We landed at Charles de Gaulle airport at 11am. It took about 30 minutes to get through passport control and to the RER train station connected to the airport. €10 to take the B line into Paris, which includes any connections you need to make via métro.
Eiffel Tower
I waited too long to buy advance tickets to ascend the Eiffel Tower — you need to get them 2+ months ahead of time. But you can generally still get late tickets through tour operators, so we used Fat Tire Tours. Other than having some obnoxious parents with impressionable kids on the tour, it was great. Even with the “skip the line” tour, you spend some time at security checks and waiting for elevators. But the views are worth it.
Airbnb
This was my first time trying Airbnb. I used to think you had to hang out with another family and actually interact with other human beings, but there are plenty of listings where you rent the whole house or apartment and have it to yourself. My first attempt didn’t work out — the punk canceled on me a few days before our trip. But I quickly booked another and it was great. We had a two-room apartment near Père Lachaise and loved it. We had more space and privacy, and we saved at least $50 a night over a hotel.
Wander around
A lot of the touristy places close around 6pm, but there are several outdoor spots that are accessible at all hours. We picked a park near the apartment, the Notre Dame cathedral area, and the Pompidou Center, which usually has a good variety of street performers.
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