On our first day in Paris, where else did we plan to go other than the Eiffel Tower or Tour de Eiffel, about 1/2 hour walk away. I think the best way to see a city is by walking around. :) Not a preferred thought by kids, but anyways.. :)
On the way, we walked by the Hotel de Invalides which is a museum now. Very beautiful building.
Once we reached the base of the Eiffel Tower, we saw, ofcourse throngs of tourists, who like us, were wondering which line to stand in. First, there is a brief security point, and then you can choose to go up to the first floor by stairs or go up to the top floor by elevator. We stood in the elevator line and it was one hour later, after another security check, that we stepped into the elevator that took us all the way to the top most floor. There is an outdoor viewing gallery and an indoor one with glass windows. What can you say, but it is definitely worth a visit to view Paris from the top.
Then the elevator can take you to the second floor, which also has a viewing gallery and gift shops, and the first floor has a restaurant, icecream booth, gift shop and benches around the periphery of the tower to sit and enjoy the view. The first floor is completely enclosed in glass.
Note: We had planned to buy the tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower days in advance, but they were not available online. Possible reason is the day we had planned to go was before Bastille Day, July 14. However, once you stand in line for the elevator ride, the ticket booth is just before security and it takes 2-3 minutes to buy your tickets, so, in the end, everyone (ticket or no ticket ) is standing in the same line.
After the Eiffel Tower, we walked towards the bank of the Seine river and began looking for the Bateaux Mouches dock, as we had bought tickets online ahead of time for the Seine river cruise.
As we walked down the steps, we saw the dock for Bateaux Parisiens, which was right there. Those are pretty much the two choices for a Seine river cruise. I think the Bateaux Mouches had a slightly better fare, and hence I had picked that. The online ticket does not specify a time, so there is no rush to catch a boat at a particular time.
We asked around, and found out that Bateaux Mouches dock is two bridges down the Seine river bank. We walked towards our right with the Eiffel Tower behind us. We had to cross the second bridge, cross the road, and then go down the steps on our right. The Seine River cruise took an hour and 10 minutes, and on the way to the metro stop, we saw the tunnel where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's car fatally crashed. There is a small memorial at the spot and it was touching to see so many pictures of the Princess and her family.
That ended our first day in Paris, and we looked forward to more! :)
On the way, we walked by the Hotel de Invalides which is a museum now. Very beautiful building.
Once we reached the base of the Eiffel Tower, we saw, ofcourse throngs of tourists, who like us, were wondering which line to stand in. First, there is a brief security point, and then you can choose to go up to the first floor by stairs or go up to the top floor by elevator. We stood in the elevator line and it was one hour later, after another security check, that we stepped into the elevator that took us all the way to the top most floor. There is an outdoor viewing gallery and an indoor one with glass windows. What can you say, but it is definitely worth a visit to view Paris from the top.
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| One of our first views of the Eiffel Tower |
Note: We had planned to buy the tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower days in advance, but they were not available online. Possible reason is the day we had planned to go was before Bastille Day, July 14. However, once you stand in line for the elevator ride, the ticket booth is just before security and it takes 2-3 minutes to buy your tickets, so, in the end, everyone (ticket or no ticket ) is standing in the same line.
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| Eiffel Tower, Paris |
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| Pont Alexandre III, seen from the boat |
As we walked down the steps, we saw the dock for Bateaux Parisiens, which was right there. Those are pretty much the two choices for a Seine river cruise. I think the Bateaux Mouches had a slightly better fare, and hence I had picked that. The online ticket does not specify a time, so there is no rush to catch a boat at a particular time.
We asked around, and found out that Bateaux Mouches dock is two bridges down the Seine river bank. We walked towards our right with the Eiffel Tower behind us. We had to cross the second bridge, cross the road, and then go down the steps on our right. The Seine River cruise took an hour and 10 minutes, and on the way to the metro stop, we saw the tunnel where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's car fatally crashed. There is a small memorial at the spot and it was touching to see so many pictures of the Princess and her family.
That ended our first day in Paris, and we looked forward to more! :)
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