Heavens

We are going for eight nights. Would that be nust? To stay in the 6th the first five days, then stay, say, in the Marais, or the 11th or some other district to get a different feel? Look?

Our other idea is that we want to go to Normandy for a night and take a Battlebus tour...so maybe stay four nights in the 6th, then a night in Normandy (Bayeux?) and then come back and stay in another district that is kind of different from the first one...

Are we crazy to be thinking about this, dear Fodorites??? Be honest...

WillTravel

I don't think that's crazy at all. Just make the move in a way that will minimize the to'ing and fro'ing.

StCirq

Well, I personally wouldn't want to give up even ten minutes of my time in Paris changing locations, especially since you can get to "a neighborhood with a different feel" so easily on foot or by public transportation.

If you stay at one hotel, chances are they'll let you leave your luggage there for the night you'll spend in Bayeux (you can pack a small bag with whatever you'll need for the overnight there), so it wouldn't be a question of checking out of the Paris hotel, schlepping bags to Bayeux for one night, then schlepping back to Paris to another hotel...too much hassle for a short trip IMO.

BTilke

Yes, because for three nights I was there for a conference and was booked into a very bland business oriented hotel in a neighborhood I didn't find appealing. So when the business part of the trip was over, I checked out and moved across town to a hotel I liked in my favorite neighborhood. It took me more than 10 minutes, but I didn't feel the time was wasted.

Actually, I go through this every year in Vienna. I'm in the city for two weeks; four to five of those nights are spent in a hotel assigned by the conference housing service. The rest of the time I spend in a hotel that I've chosen and that I find more appealing (or has a better location for leisure activities). I've never found making the switch a particularly grueling experience.

Christina

Sure, I've done it several times for a couple reasons. Mainly to experience different neighborhoods. I don't think it's that that easy to get to a completely different part of Paris that you can do it easily for dinner or at night -- at least I won't. A trip across town on the metro, probably involving one or more transfers, can take 30-45 minutes. I don't do that at night just for dinner (and definitely not just to hang out in a cafe) and don't feel like doing it late when I'm tired to come back home. Checking in and out might take only the same time as one of those trips. Anyway, I mainly do it for a change and if I don't know the hotel I'm booked in, so I want to hedge my bets.

I've always been glad I did that every time I did. I don't do it for just a couple days, but if I have a ten day stay I will. I would with your schedule. I plan the second hotel to be closer to the airport (or a train station, if I'm leaving by train), so it takes up part of that travel time, anyway.

JennaZ

Actually, your itinerary is very similar to mine. We're planning to spend three nights in the 7th (quiet, residential area), two nights in Bayeaux, and then three nights in the 5th (lively, touristy area). I travel very light, so to me, it doesn't seem like too much of a hassle to move.

Heavens

Thanks all for your responses. Very helpful. Still thinking it all over. We do KNOW we are staying in the sixth and we KNOW we will go to Normandy, just not sure we will be staying the night there. So much to think about.

tod

I changed hotels three times in two weeks just so that I wouldn't get bored and you are quite right about a different feel/atmosphere one gets.
I highly recommend it!(even in a short period like 8 days as all it takes is a quick taxi ride to dump your cases at the next hotel).

susanna

I did the reverse of what you are thinking about a few years ago. I had spent days in the Marais and I wanted to stay there to see if I liked it better than the 6th so we spent 4 nights in the Marais and 3 nights in the 6th. I discovered that I still love the 6th the best and it made it easy to decide where to stay on my next trip. It took me less than an hour to pack up, taxi to the other side and unpack, I'm glad that I did it.

Heavens

Oh susanna (like you haven't heard that before), why did you prefer the 6th over the Marais?

susanna

The Marais just didn't do anything for me. I always enjoyed going over there to shop and walk around and I liked that it felt a little more loose. I found myself wanting to go back to the cafes in the 6th to hang out in ,in fact I just like the left bank better...maybe it's because it is the 1st place that I ever stayed at in Paris. I have also stayed in the 7th,16th and the 20th and I still like the 6th the best, didn't like the 20th at all, liked the 7th and 16th though. I would try it out, you might like it better and if you don't do it you won't know.

wco81

I've never switched in Paris, always liked St. Germain.

But thinking about it for an upcoming trip to Barcelona.

There are a couple of miles and points programs I'm in and they entice you to stay at their properties.

Actually, I can find an apartment which is bigger, more in the area I want to be and have nice furnishings and amenities, as nice as the nicer hotels. And I would pay less.

But if I paid say 40-100 euros more per night, I could get those miles or points. Whereas you pay cash for apartments and you get no benefits.