24 hour layover in Paris? Advice!

[Heyhihobye]

Hello, please help with some travelling plans!

My husband, my 4 children and I are planning to travel (long flight) soon.

Since we can’t fly direct, one of the options is giving us a 1 hour layover in Paris.

We reach Paris CDG airport at 9:00pm.
Our flight would be 8:00pm the following day.

Since it’s unlikely we would be sleeping in the airport (!) I was wondering how we could plan this to be a quick sleep and day trip in Paris?

Should we book an Airbnb/hotel in a particular area? 🏨

Can we see a few ‘main’ sights in one day? 🇫🇷

What’s travel like to and from the CDG airport? 🚕

Any other tips or advice you could share?

The flight would be August 1st, so summertime!

Thank you! ❤️

Also if it helps, the children are 6, 8, 8 and 10.

I wouldn't bother. If I understand correctly it's either a 1hr layover or you will spend one night? Just do the layover. One (barely) day in Paris with 4 kids will be so stressful and you'll only get to see one or two areas. So much walking.

No idea about to and from the airport as I've only ever driven or got the train there.

Either make it worth it and stay a few days or just do the layover!

Your post is misleading, just read the title again.

In that scenario id book the nicest hotel near the airport you can afford and spend the day there (you might have to pay for two nights)

Will you have a lot of luggage?

It is a (roughly) 24 hour layover, sorry yeah I realise it sounded confusing as it’s not 24 hours to spend in Paris alone. Apologies! Thank you.

the airline will keep the luggage during the layover (thankfully) so we won’t have much at all! Perhaps just our personal bags.

It is easy to get in and out from there. Wake up early and do something nice!

Not worth trying to see Paris, August can be unbearably hot .....

I was basically thinking along the lines of leave airport and go to hotel (1 hour drive I think).

sleep in hotel until around 7/8am.

wake up, have breakfast, walk around, lunch and walk around until time to go to airport around maybe 5pm?

then reach airport for flight to destination.

just wondering if touristy stuff is doable in one day like this? Maybe I need to look into turning it into 2 days instead 🤔

• Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Air and Space Museum): Located in Le Bourget, this is one of the world's top aviation museums, featuring over 150 aircraft just a short drive from the airport.

You could stay in Montmartre, classic old Paris, wander around, see across the whole city from the steps outside Sacre Coeur, have a nice lunch at a pavement cafe etc. Perhaps get the Metro down to Notre Dame area and have a wander around the isles. Can get the express train from both those areas to the airport (just make sure you go for a limited stop express train).

Where are you flying from Paris, just out of interest? If I were you I would stay in a hotel near the airport, and if you feel like it / have time in the morning, go to Montmartre (direct RER line from CDG). You can have lunch there, visit Sacre Coeur, have a walk around, the view from the hill is beautiful - you'll see the Eiffel tower from there. There's a lot to do in that area....

To China! 🤞🏼

thank you for the suggestions x

Are there any good hotels near the Eiffel Tower or am I being mad and they’ll be so expensive in August?!

Bumping please x

Stay at airport hotel and go see Eiffel Tower next day then get lunch. With four children in tow navigating the metro will be hellish esp on an August Saturday. I don’t think the children will care too much about Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur etc.

I would get a hotel at the airport so you can leave your bags there, then pick them up before your flight. So sleep at airport, go into paris after breakfast, back to hotel to pick up bags and take flight.

I’d stay at the airport, get up earlyish and get the RER into Paris. Take a ride on the Bateau Bus up the Seine, you’ll be able to see a lot of the sites from there. Book a nice restaurant and have a leisurely lunch. Then go for a quick stroll in one of the gardens before getting the train back to the airport.

Definitely go into Paris! Just don't plan to cram lots in. Montmartre is lovely but very busy and quite a way out. I'd suggest staying in the centre - a boat trip down the Seine will cover off the Eiffel tower and Notre dame. Kids can play around the pyramids at the Louvre and the jardin Tuileries to stretch their legs before your flight. Nelson Mandela gardens have paly equipment and I think a splash park

We went in august and it was really quiet as all the french people had left!

I wouldn’t take the kids to Sacré Coeur.

Could you share why please?

Came here to write the exact same. Trip down the Seine and then one of the beautiful Jardins for ice cream and a play. Jardin du Luxembourg has a beautiful pond where children sail boats.

I would stay at the airport hotel and travel into Paris for the day though.

Steps, faff, not my favourite part of Paris. Unless you all want to of course. But younger kids would be better somewhere where they run around a bit.

Disney land the kids will sleep on the next flight for sure!

Definitely you can do a lot in a day.

Personally I would choose a hotel in a district, as others have said maybe Montmartre, the Marais or St Germain. Next day I’d go and see either the Sacre Coeur, or Notre Dame, then get a nice lunch, walk across a bridge to a park (jardin de Tuileries or Luxembourg), go to a few shops and for an ice cream then head off to the airport.

Personally I would steer well clear of the Eiffel tower or just pay it a very fleeting visit- it’s rammed with tourists and is the least local place you could imagine! Plus you will see it from… everywhere really! But depends on how much that’s an absolute essential.