DLP to Paris Sightseeing

[Suzi-Q]

On previous trips the furthest we've gone from the parks is to the shopping centre by train - 1 stop and even that made me panicky

Personally I would prefer to spend all 5 days at DLP in my Disney bubble but I'm traveling with my friend and she wants to go into Paris. We are both keen photographers, she's doing a media course at college and I've been doing a photography course, she say's it would be a shame to be that close to Paris and not get to take some shots at the Eiffel Tower etc.

I can see it taking us away from DLP for the majority of one day so want to pack as much in as possible.

I'm panicking at going by train as I know I'll get disorientated and have no idea which train I'm supposed to be on and how many different tickets we need, if it was one train all the way I'd feel more relaxed about it

So can anyone give me any advice on how to get to the 'major' attractions in Paris easily? Does anyone (Carrie ) know if there are any 'individual' tour guides / taxi's that you can book for a few hours etc that would escort us to the best locations. I know this might be fairly expensive but there will be 2 adults and a 5yr old so depending on the cost of train fares it may work out just as economical to split the cost of a 'tour guide/taxi' between the 2 of us and have less stress The other thing I need to factor in is my mobility, due to my back problem I struggle with walking, so for example a trip on foot between the sights in Paris that would take someone an hour could end up taking me 3hrs - I don't walk very quick, more of a waddle and have to keep taking rest stops!!

Thanks in advance

 

[txminotaur]

During my recent visit to Paris, we spent the money and got a five zone "Navigo" pass, which was perfect because we could go just about anywhere in Paris. (You do need to have a Passport-suitable photo to attach to the pass though.) Once you have the pass, you don't have to buy another one for the next time you're in Paris....you just need to recharge the pass. They're normally good from Monday to Sunday. It also makes for a great souvenir too!

We pretty much were able to go almost anywhere we wanted to go by taking the RER "A" line, and a little bit of walking. The A Line will get you from Disneyland Paris to the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triumph by getting off at the Charles de Gaulle-Etoile station [They do have an elevator for disabled people to go up to the top without having to climb the stairs]. To get to the Eiffel Tower, take the A line to the "Châtelet Les Halles" station, do a short walk over to Notre Dame, and then get back onto the RER "C" line to get to the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel). You can alternatively get onto the Metro line 6 from Charles de Gaulle-Etoile and it's three or five stops to the Eiffel Tower (depending on how much walking you want to do to get to the Eiffel Tower...the stop that's three stops from the Charles de Gaulle-Etoile is the Trocadero stop is the more "traditional view" walking towards it, however it is a little bit of a walk, but you can get some great photos of the tower there. two more stops from Trocadero is the actual Eiffel tower stop.

Another option you can look at is something that's becoming more and more popular in tourist cities, the "Hop On Hop Off bus" (Also known as the "HoHo Bus". Takes you to all of the major sites in Paris at something like 30 Euro and you can get on and off the bus the entire day. I personally didn't do that since my housemate had lived in Paris for 9 years and knew the city extremely well. I think I saw that some of the HoHo busses cost about 27 Euro for a one day pass, or 29 Euro for a two day pass.

Hoping this helps you out!

 

[zanzibar138]

I think a day trip into Paris would definitely be worth it. Be prepared to write off the whole day from DLP, and just concentrate on seeing Paris. We found the trains quite easy to navigate, but if you do happen to get on the wrong one, it's not the end of the world - just get off at the next station and wait for the train back to where you were. You won't get stranded anywhere.

We got Paris Visite passes, they weren't the cheapest option, but we liked the convenience of not having to worry about buying tickets when we got there. For DLP - Paris you'll need a 5 zone pass. These passes came with an information booklet including maps that was all mailed to us before we left.

There are plenty of maps of the RER and metro networks, information about timetables, and even a journey planner. Google is your friend. Do lots of research before you go so you know exactly what colour/number train line you're looking for. The stations can be confusing, and it's much easier if you're just looking for a colour/number to start off with, rather than a destination.

Otherwise the hop on hop off bus could definitely be worth investigating. It would just be a matter of getting yourself into Paris to a train station where there was a stop (should be one fairly close to Champs d'Elysee/Arc de Triomphe, which is a direct train from DLP), then just hopping on/off wherever you please. You could also get photos as you go if you were sitting on the top deck. Google the different bus companies before you go so you know about timetables/routes/pricing.

Print off whatever information you think you might need and have it with you. It's always better to have it and not need it, than to wish you had it.

 

[Ware Bears]

Otherwise the hop on hop off bus could definitely be worth investigating. It would just be a matter of getting yourself into Paris to a train station where there was a stop (should be one fairly close to Champs d'Elysee/Arc de Triomphe, which is a direct train from DLP), then just hopping on/off wherever you please. You could also get photos as you go if you were sitting on the top deck. Google the different bus companies before you go so you know about timetables/routes/pricing.

This would be a good option. We did this one year - you can get off the train at Auber and L'Open bus tour company office is just across the street, it made it all very easy and meant we managed to see a lot of major sights in one day. We managed to do two bus routes and spent time at the Eiffel Tower including going right to the top in one day.