JOAN GARGANO

My friends and I are from Quebec, Canada and we will be staying at Hotel La Bourdonnais in Paris from September 20 to 23/01. <BR>1) How far is it from the Airport Charles-de-Gaulle? and what is the best way to get to this hotel? Bus, Taxi ??? <BR>2) What is the temperature like in Paris in September? <BR>3) Any good restaurants close to this hotel? <BR>4) Is this hotel at walking distance from the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe? <BR>Lots of questions... but it is our first time in Paris and unfortunately we have only 4 days. We want to see as much as possible. <BR>5) Any suggestions on tours, restaurants that cannot be missed. <BR>MERCI BEAUCOUP. <BR>Note: your reply in french is not a problem, as we are fully bilingual. <BR> <BR>

kk

I have stayed at this hotel several times. It is a great location- we actually had a view of the Eiffel Tower from one of our rooms. We took the train from Charles de Gaulle- the train station is connected to the airport. You can take the train to a central location (like the Opera) and transfer to the metro. Then take the metro to the " Ecole Militaire" stop and the hotel is about a block away. There are a number of restaurants in the neighborhood as well as an open air market on Rue Cler. Have a great time in Paris!

Surlok

Well, Joan, I don't know if there's a train ride straight from Roissy-CDG to the Ecole Militaire station, which is within walking distance from your hotel. You'd have to check this out. <BR> <BR>Otherwise, depending on how many you are, there are shuttle services that would drop you right at your hotel's door. <BR> <BR>CDG is a little far from Central Paris, and if you have too much luggage, the shuttle is the best alternative. <BR> <BR>Another possibility would be getting the Air France bus whether to Place de l'Etoile or Montparnasse, and then a taxi to your hotel, but being your group large, I'd stick with the shuttle service. <BR> <BR>Temperature in Paris at this time of the year is unpredictable. It might rain, and get a little cold. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately, the only restaurant in this neighborhood that I know is VERY expensive, in the Eiffel Tower, but the hotel concierge can help you with good recommendations, and even making the reservations that you'll surely need. <BR> <BR>Here is an url, from where you can check the location of your hotel. It's walking distance of the Eiffel Tower, and if you're young, and used to long walks, you can make it from the hotel to L' Arc de Triomphe for sure. I alsways prefer to walk than taking the metro or busses, because you always see and feel the city much more. <BR> <BR>http://digital.france.com/hotels/hot...tml?HotelID=81 <BR> <BR>If there's any other info you need, let me know. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Fred

1) I always suggest a taxi. Door to door service with no hassels, no schlepping luggage. <BR> 2) Figure mild but Paris weather extremely unpredictable. Can be quite cool, or hot, or dry, or rainy. So be prepared. <BR> 3) Lots of good restaurants within walking distance on rue St Dominique and rue de l'Expostion (Le P'tit Troquet, La Fontaine de Mars, Auberge de Champs du Mars, Le Violon d'Ingres, others). <BR> 4) You can walk to ET. Arc is a bit far although it can be done. Understand, Paris is so easy to get around you can get to many areas od the city quickly and easily. No need to stay around your hotel area. <BR>For more Paris information e-mail me – [email protected]

BTilke

Hi Joan, <BR>We've stayed at the Bourdonnais a couple of times and liked it, but a few caveats. You must insist (nicely) on a street view room (it's a quiet street). The rooms in the back of the hotel can be cramped, noisy and stuffy. Get the confirmation of a street view room in writing (fax) from the hotel. We've had room 303, which had two double beds and a nice view of the Eiffel Tower. <BR>Overall, the hotel is fine, but the rooms could definitely use some updating. They are showing signs of wear and the decor is a little on the drab size. The pluses are the excellent location, larger than usual rooms (at that price range), a "real" closet, and comfortable beds. I like the service better at the nearby Hotel du Cadran, but the service at Bourd. wasn't bad. <BR>We found the easiest way to get to the hotel was to take the Air France bus from CDG to the Aerogare right next to the Les Invalides metro stop. From there you can either take the metro (two stops) to Ecole Militaire or a cab. The AF buses are inexpensive (especially if you buy a round trip ticket), efficient, clean and air conditioned. <BR>You are very close to the Eiffel Tower. To get to the Arc de Triomphe, take the metro one stop down (towards Balard) to La Motte-Piquet, switch to the #6 line and then it's 7 stops to the Arc de Triomphe. Although if you want to walk, it's also doable. <BR>Nearby restaurants/cafes--I like the Sancerre wine bar (most people think of Sancerre as a white wine but the red is good too). For that neigborhood, it's a can't miss place. We also enjoy the Brasserie Bosquet restaurant around the corner on the rue de Champ du Mars for good, inexpensive food, but it's not a can't miss place--just a comfortable, pleasant spot for a meal and wine. <BR>BTilke (Brussels) <BR>BTilke