We will be staying at the Best Western Belloy Saint Germain at the end of April. Can anyone tell me what to expect of this hotel. Also what their breakfast buffet is like. We also are runners and would like to get a few miles in while in paris. Where is a good location to run and is there any special protocal in paris for runners.
thanks

Hi kma,

I think that you can go running in the Luxembourg gardens.

Ira's right, and one of the best things about running there is that there are miles of "tracks" that are not paved, but dirt -- better to run on. When I go through the Luxembourg Gardens early in the morning, I'm almost afraid I'll get mowed down by all the runners.

About the breakfast buffet, I couldn't answer but my general opinion has been that most Paris hotel breakfasts are dismal and overpriced. I'd look for a little place nearby where you can probably do much better, especially if you're looking for a juice, croissant, and coffee type deal. There are several fast food type croissant places that have a "formula" deal that is amazingly cheap. What's more I have found their pastries to rival those of some of the really expensive bakeries (including the wonderful Paul).

IMO can't beat the formules at Pauls for price/quality ratio (corner r. Buci and r. Seine). Great fresh squeezed OJ if that's your am requirement. They also have a separate smoking (back) room and non-smoking room (up front w/pastries)

The only way the hotel buffet, even a nice one with eggs, meats, cheeses etc, can be worth the money is if you are able to eat so much that you can skip lunch. We prefer the simpler French bkf so we can try that great French cuisine at lunch.

Klondike, We love Paul's too. We discovered in November that the Paul's on Blvd. St. Michel is less expensive than the one on rue Buci. Unfortunately we didn't discover this until the last day of our trip and we had walked past it clear over to Buci just to eat at Paul's.

Luck of the Irish!!

topping for kma

Thanks everyone for their replies. My husband will be glad to know that he will be able to run so close to our hotel. Any more suggestions, ideas, comments are well appreciated.

I'm a walker, not a runner. But in Paris I usually got in about 6 miles before breakfast. (I walk FAST!)

We were near Lux Gardens, but I didn't like it in the dark. It doesn't start getting light til about 8am and Paris doesn't "wake up" til almost 9.

I much preferred to head for the Seine. It's only a few blocks. Some days I'd walk through the Iles, then head to the Marais. Others I'd cross Pont Neuf to the area around Hotel de Ville, the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. The night-lit bridges and monuments were magnificent. But my favorite part was the still-sleeping Paris with cafe owners hosing down empty sidewalks and the aroma of the pattiseries wafting out into the street.

Those walks are among my sweetest memories of the City of Light.

(If you prefer a later start, Lux Gardens might be a better choice due to the crowded sidewalks elsewhere. But DO treat yourself to a pre-sunrise outing. You'll be glad you did! Lastly, the only protocol I'd mention is to wear long pants, not shorts.)

kma When I stayed at the BW Belloy breakfast was included in the 109 euro price. Juice, meats , cheeses, cereal, baguettes,croissants and unlimited coffee. Its a business type hotel with good size rooms. If your an early morning runner the luxemburg gardens may be closed. I enjoy running along the Seine only a few blocks from hotel. Try www.runtheplanet.com for many detailed Paris runs. Runners World also did a paris article "On the road" by Doug Rennie. The best time to run in Paris is around dawn when you have the city all to yourself. Make sure you do a loop around the Champ du Mars on one of your runs. Paris is my favorite running city. happy trails Jackson

kma,

Why not do a search on www.marathonguide.com and see if there are any races in the area for the time you are going to be around? It doesn't have to be a marathon but most marathons also offer shorter routes such as a half-marathon and/or a 10K.

Try this link, go to "France" for your location and see if there is anything nearby for the weekend that you will be in town. Doing a race and especially a marathon in a foreign country is really a lot of fun.

http://www.marathonguide.com/races/search.cfm