Notre Dame or Eiffel Tower?

[kmg148]

Hi folks! Looking for your opinions! (Please excuse all my posting this weekend! )

If you had to choose, would you visit the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame? I will be on limited time so I will not be able to wait to go up into the Tower, rather just see it in person. However, Notre Dame is a little easier to get to.

Any thoughts? I'm leaning towards Notre Dame since I can actually take the time to experience it.

 

[DLPfirst]

For me, the Tower wins easily. Even if you're not going up, it is the most spectacular sight, the area is pleasant and there's lots to see.

Depending on the ages/mobility of your party, you may find (as we did) that Notre Damme is a little intimidating for youngsters (my son was too scared to go inside the huge dark intetrior), that there a queues to enter ND, that the queue to stairs entrance to the Tower is non existent (and cheap) and that you have time for a quick visit to first stage - which is definitely worth it!

 

[markpsych]

For me, the Tower wins easily.

Agree

These free walking tours are great if you have time:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUse...de_France.html

http://montmartre--paris.com/

 

[Carrie_Cat]

The lifts at the ET are down to 1 for the next few months at least (ongoing pb since March)

The queue for the stairs is now over an hour at peak times and well over 2 for the lift

As the weather gets better and more countries holidays start these lines will get longer and longer.

So unless you are going at the opening (and you'll still be queuing) or in the evening I wouldn't be bothering

If you want a view over Paris you can either go to the Arc de Triomphe or the Tour Montparnasse where you can get great photos of the ET and a panoramique of Paris.

ND has very steep steps and the lines are long to climb as they only let a limited amount of people up at a time.

In terms of just looking at them if you are going to go to the ET get off at Trocadéro and walk across the Esplande as you get to see the whole thing and appreciate the size and the beauty of it.

Once underneath with the crowds, hawkers and pickpockets it doesn't have the same effect

You could always do a Foxity tour if you have a couple of hours as it takes you around 40 sites and monuments and gives you a good feel for Paris

www.foxity.com/en

 

[kmg148]

Thanks for the help everyone! Last night I was doing some searching and saw you could see the Tower from the top of Notre Dame, so I thought that would be perfect...then I saw that there is a large queue to get up the steps! I found one "skip the line" sightseeing tour on viator.com that gets great reviews, but its $50 which seems a lot and I still may run out of time. I am taking a train at 2:45pm from Nord, so I am very limited. I really appreciate all of the help. I'm leaning towards Notre Dame at this point, it looks amazing!

 

[kmg148]

If you want a view over Paris you can either go to the Arc de Triomphe or the Tour Montparnasse where you can get great photos of the ET and a panoramique of Paris.

Thank you so much for your advice! I looked into both options coming from Disneyland, and the stop for Arc de Triomphe is on the same RER line and I just need to backtrack to go to Notre Dame. It looks like this is the winner!

However, is it difficult to get up to the top as far as a queue? With Monparnasse I saw you can purchase a ticket ahead of time which I like, even though it involves a 2nd form of transportation I'm unfamiliar with.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thank you so much for your advice! I looked into both options coming from Disneyland, and the stop for Arc de Triomphe is on the same RER line and I just need to backtrack to go to Notre Dame. It looks like this is the winner!

However, is it difficult to get up to the top as far as a queue? With Monparnasse I saw you can purchase a ticket ahead of time which I like, even though it involves a 2nd form of transportation I'm unfamiliar with.

If you wanted to go to Montparnasse from DLP you could do the following

- RER A to Chatelet and then change onto metro line 4 (direction Porte d'Orleans) and get off at Montparnasse.

You could then visit and go back onto line 4 but in the other direction (Porte de Clignancourt) right upto Gare du Nord

The Arc de Triomphe gets a lot lesser queue than the ET or ND and you can buy a ticket in advance though I don't know if it's really necessary

http://monuments.fnacspectacles.com...n/Visite-de-monuments-ARC-DE-TRIOMPHE-ARC.htm

It's a steeper climb though than the ET though not as bad as ND

 

[nicola]

we have done both ET and ND and loved both but if I had to choose it would be Notre Dame. Its stunning interior just cannot be put into words!!! We did ET at night and boat cruise which was also amazing!

 

[Johnny_boy]

Other alternatives would be the Sacre Coeur which is an interesting church and great views from the top of the hill and also La Defense and the Grand Arc, the 3rd arc de triomphe. You used to be able to go up the Grand Arc, I'm sure someone said you can't any more.

I wasn't personally overly impressed with Notre Dame, I think Chatres cathedral is much more impressive, but then I'm not religious so each to their own. There's always been high queues as well at Notre Dame. There have been queues at the Sacre Coeur but moved very quickly.

I took some pictures of most of these, they're under the Paris sets on http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmhunt/sets/72157594324059564/ except the Eiffel tower which is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmhunt/sets/72157627419243424/

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Other alternatives would be the Sacre Coeur which is an interesting church and great views from the top of the hill and also La Defense and the Grand Arc, the 3rd arc de triomphe. You used to be able to go up the Grand Arc, I'm sure someone said you can't any more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmhunt/sets/72157627419243424/

You haven't been able to go the Grande Arche de la Défense for a couple of years now.

I've been up it in the glass elevator not long after it opened

 

[nicola]

sacre coeur has nice view over city but IMHO the interior doesnt compare to ND. ND is absolutely stunning inside!

 

[Johnny_boy]

We took DD (and DS technically although he was still an embryo) up in the lift, it was amazing, we got some good pictures from the top including the balloon at Disney. We really enjoyed it, pity you can't do it now.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

We took DD (and DS technically although he was still an embryo) up in the lift, it was amazing, we got some good pictures from the top including the balloon at Disney. We really enjoyed it, pity you can't do it now.

There was an incident that couldn't be ignored in the elevator and they had to stop visitors. It took them long enough as when it started it was bits falling off and hitting the parvis and they just ignored it

Maybe one day they will reopen as like you saw the views are amazing from up there

 

[kmg148]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I'll research those places.

I hadn't thought of the Disney balloon. Even though it's far, is it possible to see the ET from there? I know it sounds like I'm trying to be skimpy, but I really would like to see Notre Dame and I'm trying to make all of this work in a day and a half....and I really just want to visibly see the Eiffel Tower. I know it sounds silly, but I just want to see it!

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I'll research those places.

I hadn't thought of the Disney balloon. Even though it's far, is it possible to see the ET from there? I know it sounds like I'm trying to be skimpy, but I really would like to see Notre Dame and I'm trying to make all of this work in a day and a half....and I really just want to visibly see the Eiffel Tower. I know it sounds silly, but I just want to see it!

If you go into Paris and go to Notre Dame you will be able to see the ET. Many of the bridges down over from ND will let you have a great view of the ET without even going down there.

Like I said above one of the cheapest and quickest options to see lots of Paris sights including the ET is a Foxity tour.

You could visit ND first and then catch the bus on the quais as they have a stop.

Alternatively after ND why not take a boat trip and you get to go and see the ET from the river.

You've got one that starts from Pont Neuf which is within walking distance to ND

http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/



Re the Disney ballon..I doubt that you can see that far as it doesn't go high enough and Paris is around 28 miles away

You can read about it here http://www.panoramagique.com/fr/accueil

 

[cherrymarzipan]

sacre coeur has nice view over city but IMHO the interior doesnt compare to ND. ND is absolutely stunning inside!

Agree, if your time is limited this just isn't worth it. As others have said great views of ET from Trocadero and Arc de Triomphe, also from some windows inside the Louvre if you are going and even better from the Centre Pompidou which gives a great panoramic view of the city.

Have you considered the Batobus? http://www.batobus.com For €15 (€7 for under 16s) for a day you can hop and off at any of 8 stops and although it is not really a fast mode of transport it is a pleasant and relaxing way to see the banks of the Seine.

If you are visiting a number of museums and monuments it might be worth buying a museum pass as even if you do not save much in money you will save immeasurably in time by not having to queue for entrance. Fantastic at the Louvre for instance. It costs €39 euros for a 2-day pass (minimum days) and children are free anyway but can then come in the special lines with you. See http://en.parismuseumpass.com/

Have a great time.

 

[kmg148]

Thanks everyone! My itinerary is one full day at Disneyland, with the next day spent an hour or two for EMH in the morning and the leftover 2 or 3 hours before my train leaves back to London from Gare du Nord. I know I'm trying to fit in a lot, but I'll research all of your suggestions!