Help with 4ish days in France please
 

I'm in the early planning stages of planning a very short solo visit to France following a visit to Iran in April/May 2018 and would really appreciate help.

I'll arrive at Paris mid day Sunday April 29 and depart Paris late morning Friday May 4 (flights have not yet been booked). I'll already have been in the general region so jet lag shouldn't be an issue. While I have been to Paris once before, it was at the very end of a long group trip 17 years ago and I remember practically nothing from that trip so I'm essentially a first time visitor to Paris.

Day trips:
- Mont St Michel - I know it makes for a somewhat long day but can easily be done as a day trip via rail or tour.
- Loire Valley - I want to see a couple of the castles of the Loire Valley. I know there are day tours that work for this, but is there a public transit option that would also work well? The tours never seem to give enough time and really isolate you from everyone else. Most of the day tours I've seen take you to about 3 castles in a single day, any opinions on the best 2-3 to visit? I definitely want to see Château Chenonceau, it's just crazy gorgeous. Is it worth a full day on it's own or is there somewhere else along the public transit routes I should combine?

That leaves me about 2 1/2 days to spend in Paris itself. I tend to like markets/bazaars, architecture and history. I'm terrible with art so was planning to avoid places like D'Orsay. A few hours at Notre Dame probably, maybe the catacombs as well. Any other ideas and suggestions (I know it's hard to make suggestions for a complete stranger). I'm not big on shopping, especially not at places that are expensive.

Any suggestions on what areas of Paris might be most logical to stay? I think that many of the trains for the day trips leave from Montparnasse. I know that AirBnB is out, so any suggestions for lower priced hotels would also be appreciated.

Thank you for any suggestions, recommendations and assistance in getting everything sorted out!

Hi There. I have been to Paris solo several times and will be going again next June. I now stay in a studio apt in the 5th, very near Notre Dame that I book direct with the owner himself. I like the 5th, but wherever you stay try to be near the metro. I love the Paris metro, and find it very easy. My last trip I did Loire Valley for the first time, it was a fabulous day. I did a small group tour I found on Viator. It did not feel too rushed. We did 3 chateau visits, Chambord, Ambois with time in town and Chenenceau. Do not miss Chenenceau, it is amazing. I know people do Loire Valley DIY using public transportation via the town of Tours. To much logistics to deal with for me. I like having someone else getting me from one place to another that knows what they are doing. It is a very short visit, but I hope it a great one.

I definitely want to see Château Chenonceau, it's just crazy gorgeous. Is it worth a full day on it's own or is there somewhere else along the public transit routes I should combine?>

Very hard to do more than one on a day trip by public transit, which is rather poor in the area. Can easily take train to Chenonceaux to visit Chenonceau but that's about it.

Consider a one-day car rental from St-Pierre-des-Corps train station or group tours like ACCO-DISPO which I think just provides mini-bus transit to 2-3 castles and leaves you on your own - used to but have not checked recently.

For lots about trains Paris to Loire check www.voyages-sncf.com; www.set61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

If you wanted to splurge for a taxi from Chenonceau to Amboise - about 20 miles - you could then check out that neat town with its own chateau and other things to see and has trains back to Paris.

http://www.accodispo-tours.com/

Have 'semi-guided' tours and personal tours from Tours station or Amboise.

For the Loire Valley, as suggested above, do a tour or rent a car. Three chateau in one day would be about the limit either on your own or on tour. Just be careful to understand whether or not the tours include entry. For some, the interiors can be disappointing as they are often sparsely furnished. I would want to go in Chenonceaux, for example, but would not be bothered about the interior of Villandry as its gardens are the showcase.

Mont St Michel is a long day but if you want to see it, go for it. It's an amazing place.

I would want more time for Paris itself but if I were limited to 2 1/2 days the last place I would go would be to the dank, damp underground catacombs. Purely subjective, I find the whole thing really creepy and ghoulish.

With just four 'non travel' days in Paris, cannot see doing two long day trips out; pick one and save the other for next time. Really, we've been to Paris 6 times and always spend 5 days there before heading out to another region. If the trains for such day trips leave from Montparnasse, then stay in the south end of the 6th arr where it's just a few blocks from the station. One day wander over to Ile de la Cite seeing St. Chapelle, then Notre Dame, then Ile St. Louis, stopping at Shakespeare & Co., the long beloved bookstore nestled right across the Seine from Notre Dame. Another day perhaps explore Montmartre. There is always too much to explore in Paris for a week never mind two days.

Without siding in with efficacy of day trips from Paris with such limited time - that's very subjective - a day trip to Mont-Saint-Michel on public transit is feasible if long:

TGV to Rennes
Buses that are time with morning TGVs from Paris whisk you right to the Mont - 3-4 hours there -bus back to Rennes for TGVs back to Paris. Takes about 3 hours each way transit and again book discounted tickets for TGVs as mentioned above.

Versailles is a much closer day trip - well for all pratical purposes a part of Paris megalopolis and IMO if not been there as nice as any day trip - RER C to within a few blocks of palace entry.

Thank you all!

As to renting a car... how tourist friendly are the roads in the Loire Valley? I can't drive a manual transmission (and will not be able to learn and be comfortable with it by then) so would have to be able to rent an automatic. I've not had to drive in a foreign country before so I'm a bit of a chicken about it. :)

If I took the train from Paris to Saint Pierre des Corps, could I pick up a car there for a trip to Chenonceau and one other (Chambord?), then drop off the car somewhere and take the train back into Paris. That would keep me from driving in/near Paris but would still give me the flexibility that a tour likely doesn't.

If you are going to take a train somewhere then rent a car - it's only a one hour train ride and a much longer drive.

I just read about a chain of hostels - St. Christopher's Inn- there are two in paris - and, for a very low cost, you can have a private room/bath.

If you only have 2-3 days in Paris, and don't care for museums, I would walk and window shop in different neighborhoods (ie Marais, St. Germain, Montmartre, Tuileries), enjoy the cafes, use the free bikes available around the city, and take it all in. The Bateau Mouche is especially enjoyable at night when the city is lit up.

Sorry, I somehow left out "train to Tours".

Consider visiting Ste. Chapelle and the Palais Garnier (the interior is stunning; no need to see a performance, unless you want to).

I'd stay in the 14th arrondissement, near Gare Montparnasse.
There are chain hotels such as Accor, Ibis and Mercure, which won't cost an arm and a leg.
Plus, you'll be very near the station, and very near to the Catacombes. You should purchase an advance ticket to avoid waiting in line for 4 hours, though.

To get to Mont Saint-Michel, you will have to travel to Rennes, which is about 3 hours (with a transfer time of 20 mins) then from Rennes to Mont Saint-Michel, which takes about 1 hour. Plan to purchase tickets 90 days in advance.
You can use this website:
http://www.trainline.eu/search/mont-...17-10-09-18:00


I'd plan to get a half-day tour to the Loire Valley.

Thank you for all of the suggestions!

Driving in the Loire Valley was very easy, if you decide to rent a car.

In Paris:

For history and architecture, I'd recommend Basilica St. Denis - be sure to get the audio guide.

The Musee Carnavalet is a wonderful history museum and is free (or was last time I looked).

The Musee Nissim de Camondo is a house museum with an interesting and sad history.

P. S. I'll be very interested to hear about Iran!

Is the Musée Carnavalet open again? it's our favorite museum in Paris.

Désolé, non.

http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/fr

Or is that désolée? It is wonderful but looks like another 2+ years, minimum.

Merde, I love that place.

Won't be open until at least 2019...

I'm sad too! I was looking forward to another visit.

I know that AirBnB is out, so any suggestions for lower priced hotels would also be appreciated.>

May be for you but Paris is still their number one market, with an astounding 78,000 properties - renter faces virtually no repurcussions and apparently neither do owners. I'd stay in an airbnb without worry as zillions do.

I suggest this Paris hotel so often that I even bore myself but it's great value for money, excellent location and within your budget. If you can swing it, get a superior double room, they are larger and lighter.

The least expensive rooms overlook the courtyard which is really more like a light shaft so quite dark. Advantage is those rooms are very quiet.

The hotel breakfasts are very good and ample but are an extra charge of around 14€. If you're not a big breakfast eater, head to a café for coffee and a croissant at about half the price of the hotel breakfast.

Check out Premier Inns in London, they have several locations.

Ignore Premier Inns comment, it was for another thread.

PalenQ - last night's news revealed that the agents are again doing their inspections of rental apartments. This concerns AirBnB and other vacation rentals.
They have permission to enter and ask questions of the people staying there.
I would not risk it - especially since the property owner has 2 months to get his affairs in order and get a registration number.

Rental fees have escalated, and the property owner is supposed to keep to a certain fee, otherwise will risk 50,000 EU for each apartment he rents.
This one owner had 4 units, so 200,000 EU.

http://hotelclementparis.com

I also left out the link to the Clément.

Cathinjoetown, thanks for the link for the Clement. That looks gorgeous and the location is handy to everything! It's a tad more than I really want to spend but I think for the time of year and the location it's a really good deal.


PalenQ, I try to behave myself when I'm in another country and am unfamiliar with both the laws and the language. If it is a problem and gets cancelled, my backup options are limited at that time.


I'm still debating a tour or a self drive in Loire Valley, but I have plenty of time to debate that one. I have to get the flights sorted out and the Iran side of things, then I'm good to go to start booking things. Yay. :)

Redhead,

Please post about your trip to Iran and flag it in the lounge or Europe board.

Thanks.

PalenQ, I try to behave myself when I'm in another country and am unfamiliar with both the laws and the language. If it is a problem and gets cancelled, my backup options are limited at that time.>

understood. check www.accorhotels.com for cheap modern chain hotels in Paris (and all over Europe) - IBIS is one that is very affordable.

I understand Ia Redhead not feeling comfy about airbnb but I would be- how many folks have turned up to be put out - none or very few I think and though I sympathize with locals who want to preserve local housing for locals, etc. I feel there beef is with their local Paris government which should just shut these places down if illegal.

Otherwise it is the tourist who could save a few hundred bucks who by escheweing airbnb suffers - why should tourists pay that penalty?

And there are airbnb places that genuinely I feel are trying to keep their residences by renting out a room or two - the large groups that have become businesses should be dealt with by local authorities - the tourist should not and I believe does not usually suffer - to wit the 78,000 airbnbs still in operation.

okay, as for the Loire, I've visited two chateaux in one day with public transportation, it isn't impossible at all. But I didn't visit the two you most want, that's the real problem. Otherwise, Amboise and Blois are right on train lines, and so is Chenonceau. I visited Azay-le-Rideau by train, also, actually, but that schedule isn't as good.

I think I visited Amboise and Chenonceau the same day by public transport. Chambord is the harder one.
The train from Tours to Chenonceau only takes 30 minutes. To Blois, it's about 50 minutes, and Amboise is in the middle of that line.

You can take a bus from Amboise to Chenonceaux or vice versa, this website has schedules. That bus only takes about 20 minutes. It's bus line C.
https://www.remi-centrevaldeloire.fr/

This is a general plan of the local bus lines.
https://www.remi-centrevaldeloire.fr...n-du-reseau-2/
This is the bus where you can get individual bus line schedules.
https://www.remi-centrevaldeloire.fr...ndre-et-loire/

I agree that a small group tour sounds good, as someone suggested. Would be a lot cheaper than renting a car, I bet. I don't know what kind of a driver you are, but you don't know French, won't understand the road signs, and St Pierre des Corps is not out in the country, it's still a kind of urban area. It's not dead center of Tours, sure, but it's not a small country station. And that's where you'll have to return to, also.

Believe me, there is no way in the world you want to spend an entire day at one chateau.

I understand trying to do those bus lines, as you do have to be careful with the days of the week or seasons, isn't as easy as the train. If you only want to see one, that's easy in a day by train. For 2, it's easy between Amboise and Blois, but those aren't exactly the same kind of chateaux as Chenonceau, either, so I think a bus tour (I think a lot leave from the train station) would be best if you really want to do that.

I would never go to Mont St Michel in one day from Paris.

<<<you don't know French, won't understand the road signs, and St Pierre des Corps is not out in the country, it's still a kind of urban area. It's not dead center of Tours, sure, but it's not a small country station.>>>

That's exactly what I was afraid of. I know that many countries have road signs in multiple languages (such as Israel) but if that's not the case then I'm just completely SOL. :) GPS is great but there's no way I want to rely 100% on that. Thanks for the public transit info! I'll look at that and if it doesn't work out easily I'll go with a small group tour. If I don't get enough time somewhere then I guess I'll just have to go back on the next trip!


<<<Please post about your trip to Iran and flag it in the lounge or Europe board.>>>

I'll post a link in the Lounge when I get it started. I'm only looking at a short trip (8-9 day tour) as American's are required to be part of a tour rather than on our own.

That's exactly what I was afraid of. I know that many countries have road signs in multiple languages (such as Israel) but if that's not the case then I'm just>

You do not need to know French to understand the road signage which uses the international symnbol system. But there are a few key words in French like "Toutes Directions" - all directions - and 'sans issue'- no outlet - so yes without studying those terms you may be flummoxed at times. But the main signs should be self-explanatory by shape and color of sign - and St-Pierre-des-Corps is in a built-up area but easy access to main roads - much better than central Tours station.

Yes eschew driving unless several days -take train to say Amboise and public transit as christina describes or mini-bus tours that depart from Amboise as well (also a popular balloon ride area to glimpse chateaus from above - never done it but must be a thrill- many of those available but very expensive).

If you go the hotel route, you will have English-speaking desk staff and nothing to worry about.
If you go the AirBnB or other vacation rental websites, you will not be put out of the apartment, but you might have other difficulties.

The Australian family of 6 had been overcharged for a "luxury" apartment, so the agent was looking into all 4 of them.

Property owners have 2 months to apply for a registration number, then they will be legal. That includes vacation time.

Finally resolving that issue to be legal vs today's nebulous status.

Bravo!

>>> I did a small group tour I found on Viator.<<<

Viator is a reseller/OTA so books you on other company's tours. You might look at booking with the actual tour company directly.