Travel advice s'il vous plait - anyone been to Paris?

S

Ste

Senior member
 Costa Del Barrow-in-Furness
Anyone been? Considering taking the Mrs for new years Eve. She wanted to go to Edinburgh but didn't fancy it myself so Paris is on the cards now.

What's transport like etc? Presumerably just standard city taxi fares if we wanted to stop a few miles out of the city, pricy ish but nothing extortionate? Ideally want to stop somewhere fairly central but it seems that quite alot of the places to be/things to do are spread out so not sure where exactly would be best to look to stop?

Any advice/recommendations appreciated x
 
I've been a few times for leisure and business. Can be very pricey like most capital cities, but with a bit of care (ie read the menu before you sit down!) it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

My favourite places in Paris are the Left Bank, Notre Dame, Montmatre.
 
Like any big city, the metro system is pretty good.

+1 for Notre Dame. Although its a bit morbid, the catacombs are genuinely stunning. I have been a few times now and they always amaze me.
 
Just watch out for all the Romanian Scammers, young girls trying to get you to sign petitions and then demanding a donation, there are hundreds of them
People dropping a gold ring on the floor and trying to convince you that it's yours and asking for money to return it
Nigerians trying to tie a Love band around your finger and demanding payment for it
Guys trying to get you to bet on the egg cups and pea trick
Young boys at the ticket machines in the Metro Terminals trying to help you with tickets and then taking your change out of the machines
It can be very intimidating
 
Lived there, worked there - fantastic city.

It's a compact city and a decent pair of trainers and a metro ticket and you can get anywhere. Taxis are expensive..
Bus or train from airport is cheap (€12 iirc)

I like hotels in the Montmartre district as a choice, but decide where you want to go visiting and pinpoint on that.
Can't beat just getting on hotels.com and looking for deals on a room.
Only book room and eat in a local café at breakfast (which is way better) and set menu at night and it's always good and way cheaper.

Off the wall things:
Any of the car showrooms or museums on the Champs-Elysées
Walk the left bank
Musee D'orsey (and I don't even like Art :)
 
Cheers all, exactly the sort of left-field ITK advice I was hoping for... Reading trip advisor is like being at a support group for middle class women having a mental breakdowns and midlife crisis at the same time.

Heard Montmartre and Sacre Couer numerous times as the best place to stop so will be looking there, presume its best to jump on the metro to get towards the Louvre/Eiffel Tower/Notre Dame etc?

Will definitely have a look in the car showrooms on the Champs, and I've heard if we're going to do a museum then D'orsey is better then the Louvre anyway.

As for captainkens stuff, cheers for that. Lived in Tenerife for 6months and experienced all the same stuff you've come out with there, so will be on the look out for it all :)

Anymore advice welcome x
 
Out of interest, what is it about the Montmartre area that makes it recommended more then somewhere perhaps more central? I presume there's plenty to do round the area itself so we'd only really have to head on a metro towards the Seine if we wanted to go see something specific?

Cheers
 
Ste said:
Out of interest, what is it about the Montmartre area that makes it recommended more then somewhere perhaps more central? I presume there's plenty to do round the area itself so we'd only really have to head on a metro towards the Seine if we wanted to go see something specific?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Less commercial, nicer quarter, more small hotels, Artisan, Bistros, etc. etc
 
cj10jeeper said:
Ste said:
Out of interest, what is it about the Montmartre area that makes it recommended more then somewhere perhaps more central? I presume there's plenty to do round the area itself so we'd only really have to head on a metro towards the Seine if we wanted to go see something specific?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Less commercial, nicer quarter, more small hotels, Artisan, Bistros, etc. etc
Click to expand...

+1

That's what I remember it for, from my limited experience. Some great little restaurants and cafés.
 
Mrs R arranged a surprise weekend in Paris for my 50th. Had a great time.

Stayed at the hotel Joly Lotti which is not far from the Louvre. Since then I have stayed there on business. Not sure of price but hotel is good and convenient.

We did the normal things - most already covered in previous posts. I think the Eiffel Tower is a must. The highlight for me was the Moulin Rouge - a great show and not at all tacky.

I would echo the advice above about restaurants - read the prices before ordering!

You will have a great time.
 
Used to spend a fair deal of time in Paris at one stage - about one day a week for a couple of years.

For me the best way into town is the Air France Bus from CDG into L'Etoile . for me as others have said Musée d'Orsay for the impressionist art collection, I like going to the top of L'Arc de Triomphe as you get a real impression of how Paris was planned by Haussmann who turned the city from a medieval street plan to its currrent lay out. Im always impressed by the Grand Axe impressive forethought -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_historique.

Certainly L'atetlier renault http://atelier.renault.com/en/ is worth a visit quite often has a red bull car inside it.


Paris in the centre is not a massive city and is very easily walkable once you have your bearings - and for me the best way of seeing the city with the help of a good guide book that explains the cities History.
 
Lovely city and the metro is a great way to get around. We stayed near Arc de triomphe http://www.hotelducollectionneur.com/
 
Paris is sprawling and pricey, but the underground is easy to use and cheap (one ticket for all travel)
Taxis are expensive like London.

Watch out for some of the areas, it doesn't take long out of the tourist traps and you find yourself in a squalid slum! Particularly near Gare du Nord. Paris suffers from poverty and segregation, with it's own mini "ghettos". Well almost :)

My advice, Pay extra for a nice hotel near one of the major landmarks. Anything less than £100 a night is most likely a bit pants. But I'm prepared to be proven wrong on that if someone knows a hidden gem! :)
 
Hi Ste,

Just returned from a couple of days in Paris, stayed in Montmartre, the TimHotel Montmartre. This hotel has bedrooms with great views over Paris if you book rooms on the 4th or 5th floors, it is also located within 5 mins walk of the Sacre Coeur, Place Montmartre and Abbesses metro station. Great location. Room price was 109 Euros, breakfast extra, we went to cafe opposite for that much better. Can also recommend night cruise on the Seine (from Pont Neuf), the standard cruise that is, there is also a dinner cruise, expensive.
 
Cheers all :) Booked into this place for two nights: http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-0373-mercure-paris-montmartre-sacre-coeur-hotel/index.shtml

£305 for the stay, so hopefully be nice enough, and the location you've all suggested 8)
 
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