Underhill

There are indeed some lovely hotels near Annecy, but unfortunately they are quite expensive. It's a beautiful area, though, and a hotel overlooking the lake is sheer heaven. We stayed at the Hôtel de l'Abbaye and were very pleased with our room. You would need to factor in the cost of a rental car if you plan to do much sightseeing. Annecy itself is a charming small town.

jay

We were there this last christmas. We stayed in Paris for 6 days (18-25) and then rented a car and drove to Strasbourg. From there we took day trips to Colmar, Baden-Baden and Riquewier. It was a blast. In Paris we stayed at the excelsior in the 5th which was cheap and serviceable. I think we spent about $5,000 for three of us for 10 days including airfare. email me if you have any questions. Have fun.

Underhill

Annecy is very nice, and there are a number of lovely hotels out around the lake--unfortunately, they are lovely expensive hotels for the most part. The town of Annecy itself is charming and would certainly be a nice spot to spend a couple of days. From there you could drive up to Chamonix, in the Alps; it's not far. The Hôtel de l'Abbaye is a very nice place to stay near the lake.

travelbunny

..dear crash..just a few thoughts..christmas time in Paris is lovely and even if the weather is poor (and it maybe), there are museums, cafes, art galleries ect. the alps are high season as many europeans take the break to ski (as of course do americans) so hotels are at thier highest rate. If you decide to go to Paris, I would agree with the recommendations re the 2 hotels mentioned on the ile st louis..I did a little calculation you will each have about 100 dollars per day after hotel and breakfast if you use these facilities...if you buy a museum pass, have a small lunch youll still be able to afford a nice dinner with wine..day trips to chantilly, chartres and the loire for example...even a movie on a bitterly cold day! let us know your plans and congrats!

crcash

Thank you everyone for all the well-wishes.
From what I'm gathering we should most definately concentrate on spending most of our time in Paris, with maybe a side trip to the Loire valley to stay in a chateau. Correct?
That being said, we are probably interested in accomodations that range in the 100-150 USD per night. Any suggestions? We understand that most rooms are small, so we don't see the need to spend a great deal of money on accomodations. We would like something quaint, clean, and centrally located. Also heated!
We are very interested in dining and activities such as siene river cruises and nightlife and entertainment appropriate for honeymooners. Thanks for all your help!

BTilke

The Hotel du Cadran in the 7th is a nice place in your price range for a winter trip...it's my preferred winter hotel. The rooms are on the small side (except on the 5th floor, which has larger rooms and views of the Eiffel Tower). It's located *almost* on top of the ever popular Rue Cler, also near the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and (more or less) the Orsay museum. Rooms are clean, very comfortable (esp. if you like beds on the firm side), nice bathrooms. Although there are cafes and restaurants in the area open fairly late at night, it's not what I would call hopping with nightlife...you'll find more of that in the 6th.
But what sells the Cadran as a winter hotel is the pretty lounge on the ground floor with a big fireplace that is usually lit in the evenings. At night, you could relax by the fire with a drink. My brother in law and his wife spent their honeymoon at the Cadran and enjoyed it.
Re chateau-hotels, many (but not all) are closed in the winter months and those that are open are sometimes taken up with family groups. You would also need to rent a car to see the sights in the area...most chateaux are a little off the beaten path and not directly served by trains or buses.
With 10 days, I would spend at least half the time in Paris and then a short trip elsewhere for a romantic winter escape. Do you want to stay in France the whole time or would you be willing to go over the border to Belgium, Germany or Switzlerand? For example, you could spend 3 nights in the resort town of Baden-Baden, as Jay suggested, or go up to Brugge (very attractive in winter but definitely NOT in the mountains!), or even to Luzern, Switzerland (this option would work best if you have a flight that arrived in Paris and departed from Zurich, the closest big airport). There are "palace" hotels in Luzern that sometimes run specials (I was able to get a room at the Grand National for $150 a night in December).
Don't try driving from Paris to wherever you plan to go...getting out of Paris isn't a picnic and, more importantly, you run the risk of hitting some bad weather. The odds are with you that the weather could be ok, but you could end up coping with a driving rainstorm with sleet mixed in or even a freak occurrence the incredible Christmas windstorm that wreaked havoc across France a few years ago. Better to take the train, relaxing and pretty stress-free.

crcash

Thanks for the tip, i'll certainly check on the hotel. In regards to your suggestion on traveling somewhere for a couple of days outside of Paris, Germany sounds appealing. We definately would like to experience a little snowfall and the alps during our stay. Are there any side trips to Germany that anyone can recommend. I have been to Luzern, Switzerland and that would also be beautiful overlooking the lake. Has anyone been? We would definately look into train travel to Luzern. How far from Paris? Would we need to plan on flying back from Zurich?