Take the bus and explore the famous sights and the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Paris. The best way to travel around the great romantic capital of France is to travel on L’autobus 38 from south to north. Don’t think of it as an ordinary one-time bus ride, but give yourself a whole day to hop on and off and explore along the way.
Start at the door of Paris
The starting point of your enchanting journey is Porte d’Orléans, the first southeastern gate of Paris. This is where General leClerc arrived in Paris in 1944 to liberate the capital from German occupation. From here, the single-seaters of Route 38 lead to the Church of Saint Peter de Montrouge and the wonderful access to the metro at Mouton Duvernet. Visit the beautiful gardens of the Paris Observatory, designed under the command of the Sun King Louis XIV. Here, conveniently, the first map of the moon was created. check out the elegant restaurant La Closerie des Lilas, where Verlaine, Ernest Hemmingway and Lenin once had their fashionable dinner parties.
Sorbonne and Notre Dame
Green Route 38 leads past the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens, built in the 17th century for a nostalgic Italian queen. Not far from the palace are the Sorbonne, where great French citizens had their education, and the Pantheon, where many were buried. Get off at Saint-Michel to experience the square and the boulevard as famous meeting points. Stroll along the River Seine to the Ile de la Cité and enjoy a stunning up-close view of Notre Dame Cathedral.
tourism paris
Opposite rue Cassini is the modest monastery shop on avenue Denfert Rochereau, which sells handmade goods made by monks from all over France. On the boulevards Saint-Michel and Saint-Germain is the Musée de Cluny in an old building where you can admire a huge collection of medieval paintings and art. And be sure to get off Route 38 to see the 136 sculptures of the great and good Frenchmen in front of the Hotel de Ville and the quaint alleyways between rue du Fabourg St-Martin, Boulevard de Strasbourg, and rue du Faubourg St-dennis.
Les Halles and Gare du Nord
Opposite the historic Palais de Justice, you can again catch the route 38 bus to go to the rue Victoria terminal, passing the grand Hotel de Ville on your way. After this stop, continue your journey through central Paris to the famous Les Halles shopping mall, also known as ‘The Stomach of Paris’. Before Route 38 comes to an end, it passes the Center Pompidou, the arch of Porte Saint-Martin, and the magnificent Gare l’Est. Route 38 ends at the Gare du Nord, a true piece of impressive Victorian railway architecture.
