Dawny

Hi, My husband and I will be visiting Paris 9/12-9/15. We have tours scheduled for the 1st 2 days and need a recommendation for a centrally located hotel and an itinerary for that Saturday and Sunday. This is be our 1st visit to the "city of lights." We are in our mid fifties and usually when on vacation enjoy hanging out with the locals and eating the local dishes. This may be problem in Paris because we don't speak the language. If you wanted to see the sights and hang with the locals where would you stay and what would you do? Thanks in advance for your help. I hope this is correct. Its my first time posting on a forum. (smiles)

janisj

1) Hard to advise what to see w/o knowing where the tour is taking you/what it is covering.

2) re hotel - what is your budget?

MmePerdu

Next month?

StCirq

Why would you think "the locals" would want "to hang" with you? Especially if you don't speak French. I think they have better, more normal things to do. In fact, I know they do. TWhat a silly idea!

annhig

If you wanted to see the sights and hang with the locals where would you stay and what would you do? Thanks in advance for your help. I hope this is correct. Its my first time posting on a forum. (smiles)>>

Hi dawny - welcome to fodors. you will find plenty of friendly ! advice here, but we do need a little more information as previous posters have indicated ie when, where are you coming from, what time are your flights, [CDG, presumably] what the tours are that you have already booked, etc.

also, you may have to adjust your ideas about "hanging" with the locals. I don't know where in europe [or elsewhere] you've been before but Paris is a cosmopolitan city where the vast majority of inhabitants are going about their daily business with no thought for the huge numbers of tourists in their midst, apart from the fact that they are a bit of a nuisance. [i know, I lived and worked in London for many years and had no desire whatever to mix with any tourists].

mostly the french people you meet will be involved in the tourist business to some extent - from the hotel receptionist to the ticket booth attendant at the metro to the waiter in the cafe - but the good news is that most of them will speak some english.

of course, learning a bit of french won't hurt - please, thank you, good day - are all useful and will help to smooth your past.

bon voyage!

adrienne

<< hanging out with the locals and eating the local dishes >>

Paris is a large city and I doubt there is any food that is local. It's not like a staying in a specific area of France where there are regional specialties. You can get any type of food in Paris.

As to hanging out...think about your typical Saturday at home, grocery shopping, running errands, watching your children play sports, cutting the grass, etc. Would you want someone hanging out with you who can't speak English? Do you just hang out places (other than your home) when you are on your home ground?

If hanging with locals is a big part of your Paris experience I would go to the northern end of the 18th or 19th or the southern end of the 13th, 14th, 15th and find a laundrette. You might try a park in central Paris but no one ever looked approachable except other tourists. I've never seen anyone walk up to some stranger and start a conversation.

I've just remembered something that seems very French to me. I have no idea if the people are local or not but they mostly speak French. On Sundays, at noonish, at the bottom of rue Mouffetard (market street) there are accordion players and sheet music is handed out. People form a circle and sing while others dance. It's enjoyable to watch and sing if you can read French and sing.

https://modigliani.shutterfly.com/paris2007/116

As to what to do the third day, you should say what you're doing the first two days so you get different suggestions than things you've already seen.

Central hotel - what's your budget.

nytraveler

What sights are being covered in the tours you have signed on for?

What are your interests?

What is your hotel budget - and what are you expecting for that?
Elevator? Private bath? Large room? Other amenities?

Gretchen

City of Light

As others say, much like NYC, you won't be hanging with the locals, but it has never kept us from LOVING Paris--and its food.
What kind of tours have you booked? Bus, private guide? Are you going to museums then also?
As Adrienne mentioned, DO go to a street market, even if the musicians aren't there.
Where else are you going on this trip that only has 3 days for Paris--and how are you arriving and departing from Paris. It will make a difference in how much time you have to see or do any of your ideas.

Tabernash2

For pete's sake, folks, I doubt if Dawny wants to go to a launderette or literally wants to 'hang out' with locals. Put it another way: Dawny wants to see the places where the locals are, not the tourist-swamped areas. Of course, this is what every tourist wants to do-- avoid other tourists. haha.

Dawny, we liked staying at the Hotel St Jacques, in the Latin Quarter. It is not a busy area, relatively speaking, and we enjoyed its younger vibe.

Years ago, we stayed in the 7th, across from the Champs de Mars, with a view of the Eiffel Tower, at the Hotel la Bourdonnais. It is more a residential neighborhood, and is very quiet at night, but is close to the Invalides and other 'tourist' attractions.

TPAYT

Welcome to Fodors!
We go to Paris often and always prefer to stay near the river.
Not speaking French will not be a big problem in the main tourist areas. If in doubt, ask a young person as they will most likely know a little English.

If you have tours planned you'll probably hit all the important sights. As you tour around take note of the areas you like and return there and walk around by yourself(tours can be quite quick.)

The area around Notre Dame is quite lively at night, especially Fri. & Sat.--lots of street entertainment.
As far as restaurants, start reading the posts on Fodors. Everyone's taste is different and there are more choices than you can imagine.

Since you don't have a lot of time in Paris, I would stick to the tourist areas near the river and not spend precious time trying to figure out how to get around on your own. Take time to just enjoy your surroundings. Sit at an outside cafe, have a wine or coffee. Sunday is the best time in Luxembourg Gardens. Take a river cruise at night.

Dawny

Thanks for all the positive responses and great suggestions. I had been told that a lot of people in Paris speak English so I did not think there was in harm in asking. I would choose hanging out (going places where the locals go to shop eat and play)even with a language barrier to doing laundry and grocery shopping any day. But then that's just silly ole me. Yes it is this September. My hotel budget is about 200 Euro per night,private bath. We are staying at Radison Blu Boulogne the 1st 2 nights. It was sold out the other 2. I booked the Marriott Rive Gauche on 17 Boulevard Saint Jacques but it doesn't seem to be close to very much. My tours are to the Opera, Arc de Triompe, Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower. Its my first post so I will take all the advice into consideration with my next post. Thank you again!!!

adrienne

The areas I suggested are where you'll meet people living in Paris. I'm sure there are other areas but those are starting points. Many people in Paris do speak English but people who interact with tourists are more likely to be fluent in
English.

You can find Parisiennes shopping all over the city but nearer the center you will also find more tourists than you would in outer areas.

Christina

well, the Marriott Rive Gauche is in a non-touristy neighborhood but it may not be the most convenient or have the ambience you want. That's a big business hotel, I would think you might want to stay elsewhere. You could hang more where locals do (but they won't talk to you, most likely) in cafes in the outer arrondisements, but the problem is you want to stay in convenient areas to tourists, so that's a contradiction. I've hung out with locals in Montparnasse, but I do speak French. By that I mean, I have had some conversations with people at neighboring tables in a cafe, and there are some there where a lot of young people hang out, but you are beyond that age.

I suggest you do a compromise and stay where I often do -- Montparnasse. It is very convenient as there are several metro lines around there (the Rive Gauche is only near one, I believe, and it goes E-W), and tons of cafes and restaurants and not as many tourists as the center. There are plenty of hotels there. SO you may be in cafes where 75 pct are locals, but they won't be talking to you.

Here is a hotel I stay in a lot there, it's very nice, but September is peak hotel season so it may be hard to book the best hotels at this point. http://www.paris-hotel-aiglon.com/en/

Or try this one down the street, I've stayed there and really like it a lot, also http://www.hotelraspailmontparnasse.com/

Christina

oh, as for itinerary, given your tours, I also think the islands are a good idea (Notre Dame, Ile St Louis for roaming, Ste Chapelle), and don't you want to visit a museum? Louvre, l'Orangerie or Orsay might be top choices.

Leely2

Ideas for "hanging with locals" can be found on Nikki's excellent trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...p-to-paris.cfm

Nikki, I believe, speaks French, but you might get some inspiration.

Underhill

You are going to Paris next month and you don't yet have a hotel reservation? Better get moving on that, as September is a very, very busy month in Paris because of the many trade and fashion shows. Many desirable hotels fill up six months or more in advance.

annhig

Montparnasse is also a good choice for accessing the RER B in and out of CDG - if that's where you are coming into and out of.

another good place is in a hotel near the RER B stop Notre-Dame St. Michel, because you are about as close to the action as you can get, thus cutting down the amount of time that you will spend getting around; on a first trip you are bound to be concentrating on the sights in the centre of Paris, rather than those further afield. yes I know that this is a very touristy area, but frankly, so is everywhere in central Paris.

Finally, I see that you are planning on changing hotels. IMO you should avoid this if at all possible - you aren't staying long enough to make it a good idea. if you have "free cancellation" terms at the first hotel I would find another that can accommodate you for all 4 nights, then cancel the first one.

Gretchen

I think you could do your "tour" places as well on your own with a tour of the Opera thrown in. How long and to what extent are these tours--I only ask because two days of that is not much.
If the Eiffel Tower includes tickets to go up in it, that will be good because at this late date you couldn't get them. But with only 3 days, if they don't include going up, I probably wouldn't spend the time in the line to do it. I personally LOVE the tower from below from many different places.
If you want a high view of the city you could to to Galeries Lafayette roof, or the Tour Montparnasse.

Dawny

Thank you everybody you are the absolute best. I'm doing a group tour so the hotel was included. The Radisson Blu Boulogne. I'm just adding 2 additional days. Not sure how close this is to the river but both locations, Montparnasse and Notre Dame St Michel area sounds great. I can cancel the Marriott at no charge. I will try and book one of the hotels you suggested. This is so helpful and a definite stress reliever. I've been planning this trip for a while and just want to have a great time.

annhig

Hi Dawny,

if you use google maps, and put in the areas you are interested in, you can then search for hotels and see their locations. you can also do this with booking.com which will give you the cost for your dates as well.

you will not be able to walk to the very centre of Paris from Montparnasse, but the RER B line which goes there is very regular and fast. if you stayed near the Notre Dame/St Michel stop, that IS the centre of Paris, more or less.

IMO, for such a short trip, and a first trip, that might be a better choice.