First time to Paris
 

My husband and I will be going to Paris for the first time to celebrate the New Year! We will be there for 10 days and need advice as to whether to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel. Also, what area in Paris is the best place to stay?
Thanks!

Went to Paris twice . Rented an apartment both times and was very happy with it.See www.rentoparis.com

Sorry ment to add that there is a book 'Top ten things to do in Paris' I had a copy and its in Paris at the moment again on loan. Try a good bookstore. It has everything you will want with maps how to get to them.

It's pretty hard to say which area of Paris is the best for you to stay in whithout having a clue as to why you're going to Paris, what you want to do there, what your budget is, and so forth. Paris is full of lovely places to stay, all of them different and catering to somewhat different travelers' needs.

How are you planning to celebrate the New Year in Paris? Why does an apartment rental appeal to you?

If this is your first trip to Paris your first move should be to go to the bookstore or library and read through some guidebooks (there are loads and loads of them, for travelers of all types with all kinds of budgets and interests) and narrow down what appeals to you.

Then come back to this board and ask some specific questions and you'll find dozens of knowledgable folks ready to assist you. Remember this us YOUR trip, not ours. We can all throw out suggestions, but they'll all be different and you'll be no closer to developing a plan than you are now.

So back to you.........

A hotel is may be better if your want to be farily certain of the type of room you'll find, also if you might use help from the front desk staff for making tour arrangements, dinner reservation, calling a taxi, etc.

An apartment if you feel want a kitchen and don't mind being on your own to figure things out. Also apartments seem a bit more chancey for if they will actually look like the photo on the websites and the condition they are kept.

For areas I would pick the more central. You'll see the neighborhoods (arrondisements) referred to by their numbers... the 4th thru the 7th are popular and centrally located.

If you mean New Year 05/06 I gently urge you to consider securing a hotel or apartment reservation soon.

Hi B,

>..need advice as to whether to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel.<

If you don't mind making the bed and doing your own breakfast dishes, if you would like to shop at the local markets and do some cooking, if you want more space for the money, go with an apartment.

((I))

My husband and I went to Paris for New Years last year. We had a great time. As for where to stay, it doesnt really matter. Paris has an amazing metro that is so easy to navigate. Just stay somewhere in the city. We stayed close to the Eifel Tower and when I returned a few months later, I stayed in a different area and had a metro stop within a 8 minute walk.
For your trip planning my I suggest you try Tripadvisor.com. I love that site and check reviews before I book any hotel. I found, thru that site, that Paris hotels have a theiving problem..even the nice ones. SO, do a little research.
Also, make sure you go to the Champs eylessee on New Years eve. And if you are planning on dinner New Years Eve, make reservations now!!!

My opinion is rent an apartment for the simple reason that even if you are working with a large budget you can save money by having breakfast and late night snacks at the apartment.

Also, I would strongly suggest that the first day you are there to use the Hop On/Hop Off buses available to get an overview of the city. The ticket runs about $25 US and is good for two full days. It makes for an easy way to see the city without having to know exactly where to go and without having to pay for taxis. We found this invaluable on our first trip to Paris.

Also, the DK Travel Top 10 book mentioned in an earlier post is wonderful as is the DK Travel Paris book. Tehy are both easy to pick up at Amazon.com and Half.com.

Have fun planning!

^^^

Do yourself a favor and "rent a guide" for at least a day. We used the services of Michael Osman, an American in Paris, at [email protected]. His price is about $100 per 8-9 hour day and will go whereever you want. We used his services for 3 days, payed for his lunch and tipped him. Our whole group of 7 learned more about Paris and learned how to get around more quickly than on our own. This made the remainder of our trip more enjoyable. Michael's knowledge of the art in the Lourve was also very helpful, saving us lots of wandering around the first time in. You must reserve Michael's services far in advance. He replied to us via e-mail quickly.

Another pleased client of Mr Ozman who is so good with children.