jmat

Our family of four is driving from Germany to France in mid-September and we're on a budget. Our ultimate goal is to tour Paris but we're worried about parking in the city. Also, we will only have two nights in France before taking off to Brussels. Let's hear your opinions - should we stay in the city, find a hotel with parking, and pay the high fees? Or should we stay somewhere outside the city and take the train in to sightsee? For four people, would it cost just as much as the daily parking fees to take a train into Paris each day?

Never been there - have no clue where to stay in any event.

Wayne

Since you apparently need or want a car to go to Brussels after leaving Paris, the best thing is to pick a hotel in the city that will either have parking space or will take your car and park it for you. Just let the car sit for the two days you are there; you will be in the middle of the action and won't have to worry about renting another car when you leave. And you will have no need for a car in Paris; the metro is the best. Good luck.

Gretchen

I agree with Wayne.

nytraveler

You don;t have to find a hotel with parking - fairly rare in Paris - there are lots of public garages. Just pick the hotel you want and have them e mail you directions to the nearest garage. I think this makes alot more sense thanstaying outside and paying for train fare/wasting valuable vacation time.

ira

I agree.

Michael

You can do street parking outside the tight core of the first seven <i>arrondissements</i>. I parked overnight in the fifteenth, 15 minutes walking from the Eiffel tower, with no problem. I believe that you can park during the day in that area for 1 euro per hour, but you have to have a card that can be purchased in any <i>tabac</i>--the <i>horodateurs</i> take neither cash nor credit cards. In this manner parking would cost you 12 euros per day.

jmat

Thanks for the tips...

We are driving our own, brand new Volvo SUV from Sweden to Paris and I can't imagine parking it on a public street for two days! If it were a rental car, no problem.

Does anyone know how much the parking garages in Paris charge per night? I'm trying to figure out our budget for the trip and there are so many small things to think about!

RonZ

I suggest you decide where you want to stay in Paris and then use the following site to locate public garages.

http://www.vincipark.com/appli/wvncp..._paris_06.html

SalB

The Hotel Clement in the 6th (St. Germain) is right across the street from the St. Germain March&eacute; (shopping center)with a large parking garage underneath it. You can leave your car there and the Hotel will arrange a discount on the parking fee. The hotel also has a junior suite that should hold all four of you, or you could just get two rooms.

I don't know if the Hotel has a direct web site, but you can access it by going to http://www.france.com and clicking on the Hotel button (right under the search window). We've reserved through france.com often and never had any problems.

If you have another hotel in mind, simply look at a Paris map and find the large blue P for public parking. They're all over Paris. It's a bit expensive but you don't have to worry about your car.

We try to lease our car on the way out of Paris, but occasionally have had to take it in town and there really is plenty of public parking.

Enjoy your trip.

Michael

I had to pay about 11 euros for 3 and a half hours of parking in an underground garage.

Christina

I think most public garages in central Paris charge between 17-23 euro per 24 hours.