Margariet (Apr 24, 2011)

Well, I'm a very frequent and experienced traveller and know Paris very well but ever since I got stuck in a train in the Paris metro and had to run to catch my international train ... really run ... I don't know if I could relax and enjoy the city knowing that my flight is leaving in a few hours.


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## beejaybeeohio (Apr 24, 2011)

I'd take the RER in from CDG to the Boul Mich/Notre Dame stop, walk along the Seine and soak in Paris, and take time for a later al fresco lunch. If you haven't been to Notre Dame you could visit there in lieu of strolling the Seine.

At best you'll have 4 hours in Paris because it'll take @ an hour on the RER to get to the city, and you really ought to depart by 4pm.  Even though you are "checked in", security takes a long time to get thru at CDG.


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## mclyne (Apr 26, 2011)

The Last Supper was magnificent. I recommend it but don't be late. You have a specific time to view it and they stick to a very strict schedule. Only a few people at a time are allowed in.


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## mjm1 (Apr 27, 2011)

Well, we made it.  Our flight from San Francisco to Paris arrived about 30 minutes early.  By the way, Affaires (business) class on Air France is fantastic.  We had to get seats for our Alitalia leg from Paris to Milan, which we did, and then took the RER train to the Notre Dame stop, transferred to the line for the Eiffel Tower, saw it, and then went back to Notre Dame.  We have seen these before and climbed the Eiffel Tower (the lower portion) and taken the elevator the rest of the way, so just seeing the tower after 10 years was nice.  Grabbed a sandwich near Notre Dame and sat in the small park behind Notre Dame.  Very relaxing.  Then bank to the airport to relax in the Air France lounge.  As someone suggested, we spent about 3.5 hours actually in Paris, and had plenty of time to get there and back.

We are now in Milan and actually got in to see The Last Supper without reservations.  We got there early and then had to come back at 12:30, but it was worth it.  Tomorrow take a day trip up to Lake Como and Bellagio.  Really looking forward to seeing both.

Ciao!


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## MichaelColey (Apr 27, 2011)

Have some cappuccinos and croissants for us!

Glad to hear the Last Supper worked out for you without reservations, like it did for us.


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