OReilly

Hello all:

Yes, I know I have just returned from Florence, but I have meetings in Antwerp from Wednesday to Friday next week (My 7th -9th). Client is paying for the airfare anyway, so why not? I only have to pay for train from Antwerp to Paris (less than £100) and hotel for two nights. I’d be eating out in London anyway over the weekend, so that cost does not need to be considered (likely cheaper than eating out in London!.

I have yet to finalize the details, as I am waiting on conformation from client on end of play on Friday, but assume it will be about 1700, which means a 1755 train from Antwerp; travel arrangements will look something like this:
Depart Antwerp 09/05/2014 to Paris by train at 1933; Arrive Paris: 2140
Depart Paris to London by Eurostar 11/05/2014 at 1813: Arrive Ebbsfleet at 1918; 20 minute taxi ride home to SE London.
Hotels:

Expensive at short notice! Don’t stress too much about sharing your wonderful hotels suggestions (but thanks for the thought) as there is not so much available at a decent price. I have stayed all over Paris, from the 1st -16th many times, but want to stay close to the river this time. I have done exhaustive research, have been primarily working off hotels.com, checked Tripadvisor and other sources, so I am left with the following choices (price quoted is for two nights). What do you think (trying to keep the price to under £400 for the two nights – the cheaper the better!)?
Le Pradey: 1st arr @ £386
Hôtel des Saints-Pères, 1st arr. @ £386
Hotel Mayfair, 1st arr. @ £326
Lyric Hotel Paris, 2nd arr. @ £372
Hotel le Walt, 7th arr @ £281

As far as my agenda is concerned, I am focusing on the ‘F’ words – Fashion, Furniture (mostly Art Deco) and Fotograhy (OK, a stretch!). This will include some of the following, but not all, as I am hoping for good weather and a lot of walking. What do you think of my selection, and would you substitute others?:

The Muee dela Mode: http://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/fr
The D’Orsay: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/visit/i...uals/home.html
Musee des Annees 30: http://www.annees30.com/
Musee des Art Decoratifs: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/
Jacquemart Andre Museum: http://musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/home
The MEP: http://www.mep-fr.org/english/

Best regards Ger

PalenQ

http://www.louvre-antiquaires.com/en/

http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/other-louvre/

If looking to buy antique furnisture, etc check out the famous Louvre Antiquitaires just by the Louvre - hundreds of shops in an antique shopping mall (well the mall is not an antique in itself but)

OReilly

Thanks PalenQ for the links. I will check then out.

Not looking to buy: I intend to spend all my available money on travelling

Best Ger

StCirq

Since you're focusing on F's, consider lunch at La Maison Fournaise on the Ile des Impressionistes.

Christina

Your hotel choices are not all near the river, I think you or the website has wrong info. Le Walt certainly isn't (it is near Ecole Militaire metro stop) and the Saints Peres is also in the 7th arr, although near St Germain metro stop so closer to the river, I guess. It's definitely not in the 1st arr, at least not the one I know.

I suggest you look at the Esprit de France's own website, which is the hotel group the Saints Peres belong to. I often stay in one of their hotels (the Aiglon) and there are cheaper options in their group than the Saints Peres for your dates. But it would be fine. For example, they have the Parc St Severin very near the river in the 5th for only 215 euro per night in the std double room. Your quote of 193 GBP is about 235 euro per night for the Sts Peres. Which is a lot cheaper than their own website quotes for that hotel, however. The hotels.com doesn't quote that rate for the Sts PEres right now, I just checked. It is 209 GBP per night.

The Walt is a lot cheaper, it's just not where you want to be. I'd go with the Parc St Severin myself, but haven't looked far. I use www.booking.com

raincitygirl

Lucky you! I like the look of the Hotel le Walt but it is not as convenient to the things you want to do as Le Pradey or Hotel Mayfair. Of those two I think I'd choose Hotel Mayfair. (or choose le Walt and enjoy walking a lot, we stay near there and walk everywhere)

I like your theme; love the D'Orsay and the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, I see they have a Dries van Noten exhibit on while you are there, I'd love to see that. I saw a Valentino retrospective there once which was excellent.

The others I have not been to, walked by the Musee de la Mode once and really wanted to go in but DH was not keen. They all look good O'Reilly, especially the Musee des Annees 30.

I hope you have another great trip!

TDudette

Do hope it works out, OReilly.

On our first trip, we stayed at Ceramic very near the Etoile. It was very convenient to a metro and RER stop.

Another time, Ferrandi on Rue du Cherche Midi but I think it's now Bell Juliette. Great street and convenient to Montparnasse, St. Germain areas. With name change, possibly rehabbed?

http://www.hotel-belle-juliette-paris.com/en/

I can't speak to your budget in either of these places.

Very excited for you!

clarkgriswold

Mayfair is cheaper than what you list above, on booking.com

Mathieu

Sound like a great weekend O'Reilly.

The Musee des Arts Decoratifs is the Nissim de Camondo, and I visited it on a lark in 2012 and it is a gem. You don't have to spend more than a couple of hours in it (it's in a once private residence in the 8th) and the story of the family who lived there and all the treasures they collected (furniture, paintings, tapestries, kitchenware, etc.) is fascinating and beautiful. My camera and I had a field day recording some unusual stuff - I just finished taking a re-look at some close-ups of extraordinary giant silk tassels holding back heavy velvet drapes in a room... that kind of thing.

Enjoy.

Carlux

'The Musee des Arts Decoratifs is the Nissim de Camondo, and I visited it on a lark in 2012 and it is a gem.' Sorry, this isn't true. I loved the Nissim de Camondo as well, but it is run by the Arts Decoratifs. The actual Musee is:

Musée des Arts déco­ra­tifs
107, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris

Good luck with getting a hotel, O'Reilly, as this is a holiday weekend - 8 May, VE (Victory Europe) Day, followed by Friday, where many people will be taking a 'pont' or bridge to the weekend. Not sure how many people will be going into Paris, but it could make reserving difficult. Interesting to hear what you found

latedaytraveler

Hi O'Reilly, oh goodie, another trip report. Go for it! Love the Nissim de Camondo - small, doable, and fun.

Christina

I am particularly fond of decorative arts museums and have been both to the main one next to the Louvre, and the Nissim de Camondo, which I wouldn't call exactly a decorative arts museum. It's a museum in a mansion owned by that family so has a lot of their stuff but also has paintings. I think the govt only owns it because they gave it to the govt to help protect the stuff during WWII, if I'm not mistaken.

OReilly

Thanks all, It is sorted!

I booked Le Pradey, in the 1st Arr. , for £308 for the two nights, which I think a bargain for the area for a four-star hotel. Hotel’s own site was quoting 480 Euros. http://www.lepradey.com/.

I booked the train, from Antwerp to Paris, first class, for Euros 158, getting into Gard du Nord at 2140.

I booked a business-class return from Paris to Ebbsfleet, 1813 train from Paris.

Many thanks for your help. I will be back to review your suggestions.

Best regards ... Ger

Nikki

You left out at least two F's: food and fun. Enjoy it all.

TDudette

Great location, Ger. Have a blast.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Art deco in Paris and Boulogne-Billancourt:

http://www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/pa...vement-moderne

http://architecture30paris.blogspot....vement_01.html

Two great and little visited art deco churches in Paris are Saint-Jean de Bosco in the 20th and Saint-Esprit in the 12th:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89g...co_%28Paris%29

http://www.st-esprit.org/

Mathieu

Carlux, you are right. I was quoting what a local Parisien friend had told me (that the Nissim de Camondo was the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, but I see now are actually two locations) when they suggested I visit it. Next time I'll have to visit the other.

kerouac

You can visit the Opera free of charge this weekend because it is European opera weekend.

http://www.operadays.eu/en

OllyF

Love Paris but so expensive!

Some ideas for Cultural activities:
http://www.azsfrance.com/paris/cultu...-touring-paris

Enjoy the trip

OReilly

Hello all. I am back from my weekend in Paris.


Many thanks to all that responded; your advice was very much appreciated.

I had a great weekend. Things did not work out quite as planned, and I did not get to do all that I wanted, but I did other stuff that I had not planned, and it worked out very well.

I did the Furniture (lots of it, from various periods), the Fashion ( but not as good as anticipated – a bit disappointing), the Fotography (really good – I had never visited the MEP before, and highly recommend it), and of course added Nikki’s two F’s of Food (yep – definitely a highlight!) and Fun (Isn’t Paris always?).

The weather was pretty awful, as anticipated – cold and rainy most of the time, so I spent a lot of time indoors, and did not do the suggested walks, but will store the up for another trip.

I had two great lunches at:

Les Bouquinistes: http://www.lesbouquinistes.com/

Les Tableletts: http://www.lestablettesjeanlouisnomicos.com/

I visited:

The Musee dela Mode: http://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/fr

Musee des Art Decoratifs: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/

Jacquemart Andre Museum: http://musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/home

The MEP: http://www.mep-fr.org/english/

Musee Nissim de Camondo: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/engl...e-camondo-742/

Musee Cernuschi: http://www.cernuschi.paris.fr/en/home

Musee Carnavalet: http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/


I will follow up with a short trip report, once I finish my Florence trip report.

Once again, many thanks for your recommendations.

Best regards ... Ger