Hotel Ecole Centrale, Paris: Questions
 

Hi Everyone,

I've booked this hotel to stay in May 4-May 7 and then will be taking the train to Amsterdam. Reviews are mostly good but a little mixed, so I'm wondering:

- Has anyone stayed here in the last year?
- This hotel is in the Marais. What's the easiest way to get to the hotel - taxis or train? (I should note I speak barely any French). I am from NY, so public transportation doesn't throw me so much so long as I'm well-directed and signs are in English.
- I depart from the Paris Nord station to head to Amsterdam. What's the easiest way to get there from the Marais? My ticket is being sent to my home so I'll have it already.
- On a side note, what's the most cost-efficient way to get Euros - here, before I leave, or there at an ATM?

Many Thanks!

Signs in French transportation systems are in French, not English. There are no signs in English. But most of the signs you need are place names, anyway, I would think. I you are used to underground rail systems, you shouldn't have problems as you know how they work and what to do and how.

That hotel is near Arts et Metier metro stop. Calling that the Marais is kind of loose, as I wouldn't call it there, but the hotel probably does for PR purposes. Anyway, it's close. I am not clear where you are coming from so I don't know the easiest way to get there. If you are coming from CDG airport, that is not on the train line from the airport, so would involve a couple transfers.

It's not so difficult to get to the Gare du Nord from that metro stop -- you just have to transfer once at Republique, that's pretty easy.

Get euros in an ATM in Europe.

Th

Thanks, Christina. I'd be going straight from CDG to the hotel. I'm not married to this hotel and am going to keep looking for another one as I suspected just what you'd said, which is that the hotel uses the address for PR purposes. Much appreciated.

The easiest public transit from CDG is the RER commuter train. It will cost you 8.70 euros to get into Paris. Always keep your ticket until you exit the system... your ticket is also good to transfer to the metro.

I'd suggest going to http://maps.google.com to orient yourself. Once you have the map of Paris up,erase Paris, France from the search bar and type in the address of your hotel.... you will see where it is in relation to RER and metro stations. They are clearly marked in white blue ringed circles. A single left click on one brings up more info and shows the actual route on the map.

There is an excellent journey planner at http://www.ratp.com. Simply click on your start station and choose the green flag, then your destination and click a red flag. Voila! Your route is planned.

The only 2 things you need to know to navigate the Paris metro is which line you want and the direction which is always denoted by the name of the last station on the line. Since you are used to mass transit you'll find it easy.

Since you say you aren't locked into the hotel here's another thing you can try with Google maps... in the search bar type in 'hotel'... hundreds will appear on your map. Clicking on a red dot will bring up links to the hotel's own site plus reviews. Add in checking reviews on TripAdvisor.com and you may find a hotel you like more than the one you're considering.

A couple more links for you:

http://www.easycdg.com

http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/f...-to-ride-metro

For the metro, you just need to identify (a) the number of the line - which will also have its own colour on the map (b) the end point of the line in the direction you want to go.
http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/tourists/
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif

If you're looking for alternative hotel suggestions, here are two within easy reach of the Marais that I've stayed at and liked:
http://www.paris-hotel-americain.com/ (metro République)
http://www.hotel-bastille-de-launay-paris.com/ (metro Chemin Vert, or there's a direct bus 65 to the Gare du Nord from there)

I forgot to add... regarding Gare du Nord for your
train to Amsterdam... you'll find the answer by using the RATP planner or Google Maps as I mentioned above. Metro line 4 will take you to within a block or 2 of your current hotel.

As for Euros... best to get them from ATMs as you go along. Be sure to notify your bank and credit card companies. I prefer to have a hundred or 2 euros in my pocket when I arrive. It might cost me a couple of dollars more but I find it's worth it for the convenience. My bank always has 1,000 euros on hand... you may need to order in advance.

All-

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so very much. My uncle has stayed at Hotel Grand Mahler a few times and recommended it. They had availability so I switched my reservation over there - it seems like it's in a slightly better area, anyway.

I'm having a hell day at work so I will check these links out later. Much obliged!!