What if I told you it’s possible to spend just 1 day in Paris, see some of the city’s most iconic sights, celebrate a birthday and still be home before midnight?
That’s exactly what we did for my son’s 11th birthday. Instead of a traditional party, we planned an extreme day trip to Paris, packing as much as possible into just 1 day.
It might sound exhausting, but it turned out to be one of the most exciting and memorable travel days we’ve ever had.
Here’s exactly how we did it.
Why an Extreme Day Trip?
I’m a big fan of Extreme Day Trips. It’s when you take the first flight out to a destination and take the last flight home and you have a surprisingly amazing daytrip. OK, it’s exhausting but you’d be amazed how much you can see and do.
The idea started when I asked my middle son what he’d like to do for his birthday and he said he wanted to go to Barcelona for an Extreme Day Trip. With a travel blogger for a mum, he knew I wouldn’t say no!
Now it was my eldest son’s turn and he chose Paris! If you live near the Eurostar it would be so easy to take the train but as we live in North Wales this isn’t an option for us for a quick trip.
Rather than rushing through everything in a few hours, we decided to fly out the night before, stay in a cheap hotel and wake up in the city ready to explore.
That meant we could enjoy a full 12 hours in Paris without worrying about 4am wakeups or travel delays eating into our time.
It was the perfect way to make the day feel like a proper adventure and the perfect birthday surprise. I also recommend flying in the night before and staying in a cheap hotel if you’re doing an EDT with kids because they won’t be too tired.
The Plan: 1 day in Paris
Our goal wasn’t to see everything. Paris deserves far longer than that and I knew we wouldn’t even scratch the surface with 24 hours. Instead, we wanted to experience a few iconic moments:
- Watching the city wake up in Montmartre
- Seeing the Eiffel Tower up close
- Walking through beautiful gardens
- Cruising along the Seine
- Eating pastries and enjoying the atmosphere
It was a mix of iconic sights, easy walking routes and a little spontaneity.
The Night Before
We flew from Manchester to Paris the evening before with easyJet. We arrived in Paris at about 8.30pm and took the RER train to Nord du Gard. From Nord du Gard it was a 15 minute walk to our hotel, Hotel du Paris Opera. The hotel was nothing special but it was under £100, a good location, clean and friendly and included breakfast, so it was everything we needed.
7:30am: Breakfast at the Hotel
We started the day with a quick and simple breakfast at our hotel. Nothing fancy, just coffee, juice, bread, cheese and pastries.
The great thing about staying overnight was that we didn’t feel rushed first thing in the morning. Instead of arriving tired from travel, we woke up already in the city and ready to go.
8:00am: Walk to Sacré-Cœur
Our first stop was Sacré-Cœur, one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Paris.
The walk from our hotel took around 18 minutes, winding through the charming streets of Montmartre. This area feels very different from the rest of the city, a little more village-like, full of narrow streets, cafés and bakeries.
Arriving early in the morning was a great decision. There were no crowds, just a few joggers, and the views across Paris were absolutely incredible.
Standing at the top of the steps with the whole city stretching out below you is one of those classic Paris moments.
For an 11-year-old birthday trip, it was a pretty amazing way to start the day!
9:30am: Pastries at Place du Tertre
After taking in the view, we wandered through Place du Tertre, the famous square near Sacré-Cœur, known for its artists and outdoor cafés.
This is one of the most atmospheric spots in Montmartre. Artists set up their easels and paint portraits or city scenes while visitors relax at café tables.
It was still fairly quiet when we arrived, which made it the perfect time to grab a drink and a pastry at Au Cadet de Gascogne while watching the square slowly come to life. This cafe was nice but it was very expensive, although George did say it was the best hot chocolate he’d ever had! This relaxed moment was one of my favourite parts of the morning, a reminder that even on a fast-paced trip, it’s important to pause and soak up the atmosphere.
10:00am: Metro to the Louvre
Next, we jumped on the Metro and headed towards the Louvre Museum.
While we didn’t have time to go inside, just visiting the courtyard and seeing the famous glass pyramid is worth the trip.
The Louvre is one of those places that instantly feels iconic. Even if you’ve seen it countless times in photos, standing there in person still feels special. It’s also a great stop with kids because there’s plenty of space to wander around and take photos.
11:00am: Walk Through Tuileries Garden
From the Louvre we walked straight into Tuileries Garden, one of the most beautiful green spaces in central Paris.
This garden sits between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde and is the perfect place for a relaxed stroll. There’s something very Parisian about sitting in the classic green chairs by the fountains, watching the world go by.
George proved that he’s still a kid as he scrambled around the play parks and watched the tiny ducklings in the pond. I was very happy to sit with the sun on my face and soak up the atmosphere.
12:00pm: Walk to the Eiffel Tower
No trip to Paris would be complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower. It was quite a walk from Tuileries Garden to the Eiffel Tower but with the sun shining it was lovely to walk along the river.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower appear as you approach never gets old, especially through the eyes of an excited 11-year-old.
12:30pm: Lunch
We had lunch at a little cafe next to the meeting point of our Eiffel Tower tour. Our meeting point was Le Champ de Mars but we ate at a little bakery across the street and it was lovely.
1:30pm: Eiffel Tower Summit Experience
One of the highlights of the day was going all the way to the top deck of the Eiffel Tower.
We booked our Eiffel Tower with summit access tickets in advance via Get Your Guide to avoid queues and make sure we had a set time slot. I 100% recommend pre-booking!
Standing at the summit gives you incredible panoramic views across the city. You can see the Seine winding through Paris, the wide boulevards stretching out in every direction and landmarks dotted across the skyline. It’s also a lot of fun travelling up in the lift and shooting up into the sky.
For a birthday trip, it felt like a pretty unforgettable moment.
3:30pm: Hot Chocolate Break
After coming back down from the tower, we slowed the pace a little.
Travelling with kids means building in time for snacks and rest stops and Paris is the perfect place for that. We grabbed a hot drink and a small snack nearby while resting our legs before the next activity.
4:00pm: Cruise Along the Seine
At 4pm we boarded a cruise along the Seine River, which departs right near the Eiffel Tower. Again, I prebooked the tickets but these were not time specific slots, you can turn up for each boat. Make sure you book a cruise departing from the Eiffel Tower.
This was a relaxing, scenic and a brilliant way to see the city from a different perspective. By this point we’d done a lot of walking, so sitting down and enjoying the views from the water was exactly what we needed. I’d recommend getting your drinks and snacks to enjoy on the boat.
In just an hour you glide past some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including:
- Notre-Dame Cathedral
- Musée d’Orsay
- Pont Alexandre III
5:00pm: A Flexible Final Hour
After the cruise, George was actually really tired and he was ready to head back to the airport for our flight home. We didn’t fly until 10pm but it seemed pointless dragging him around Paris if he wasn’t feeling it.
If you’re following this itinerary and you’ve got a final bit of energy, you could head towards the Arc de Triomphe and grab dinner nearby. There’s a Five Guys close to the monument which I’d planned for George!
But with such a busy day already behind us, we didn’t want to rush around too much. Sometimes the best travel decision is knowing when to slow down.
Train to the airport + dinner
We took a short walk to a metro station near the Eiffel Tower and then took the metro to Gard du Nord. From Gard du Nord we took the RER back to the airport.
After such a packed day, sitting down at the airport actually felt like a chance to relax. We had dinner at a nice restaurant and then George found the PlayStations while I read my book!
10:00pm: Flight Home
Our flight left at 10pm.
By 10:20pm we landed back in Manchester, and by midnight we were home again.
It sounds crazy when you write it down: waking up in Paris, spending the day exploring and being back in your own bed the same night. But that’s exactly what makes an extreme day trip so fun.
Would We Do It Again?
Absolutely.
While Paris deserves a longer visit, this whirlwind trip proved you can still experience the magic of the city in a single day.
It was exciting, memorable and the perfect birthday adventure.
And the best part? My son now has a story he’ll probably remember forever:
The year he spent his birthday in Paris, all in one day.
Tips for an Extreme Day Trip
- Arrive the night before – If you can, I think an EDT is best when you arrive the night before and stay in a cheap, convenient hotel. It adds an extra cost but avoids the tiredness of a 6am flight. Hotel du Paris Opera was a great option.
- Pack light – Even better, pack nothing at all! We took a phone charger, PJs, clean underwear and a handful of mini toiletries.
- Plan an itinerary – When you’re short on time it’s important to plan an itinerary. It sounds fun to wing it but you don’t have time to get lost, queue up or to wander aimlessly only to discover you’re wandering in the wrong direction.
- Pre-book tickets – I prebooked our Eiffel Tower tour and the Siene River Cruise.
- Use the metro – It’s easy to use and very efficient.
- Download the IDF Mobilites App – We downloaded this onto our phones and added a ticket before each ride. You can download a day pass too which is easier but it was cheaper to buy individual tickets. You can also buy tickets really easily from the machine.
- I use Monzo for my travel money – There are no transaction fees abroad and the app makes it very easy to keep track.
- Download an eSim – You’re going to need Google Maps so I’d download an eSim for cheaper roaming abroad. I use Airalo. Use my code MONICA0428 and you’ll get £2.50 off your first purchase (a 1GB package for France is only £3.50 so it’s almost free).
