Paris on the Fly... 24 Hours in the City of Light

If you're in Paris with teenagers, and only have one day (gasp!), you can make the best of it with the following plan:

Morning:
Begin the day on the double decker bus for an overview tour of the city on “ L-Open Hop on Hop Off Tour of Paris” Sit up top and listen to the audio tour (available in many languages) and take in the major sights which make Paris one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are four tour routes, but since your time is limited, take the Paris Grand Tour (2 hours) which includes views of the Madeleine, Opera, Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame, Saint –Germain-des-Pres, Orsay Museum, Concorde, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, Eiffel Tower and Invalides. Buses depart every 10-30 minutes from each monument, and tickets can be purchased on board.

Afternoon:
Enjoy a price-fixed lunch at an outdoor cafe (appetizer/main course/dessert) on Ile St. Louis, then stroll into the Notre Dame Cathedral. If the lines aren't too long, climb to the top of the towers for an unforgettable view of the city.

Cross the river towards the Marais district (and the Hotel De Ville) and wander over to the Rue De Rivoli for a few hours of shopping. The best teen stores are located within several blocks of each other near the Hotel De Ville. Don't miss: Etam, C&A, Burshka, Sephora, Mango, H&M, plus the many shoe stores that line the street. The prices at these stores are generally quite good, and the fashions are hip and ahead of the curve from most stores in the US.

Evening:
After you've dropped your bags off at the hotel, head to the Left Bank. Wander around the medieval streets, and have dinner in one of the many bistros and cafe's in this famous and lively area.

Finish your day off with a boat ride down the Seine. From the Left Bank, walk towards the river and get directions for the Pont Neuf (one of the oldest and most famous bridges in the city). The best boat company operates at the base of the Pont Neuf bridge, and offers trips until 11pm during high season. Try to take one of the last ferries of the day, when it is dark out and the lights of the city are their most magical. All of the bridges along the trip are illuminated. The highlight is gliding past the Eiffel Tower with its spectacular light show every few minutes.

If you're only in Paris for a night or two, I'd recommend finding lodging on Ile St. Louis for its centrality and quiet elegance. Here you will be a short walk from the Left Bank, the Marais, Notre Dame, shopping on the Rue de Rivoli and many major metro stations.