For an 850-year old church, this Paris must-see attraction still looks pretty good. So good in fact, the crowds keep on coming to Notre Dame. It’s amazing that daily religious masses still happen here with the constant circulation of tourist traffic, but with those rose stained-glass windows, classic Gothic architecture and flying buttresses, who can resist?

To get the most out of your visit, here are a few tips to save you time and frustration.

There’s no entrance fee, but go early if you can

The church itself is free to enter, but by 10 a.m. or so, the crowds already begin to form. Try to get in line early in the morning to be able to move around the church without bumping into someone at every turn. You’ll want to go around the entire interior to see all of the stained glass (tip: don’t miss the south rose window). You might want to avoid Notre Dame on major Catholic holidays like Easter, when every Catholic in Europe seems to come out of the woodwork. Official hours are 8 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. with a 7:15 p.m. closing time on Saturdays & Sundays.

Related: 25 Free things to do and see in Paris

Looking up at the towers of Notre Dame. Photo: Craig Nelson

Go up the bell towers for a small fee and a view

The bell towers are a separate visit with an entrance on the site of the church. A fee of €8.50 is charged for adults. If you’re an early riser, you should try get to the front of the line before the doors open. Only a limited amount of people are allowed up at a time, so you want to get there around 9 AM (doors open at 10 AM). Start your day nice and early with some gargoyles and views of the historic rooftops. It’s a wonderful way to experience the church if you can brave the 387 stairs. That’s not a misprint—there are no elevators!

Watch your valuables

Even though there is no fee to enter the cathedral, you still need to think about your wallet. Like other touristy locations, the area around Notre Dame can be rich with pickpockets. Be wary inside the church as well. Since there’s no charge, any one of those tourists bumping into you could be a pickpocket who just made off with your stack of Euros!

Bathrooms

There are no bathrooms in the church, but just in front and to the left, when you exit, there is a public restroom that is usually working.

Getting there

Metro line 4 will drop you off at Cité, on the island where Notre Dame is located. Otherwise, the line 1 station Hotel de Ville is just across the river, making it convenient for anyone on the Right Bank. On the Left Bank, the line 10 station Maubert Mutualité is a short and lovely walk to the cathedral.

Notre Dame from a different angle

While most of the cafés and restaurants directly in the area cater almost exclusively to visitors, take a few steps away behind the church, and you’ll be on the Ile Saint-Louis—still touristy, but it feels much quainter. This also offers a great way to see why the cathedral is such a Gothic architectural treasure. The flying buttresses and details on the backside are some of the most fascinating exterior features, so don’t spend all of your time in front of the towers.

The post Tips for visiting Notre Dame in Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Toots, I did it again. I fell head over heels in love with Paris all over de nouveau.

Setting the scene, I had just finished inspecting a slew of hotels in the Latin Quarter, and was headed to meet friends at the wine bar 5ème CRU. This Cheapo haven is located at 7 rue du Cardinal Lemoine, so I decided to trek it there by way of the River Seine.

And there she was. As I turned the corner at the river, there was no mistaking the Cathédrale Notre Dame, glowing like an over-sized Lucite jewelry box. I got all smitten. Tears were shed, which caught me off guard (because I tend not to find inspiration at touristic hotspots), but on this bewitching night—there was nary a soul in sight. It was summertime and the swooning was easy.

For the love of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, let’s take a sentimental journey, shall we?

Stop one: Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris
6 Place Parvis Notre Dame
5th arrondissement (Métro: Saint Michel)
Web site

Queen of the French cathedrals

This iconic darling has had its share of monumental ups and downs throughout the centuries. Maurice de Sully (that’s “Bishop” to you) set the project in motion back in 1163. It was a very good year, but as time marched on, it took a toll on the cathedral’s interior and exterior. Well, we’ve all been there. Touché!

Thank writer and historic preservation activist Victor Hugo for jump-starting a sensational sightseeing frenzy, along with the much-needed renovation that followed the publication of his very first novel, Notre-Dame de Paris, in 1831 (released in English in 1833 as The Hunchback of Notre Dame much to the author’s dismay). A “vast symphony in stone” is how the eloquent and passionate Hugo described Notre Dame.

Word quickly spread, making Hugo a literary superstar, and inspiring beaucoup de visitors to pay homage with copies of the book in hand. However, at the time Notre Dame was pretty much in ruins because of the French Revolution and general lack of routine maintenance. Cheapos, it was high time for an extreme makeover: cathedral edition!

Paved paradise

Enter architect Viollet-le-Duc in 1841. Contributing his own interpretive gothic revival twist, he added a fantastical spire, and gargoyles to keep the evil spirits at bay, along with a good cleaning and various other minor changes.

Shortly (bare)after, 19th-century urban renewalist Baron Haussmann completed the redo by demolishing the medieval houses surrounding the church and creating a public square. Times are always a-changing.

Shakespeare & Company

Second stop: Shakespeare and Company
37 Rue Bûcherie
5th arrondissement (Métro Saint Michel)
Web site

To read or not to read, daddy-o

Yearning for your own copy of Notre-Dame de Paris? After getting an eyeful of the real thing, stop by the English bookshop Shakespeare and Company, located across the street in a former 16th-century monastery. Both paperback and hardcopies of the book are available.

A favorite Beat Generation haunt, George Whitman (Walt Whitman’s nephew) opened the rue Bûcherie location in 1951, under the name of “Le Mistral.” He changed its name to Shakespeare and Company as a tribute to his friend Sylvia Beach after she closed up the original shop by the same name, which had been a few blocks away. And yes, film buffs, here on rue Bûcherie is where the opening scene in the film Before Sunset was shot!

Stop Three: 5ème CRU Cave à Vin
7 rue du Cardinal Lemoine
5th arrondissement (Métro Cardinal Lemoine)

Are you ready for a break? Keep walking along Quai de la Tournelle until you reach Cardinal Lemoine, and then make a right. The wine cave and bar is located a few doors up on the left. A perfect place for quiet reflection on our mad, mad world, the wine is inexpensive, and their charcuterie and fromage platters are divine.

My favorite passage

I’ve decided to end this week’s post with one of my favorite passages from Notre Dame de Paris. Enjoy and keep on ringing the bells, Cheapos!

On that day the air was so fresh and clear that Quasimodo felt his affection for his bells returning. Clapping his hands, he ran to and fro from one rope to another, awakening his six songsters by this voice and his gestures, as a maestro leads his skilled musicians.

“Go on! Go on, Gabrielle!” he said, “Pour all your music into the square. Today’s a feast day. Thibauld, don’t be lazy. You’re slowing down! Go, go on! Are you becoming rusty, loafer? That’s it. Quick! Quick! Don’t let the clapper be seen. Make them all deaf like me. That’s it, bravo! Thibauld! Guillaume! Guillaume! You’re the biggest, but Pasquier’s the smallest, and Pasquier swings better than you! Those who can hear, I’ll wager you, hear him better than you! Well done! Gabrielle! Louder, louder! Hey! You up there, you sparrows! I don’t see you making any noise. What’s the matter with those brazen beaks of yours, that seems to be yawning when they ought to be singing? Come on, work! Sing! There’s beautiful sunshine; we have to have beautiful music!

The post Paris: A Notre Dame walking (and reading) tour appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

However, something about going to a real train station and hopping aboard just oozes excitement. Fortunately for Cheapos there are some great options.

Cheapo day trip options

While the TGV, the high speed train, does tend to get pricey (especially if you don’t book cheapo fares in advance), the slower regional and inter-city trains can get you out of the city on a delightful day trip without worrying about how to pay for your next meal.

Check the SNCF Web site for fares and times for your dates. If you have a French train pass or if you are under 26 years old or over 60, you will also benefit from reduced fares.

Related: 8 Day trips from Paris under an hour by train

1. Giverny

You don’t have to go far, either, to feel like you’ve escaped to the countryside. Especially in the springtime, visitors love heading to Giverny, a quaint little town just west of Paris that was the home and inspiration of the great impressionist painter Claude Monet.

He constructed his own little Japanese garden here that wows crowds with its blossoms in April. Why only admire the water lilies in the Musée d’Orsay when you can see the real thing? Visits of the iconic gardens start April 1 and cost between €4-8 (depending on your age). The town itself, sleepy as it may be, will make you feel like you’ve headed to some provincial getaway far from the urban bustle of Paris.

Paris-Giverny, 45 minutes, normal round-trip adult fare €25, Gare Saint-Lazare. Note that the station is the town of “Vernon,” not in Giverny. To reach the gardens, you will take a short bus ride from the station, or you can walk (about an hour) to the town and gardens.

2. Rouen

Keeping with the Monet theme, the town of Rouen features a glimpse into Medieval France with its stunning Gothic cathedral rendered several times by the painter. The town is the historic capital of Normandy, just to the northwest of Paris.

A stroll around the city will reveal many half-timbered houses and even a 16th-century astrological clock, so history buffs take note. Paris certainly isn’t lacking in any history, but Rouen will transport you back to the middle ages to get a taste of daily life. Poor Joan of Arc’s life was cut short when she was burnt at the stake here.

Paris-Rouen, 1 hour 15 minutes, normal adult round-trip fare €42, Gare Saint-Lazare.

3. Chartres

Southwest of Paris, the Medieval town of Chartres is known for its Gothic cathedral which, curiously, has one Romanesque spire and one Gothic spire. The town is a fantastic respite from the crowds, lines, and scam artists surrounding Notre Dame in Paris.

The famed cathedral’s spires dominate the town, set in the middle of a large stretch of grain fields, so the train ride should be a welcome change of scene. Wander the streets around the cathedral but don’t hesitate to get lost in the town’s charming neighborhoods–you can always find your way back to the church with ease.

Paris-Chartres, 1 hour, normal adult round-trip fare €28, Gare Montparnasse.

4. Reims

Many tourists visiting Reims in the Champagne region head straight for the cathedral, the coronation site of all of the kings of France.

But wait, there’s more! You should also visit one of the town’s many Champagne cellars, usually followed by a sampling of their wares. A visit to the Mumm Champagne cellar, for example, will cost €10 for an hour-long visit (call ahead to reserve, when possible). Between churches and Champagne visits, Reims is the perfect breath of fresh air after a long Parisian sojourn.

Paris-Reims, 45 minutes, adult round-trip fare from €30, Gare de l’Est.

Your favorite Paris escapes?

Do you have any other suggestions for good day trips from Paris? Tell us about  it in the comments section.

The post Paris: Cheapo day trips to Giverny, Rouen, Chartres and Reims appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.