Sassafrass

Don't go all the way to Paris to basically fly out, especially considering how much money you will still spend and how much time. You could fly home from Milan or probably Rome for a lot less trouble and money. Milan is a short train ride from Venice.

Yes, Venice is now a port city, but unlike some islands in say, the Caribbean, it is not the only way visitors arrive, so do you think that really affects standby travel that much?

The airport there handles a lot of regular traffic anyway, but probably no more than major sightseeing cities like Paris. What if you stayed in Venice a day or so and flew out on a day when cruise ships were not arriving or departing?

BTW, I just did a very quick search for Airfare, easy jett, Venice to Paris, just picked a random date for next month and it was $75.00 PP. There might be better ones, but that did not seem expensive to me. Wouldn't the train with a couchette be at least that much?

I would still just train to Milan and depart from there, but is Paris is a must, that looks pretty good.

LindaKeckler

Thanks Sassafrass!
Good ideas..... Just researched airlines, and found Air France flies nonstop from Milan,Verona and Bologna for just $54-nonmodifiable, and just $76--modifiable with fee. This is Oct. 10 I am looking at, in the afternoon. So we can take a train to Milan,Verona or Bologna and have a confirmed ticket to Paris!Will check Easy Jet too.

Now, are there regional trains to catch from Montegrotto to Milan,Verona and Bologna?

thanks!
Linda

LindaKeckler

1 PROBLEM SOLVED!
LOOKED AT EASY JET AND WE CAN FLY NONSTOP FROM MARCO POLO AIRPORT IN VENICE TO CDG IN PARIS FOR 137E TOTAL!!!! and we can fly at 120pm, after we get off the cruise ship at 8 a.m.

AND I have several hotels that are close to CDG, so we won't be getting off a train in Paris at the wrong stop for the hotel! We can take tours from the hotel, by bus or train, or tour company.

So, we won't have to take the train at all, except when we arrive in Venice airport Sep 26 to get to the timeshare in Montegrotto Terme, which is right next door to the train station! Then after our week is up, we will train back to Venice to the Mestre station, then the port, and board the ship!

So now I need to know just how to book those tickets on the train from MEstre station in Venice to the Montegrotto Terme?

thanks!
Linda

Sassafrass

When you are going back to the port to catch your cruise, you will want to train to the Santa Lucia station. You may have to change in Mestre, but maybe not.

manouche

Linda - you don't have to stay in a hotel near CDG. And you don't have to take a train into Paris, either.

Just follow the overhead signs for TAXI in the airport, wait in line a couple of minutes, and you can relax and enjoy the ride into Paris. Approximate cost - 60 EU (includes baggage fees for anything in the trunk), and approximate time - 45 mins to 1 hour (depending on address). Make sure to hand the driver a piece of paper with the complete address of your hotel printed on it, so there won't be any misunderstandings.

You would probably enjoy staying either in the Latin Quarter - look for hotels with Postal Code 75006 - or on Ile Saint Louis - Postal Code 75004. Both those locations will allow you to walk easily to see the usual attractions, and there's lots of interesting architecture, restaurants, cafes - everything you need. It's easy to search on booking.com or hotels.com.

welltraveledbrit

Linda,
Glad the trip is coming together.

The trip from Venice to your hotel looks like a short regional train ride, you won't need to book in advance. There's some suggestion on trip advisor that you can buy a weekly pass and getting it on the way in, if this is correct it would save you money if you plan to take day trips within the Veneto. Why not email the hotel and ask them? Don't worry they will be quite able to deal with your email in English and should be well prepared to help you with all the train details/directions. So glad this trip is coming looking good and that everyone's suggestion! of flying worked!

Fyi, you probably noticed it on the Easy Jet ticket but you'll need to pay for luggage, but I guess even the legacy carriers require this these days.

I hope you'll stay in town rather than in CDG and have a least a couple of days in Paris.

Good Luck!

LindaKeckler

Hello,
Thank you for all your kind replies with information to help me on our first European Vacation!

Still need information on how to catch the train to Montegrotto Terme,Italy-- Hotel Mioni Royal San when we arrive in Venice at the Marco Polo Airport? And what stop to get off at? Not Padua, I believe, but the one after? I believe someone said to buy our tickets in the airport, and buy a week pass, so we can train to visit other close towns during our timeshare week, and also after our week is over--train to return to Venice to one of two stations--Santa Lucia or Mestre to board the NCL ship at the port.

So what station do we take train to after our timeshare week is up to board the ship in Venice--Mestre or Santa Lucia?

And How do we get from the ship back to the Venice Airport after the cruise?

We did purchase a flight on Easy Jet from Venice to Paris CDG.

We will have 2 days in Paris, and am looking for a hotel in the $50 to $75 range in between CDG and anywhere in Paris where we can get a reasonable priced tour of Paris, or a tour to the Eiffel Tower? We have found the Fontainebleu hotel, which looks like it's on a bus line, and in between CDG and Paris on the NE side of Paris for approx $64 a night. Haven't made reservations yet.

Thanks for any information?
Linda

bilboburgler

Airport bus to Mestre, Mestre to your hotel stop (look on google maps if not sure),

I don't know where your ship docks, so you need to ask the trip people which station you need

After the cruise, it depends where it docks, you might have to do the whole train bus thing, but I expect they run buses to the airport as that is where most people will be going.

nytraveler

There is NO train at Venice airport. You need to take the airport bus to a train station - Mestre is on the mainland across from Venice and seems the best option.

And in Venice cruise ships can dock in several different places - you need to determine which your ship will use for getting both to and fro.

Lois2

that is an exceptionally low $$ amount for Paris. You don't want to be near CDG or in between CDG and the city center...for first time visitors you need to be in the center or very close to it on metro and use some caution in terms of area you are booking. maybe some here have some specific suggestions but you are also talking about a very popular time in Paris.

LindaKeckler

HI
Thank you for answering. But someone else told me there's a place to buy the tickets for the train at the airport in Venice, and then you take a bus to the Mestre station? This was a few months ago, so I can't remember.Maybe on another website.
Thanks

Lois2

that is an exceptionally low $$ amount for Paris. You don't want to be near CDG or in between CDG and the city center...for first time visitors you need to be in the center or very close to it on metro and use some caution in terms of area you are booking. maybe some here have some specific suggestions but you are also talking about a very popular time in Paris.

manouche

I couldn't find any Fountainebleu hotel NE of Paris. Maybe you could provide a link or an address?

Much easier would be to Google the inexpensive Ibis and Novotel chains within Paris proper, and see what's available for your dates. Look for Postal Codes "75XXX" - the X's number from 1 to 20, with 1 being the center of Paris.

Any Postal Code starting with "9" or anything else will be way too far out to consider.

It's much easier and a lot faster to get around when you're actually IN Paris, rather than wasting time getting INTO Paris - especially on the limited time you have to see anything.

LindaKeckler

Hello all! Well, we have the reservations on EasyJet to fly from Venice airport to CDG in Paris after the cruise returns. Then we have a nice hotel called Anjou Lafayette Opera which is at 4 Rue Riboutte Sq Monthol, Paris 75009.

The question now is budget transportation from CDG to the hotel and returning?

I have found $40 rt per person in a shared van on the AARP website. Takes about an hour or so I guess. Or on the Expedia website, there's shuttles from Parishuttle. Isn't there a bus or train from CDG to near our hotel?It is near the Cadet station from what I hear. Don't have the email address of the hotel so can't ask them. They did mention they can arrange airport transportation but I'm sure it's expensive.

Once there at the hotel, we only have 1 evening and 1 full day in Paris, a Sunday, so am hoping to book a reasonable priced tour that day that will take us to the Eiffel Tower, and maybe a cruise on the Seine river, and I think we can walk to the Louvre from what I hear as our hotel is very close.

Any suggestions? Thank you all for your help!
Linda

pariswat

Hi Linda
Great to see your trip is coming together.
Best Western hotels are usually great.
Area is quite correct, I like a hotel about 50 m from there on square Montholon. You'll be at less than 100 m from Marcadet metro station.

as for transportation from CDG :
"I have found $40 rt per person in a shared van on the AARP website."
DON'T do that. Shuttles are notoriously unreliable in Paris (I've read a lot of no show for paris shuttle).
It is simply not the way we do in Paris : we simply take a cab from airport. Follow the signs, don't go with anyone picking you.
Taxi from CDG to Lafayette should be about 50- 55 €, much less than 2*40$.
Queue is very fast and taxis are reliable. Have the address printed out on paper, and indicate that it is close to Marcadet Metro station.


Ask the desk to book your taxi back to airport.

As for tours, why would you take a tour to 'just' go to Eiffel tower and a river cruise.

Buy some cut the line tickets for ET, find a seine cruise is not complicated : just go to the pont neuf and get tickets for 'les vedettes du pont neuf'

manouche

Take the RoissyBus from CDG to Opera Garnier. Here's the information on where and how. Tickets are 11.60 EU each.
http://en.parisinfo.com/transport/73373/RoissyBus

Change to Bus 42 going towards Gare du Nord. Look for the stop marked "Opera" on this map.
http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orie...loc=bus_paris/
Buy a ticket from the driver (2 EU each) and validate in the machine.
Get off at Square Montholon.
The hotel is right there.

You can go back the same way, but you should plan on at least 4 hours if going back to the US.

Or you could just take a taxi which would cost approx 50EU for two people plus 1 EU for each bag in the trunk. Travel time about 45 mins to 1 hour, zero stress.

manouche

I'm not sure you have time to spend going up the Eiffel Tower even with skip the line tickets. The big problem is the elevators - they are small, people at the top never want to leave, and nobody can go up until they do. You can be stuck for well more than an hour waiting to go to the top and the same amount of time trying to get back down. It can be a waste of time, especially when you don't have much of that to spend.
Most people are happy going to the first platform, which takes a little less time.

If you're in the Eiffel Tower area the closest boat cruise is Bateaux Parisiens which docks at the foot of Pont de l'Alma and is easy to find. All the tours are the same so it doesn't matter which one you do. If you can go after sunset (about 6 PM in Oct) you'll enjoy seeing the river and monuments illuminated.

You can get from your hotel to Eiffel Tower on Bus 42. Go in the direction Hopital Georges Pompidou and get off at Eiffel Tower. Buy tickets from the driver as before for 2 EU each. Look at the Bus plan in my previous message to find the stop.

You can walk to the Louvre from your hotel in about 40 mns. Or you can take the Metro Ligne 7 at Cadet and be there in 15 mns. Buy tickets in the machines in Cadet station.

LindaKeckler

ps..... my husband does like the hop on hop off buses to tour any city we visit. I see there are 2 in Paris ---one if called the BIGBUS, and one is L'Open Tours bus. Has anyone taken these? Any suggestions as to which one is best?

Linda

manouche

All the HOHO buses hit the main attractions, but OpenTours has the most stations, so would be the best choice if you want to get on and off a lot. Not the fastest way to get around town, though. Just pay the driver when you board - credit cards are accepted. Friends recently took the night tour which lasts about 90 minutes and enjoyed seeing all the lights.

mamcalice

The best way to see the Paris lights is to board a river cruise boat at dusk and see the lights come on all over Paris. We like the Vedettes du Pont Neuf which you board just off the middle of the Pont Neuf. You can get a certificate for a discount fare on line before you leave home.