Up at 8am and breakfast at 8.45am before we collected our bags and checked out. Walked around the corner to Hotel Rochambeau. The receptionist recognised us and told us to leave our bags and the room would be ready for us at 12 noon.

Walked down to Gare St.Lazare to validate our Europasses, book our seats on the TGV to Geneva for Friday and to buy Metro passes for the next 3 days.

Caught the Metro to George V station to go to Tourist Information Centre. Not a lot there. Walked down to Arc de Triomphe and paid the €7 to go to the top. Lots of stairs and no stopping but despite a bit of haze the views were amazing.

We walked back to the Metro station, stopping for lunch, and then caught the Metro back to St.Augustin station and walked back to the hotel to check into our room. Room was much larger than the one at Comfort-St.Augustin to our relief. Booked ourselves on a Seine River cruise and Illuminations Tour of Paris for the following night through the hotel reception.

Back on the Metro to Les Halles in search of an internet cafe to email home and check on news from everyone back home. Caught the Metro further on to Notre Dame. Impressive cathedral from the outside and some interesting things inside.

Caught the Metro back to hotel for a rest and then out in search of dinner, ending up at another Chinese restaurant, Chez Ly. Food was good and reasonably priced but the staff were rude and we were terrorised by their screaming child while we ate. Walked back to hotel passing a window where a man sold crepes which were delicious and fairly cheap.

Got ourselves organised and caught the Metro from Miromisnel station to Invalides and then the RER to Tour Eiffel. Paid to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Very high up and great views of Paris. Elevator trip was interesting going diagonally up the leg of the tower before changing elevators and going straight up.

We spent an hour and a half at the top of the tower before running the gauntlet of people trying to sell souvenirs at the bottom of the tower and catching the train back to our hotel.