Ok, so this Thursday my family is looking to go to Paris early morning and return late evening. Have never been before so could do with some advice.

Firstly, I've looked on the Eurostar website and for 2 adults and 2 youths it works out at about £1000 there and back (standard) This seems quite expensive so would people reccommend getting a cheap flight?

Secondly, where would people reccommend visiting in Paris including the typical attractions and anything unusual or interesting?

And finally, if there's anything else I should know, I'd be grateful to hear about it?

Thanks

Youre a bit late with planning I think.
With the plane it's £920(with easyjet)!!! If you leave from London at 6:05 and leving from paris at 22:00.

-Tour eiffel(spectacular view)
-Arc de Triomphe(is nice too)
-La defense(if interested in architecture)
-Walking across the Seine(or a boattrip) from Tour Eiffel to the Notre Dame.
-Visit the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa.
-and many more, Paris is just to big to see in one day. It has so many nice places. And it also depends what you want to see. Shopping? Culture? Architecture? Relaxing??

If you only have one day, forget the Louvre and the Tour Eiffel. You won't have time enough to wait for the elevator and a visit to Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur) is especially rewarding in the evening and much less of a hassle!

Hmmm looks like the trip may not go ahead because of the cost. When you pre-book a few months ahead with the Eurostar the prices fall dramatically, by over half. So still likely to go to Paris but perhaps not on Thursday :(

The cheapest way is probably to fly Ryanair to Dublin and connect to Paris. That'll take half a day already.

Do yourself a favor and at least take a long weekend. Would you recommend that someone see London in a day?

My first suggestion is ask if you have a friend or aquaintance who could take you around. Paris is a little confusing especially if you don't speak French. my advise is to try and speak as much French as possible; its the fastest way to get the Parisians to speak to you in English. Most of them speak more English than they admit.

If you only have one day, I would certainly recommend taking the Bateau-mousche boat ride on the Seine. It goes past many of the major monuments and buildings and is almost always narrated in multiple languages including English. For a first timer, I would certainly recommend going up to the top of the Eiffel tower. That's why you came to France.

The Louvre is impossible in that time span, Consider the D'Orsey across the river which has the impressionist paintings. Get a day pass for the metro and busses. Use the busses, you can sight see better. Visit the isle d' la Cite, at least go into Notre Dame, consider climbing up to the roof, and visit the bellringer and the gargoyles. On the way down you will be able to see how they were able to lift such huge blocks of stone during the middle ages. I would try to visit a street market, I like the one on the Rue Moffetard just behind the Pantheon. Try to talk your parents into taking you out to eat in a fine french restaurant, expensive but worth it. If not try some of the street food, there are plenty of little stands selling crepes and the backeries are generally outstanding.

Thats a awful lot to do in one day. If you have more time there is plenty to keep you busy. I have family in Paris so have visited many times. If you tell me what kind of things interest you, I will be happy to get back to you with more suggestions.

Wow, that is short notice, you are bound to pay a fortune to travel there at such short notice. Eurostar is by far the best way to go. If you can get first class for not much more than normal it's worth it, but I don't know the price difference you would have to pay. I've got really cheap first class tickets booking in advance. There is no comparison in terms of speed and comfort over flying, and it takes you right where you want to be.

It's like trying to do London in a day, ie completely impossible. I agree that the Louvre is not to be attempted seriously in less than half a day, but the Musee D'Orsay is central and compact, and has a fabulous collection. You can do it in an hour if you know what you want to see, and have a bit of discipline. They have an amazing collection of Van Gogh's all stuffed into one room, it is literally breathtaking.

http://www.paris.org/Musees/Orsay/Collections/Paintings/paint02.html

I don't know Paris well enough to be able to recommend anything really, and I've been a few times now - it's just too big to know as an occasional visitor. I'd recommend you just split up into small groups or alone and walk, each in a different area, and see what you see. It's all good. All interesting. Personally, the area I have most enjoyed wandering in is around the Sorbonne and the Pantheon, which is where the universities are. But, if you like shopping, (and stand to be corrected by more knowledgeable people) I think Boulevard Haussmann is good. (Unless you are rich, though, I think you will find the Dept stores offer nothing particularly different or better than those in London).

There can be huge queues for the Eifel Tower, but if the queue time is less than half an hour you should definately do that. It's a great experience and the views are stunning. You used to be able to go up the Montparnasse Tower, I don't know if you still can, but the cafe bar at the top was depressing and it was over-heated and the views were disappointing, so I don't recommend that.

The Palais de Tokyo looks really interesting, on my last visit (this July just gone) it seemed to be a sort of semi-anarchic art-gallery / bar thing, but I didn't go in so can't vouch for what was actually going on in there. It's by the Pont de Alma, where you can risk your life by leaning over the road to rubber-neck at the very concrete pillar where......(good taste makes me stop now). Have fun.

EDITED: read you are thinking of postponing your trip - for the money you will save by booking in advance, you could go twice, or do an overnight stay.

I'd forget the Louvre too. Only do that if you have lots of time. (Besides, I hate those mega-museums).

When visiting Paris for one day, I would not visit too much touristic attractions, but also take some time to just wander around in the streets. For example from Champs-Elysee to the Seine, then via the island to Quartier Latin, back to the north and then finding a nice place to eat in the streets behind the Hotel de Ville (some nice places there). The backstreets of Montmatre, away from the Sacre Coueur, are also very nice.

Regarding towers: Tour de Montparnasse is nice, less crowded than Eiffel Tower (and Tour de Montparnasse offers nice views of the Eiffel Tower!). La Defense is of course great if you want to see some highrises.

I don't know if you'll have the time but if you want to go clubing my advice is to not go to Champs Elysée, even if some of the most famous clubs are over there.

Awfully expencive, hard to get in etc

Thanks for the reccommendations but we didn't end up going in the end because of the cost, however at the next half term we will probably go for the day or possibly a weekend. The reason it was only to be a long day trip was because of the cost.

Liverpolitan, I'm not really into art and museums don't really interest me. I'd like to go up the Eiffel Tower and look around La defense.

Virtual, I'm only 16 and I doubt the situation is the same as Germany where I believe you can go clubbing at 16. One day when I revisit the city I'll try the clubs there

Leave about 2-3 hours for the Eiffel Tower. Get there about 30 minutes before they open. There'll be a lineup but they let in a lot of people when they open so even if the line snakes around the base a few times, you will get up to the top within 30 minutes of opening. Start from the top deck and move your way down. It'll take you about 90 minutes to go through all 3 observation areas.

For my tour of La Defense, I started from the Grande Arche and walked east towards the Arc de Triomphe along the middle promenade. There are Metro stations at either end so it doesn't really matter which end you start first. The walk takes about 30 minutes without stopping.

Ive done Paris in a day.And it was fun.
If youre going to stay only one day then of course forget about museums,Tour Montparnasse and Eiffel.Walking around would be the best thing.Thats what I did.I walked around central Paris - from Ile De La Cite to Marais and then back to Gare Du Nord to catch a London bound train :)
Euro Star Is Great!
Dont forget to visit Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre.
Buy a travel guide just to know where everything is btw ;)

If you stay in Paris Saturday night, the trip on Eurostar will be A LOT cheaper (about 70 pounds per person if you book the tickets 2 weeks before departure). Then a night in a cheap hotel is not realy expensive, have a look at expedia.com to find your hotel. All in all, you can spend a WE with your family for less than 500 pounds, train inclueded!

And 2 days in Paris is really a minimum!

Day one: Quartier Latin, Saint-Germain, Ile de la cité + Notre-Dame and a trip up the Montparnasse tower when the night falls

Day two: Tour Eiffel, Champs Elysée, Louvre, Montmartre. If you're really not into museums, go to La Défense.

I also agree with the suggestion above about Tour de Montparnasse. It has far less crowds than the Eiffel Tower, which is important if time is an issue, and it has just as fabulous a view - aided of cause, because you look at the Eiffel Tower.

But Paris is just way to big with far too many sites to rush in one day. It is certainly worth staying at least the weekend. Spending so much money, and then rushing around and seeing hardly anything isn't a wise way to spend - you all may end up far to stressed to enjoy it.