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Have any of you subscribed to a membership on the bonjourparis.com website? Is it worth doing?
Thanks.

no, I haven't. I used to read it a little some years go when it was free. It had some good articles, but nothing I would pay for. I don't believe in paying to read stuff on the internet.

It didn't have anything unique. There are many websites with information on Paris, and other sources. That's just my opinion, but I won't pay for websites.

I post there but do not pay. It's free to read and post but you pay for a premium for their newsletter.
It's good if you are into fine restaurants most are too expensive for me but the regulars there know what the latest are and either live there or could afford long visits but it's nice group of people. I think underhill is a moderator there. I think Karen who runs the site is going to start out of Paris activity now. Si it will be another source of info on other areas.

I agree with Christina. I used to read it, too, when it was free. It's very entertaining, but I don't feel that I need to support the owner's "toy job."

I think part of it is still free. I read a few articles when I was planning my March trip, but as the others said, there are so many sites on Paris, so I don't really remember which ones. I would not pay for it, there's way too much good info out there for free.

I used to use if for the French lessons. I just glanced at it a few weeks ago and I couldn't find the lessons..didn't have time to play for long so don't know if they are still available. Have not paid.

The French lessons disappeared when the original site was changed to a different provider.

The premium newsletter subscriptions support the free forums on the BP site. The regulars who post there are people willing to share their knowledge in a kindly manner; some are expatriates who live in Paris or elsewhere in France and know a great deal about how to get things done.

And yes, I am a site moderator--but these days that means primarily getting rid of spam posts. Not much else is needed, as posters are for the most part very polite.

I no longer have a premium membership-let it expire- but I do read the forums , as well as the France forum on www.egullet.org

I read the free things I get in the newsletter and check out the forums but I don't and won't pay for a membership.

topping for positive poster there like me

OK. I pay for the membership and I don't feel disappointed. A year's membership is less than I have paid for travel books and I have found much of the information on the site more valuable.

I was a moderator along with Underhill for a number of years.

BP had a period when it became over involved in politics. Many long-timers left. I also left at that time.

Underhill and I have become great friends. I usually get together with Karen Fawcett when I am in Paris.

I still look at the site occasionally. Post rarely. I have not renewed my premium membership.

I also enjoy the e-gullet site.

I don't post as often on any of the sites.

Bonjourparis is free. It is only the Premium Newsletter with articles that is not.But posting and general membership is free. It has a great group of cooperative people and a wonderful easy to follow list of subject catagories that one can go to directly with no "topping "problems.

Gracejoan, I think you were one of the many people on bonjour paris who helped me with my first trip to Paris, and my second, too, which included a week in provence. Everyone was so kind and provided great advice. It gave me alot of confidence and helped make our trips wonderful and gave me an "insiders" appreciation of Paris and France.
I don't pay the premium now - I relied on this site alot for our recent trip.

Thanks..glad that I was helpful to you, along with others.

I look at many sites when planning my trips and do a great deal of research. I know the areas ahead of time, where I want to go, what I want to see, restaurants, lodging etc.

I have a super trip planned for this fall. I will first be east of Carcassonne to catch the coastal and some other areas (not Carcasonne, once was enough..then to The Hotel Atalaya (that was mentioned above) for some Pyrenees sights, then meeting French friends in the Dordogne(near Sarlat) and finally down to Sare, which is SE of Biarritz, for some Basque country.

I have a lot planned, but it is never rushed.......
a bientot.....

gracejoan3,
I hope you have a wonderful trip! We really enjoyed our stay at L'Atalaya in Llo and the scenic countryside of the Cerdagne. Madame Toussand is a very gracious and charming hostess, and we enjoyed our dinners there. I hope she has returned to playing the piano after dinner again.
We also adore the Pays Basque with its amazingly picturesque villages like Sare, Espelette, Ainhoa, Ixtassou (the cherry town), Bastide Clairence, St. Etienne de Baigorry. We'll be exploring there again this July. Are you staying at the Hotel Arraya by any chance?
And the Dordogne was a true wow!
I'm envious of your wonderful itinerary!

Maribel,

Yes, I am staying at the Hotel Arraya. I will be there for 5 full days. Open for any suggestions that you might have. Thought I might drive to Pamplona, just to say I was there. Worthwhile??

Not planning on Bilbao. I think there may be enough closer to Sare.

I fly out of Biarritz on 10/5. I am picking up a lease/buy back car in Toulouse.

This trip is taking in some areas where I have not been. Dordogne, I have been before..a few years back. I have already rented a place for a month in 2007..mid Sept-mid Oct..near Sarlat.

I may find that I want to plan a trip in one of these areas for a longer stay.

a bientot

Hi gracejoan3,
I have a large Pays Basque file that you're welcome to download in pdf at www.maribelsguides.com

We usually stay right across the border at the Hotel Churrut in Vera de Bidasoa and take the old smuggler's route up to Sare.
So we've never stayed at the Arraya but have dined there (the BEST gateau basque), visited the lovely church with its 3 tier wood balconies and shopped for linens (Artiga at the Maison Jauregui) and watched Basque sports and pottoka exhibitions (those adorable little Basque horses). And this yr. we're taking friends on le petit train de La Rhune, if we catch a clear day. We've also visited the caves and done the Gateaux Basque museum where we've sampled to our heart's content and bought gateaux basque pans for friends! The amusing owner and pastry chef extraordinaire is a childhood friend of San Fran chef Gerald Hirigoyen, author of "The Basque Kitchen". Watching his hr. long demonstration was a treat.
www.pays-basque-pyrenees.com/

In my Pays Basque file I haven't included information on Pamplona, but yes, it makes a very nice day trip from Sare.
You'll enjoy the scenery on the drive down. Park in the El Corte Inglés dept. store underground garage (prk. is tough in the city)and head to the Plaza Castillo, the epicenter of the Old Quarter (which has been quite spruced up with new benches/tress and the cleaning and repainting of the facades), sit on the terrace of the legendary Café Iruña of Hemingway fame, then go 'round the corner to Espoz y Mina 7, to our very favorite Pamplona pintxos bar, "Bar Gaucho" (high class, highly creative miniature haute cuisine--even have published a recipe book of their prize winning creations), stroll the narrow, dark and atmospheric streets of the Old Quarter stopping at another of our pintxos bars, "Bar Baserri" (annual winners of pintxos competitions as well) on Calle San Nicolás 32 (the street of 1,000 bars), walk the route of the Running of the Bulls from the bullpen on Cuesta de Santo Domingo-to town hall square-to Mercaderes-to Estafeta-to the bullring, on your way up Estafeta on your right, pick up a little San Fermín logo item at the cute and clever graphic design shop, "Kukuxumusu" (means "kiss of the flea" in Basque), visit the Rafael Moneo designed Museo de Navarra and/or take a walk through the Ciudadela (Pamplona is blessed with plentiful "green space", lots of lovely parks), maybe sitting for an after lunch coffee outside under the shade at "El Bosquecillo", a little Viennese type cafe behind the Hotel Tres Reyes in the Taconera Park.
More ideas here:
http://www.pamplona.net/VerPag.asp?i...3&Idioma=5

For lunch in Pamplona you have a number of true gourmet temples such as Rodero, Europa, Alhambra, Hartza, Josetxo, but I would send you to the Restaurante Don Pablo, on Navas de Tolosa 10 (near Hotel 3 Reyes), one that we never get to try because it's closed during Fiesta. The female chef has been winning numerous gastronomic awards lately, and it's a favorite of our Pamplona friends. You can dine on her beautifully designed pintxos or a la carte. She's one to watch! See her talents displayed here:
www.restaurantedonpablo.com

Hope you enjoy your stay in the bucolic Pays Basque. I think you'll get hooked and want to return!
And Biarritz/Bayonne deserve their own chapter!

OLË!!!!!!!

Maribel,
Thanks for the info..I will do some copying. I will definitely take the trip to Pamplona after reading what you had to say.

I was also wondering if I should take the Le Petit train de la Rhune?

I thought this trip might be one to check out areas that I would like to spend more time...both east and west close to the Pyrenees and Languedoc.

Thanks again,
Joan

gracejoan3,
The little circa 1924, three car wooden train chugs up the mountain at only 8 km. per hr., takes 35 min., to go up the 905 meters. Once there you'll have a great panorama on a clear day. Since you'll be visiting in fall, you won't have to deal with the long waits/summer crowds (lucky duck!).
See www.rhune.com for pics.

Since you're French speaking, I highly recommend a trip to the Musée du Gateau Basque for demonstration/lecture/tasting. Chef Bixente Marichular gives his talk in French except by prior arrangement. This we didn't know, so we just struggled along with the French. Afterwards when we were purchasing our pans, he began to converse in very good English. But it's only open til Sept. 15, I think.
www.legateaubasque.com

We haven't visited Ortillopitz, the 1660 Basque Farm House Museum because we've toured the extensvie Musée Basque ethnological museum in Bayonne which gives an excellent presentation of the Basque way of life, their history and culture. We've also done the "touristy" tour of the Ecomusée attached to the large Jean Vier warehouse shop outside of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. A little hokey, but this Jean Vier store is a GREAT place to shop for linens!

We've done the grottes de Sare, 45,000 yr. old caves, but alas, no cave paintings to admire-you'll have glorious cave art in the Dordogne.

Another pleasure to enjoy in and around Sare is driving the country roads following the route du Fromage (brebis) signs. We go straight to the source, to the farms, for our Ossau-Iraty cheeses, Irouleguy wines (St.-Etienne-de- Baigorry and Irouleguy), jambon and confiture cerises noires, miel. The tourist office supplies a handy brochure: "Sur les Pas des Bergers" that lists them all, plus "La Route Gourmande des Basques". In that handy brochure, the only place we have yet to hit is the Cidrerie "Txopinondo" in Urrugne (we have so many cider houses across the border in Gipuzkoa).
www.txopinondo.com

And we make a stop at Maison Bipia in Larressore to stock up on little jars of the distinctive piment d'Espelette, Speaking of Laressore, you'd enjoy a stop at the Makhila makers (famed Basque walking sticks with hidden bayonnet) , "Ainciart Bergara", founded in 1789. Everytime we're there to watch them being made, we say we're going to have one fitted and then order and pick up next summer, and we never do.

There are also the home, "Arnaga" and formal gardens of Edmund Rostang of Cyrano de Bergerac fame, in the pretty spa town of Cambo-les-Bains.

You probably won't be going in late Oct. but just in case, or for a future visit, the famous fete du piment takes place in Espelette the last wkd of Oct.

Promise you-you'll want to return, just as we can hardly wait to get back to the Dordogne.

Hey fellows.....your talk about projected and past trips is encroaching on the subject matter bonjourparis. In fact I would venture to say it has taken more space than the entitlesdsubject. This problem also happens on BP.It would be best to start a new catagory for the subject.;-)

Maribel,

What great information!!
I will be returning home Oct. 5th.

I have rented a place near Sarlat for a month next fall (2007) mid Sept. - mid Oct.

Sounds like I will be looking for a spot in Basque country too!!

OK Mimi, want to go to Basque country???

Grace, I did go to French Basque before we went to Bilbao. We stayed in the Beautiful villahe of Ainoha.
Thanks, you sweet one :)
Maribel is one too, she has helped so many with her files.

I pay to be a member of the www.BonjourParis.com site. It gives me access to many premium articles plus there are discounts for premium members.

I saved substantially more than $34.95 (the annual fee) with the reduction (not to mention room upgrade) we received when we stayed at the Hotel D'Aubusson.

Karen Fawcett is gracious and always answers personal emails. She invites premium members to her Paris apartment for a glass of champagne.

Bonjour Paris isn't for everyone. It's targeted to the sophisticated and independent traveler. There is <b>a lot</b> of free content on the site including the discussion board.

What many people don't understand is there is Bonjour Paris has zero corporate sponsorship as is the case with many other sites including Fodor's.

oh, well, I guess that's the issue then, I'm not sophisticated enough for all those bonjourparis insider members.

I don't know about others, but it's pretty obvious if you visit the site what the deal is. People aren't really that stupid that they don't understand what it is and what the fee covers, and what you can see for free. Perhaps many, like me, just don't care and refuse to pay anyone a fee for routine travel information. As for zero corporate sponsorship, that isn't true -- there are ads on that website and companies that pay them fees for mentions on the website.

I just tend to avoid website with &quot;insiders&quot; who think they are so sophisticated, as the resulting conversations tend to be a few people who end up talking to themselves. I just think it's boring. I don't care about being invited to someone's apartment for champagne in Paris because I've paid her a fee.

I disagree with Jeanne, it's nor for the sophisticated traveler only, there are several of us who do not go to the big time restaurants and chateaus. Some rarely eat out. Most of my French friends don't, just as here. They are not rich. I'm not a premium member but I enjoy several of the posters who are not sophisticated. I've been to Karen's Provence home but still did not buy a premium. Let's not make assumptions.
Someone's life style may not be yours, i think Character and decency come first.

BP is as simple as any of the others. I was involved with it for many years.Believe me they are far from being the most sophisticated travelers!

I am a good friend of Karen Fawcett. We have dined and dined together in Paris. She has cooked for me in her apartment.She e-mails me regularly to see what I am up to. We keep in touch. I post on the site occasionally, as on this site.

It is only recently that I did not renew my premium membership. I just did not need it.

Yes, BP does receive from at least some of their advertisers. That is OK with me.

E-gullet is probably the most sophisticated, or at least for the more sophisticated diner.

Joan

I agree with that Joan!

I have to thank OP. After a hiatus of a few years, I returned to the BP discussion boards. I have found everyone there to be warm and welcoming. There is nothing on any site that one couldn't find independently, but it's just easier to do it on a board (just as people do here).

I haven't subscribed to a premium membership, but who knows?

Christina,

Please tell me who the BP &quot;insiders&quot; are. Do you mean the regular posters, a number of whom also post here and at tripadvisor.com? You seem to have a strong dislike for the BP site, and I'd be interested in knowing the reasons.

ttt

Ditto for me what Christina says. Mostly I would not pay a 'premium membership' for something that's easily available at other travel sites. Nor would I pay for membership just to have a glass of champagne at the founder's apartment.

I pay for the premium subscription and think it's well worth it. Karen saved us a bundle by helping us find good health insurance to cover us here in France. Her 18 or so years here in Paris certainly has served her readers well. And I second the comment that she is a nice person and that her message boards are very friendly and welcoming. I am more than happy to pay the fee, and did so before moving to Paris earlier this year.

I got it when it was free and then subscribed to the premium membership for 2 years, but I didn't re-subscribe this year. It seemed to me that most of the articles, towards the end of my subscription, weren't of interest to me. Articles used to be about reasonably priced hotels and restaurants, but I didn't find that to be the case anymore. I'm debating whether or not to re-subscribe, but as yet, I have not.

Sandy

Why exactly is there a fee that's charged?

Francophile there is no fee for the forum just as here. That money they refer to is for a weekly on line magazine that has articles by well-known(Suzy Gershon, Cara Black) and some not so well-known. It's silly to say some pay it for a glass of champagne. I see many of the same people there also at slow trav, egullet and other places.
I don't pay but do use the forum and any forum that is free.

It wasn't meant to be a silly comment. If one is a premium member then one is invited to Karen Fawcett's apt. for some champagne that's what I read above. Also I don't stay at hotels that charge an arm and a leg so I've no need for those so-called discounts anyway.

I agree with that but that poster distorted the fact of the champagne, I wasn't directing that at you and to say they are sophisticated there, makes me chuckle. There are a few there who have money and can afford those expensive restaurants and hotels, but like here most can't but even that doesn't make them sophisticated. We shouldn't put down someone because they live higher than we do. We all do what we can or sacrifice other ways for what we want:)
I come here to learn or to jhelp with what I know and not to judge or be mean.

It is NOT that Karen will invite you for a glass of champagne because you are a premium member. If Karen finds that you will be in Paris when she is there, she might invite you to her apartment for a pre dinner glass of champagne BECAUSE she is a very friendly person. She is often in DC because of an elderly mother or may be at her place in Provence.

You don't have to book a 4 star hotel, to perhaps get a discount, because you are a BP premium member. I think you might get hotel discounts just because you mention BP. You will find some restaurants will take &quot;better&quot; care of you if you mention BP.

BP has been around for a long time. Karen has lived in Paris a long time now. She can be, and is, very helpful to new people arriving in Paris.

The premium membership just has some extras that you may or may not wish to receive. I had it for years. I don't see any reason to make a big deal out of it.

BP is one of the many forums out there. They all have their peculiarities in one way or another.

We all receive a great deal of information from all the various forums. So, just enjoy it.........