asimm

Family of 3, visiting Paris in July 2016 for 5 days

We are on Budget and have got a family room at the price of Euro120/- including breakfast at Hôtel Libertel Gare de l’Est Français whic is the Across the street from Gare de L'Est railway station and a 6-minute walk from Gare du Nord railway station.

We will be visiting the all famous THINGS TO DO in Paris
*Eifet tower
*Louvre
*Disneyland
*Le Marais
*Notre Dam
*Saint Germain
*Latin quarter
etc etc

My questions are
1. Has someone got knowledge about this Particular hotel
2. Is the area comfortable for tourists
3. Will it be easy to go to these places without wasting much time and spending too much money

Your feedback and suggestions are all important

asimm

Just to add our few interest
1. We do not drink
2. We like to be in an area which doesnt go dead and we cannot roam around with some shopping, eating etc
3. Would need HALAL MUSLIM food

menachem

1. No knowledge of the hotel, but Libertel are a dependable french chain of hotels in the lower segment. So not bad at all, but nothing fancy.

2. There's nothing wrong with that area (Gare de l'Est and the area immediately around it): Lots of Gendarmerie, and you're right across from the entrance to Gare de l'Est. Years ago I stayed with my son at the Kyriad hotel that's inside Gare de l'Est. He was 14 then: no problem, not even at night. In fact, I find it a fascinating area and there is some gentrification happening. Also be aware that Canal St Martin is within short distance.

3. The big advantage: it's a great public transport hub! Loads of buses, Metro and trains. At gare de l'Est you're on top of the #4, 5 and 7, so you'll be well covered.

4 will get you to the left bank without having to change, 7 gets you straight to the Louvre.

There's one great bus service, the #30, that I really recommend. Better than the hop on hop off bus.

You cover a lot of city going round North via Montmartre and you end up at Trocadero, right across from the Eiffel tower.

menachem

Oh and by the way, you'll find lots of Halal places on Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis and that's very near your hotel. Passage Brady, also near, has loads of Indian restaurants, but I'm not sure which of these are halal.

Here's the corner of R Faubourg Saint Denis and R Jary

https://www.google.nl/maps/place/Par...!6m1!1e1?hl=en

menachem

Jarry, not Jary, sorry.

Ackislander

We stayed in the 10th in June, nearer to the Canal so more gentrified, but we used the Gare de L'Est as our major transportation hub, taking the Metro or a bus from there all over the city at all times of the day and night. It was not frightening, though it was very urban.

As menachem says, connections are very good all over the city. I wrote about the 30 bus, which isn't a particularly good way to get anywhere but is a great way to see some of the diversity of the city, from the poorest to the richest neighborhoods. You can click on my name to read my trip Reports about Paris as views from the 10th.

I wish I could be more specific, but I remember clusters of halal shops and restaurants between your location and Republique, many I think on Avenue Magenta. Others can give you more exact information. But there are many people in this neighborhood who are observant and wear hijab despite some French prejudice against it, so I have no doubt you will find plenty to eat.

Please write a trip report when you return!

Christina

That area will definitely be easy to get to the things you want to see by metro.

There are various Halal restaurants in that area, here is one right near that hotel http://lanumidyaparis.fr/en

Here is a website that will list Halal restaurants by search proximity http://restaurants.lemuslim.com/

generally, if you find an Algerian, Tunisian, or Libanais restaurant, it will be, many Indian also. I think you need French to use the above website which may be tricky but you need to select Paris 75010 in the top righthand search box for location.

Here is another Halal restaurant near your hotel http://www.lephenicien.com/

I found another website that looks good for you to find such restaurants, and it's in English http://www.zabihah.com/sub/France/Il...ris/ZK9E8lGOWg

asimm

Thank you all

But do you think that instead of the 10Th a better idea would be to stay in the 6th Arr ?

kerouac

Just about all of the restaurants on the northern part of the Faubourg Saint Denis are halal.

Akislander is incorrect about any French prejudice against the hijab. It is a perfectly acceptable item of clothing. It is the niqab and the burka which are illegal in public places.

kerouac

<i>But do you think that instead of the 10Th a better idea would be to stay in the 6th Arr ?</i>

It is a well known fact here that I don't like most of the 6th arrondissement at all, the only exception being the small section of it that is part of Montparnasse.

If budget is a consideration of yours, you will pay about half as much in the 10th arrondissement as in the 6th arrondissement.

asimm

Thanks Kerouac

Any other Arr that you may feel is good for us and offcourse keeping in mind our budget OR is 10th the perfect one in our budget.

Keren

You'll be fine the 10th, a much more interesting place to stay than the 6th.

pariswat

I second Ker's observation about Hijab.

Nobody (French) will bat an eye about hijab, some will object about niqab and more about burka (which is not a muslim 'fashion' itme if I'm not mistaken).

10th is perfectly fine, I also like it and due to Ker's photo report went inside the gare de l'Est, which has been thoroughly redesigned. Quite nice.

Btw, Dinseyland is not a must-do in Paris and would save a lot of money being skipped, unless you are a fan of it.

fuzzbucket

I agree that the 10th will be a much better location than anywhere else in Paris. There's a ton of stuff to do in this neighborhood, and it's easy to get to all the things you want to see and do.

And I also agree about EuroDisney - but if you have to go, just know that you'll be spending most of your time in long lines.

If you wear the veil, nobody will look twice at you in any part of Paris. Of course, if it's a particularly lovely veil, someone might ask where you bought it!

How old is your child? Some attractions don't charge for children, or have reduced rates. You should do research on using the Metro - the new de-zoned Navigo allows unlimited travel in Paris, including going to Disney.

Make sure you have checked the holiday schedule for any place you have planned to visit. If you're in Paris on 14 July, you might want to see the military parade, or might want to avoid the area and the crowds until the late afternoon.

StCirq

Asiim, stop fretting. The 10th is just fine. You'd lose a lot more money staying in the 6th, and the 10th is more interesting.

Eurodisney, as far as I can tell (ndver been, never will go) looks terribly expensive to me for what it is. With all of the glories of Paris right there at your footsteps, I'd consider dropping Eurodisney. Seems like a day in he&& to me, honestly.

Hajib is no problem at all in most if not all of Paris. In the neighborhood we regularly stay in the 20th, a good percentage of women wear the hajib, and there are people of all nationalities wearing all kinds of ethnic clothing. Never a problem.

Christina

I think the 10th is fine for you. They haven't called Disneyland Eurodisney for many years, by the way. If you want to go, go there, don't mind what others say, it's your trip. A lot of people like that kind of thing. But it is outside of Paris a ways, and expensive, so if you aren't sure about going, it would be easier not to go.

StCirq

I don't care what they call it. I'm not interested, especially at the prices they charge.

fuzzbucket

We always call it EuroDisney because that's what we spend there...lots of it!

kerouac

Actually, the company that operates the parks is called Euro Disney SCA, but the place itself has been called Disneyland Resort Paris for the last 20 years or so.

By all means go there if you have an interest in the Disneyland experience, although it will be the most expensive thing that you do. You said that you were on a budget, but with a family sometimes you just have to do this sort of thing to please your children.

There is a direct train to go there from Paris (RER A).