Hi, I hope someone can offer me some advice for planning my honeymoon in Paris. We will be staying there for 13 nights starting Nov. 21. Unfortunately, our budget is a little limited and I'd like to find a nice cozy hotel for around 600 ff per night. <BR>I've been looking at the two star Familia, where it seems I could afford a good, 5th floor room with a balcony. <BR>I've read reviews of the Regent's and don't think that appeals to me. <BR>I am also considering the three star Hotel Louis II, although it is a little more expensive. <BR> <BR>Any other suggestions out there? Do you think I'd be better off taking the best room in the Familia or a mediocre room in a more expensive hotel? <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR>Jo

We like the Champ de Mars in the 7th, in the rue Cler neighboorhood. Cozy, small bathrooms, about 440 ff per night. The neighboor is a pedestrian street with markets open during the day and very quiet at night. About 2 blocks to the metro station and near the Eiffel tower.

I have heard great things about Familia (check past postings), but have never stayed there. I passed it on the way to my hotel (Jardins du Luxembourg) a few weeks ago and it looked nice. <BR> <BR>I truly prefer the Caron de Beaumarchais in the 4th but it is a little more expensive than 600 ff per night. <BR> <BR>I'd probably go with Familia because the main difference with other 'nicer' hotels will probably be a/c and you won't need it in November. <BR> <BR>I spent my honeymoon in Paris (and Rome) and it was wonderful. The perfect city --and you will be able to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle every hour on the hour (like on New Years Eve) - it's amazing. Have a great time!

Jon, we stayed in that 5th floor room at the Familia in late May. It was very small (would have traded the mini-bar for the room it took up), the bed hard (with anemic pillows), and the breakfast room is so small that we were only able to eat our included breakfast once out of a 5 day stay (selfish guests wouldn't vacate tables when they were through - this ain't a cafe, lady). <BR> <BR>On the plus side, the management is extremely friendly (they were even good enough to secure 3 dinner reservations ahead of time for us), the room was very clean, the small bathroom was modernized with great shower pressure, the windows are very well soundproofed, and the little balcony was a delight (just big enough for a table and 2 chairs). You won't get much of a view of Notre Dame, though. <BR> <BR>The location was great - just two blocks to the Seine and one block to the Metro and 3 bus lines pass in front of the hotel. If you won't mind the small room, I'd go for it.

Returning for my third stay at the FAmilia in September. I also stayed in that 5th floor room with the balcony and I was extemely happy. I don't mind the small room, but am a stickler for bathrooms, and it was small but modern with (as Brian said) great water pressure and a hair dryer. Even though the view of Notre Dame is not so great, we loved sitting out on the balcony with some wine and cheese before dinner. Novemeber might not be so accommodating weather wise though. Was there last November and it was cold and damp. As Brian said the management is wonderful, Eric will do anything for you! Surprised to hear about Brian's difficulties with the breakfast, we never had that problem. There's no explaining some people.

Room 52, Lori? <BR> <BR>I should add that breakfast wasn't a big deal for us - there was always a bakery with 5 franc pain au chocolat on the way to wherever we were going. <BR> <BR>I should also add that this hotel is well situated if you plan to save money by taking the metro from the airport or train station. RER to St. Michel, connect on foot (no additional ticket required) to the Cluny (sp?) Metro (not too long of a walk) and 2 stops to Cardinal Lemone (sp?). Then it's one block (downhill) to the hotel.

Jon, We spent last Thanksgiving in Paris, and a number of hotels had reduced winter rates. We stayed at the Hotel du Pantheon, normally $150/day but $100 in the winter for 5+ day stays. It's in a good location, was newly redecorated, and has a great breakfast room. The view that we had of the Pantheon was okay but not romantic (a little too close), but the guides say that rooms on the top floor have a great view of Paris. Quite a number of the online hotel guides list winter discounts - - usually at the far bottom of the page. Have a good trip, Joe.

I think 13 nights is a long time to be in the same hotel, and with a honeymoon I'd try for something a little nicer than a real basic budget place as you might get real tired of it. I think your tradeoff might be more location and popularity of the hotel at that price range, and a higher price for a nicer room/hotel will probably buy you space, tastefulness of decor (cheaper hotels may have cheap furniture or bedding, industrialized feeling like TVs attached to wall, plain modern motel-like furniture, etc), and quality of bathroom often varies (ie, airline-size prefab job vs. tile bathroom with real shower with glass doors, etc). With a few exceptions, most 2-star hotels are pretty basic in my experience and have pretty small rooms. I've never stayed at the Familia but I've always heard it described that way (ie, very plain and basic with real small rooms); the photos of their rooms I've seen on several web sites make it look very plain and modern, although the public areas look nicer. Have you looked into the Hotel des Grandes-Ecoles in the 5th? I think that's more charming than the Familia and in a great location and in your price range; it's a good deal because it just upgraded from a 2 to 3-star. YOu might have a chance this far ahead, also, it's very popular. It has good photos and description on www.france-hotel-guide.com, which is one of my favorite Parisian hotel sites, I think it gives the best descriptions and photos. I agree with the Caron de Beaumarchais suggestion, also, and you might look at the Hotel St-Christophe in the 5th on rue Lacepede, it's got a good location (right near the Grandes Hotel des Ecoles) and is a 3-star in your price range (see on same URL). Frankly, since you will be there so long, I'd recommend you split your time between two hotels. That way you can spend time in two neighborhoods and get a little --you'll halve your risk that you'll have a hotel you don't like so much. You might switch between left bank and right bank, for example. I know maybe you don't want to go to the trouble of finding two hotels as this seems hard enough for one, and if you just loved the first one, you might be sorry, but you might think about it. I did that once and was real glad I did as I liked the change of venue, and my first hotel was ok but 13 days in the same very small plain hotel room can be sort of a bummer if there is something you don't like, it's noisy or has a terrible view, and it's just boring to stay one place so long unless you are in a real nice hotel, I think. It won't take that much trouble to move once in 13 days. I think a lot of this is just personal taste as there are certain things I really dislike in most 2-star French hotels I've stayed in but they don't bother others--like I hate modern cheap, motel-like furniture, prefab bathroom modules and TVs attached to the wall near the ceiling. I've been in several 2-star hotels like that and yet other people on BBs describe these same places as charming or something.

Christina is right on. I completely missed the 13 day thing. I would go bonkers in the same hotel (and probably the same city) for 13 days. Have you considered visiting somewhere else too on this trip?

Yeah, we were originally planning on going to Paris and London (or Florence) for the trip, but my fiancee wants to stay in Paris, do a bunch of day-trips and really get to know France well. <BR>That is a good idea about spliting up the hotels, I'll start looking into it as there is still plenty of time to make plans. <BR> <BR>Are there any other recommendations people have for hotels?

With 13 days I'd do more than day trips to see more of France. Mont St Michele is incredible, the Loire Valley or the Champagne area would be great for a couple days away. The TGV can get you places quite quickly. Paris, and the rest of France are very different. Still French, but rural vs. city and increcible scenery.

Well, you folks remarked about the 13 days...but did you notice WHEN? "Starting November 21," and let me tell you if France's weather today is anything like France's weather I experienced, you will freeze your croissants off in a Paris 2-star hotel. Let me make a suggestion: start with a few days...maybe a week, at most...in Paris and then head south. To Avignon, to Arles, to Nimes, to Grasse, to Aix-en-Provence. Enjoy the still-warm south, stuff yourself with sunshine and Provencal cooking, unwind a bit and just enjoy life. When Paris is gray and wet and chill, you will be glad you left it when you did.

I must agree about getting out of Paris. Thirteen days is a long time in one place, even for this marvelous city. Head south, stay in some castle hotels (very romantic, and not as expensive as you would think), and see something of the countryside.

If I were going to stay in Paris for 13 days I would definitely rent an apartment. I've seen some nice looking apartments on the web but I've lost the web sites..

I agree with the posters about staying in a budget hotel. After a week, you'll be tired of the cramped surroundings. Joe's idea about winter rates is excellent; check with the Paris Tourist Bureau for winter specials. There are also beautiful b&bs in your price range. Here's one site to check: <BR>http://www.parisbandb.com/ <BR> <BR>You also might consider renting a small apartment - more room, and it becomes your 'home' where you can cook meals, keep wine in the fridge, and spread out a bit more. <BR> <BR>You can certainly spend two weeks in Paris and find plenty to do. The weather, even in the south of France, will be iffy. At least in Paris, there's lots of indoor stuff to do. Daytrips to Versailles, Chartres, etc. will get you out of the city. With the TGV, you can even do daytrips to Lyon and Bordeaux. There's the Eurostar for a daytrip to London... <BR> <BR>Congrats on the upcoming nuptials (hint you'd like money for gifts, and then you can expand your budget!)

Thirteen days doesn't seem too long to me, especially with a few day trips thrown in. If you like Paris it will seem like no time at all. My first visit was for ten days in 1990, and at the end I felt like a child being yanked out of a toy store. We went back the next year just to finish the trip. <BR> <BR>Staying in two hotels is a great idea, especially if you pick two different areas, like the Latin Quarter, Marais, rue Cler, etc. Each quarter has its own atmosphere.

we went to Paris in November of last year and the weather was magnificent. <BR>We would wake up every morning and see <BR>the beautiful sunshine. The room at <BR>Hotel Britannique was very warm and the <BR>temperatures outside were in the upper <BR>50's.

We really loved the Queen Mary Hotel. It was reasonably priced and had a nice buffet style breakfast. The bathroom was beautiful. It is close to the Madeleine and only 2 or 3 blocks from the Metro. They have a web site.