Paris and London Airport Question

[Deleted]

I think I am going to Paris for a quick business trip next week. I have been there several times, including one summer in college when I interned there, so I have seen most of the tourist things several times. I am looking for recommendations of things to do or places to go that are "off the beaten track". Maybe some cute neighborhoods that I can just walk through and explore and get a great (inexpensive) meal...lol. What can I do with one free day? I am going to try to stay away from shopping. 

Also, is a 7 hour layover in London enough time to get out of the airport and walk around and get a meal? I've only taken the train into London. TIA!

[emilyinchile]

Which London airport are you flying through?

[Deleted]

For Heathrow it takes about 20 minutes to get to Paddington on the Heathrow express. You can easily walk around there for a little while. With a 7 hour layover I would subtract at least 3 hour for clearing customs, getting to the train station and then needing to be back at Heathrow 2 hours before the flight. Based on this you would have about 3 hours to walk around and have lunch in the Paddington area.

[Deleted]

Apr 12, 2013 10:19:22 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Which London airport are you flying through?

Heathrow

[emilyinchile]

Well then monsterz pretty much covered it. I just wanted to confirm it was Heathrow and not Gatwick since that would have changed my answer significantly!

[alleinesein]

7 hours is totally doable for LHR if you arrive in the morning. Take the Paddington Express (and buy your ticket online to save a few $$).

I did a quick hop into London when I flew home last October. My flight got into LHR at 730am and I was standing in front of Big Ben by 9am. Wandered around for about an hour, did some shopping at Harrods and then had lunch at Nandos and hopped back on the train around 12pm to catch my 3pm flight.

[anna7602]

I love the Marche des Enfants Rouges (3rd or 4th arr.) for a hearty, cheap lunch in Paris. There's a West Indian place in there that is fantastic as well as a place that serves good cous-cous dishes and tagines. The chick-pea flour crepe vendor (I forget the correct name of this food, maybe socca?) is also in there and these make for a good snack. You can easily walk from the Marche to the Marais afterwards and pop into cute stores or enjoy the sunshine if spring actually stays (it's looking springy here this weekend). It's also a short walk to the Jewish Museum, which has an excellent exhibit right now on Robert Capa's "Mexican Suitcase," photos from the Spanish Civil War that were lost for several decades and just rediscovered in 2007. If you have lots and lots of time, you could even treat yourself to a facial or massage at the Nuxe Spa, also nearby.

Note that the museum in the Luxembourg Gardens has a Chagall exhibit right now, if you're into that. I haven't been yet, so can't comment. Poke around the Pariscope web site to see what else is going on. Or just grab yourself something at the Grande Epicerie (6th arr.) or a boulangerie and head to a park bench to enjoy lunch outside before walking around to your heart's content.

[Deleted]

Thank you anna7602 . I was hoping you would pop in.

[cricketwife]

Apr 13, 2013 5:08:11 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

I love the Marche des Enfants Rouges (3rd or 4th arr.) for a hearty, cheap lunch in Paris. There's a West Indian place in there that is fantastic as well as a place that serves good cous-cous dishes and tagines. The chick-pea flour crepe vendor (I forget the correct name of this food, maybe socca?) is also in there and these make for a good snack. You can easily walk from the Marche to the Marais afterwards and pop into cute stores or enjoy the sunshine if spring actually stays (it's looking springy here this weekend). It's also a short walk to the Jewish Museum, which has an excellent exhibit right now on Robert Capa's "Mexican Suitcase," photos from the Spanish Civil War that were lost for several decades and just rediscovered in 2007. If you have lots and lots of time, you could even treat yourself to a facial or massage at the Nuxe Spa, also nearby.

Note that the museum in the Luxembourg Gardens has a Chagall exhibit right now, if you're into that. I haven't been yet, so can't comment. Poke around the Pariscope web site to see what else is going on. Or just grab yourself something at the Grande Epicerie (6th arr.) or a boulangerie and head to a park bench to enjoy lunch outside before walking around to your heart's content.

I really enjoyed the Jewish Museum, though I haven't seen the current exhibit that Anna mentioned.

Have you been to the Musee Marmottan (in the 16e)?  It's probably may favorite museum in Paris and I didn't discover it until like my 5th trip or something.  It has the largest collection of Monet's in the world, including as the Impression: soleil levant, the Monet piece that gave the name to the movement.  There's also a fantastic collection of medieval and Renaissance illuminations.  And the house itself (which is the museum) is interesting in its own right. 

[Deleted]

Also, I would take the Heathrow Connect to Paddington. It takes 30 minutes and it way cheaper than the Express.

www.heathrowconnect.com/content.asp?SID={27B8FDDF-2BB2-4C1C-99E3-4EADFD87D5F2}&pageid=30

[anna7602]

cricketwife thanks for this recommendation. I haven't spent much time in the 16th, but I will check this out!

[cricketwife]

Apr 15, 2013 17:59:25 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

cricketwife thanks for this recommendation. I haven't spent much time in the 16th, but I will check this out!

Oh yes!  You really should since you're "right there."  It can seem like a bit of a trek over to the 16th (I forget where you are) but it's well worth it!  Let me know what you think.