Paris can be sometimes really frustrating and our start to the Day 5 of our trip was one such experience , as torrential rain continued to lash Paris. We had planned to visit the famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and climb to the top, and we had to brave the downpour to visit this famous cathedral.
 |
| Infront of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris |
 |
| The beautiful Architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris- The Entrance |
Inside The Notre Dame Cathedral
 |
| The Beautiful Stained glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral |
 |
| Stained Glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France |
- We went around 10 in the morning and the lines to enter the cathedral were 20- 30 minutes long and the queues for the towers were longer.
- The views from the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral are said to be majestic. Unfortunately during our visit it was raining and hence we did not go to the top.
- Entrance to Cathedral is free. Entrance to the Towers (for panoramic Views ) , the crypt and treasury come with a fee.
Lunch
Post our visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral we wanted to visit the St. Chapelle, which is a 10 minute walk away from the Notre Dame. However unfortunately the lines to get into the Chapelle were really long , with waiting times greater than 1 hour.
Since we had a guided tour of the Louvre booked for the afternoon we decided to skip the St. Chapelle ( due to lack of time ) and headed to a beautiful little café close to St. Chappell for lunch. We went with no expectation, but not sure if it was the hunger or if the food was really that great, it was some of the tastiest food we have eaten.
 |
| The Beautiful Cafe next to St Chapel Paris- A good place for Lunch |
Skip the Line Guided Tour of the Louvre Museum – from Paris City Vision @ Rue De Rivoli
Nothing can prepare for you for how big the Louvre is till you actually visit it. Something that was highly suggested in a lot of travel blogs was that we get a guided tour of the Louvre Museum , if it was going to be our first time.
 |
| First Views of the Louvre as we walked through the Tuileries |
 |
| Views of the Louvre |
 |
| Musee De Louvre Paris - As we approached the famous Louvre |
The Louvre is really huge and the chances are high you might feel lost without a guide. Moreover the queues can also get exceptionally long most of the times. So keeping the above in mind we booked a ‘ Skip The Line Guided Tour of the Louvre Museum ‘ from getyourguide.com
Skip the line tour was organized by Paris City Vision and we booked the 2 : 30 afternoon slot. The duration of the tour was 2.5 hours and you are free to explore the Louvre post that if you wish.
Some of the Highlights :
 |
| The Sphinx - Musee de Louvre |
 |
Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte
|
 |
| Eugene Delacroix's - Liberty Leading the People |
 |
| Very Similar to the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles |
 |
And finally we got to see the Mona Lisa
|
 |
| After our Tour- The Famous Glass Pyramid |
Our take on the guided Tour :
One thing that we are sure is that even if one spends days in the Louvre , it is impossible to see all of the Louvre. Hence for art novices and first timers like us, the guided tour was indeed the best option. Our group consisted of 20-25 other members and it was fun to meet people from across the world.
Our guide was really knowledgeable, but however she had a really strong French accent , which made it difficult sometimes to comprehend . Overall it was a well organized tour that gave us the basic orientation of the Louvre and covered some of its major attractions.
Tip : While planning , Just keep in mind that the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, so plan accordingly.
After our visit to the Louvre, we were really tired with all the walking , and what better way to relax than at the Tuileries Gardens , enjoying a wonderful sorbet , as you watch the world go by.
 |
| Jardin des Tuileries- A great place to relax after the Louvre |
 |
| Jardin des Tuileries Paris, France - Really beautiful |
 |
Relaxing in Jardin des Tuileries - The Louvre on the left and Eiffel Tower on the right
|
 |
| Enjoyng a Sorbet at the Tuileries- Real Bliss |
Post taking some rest at the Tuileries we wanted to explore by foot Rue De Rivoli as we had some time left before our River Seine Cruise. Rue de Rivoli is a really vibrant street with some great options to suit either the budget or luxury shopper and it also has a large number of beautiful cafes to grab a quick bite if you are hungry after all the walking.
 |
| Rue de Rivoli |
 |
| One of the Shops in Rue de Rivoli we visited - A good street for some shopping |
River Seine Cruise by Vedettes Du Pont Neuf
There are many operators that offer cruises on River Seine and after much deliberation we narrowed down on cruises offered by Vedettes Du Pont Neuf . Since we had gone during the summer we booked the cruise which started at 21 :30 hours in the night which gave us the chance to view the attractions as sun set over this beautiful city.
 |
| Look out for this statue- Entrance to Vedettes Pont Neuf is close by |
 |
| Not the famous Love Lock Bridge of Paris but similar- Close to Vedettes Du Pont Neuf |
 |
| We had some tome before our sunset cruise- Enjoying View of beautiful River Seine Paris |
 |
View of Pont Neuf Bridge - Beautiful with the setting sun
|
 |
| This was the boat we took- We sat at the top |
Ticket Cost per adult : 10 Eur per person for 1 hour cruise.
- The cruise at 21 : 30 hours is probably the best as you will reach the Eiffel Tower at 10 in the night and can watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle. While returning you can see the Notre Dame Cathedral at night , which is also a beautiful sight.
 |
Views from Cruise on River Seine
 |
| Enjoying the Beautiful Sunset |
|
 |
| Spectacular views from Cruise on River Seine- Musee D Orsay |
 |
View of Notre Dame from River Seine Cruise
|
- Go early to get a spot on the top deck of these boats.
- There are dinner cruises too offered a lot of operators , but they don’t come cheap. It is better to take the basic cruise and enjoy dinner elsewhere.
 |
| And ofcourse the Eiffel Tower- You can watch it sparkle during the cruise |
Paris City Segway Tours – Fat Tires Bike Tours
This was going to be our last day in Paris before we headed to Switzerland and we had planned a really exciting activity.
Riding a Segway was something on our bucket list and hence we booked a segway tour of Paris for our last day of visit to take in once again beautiful Paris.
 |
| All geared up for the Segway Tour |
- Where did we book the tour ? – We booked a Fat tires guided segway tour on Viator.com
- How much did it cost ? – The actual cost of the guided tour was USD 122 per person. However there was a special offer on Viator.com and we got a 50 % discount on the same. So the guided tour cost USD 61 for each adult, a real bargain !!!
- What is the duration of the tour ? – The duration of the tour is 3.5 hours.
- I have never earlier ridden a segway . Is it Ok ? - The first half hour of the guided tour in devoted to training on how to ride a segway. It does take a little time to get used to a segway , but once you get the hang of it, there is no better way to travel.
 |
| Learning to ride a segway |
- What are the attractions covered? - All major attractions are covered and the tour starts at the Fat Tire Bike Tours office. Some of the highlights include Louvre Museum, Les Invalides, Musee D Orsay, Pont Alexander III Bridge , Place La Concorde and of course the Eiffel Tower. Our guide Jason was great, really patient and had some really interesting facts to share about each attraction.
- Is there any deposit involved ? – There is a deposit of EUR 400 which can be paid via cash / credit card. The same is refunded post the tour.
TGV Lyria – Paris to Zurich
Five and half days in France had just flown by, and before we knew it, we were waiting at Paris Gare De Lyon to board our train to Zurich from Paris.
 |
| Our train from Paris to Zurich |
- Where did we buy the tickets ? - We got the tickets from Official Website of Rail Europe. It is really convenient and the tickets were delivered in no time free of cost at home.
- How much did it cost ? : We booked around 75 days in advance and each ticket for an adult cost us approx EUR 85 per person.
- When did we book / When do bookings open ?- Booking generally open 3 months in advance and you get really great deals earlier you book.
- How long is the journey ? – The journey is 4.5 hours from Paris to Zurich.
 |
| This is not a windows wallpaper - Beautiful views from our train during the journey |
 |
| French countryside - Always something interesting to keep you engaged |
