Paris - Day Seven
Day seven began with another hearty breakfast tray at the hotel. It was the first day of school in Paris (Labor Day in the U.S.), and I got a kick out of watching the picture-perfect Parisian parents and kids starting their days together.
Today was a day for shopping. We took the metro to Les Grands Boulevards/Place de l’Opéra and headed straight for Swatch Paris Opéra, 8 Place de l’Opéra, 75009.
Opera National de Paris, Place de l’Opéra, 75009, was right across the street, and we had a ball checking out the fun gift shop.
We pre-purchased night bus tour tickets at Big Bus Info Center for evening outing, 11 Avenue de l'Opéra, 75001, before heading over to the fabulous Galleries Lafayette, an upmarket French department store on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement that showcases seven levels of shopping with spectacular dome and views of the city from rooftop terrace.
We also dropped by Repetto, a ballet shoe and dancewear shop, 24 Rue de Châteaudun, 75009.
From there walked to Musée de l’Ordre de la Liberation, Hotel des Invalides, Le Dome des Invalides, Napolean’s Tomb, Musee de l’Armée, 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007. I would say this is a must-see. What an incredible combination of history, architecture, and grandeur.
From Napolean's tomb we walked to Av. des Champs-Elysées and ate baguettes on a bench by the Arc de Triomphe.
We had just enough time to climb the steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008, before we had to board the night bus tour. We almost didn't go to the top but I'm so glad we did! If you purchase the Paris Museum Pass, go straight to the expedited security line to save time. The views are well worth the climb.
We thoroughly enjoyed the night time bus tour on the Big Bus. Guests are guaranteed a seat on the upper bus level, and the circuit is perfectly timed to end with a clear view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower light show.
The hardest part of this day was getting back to our hotel from the Arc de Triomphe so late at night. We thought we had it perfectly planned but didn't expect our metro destination to be closed. It was pretty stressful but all we could do was to be alert and walk to the hotel as fast as possible from the closest available metro stop.
Today was a day for shopping. We took the metro to Les Grands Boulevards/Place de l’Opéra and headed straight for Swatch Paris Opéra, 8 Place de l’Opéra, 75009.
Opera National de Paris, Place de l’Opéra, 75009, was right across the street, and we had a ball checking out the fun gift shop.
We pre-purchased night bus tour tickets at Big Bus Info Center for evening outing, 11 Avenue de l'Opéra, 75001, before heading over to the fabulous Galleries Lafayette, an upmarket French department store on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement that showcases seven levels of shopping with spectacular dome and views of the city from rooftop terrace.
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| View from the Galleries Lafayette terrace |
From there walked to Musée de l’Ordre de la Liberation, Hotel des Invalides, Le Dome des Invalides, Napolean’s Tomb, Musee de l’Armée, 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007. I would say this is a must-see. What an incredible combination of history, architecture, and grandeur.
From Napolean's tomb we walked to Av. des Champs-Elysées and ate baguettes on a bench by the Arc de Triomphe.
We had just enough time to climb the steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008, before we had to board the night bus tour. We almost didn't go to the top but I'm so glad we did! If you purchase the Paris Museum Pass, go straight to the expedited security line to save time. The views are well worth the climb.
We thoroughly enjoyed the night time bus tour on the Big Bus. Guests are guaranteed a seat on the upper bus level, and the circuit is perfectly timed to end with a clear view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower light show.
The hardest part of this day was getting back to our hotel from the Arc de Triomphe so late at night. We thought we had it perfectly planned but didn't expect our metro destination to be closed. It was pretty stressful but all we could do was to be alert and walk to the hotel as fast as possible from the closest available metro stop.