The answer to the question above is more than obvious: No, you can't! Then, you'll ask yourself, what on earth is this post about? Well, this post my dear readers (hi mum), is mostly a short guide of what to see in Paris when you only have one day (or less) available.
The map below shows some of the top sights we visited as well as the route we followed, in a (too) simple way. Before keep reading, let's just all take a minute to feel sorry for my "painting/collage skills''. Thank you.
First thing we need to share is that we went to Paris while being Brussels based, using the Thalys trains, which always require a reservation. We took our train from Brussels Nord train station and arrived at Paris Nord train station early in the morning.
We then took the metro, headed to the famous quarter of Montmartre and climbed up to the Sacre Coeur Basilica. From the top of the stairs, which lead to the church, we had a panoramic view of Paris. Okay it was quite foggy, but still...
Back to the metro again, till we found ourselves right in front of the famous Arc de Triomphe. After taking the essential touristy photos we started walking on the Champs Elysees avenue, all the way down to the Eiffel Tower, the view of which almost made us scream of excitement!
Another few minutes underground and voila! We were finally walking accross the banks of river Seine, with its numeruous artists and venders.
We made a quick stop at Cafe de Flore, one of the oldest cafes in the city, just to sip some coffee and then headed to the next stops of our short Paris tour,the church of Notre Dame de Paris and the famous Louvre Museum. We had no time to enter any of them but you know what they say: always leave something for the next time!
Last but not least, we set foot on Place de la Concorde and Place Vandome, two of the most famous squares in Paris. It was then time to go back to Gare du Nord and catch our train to Brussels...
TO SUM UP :
Paris can't be seen in a day but a (super) quick tour of at least some of its most significant sites is not impossible! Sure we'd love to have some more time and yes we definitely want to go back but who can ever say no to a trip to the city of lights, even if only for a few hours!
TIP :
No matter how many days (or hours) you plan to spend in the French capital, remember to print a map of the subway network, before getting there and do your homework on that! It's quite complicated and it's a pitty to waste your time searching how to get from point A to point B, especially if you only have a few hours available. Also, keep in mind that metro tickets (1,70 euros) in Paris are valid, only during your underground journey and stop being valid once you exit the station, so don't try to re-use it.
REMINDER :
''Paris is always a good idea'' , A.Hepburn
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