Travel Designers Paris Marathon Packages
Not to be overshadowed by its counterparts, including the London marathon or even the New York Matathon, the Paris marathon can offer you a beautiful city break with a difference.
The reality is that you do not need to be running the Paris marathon to take part in the festivities of the day. Here, we will explore more about how one can support those in the Paris Marathon.
Paris Marathon Start Finish
The Paris marathon starts and ends at two iconic destinations. Starting at the top of the Champs Elysees, runners of different standards start at different times from 8:45 am to 10:15 am. The race ends at the bottom of Avenue Foch, the richest avenue in Paris, France. Contra to the finish line at the London Marathon, its not such a busy finishing place, especially for those running plus 4 hours. The great thing about the finishing line is its right beside an underground station so it really doesn’t matter where you stay in Paris. The choice is endless in Paris so decide what you want to do and remember its easy to jump on the Paris underground and not expensive to use.
One of the fun parts of a supporter is cheering on all the other runners and the charities that they have chosen to run. Even in another country you will find many runners from all over the world and charities that you may know. Most runners have their names on their shirts, so don’t be shy shout out encouragement, they love it and it keeps them going. We were supporting a friend and customer who chose to run for Parkinson’s a great charity and raised over £1200 for the Charity.
Paris Marathon Route
One of the main benefits of the Paris marathon is that it takes the runners past some stunning sights, including; the place de la Concorde, Bastille and the river Seine. Of course, in the distance, runners will be able to see the exquisite Eiffel Tower or take pictures at the start of the race under the Arc du Triomphe and also run through some of the neighbourhoods that they might not visit on a regular weekend break to the city of Paris. Not to mention the supporters along the route that have set up little tents to play music, give out support or just generally entertain. From cancan dancers to Aerobics instructors there is never a dull moment along the route with many talented musicians adding to the atmosphere. Be warned runners, there is no where near the same amount of supporters along the route as you will find in London or New York. From a supporters point of view the best areas to locate yourself throughout the race (and this will vary depending on how fast the runner will complete the marathon) are:
Mile One or Mile Three – at this point you might just see your runner and give them the reassurance you are still there and not off sight seeing in Paris.
Mile Fourteen – The Place de la Bastille is a great point as it covers the 3 mile spot and then the 14 mile area. If you are supporting you can catch them at 3 miles then take a break for coffee and enjoy the sunshine, if the weather is good.
Mile Twenty Two – Just 4 miles from the finish and a great spot to give our runner a good cheer to finish the Marathon. This area is easy to get to by underground from Place de la Bastille. From here you can walk directly to the finish line in approximately 20 minutes.
Where to stay in Paris
Fortunately, the start and end destinations, while not the same, are very close to one another. In fact, they are only separated by a 20-minute walk. Almost right in the middle of the start and the finish is the Arc de Triomphe. There’s a plethora of hotels right near the Arc like the Radisson Blu Hotel Paris Champs Elysees, or the Hyatt Regency Etoile and of course the one closest to the Arc by distance the Splendid Etoile all of which come with central city hotel prices. If you budget can run to this then great but if not, don’t worry no where is too far away with the benefit of the underground system and the any taxi’s available at reasonable prices when shared between more than 3 people.
Alternatively, when you are supporting a marathon runner in Paris, and for more affordable accommodation you may want to stay near one of the designated Fan Zones located at the Bois de Boulogne park at the 36.5km, 37.5km, 38.5km and the 39.5km mark. A hotel like the Hotel Atrium is ideal for the location or soak up the ambience of the Montmatre area and stay at the Adagio Apart hotel that sits one block below the Sacre Coeur and is surrounded with great value bars and restaurants. One of the great things about apart hotels in Paris is that they are perfect for groups sharing as the studios can accommodate 3 people and some have 1 and 2 bedroom options for up to 6 people. Make sure you book in advance to secure the best rate and availability of the 1 and 2 bedroom options.
Where to Celebrate
If you want to celebrate your achievement of running the Paris Marathon there are many watering holes that will help you to do that. But to find one that has a fantastic view as your backdrop for that medal celebration photograph, you wont be disappointed by choosing the Bar La Vue Paris which sits on the 34th floor of the Hyatt Regency Etoile Hotel and is one bar with a stunning view. Be sure to save up the pennies for this visit as its not the cheapest watering hole, but they do have a happy hour that starts at 5pm with a 2-4-1. Expect to pay 15 euros per drink and including soft drinks.
For dinner there are many places to eat BUT be warned not all restaurants are open on a Sunday night so plan where you are going to eat. For the pre race meal you can’t go wrong with the lovely Sacree Fleur Restaurant in Montmatre, such friendly attentive staff and fabulous food, a must when in Paris, but book a table before hand as its a small intimate restaurant.
If you are supporting a runner at the Paris Marathon or just want to take in the sights come that time of year, this city break with a difference on the Paris marathon route is ideal. For more details on packages to Paris please contact goeasy travel today. 0844 811 2550