Is 20 hours in Paris really long enough?
Although You’re not going to see a lot, it’s plenty enough time to take in a few sites and enjoy a bit of the ambiance Paris has to offer. Furthermore, with Such a short layover you should defiantly plan ahead. Don’t try to do too much. With some pre-planning you should be able to take a single tour or enter one site. Pick one and book tickets. We’ve been to Paris before and chose to just meander around and enjoy the spring weather.
Recently we took a trip to Morocco and before our trip started, our original flight home was canceled. While looking at the options to reschedule, I noticed that we could take a flight 2 hours later AND get a 20 hour layover in Paris.
This seems like a win-win for us. Not only could we sleep in a bit later in Marrakech, but we could enjoy a quick trip to Paris on the way home.
Lets see how this goes…
On the ground
1:00h We land about 8:30 local time and Deb is excited to get away from “mr feet” behind us. At least they were clean and his nails trimmed.
Customs is a breeze and were out of the airport in 30 mins. The RATP app says there may be long delays on the Metro due to maintenance. We should have used City Mapper as it’s more accurate. With the thought of maximizing our 20 hours in Paris, we decide to splurge on a cab.
2:30h (1000) Well that was a mistake. The cab ride is a bit more than an hour because we were stuck in traffic. €55 but a lesson learned. We head up to the Air bnb. This part of the 18th is a bit sus during the day, more so at night. I grew up in detroit and it kind of reminds me of home, except all the buildings are occupied. We walk up 3 flights to our unit and drop off out luggage. Time to eat.
Dinner and a stroll
3:00h (1030) We make a quick stop by Notre Dame cathedral. The reconstruction is progressing since we were here last. We sit on the bleachers and admire the progress.
Our growling stomachs insist we find some food, so we continue down to La Petite Bouclerie. We’ve been here before, and the gluten free crepes have always been safe and delicious.
4:00h (1130) We debate running by the Eiffel Tower before bed, but decide to get some sleep so we can maximize our daylight time tomorrow. ON the way to the Metro, we pass by Notre Dame again.
4:30h (1200) We take a few pics of our accommodations, shower and get ready for bed. This is a typical Parisian Air BnB. its small, but efficient and cute.
I don’t shave cause deb thinks the little scruff I got in Morocco is cute. SPOILER ALERT: I should have shaved.
The early bird gets the Baguette
11:30h (0700) Wakey wakey, time to get up and catch a sight or two before catching our flight. We checked our big bags on the flight before so we could stay light. Keeping just the essential toiletries and change of cloths with us.
13:00h (0830) We ramble around, finding our way to the stairs leading up to Sacre Coeur. There are a lot of stairs so be prepared. Theres also a furnicular at the front that will allow you to avoid most of the climb. The cost to ride the funicular is the same as a metro ride, or if you have a day pass you can use it the same as getting on the subway.
Its springtime in Paris and the trees are budding, the grass is green and the sky is blue. Could you ask for better?
14:00h ( 0930) Getting hungry, we head down to Copains and get some breakfast and espresso. Copains is a Gluten-free boulangerie (bakery) and honestly, you won’t miss the gluten. The French take food seriously.
No time to sit around for long though, I have plans.
Well that was unexpected
14:30h (1000) We take the metro line 6 to Trocadero and step out into Esplanade Joseph Wresinki. This place presents some of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. Even at this hour it’s starting to get crowded.
After admiring this magnificent view and decide where to take a picture. Deb sees another couple taking a selfie and offers to take each others pictures. Not always the smartest thing to do as many people lose phones to thieves this way, but she has a good feeling. We take their pictures and the when its our turn I reach into my pocket and produce a ring. (When we originally rescheduled our flight I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to ask her to marry me. I’d been carrying the ring all through Morocco just for this moment.)
I look at deb and ask her to marry me while putting the ring on her RIGHT hand (Doh). She is ecstatic even if it is the wrong hand. The couple oblige us and allow us to redo the shot using the correct finger. Now we both wish I’d shaved. C’est la vie.
Engagement photos
15:30h (1100) We slip down to the embankment and take a ton more pictures, but the sun is almost behind the Eiffel Tower now and the lighting just isn’t that good. Our flight is in 4 1/2 hours so we better get some lunch and mull over this big step our relationship just took.
Lunch
16:30h (1200) Off to the Metro line 6 at Trocadero, continuing on. This line goes above ground at Passy and you get a unique view of the Eiffel Tower while crossing the Seine.
With such a short timespan, we don’t want to experiment with food, so we head to Loulou. It’s an austailian place, but we’ve been here many times before and have always enjoyed it. This is probably our favorite restaurant in Paris and its a part of our Gluten-Free Paris food guide
17:30h (1300) A quick stop at Laduree for Macarons and we catch a cab (again) because of the warming on the RAPT app. The Cab takes us around the Arc De Triomphe (knocking off another landmark) and to the airport in an hour.
Back to the airport
18:30h (1400) Into the airport, past customs and to the gate. 20 hours in Paris is almost over.
19:00h (1430) WTF? People are already stating in line up to board. The plane doesn’t even take off for another 2 hours. Gate lice is the term I’ve heard for this. C’mon people, this is Air France, not Southwest Airlines
We take a seat and make some calls to family and friends to spill to tea about the engagement. I enjoy the roasted chicken potato chips, they are my favorite of all the chips I’ve tried around the world. Im not a chip person back home, but I love trying all the interesting flavors around the world. Every country has their own take on flavorings. You’d think the flavorings would be someone linked to the region, this is not always true. In Tahiland you can get lasagna flavored chips, but not in Italy. Theres an article about this here
Heading home
20:00h (1530) Our 20 hours in Paris is over. We finally board the plane and settle in for the flight home. Deb has become quite good at crochet now, and she crochets a wobble kit in flight, start to finish.
20 hours in Paris: Was it worth it?
Was it worth it to book a 20 hour layover in Paris? Absolutely! Paris is a beautiful city. Obviously you’re not going to be able to see everything, but I still think it’s worth it if you have the chance. Sometimes the shortest trips are the most memorable.
