Margie

Hello, I didn't realize you were coming in on the Eurostar so you don't need to worry about the RER (RER (Réseau Express Régional train that is part of the Paris metro system) or CDG (Charles de Gaulle International Airport). Do you have a street map? If you haven't bought one yet, check out the "Streetwise" maps (in bookstores or online at barnesandnobel.com, etc) they are very detailed yet easy to carry with you. They show streets, museums, metro stops, train stations etc. See what train station you are arriving at and then you can determine which metro train you'll need to get to the St. Paul stop. The Metro maps are color coded, and it really is very easy to use. You can also check out: http://www.sncf.com/indexe.htm to help you out with the metro. From the map you'll also see how close your hotel is to the St. Paul stop - you can easily walk.

Christina

they recently opened a new Paris Tourist Office branch in the Gare du Nord, so you might want to stop in there when you've arrived. They should be able to give you a map if you don't have one.

It is easy to find if you have a map, it's in-between St Paul metro stop and the Place des Vosges.

If you want, you can use www.ismap.fr to give you a map of the surrounding area. Just type in the hotel's address and it marks it and the close area. If you click on the icons at the left, it will mark restaurants for you, etc. (and also list their names and addresses below). It's a very convenient tool.

BigRedFlash71

Wilmar, I'm sure you've done a lot more research since mid-January, but I thought I'd give you some tips just in case.

I took the Eurostar from London's Waterloo in March of 2002. It's a cakewalk. You'll be on the train for about 3 hours and you'll arrive at Gare du Nord in Paris. I know you'll be in a hurry, but be sure to take a few minutes to look at the station. It's incredible.

Getting to a hotel in the Marais is quite easy from there. A tip I got from a guy in the metro helped me a lot. You'll see signs in the metro (I think they're blue with white lettering) with destination names on them. Those places are where the line terminates. You can get to the St. Paul station with just one transfer from Gare du Nord. Get on line 5, the blue sign should say "Place d'Italie" because that's where the line terminates in the direction you want to go. Stay on Line 5 until you get to Bastille. You will then transfer to Line 1 in the direction of Grande Arche de la Defense. Your next stop will be St. Paul. Cake.

I'm sure you've found a hotel by now, but others might want to know that I stayed at the Hotel des Chevaliers when I was there. There have been some negative posts recently on TripAdvisor, but I enjoyed my stay there. It was a clean place and I remember being surprised at how big the bathroom was in my room. I'm currently planning another trip and I've found that you can find places I believe to be of comparable comfort and cleanliness for a much cheaper rate.

The staff at Chevaliers is incredibly nice. I remember we came back one night from a restaurant in the neighborhood called La Perla (if you're looking for a Mexican food/tequila fix this is your place) and there was a drunk guy from Michigan (I talked to him the next morning a little bit, he was still in the lobby!) causing a lot of trouble, drinking everything in the bar, playing the piano, etc. The third shift concierge did everything to keep him quiet and satisfied, when he simply could have called the police.

So the final say on Chevaliers: Nice place but overpriced.

Don't worry too much. You're going to have a great time and the Marais will blow you away. Stop by Jo Goldenberg's while you're there on the Rue des Rosiers for a real treat. Try the strudel with sour cream!!!