Paris: Getting Around

 Now let's explore Paris! For the most part, it is possible to see anything you want to see in Paris using only the Metro and a little walking. We were always within easy walking distance of a Metro station and never used any other mode of transportation except to visit Versailles (we took the train) and to go to Charles de Gaulle airport (we took the Parishuttle minivan). If you have the ability to walk a mile in a stretch, then you should be able to do the same thing.

The first thing we did at the hotel is to ask for a Paris map, which they happily supplied. I call it my Paper GPS as we did not go anywhere without it. A couple of times I made it a block from the hotel before I remembered I didn't have it, but I always went back to get it. It doesn't take much to get lost in large cities, no matter where they are on Mother Earth.

I have scanned in the map they supplied below. It is well worn from a week of use, but it shows all the streets, the major tourist spots, numbered circles for the Metro stations, and even a few Gallerias for shopping. Our hotel is the red target located near the intersection of Champs Elysses and George V. 

Not only should you have a city map, but you should be familiar with the Metro system as well. I have scanned in a copy of the Metro map that is posted at every Metro station in Paris. The city map above always got us to the nearest metro, and the Metro map below always showed us how to make connections to get where we wanted to go. With these two resources, you're Golden!

The Paris Metro did not offer the choice of a 2 or 3 day pass - instead, they sold Metro tickets individually or in packs of 10. By the end of the 6th day, we each had used 18 tickets.
Now I will start posts outlining the various sites we visited, in the order that we recommend them - not in the order we say them. Let's go!