While traveling around France earlier this year, I found Notre Dame to be one of the most amazing, yet confusing places in France! Notre Dame is one of the most popular tourist attractions in paris, and therefor has some of the longest quest and biggest waits. But don’t panic! You don’t have to wait half your day or miss out completely. I made this list of the 5 Tips and Tricks you need to know about Notre Dame.
- The Cathedral is open for worship at 8 AM, however the tourist office isn’t open till 10 AM,
I went into the Cathedral at this time, admittedly by accident, but a happy accident because it was free entry and there was zero que! For the Cathedral aspect of the attraction, you really don’t need the tourist office open, they had a brochure stand open to the public, if require a bit of information and they also have a very interesting installation at the back of the Cathedral, documenting the construction of the church. However, if you do attend at this time, you will need to be extra respectful of those their to worship, but you should be like that at any time of day!
I don’t mind an early morning to avoid this que! - The Bell Tower entry is a separate entry to the Main Entry and opens at 10 AM
This is the tricky bit. The que to get to the Gargoyles and Bell tower is on the left of the building if you are looking straight at the main entrance. You can not use the Museum Pass for this entrance, you have to line up with all the other, non organised tourists! I think it is well worth the wait and was a highlight of Paris for me! - Use this opportunity to try some of Paris’s Cuisine!
There is an amazing deli cafe across the road which sells the most amazing Panini! They have a range of drinks and other bakery foods to cater to everyone. My tip is to get your travel buddy to hold your spot in the que, while you step out to go grab you both some food! - Make sure you see the actual Bells!
When you are finally let up, there will be stairs and I mean a lot of stairs, But once you get to the top it is quite narrow. There is a walk way to the left that leads to a little doorway. I am 5’2 and even I had to crouch! This leads to the bells! You essentially get to go into Quasimotos home! This fulfilled all my disney dreams and I was surprised at how similar it was to the cartoon! None the less, the door is quite small and hidden and could be easily missed! - This is one of the best spots in paris to take photos!
Paris is quite a flat city, so the Eiffel tower really stands out and, this is where I took one of my favourite photos of Paris!
Hopefully these tips help you get the most out of your holiday. If you happen to have the Museum pass, I recommend going to Saint Chapelle around the corner while you wait for the Bell tower to open up. Its amazing
