The 'musts' in Paris vary depending on your interests, read a guide book or go to the destinations tab at the top of this Fodor's page.

Your idea of a budget hotel will be different from others. Give a price guide in euros and you should get some responses.

The Paris visite card is generally considered to be overpriced. You can get the HOHO bus if you want to, it depends if you like them or not.

cathies, I though it was the Paris Pass that was the big rip-off - the one where it offers you the chance to visit 100 more things than you'd ever want or be able to, at an exorbitant markup. I think Paris Visite is something else (though also possibly in appropriate for the OP).

Agree you need 1) a good map, 2) to learn about www.ratp.fr, 3) a guidebook or two, and 3) an explicit budget.

StCirq, I could well be wrong, thanks for clarifying.

Rick Steves guides prioritize things pretty well for various lengths of stay. He also gives good lodging suggestions.

I believe it's both the Paris Pass and the Visite that are overpriced.

<< what shoud be the MUSTS for a 2-3 day stay >>

It depends on your interests - My must sees would be different from yours.

<< What are some good medium priced hotels coming from Chas. de Gaulle >>

Your hotel does not depend on the airport you fly into. Choose a hotel that is in central Paris.

<< Should we: take the city tour? >>

Don't know what that is - please clarify.

<<He also gives good lodging suggestions.>>

I would disagree with that.

You can browse the sights by category:

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/france/paris/sights.html

I don't understand why people come to the Fodor's website to recommend other websites. It's a mystery.

<< I don't understand why people come to the Fodor's website to recommend other websites. It's a mystery. >>

StCirq recommended the metro site and I recommended a list of Paris sights by interest.

What the heck is wrong with this? What if no one ever recommended another web site - we would not have the richness of information found here.

Yes, SNCF will take you to Madrid by rail. Check schedules etc. at www.tgv-europe.com On the opening page, choose "Other Countries" under the map. On the next page, pull down the Trains menu to find times and prices. You will have to fill out a form further down the page; specify Antarctica or an English-speaking country other than the US for ticket issue. Don't worry, you need not go there to get the ticket.
To become an instant expert on trains, study www.seat61.com which includes ticket strategies.
It is a very long train ride so consider a no-frills airline. You can shop for them at www.skyscanner.com and www.whichbudget.com And if you do decide to go to Madrid, fly home from there (a multi-city ticket) rather than returning to Paris.

Adrienne, I wasn't referring to you or to StCirq, I was referring to roblm who immediately recommended rick Steve's.

Lots of people recommend Rick Steves on this forum. He seems to be quite popular.

IMO the Rick Steves guide to Paris omits more than it includes. It was the worst Paris guide book I've ever looked at (or bought). Hopefully in its next life that bunch of paper will become a more substantive volume.

I know they do, it just annoys me. I don't mind when posters recommended lots of things including rick Steve's, I just get a bit grumpy with posts like that one. Ignore me, I'm just a bit grumpy today.

>>> I was referring to roblm who immediately recommended rick Steve's.


Roblm didn't recommend or post a website, roblm said Rick Steves guides - which sounds like his guide books, which is what was also recommended upthread.

What's the big deal? He's helped a lot of people. Just because he is not your cup of tea, or mine, for that matter, there's no reason not to recommend his guides. His guide books, are, indeed geared toward the kind of thing OP seems to want: "What are the musts for 2-3 days".

OMG can we just leave it jinky? For crying out loud.