Confused in Paris
 

Help! My husband & I will be there 3 or 4 days. What area should we stay in? We like to be within walking distance of everything. Do you have any recommendations for lodging? Then traveling on to see son in Germany; do you recommend train or drive? Thanks for any help!

Kaye, you really can't be within walking distance of everything. Everything is pretty much spread out and you will either have some very long walks or have to take buses, taxis, or the metro. The metro is very easy to use and economical to get from one point to another. My choice for hotels is within the 7th arrondissment. You didn't say where in Germany, but I've driven from Paris to Stuttgart in Germany a few times. It's a 6 hr drive ... all autoroutes or autobahns. There are many places along the way for a diversion if you like. I don't know what the cost by train would be, but suspect that for 2 persons a rental car may be cheaper. Drivng a car also allows you to go at your own pace and allows you to go wherever you like.

Kaye: John brings up some good points. Where in Germany is very important. If it's near Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern, etc., it would be fine to rent a car, but if it's further on, like Berlin, you may want to take the train or better yet, fly. <BR> <BR>Don't rent the car until you are leaving Paris. You won't want it or need it in the city, trust me. <BR> <BR>Even though nothing is close together in Paris, it is very easy to get around via the Metro or a bus. My wife and I were there for five days a year ago and had a great time. If you would like a copy of our trip notes, just email me. They have bits of info on what we did there and other items. <BR> <BR>Good luck! <BR>

Kaye: John brings up some good points. Where in Germany is very important. If it's near Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern, etc., it would be fine to rent a car, but if it's further on, like Berlin, you may want to take the train or better yet, fly. <BR> <BR>Don't rent the car until you are leaving Paris. You won't want it or need it in the city, trust me. <BR> <BR>Even though nothing is close together in Paris, it is very easy to get around via the Metro or a bus. My wife and I were there for five days a year ago and had a great time. If you would like a copy of our trip notes, just email me. They have bits of info on what we did there and other items. <BR> <BR>Good luck! <BR>

Kaye, as for recommendatios for lodging there is a wealth of info on this forum you can search on. I also recommend looking at <BR>http://digital.france.com/hotels <BR>for some very good info on hotels ... what they look like and prices.

Kaye, as for recommendatios for lodging there is a wealth of info on this forum you can search on. I also recommend looking at <BR>http://digital.france.com/hotels <BR>for some very good info on hotels ... what they look like and prices.

Kaye, as for recommendatios for lodging there is a wealth of info on this forum you can search on. I also recommend looking at <BR>http://digital.france.com/hotels <BR>for some very good info on hotels ... what they look like and prices.

Kaye, as for recommendatios for lodging there is a wealth of info on this forum you can search on. I also recommend looking at <BR>http://digital.france.com/hotels <BR>for some very good info on hotels ... what they look like and prices.

Kaye, as for recommendatios for lodging there is a wealth of info on this forum you can search on. I also recommend looking at <BR>http://digital.france.com/hotels <BR>for some very good info on hotels ... what they look like and prices.

Kaye, you really, really, really want to use the Paris Metro: cheap, fast, no hassle, and, maybe most of all, you'll see more and spend less energy to do so. If you are equating the Paris Metro to the sorry subway systems in some US cities, don't. <BR>As to hotels, let me recommend you choose one in the 6th Arrondissement or the 7th. A great place to find one is www.france-hotel-guide.com. Scroll down and click on the box that says Latin Quarter. That's the 6th.