Paris in a Day: An Easy Day Trip from Amsterdam or London

​When planning our trip to Amsterdam we knew we wanted to sneak off and explore some other nearby cities. I knew I wanted to travel to whatever city we chose by train, read more on why here. Anything that was a 3hr or less ride was in consideration. Paris was, and since the hubby and kids had not been before this seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to get a taste of the City of Love. Besides Paris is always a good idea!

Getting to Paris from Amsterdam
We booked our train ride in advanced through NS International. The further out you book, the cheaper the tickets. We paid 35 Euros each for our tickets, the kids, since both are under 4 were free. Kids 12 and up pay the same price as adults but kids 4-11, for our dates were just 15 Euros per ticket. If you want to visit Paris from London you will take the Eurostar.

Read This!: 3 Reasons to Travel Throughout Europe By Train

​Where We Stayed
Since we only had one day and were taking the train again early in the morning, we decided to stay near the train station our train arrived at, Gare Du Nord. We booked the Holiday Inn Paris-Gare De Lest, which is walking distance (if you have limited luggage like us) or a short bus ride from the station.I booked our room via Priceline the same day and just booked a standard room for 72 Euros, admittedly not reading the details. I’ve never entered the amount of guests for a hotel room and have never had a problem with all 4 of us staying in a room together. Apparently in Europe standard rooms are only for 2 people and they mean it. I explained we had our own baby crib and Jordyn would sleep with us but the check-in agent said it didn’t matter, we would need a family room but they were sold so we would need 2 rooms. This is not what I wanted to hear and I’m sure my face said it. He was so kind and realizing we were only staying for one night he upgraded us to a suite free of charge so we could sleep together. We could have easily not have been so lucky so don’t be like me and read!​

Getting Around Paris
We are usually all about public transportation when visiting countries that have great systems. However, given our short time we didn’t want to run the risk of getting lost or waiting a long time for a bus or train to arrive and then still having to walk to our final destination. A hop-on, hop-off bus tour was the perfect solution for this!

We chose L’Open Tours, which in the summer operates from 9:30AM with the last departure from the first stop at each route leaving at 7PM. They have 4 different routes that take you to everything you’d want to see in Paris besides the Palace of Versailles. The Green Line drops you right in front of the Lourve, Notre Dame, Champs –Elyseee, Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, and the Eiffel Tower. We never waited more than 10mins for a bus and typically we waited less than 5.

Pros

• If you purchase a one day pass and don’t start using it until 4PM you also get to use it for the entire following day.
• You can buy the pass directly on the bus at any stop.
• Kids under 4 are free and kids 4-15 are 50% off.
• Each guest received headphones and there is complimentary commentary throughout the route giving you the history of what you’re passing.

Cons

• The advertised free wifi did not work on all the buses we got on.
• There is really no space to store a stroller, we didn’t bring ours but saw plenty of parents blocking the walking path or struggling to hold it on their laps.

​What We Did
Lourve
Our first stop was to the infamous Lourve. When we got there they had everything blocked off due to a security issue so we were unable to go inside. We weren’t sure how long it was going to last, but after we finished our photo session outside things still showed no signs of opening so we left. I have been inside the Lourve before but my husband and the kids haven’t. It was a bummer but next time.

The Lourve is not open on Tuesdays so if you are only spending one day in Paris and going inside is a must for you be sure to come on any other day. To avoid the long lines purchase your ticket in advance online but be advised you’ll have a 30 minute window to arrive as you will have to select a time slot. Admission is free for those under 18.

​Notre Dame
Our next stop was to visit one of the most famous Cathedrals in the world. Construction started in 1163 but it wasn’t complete until 1345. The Cathedral is open every day from 7:45AM to 6:45PM. Admission is free but lines are extremely long so try getting there as early as possible. If you want to avoid the long lines you can also book a guided tour like this one from Viator. Bags are not allowed inside the cathedral so be prepared to check them.

​Arch De Triomphe
At the end of the Champs Elysse is the Arch de Triomphe. Admission is free for anyone under 18 years but those over 18 must pay. You can buy tickets online here. The top is open 10:00AM-10:30PM and until 11:00PM during the summer.
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Trocadero
After the Arch De Triomphe we headed to the Trocadero which has the best views of the Eiffel Tower. It’s an open public space and there is no admission. You can even walk straight to the Eiffel Tower from here, it’s about a 5-10 minute walk. If you are traveling with kids their are two carousels on the way which might interest you. They are both cash only so be sure to have some Euros on hand if you plan to do this.