I had trouble posting this priviously, probably because I had too much to say! Thanks, Marty, for your advise on how to post this as replies to my own message. Monica and Traveler, here I go again... <BR> <BR>I recently returned from 8 wonderful days in Paris and I’d like to share my travels with everyone since this forum was so helpful to me before I went. I went with a friend and took my teenage daughter and her friend.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel des Balcons in the 6th district. Rooms were 505FF for 2 with a wonderful all you can eat buffet breakfast complete with eggs, sausage, and bacon for 55FF. The staff were very helpful and friendly and the hotel was extremely clean. They are recommended in Fodor’s book, “Hotels of Character and Charm” and in “Cheap Sleeps in Paris”. You can also read reviews at www.Paris.org. Their web site is www.balcons.com. The room pictured on their web site is a triple so it is much bigger than the room we had. The rooms overlooking the street seem to be best. There were lots of nice inexpensive restaurants in the area and the hotel is close to the convenient metro, Odeon. I was a little worried at first about this hotel not having air conditioning but we never needed it. I liked opening the big French doors overlooking the quiet street below to get a nice breeze. Most of the time it was in the 70s during the day and cooler at night when we needed a sweater. Three days were in the low 80s but it was always cool at night. <BR> <BR>We bought the 10 ticket carnet and traveled by metro most of the time.

Here are some of the things we enjoyed: <BR> <BR>1. Seeing the Louvre and then walking through the Jardin des Tuileries and up the Champs to the Arc de Triomphe. By then it was evening and we saw the Eiffel Tower’s brilliant light show from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. <BR> <BR>2. Eiffel Tower - we went in early evening when the lines weren’t too long. It’s so big! <BR> <BR>3. Jardin de Luxembourg - Bought our lunch at a sandwich shop before we arrived and then ate it there. Then had a lovely walk through. There was a fantastic photography exhibit around the outside of the gardens by Yann Arthus Bertrand. <BR> <BR>4. Saw the magnificent Notre Dame and then proceeded to walk through the charming streets of the ile de St. Louis on to Place de Vosges (a beautiful square where Victor Hugo lived). <BR> <BR>5. Sacre Coeur - Beautiful church but terribly touristy and trashy at the bottom. We had good pizza, however, at an Italian cafe. <BR> <BR>6. Le Pere Lachaise cemetery - We all wanted to see Jim Morrison’s grave but were disappointed that the statue of his head was stolen! We were in awe of the beautiful large cemetery with the graves of so many famous people such as Chopin, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Sara Bernhardt, Isadora Duncan, etc. etc. <BR> <BR>7. Musee d’Orsay - The best of the Impressionist art. <BR> <BR>8. Giverny - Saw Monet’s home and gardens complete with the famous water lilies and bridge! Couldn’t believe the variety of flowers. <BR> <BR>9. Palace of Versailles - This was the only tour bus(Touringscope) we took during our stay, and I’m glad we did. It was nice to relax, follow the guide, take in all the beauty, and learn all the history! We took the afternoon tour at 1:30. This allowed us to sleep later and by then it didn’t seem to be too crowded at the Palace. <BR> <BR>10.Conciergerie - My daughter and her friend had to see the cell of Marie Antoinette after learning about her sad fate at Versailles. <BR> <BR>11. Marche aux Puces de Clignancourt - A huge flea market open on Sunday and Monday. We went on Monday and had a great time. After you pass the cheap clothing and trinket stalls you come to winding back streets of French antiques that seem to go on forever. <BR> <BR>12. Rex club - This was a fun dance club that my daughter and her friend went to in the 2nd district at 5, Bd Poissoniere. They were excited to go to meet other French teenagers and they said that they felt very safe there. <BR> <BR>13. We loved discovering shops and sights along the streets of St-Germain and the Latin Quarter. As well as eating at the cafes and people watching! <BR>

14. Disneyland Paris - I tried to talk my daughter out of this but she wanted to go with her friend to compare it with the American ones. It’s cheapest to go by train but I opted for the Paris Vision bus because I thought it would be easier for them and more relaxing since I was not going with them. Boy was I wrong! The bus was to meet at 7:00pm and leave at 7:15 to return to Paris. The girls got there at 7:08pm and the bus was gone. The driver never counted the people! After a wonderful day in Disneyland, they were crying and confused. Then a French boy kicked my daughter’s friend in the arm with all his might because she was ignoring his advances! (she had a terrible bruise from this!) Crying even more, they hopped a taxi to get away and had to spend 500FF to go back to the hotel. This was our last day in Paris and was not a good way to end the trip but at least the girls had good memories and photos of the rest of the trip. <BR> <BR>Some other regrets - Never saw the tapestries and medieval art at the Cluny Museum, go in Sainte-Chapelle, cruise the Seine, see Cite des Sciences, or the Pompidou Center. The girls never got to participate in the Friday night roller blade marathon along the streets of Paris, because I waited too late to rent their skates and the shop was closed! <BR> <BR>If anyone wants more info, please feel free to e-mail me.

Hey, it worked! I got it all in!

Dianne, thanks for the great report! I often recommend Hotel des Grand Balcons and I am thrilled that you enjoyed it! Welcome home, glad you had a nice trip.

Diane, <BR> Thanks so much for your report! Brought back a lot of memories. And what a surprise to hear Jim Morrison's head was stolen as there were guards around the grave when we were there. (Pere Lachaise was 1 of my very favorite places - especially on a Fall day with all the leaves in color.) <BR> When you stayed in the 6th, where did you eat? The hotel sounds good. We've stayed in the 5th because we like the eateries (ethnic, inexpensive - lots of places on Rue Mouffetard). <BR> Do see the tapestries at the Cluny when you return. Lovely & well-lit. <BR> Has anyone seen the puppet shows at the Luxenberg Gardens? Would like to hear details. <BR>Susan

Thank you for the excellent trip report! I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's unfortunate experience trying to get back to the hotel from Disneyland Paris- that's terrible but I'm glad it didn't ruin their trip. Did they like Disneyland? I know most people would not wish to spend their time in Paris this way but I am wondering because my sister who is 13 would like to go next time we go to France (well, she wanted to go last time but we didn't have the time).

About Disneyland Paris... <BR>I have never been to Disneyland Paris, but I have been to Parc Asterix. Parc Asterix is the French answer to an American theme park (like Disney) and it is based on the characters from the comic book series. We had a lot of fun there, and my friends have told me that it is 100 times better than Disney. So, if you want to do the theme park thing, but still immerse yourself in French culture, I would reccommend Parc Asterix. Most of the poeple who go there are French. <BR>You can get there by RER from Paris, and then hop a shuttle bus. <BR>Have fun. <BR>

Susan: In the 6th we ate at Cremerie-Restaurant Polidor, recommended by Rick Steves and Frommer, because it was near our hotel. It was good old fashioned French cooking but not as good as I thought it would be. We also ate at a very good inexpensive Japanese restarant near our hotel called Tokorama. I can't remember the name of a very nice cafe that we also ate at that we happened to pass near the Odeon metro on the corner! I had a big list of recommended restaurants in the 5th and 6th all planned out but found it hard and tiring to seek them out when sightseeing all day. We tended to eat at any nice looking cafe that we passed after checking the menu, or grabing a delicious crepe or sandwich at a small shop along the way. However, I'd still love to hear about other people's favorite restaurants for the next time that we go. I know that a lot of people rave about Les Deux Magots in that area. <BR> <BR>Kim: Yes, my daughter and her friend loved Disneyland Paris and said that their day was perfect until they missed their bus! My English brother-in-law, who we met in Paris, thought they were nuts when they said that they wanted to go because he said that most English people prefer the American DisneyWorld. <BR>It was an interesting experience for 2 American girls! I just wish that I would have sent them on the train instead of the tour bus. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Joycelyn: Yes we had heard of Parc Asterix and my daughter was interested in that too but opted for Disneyland instead. We will remember that park next time we go if my daughter has the urge for an amusment park again! However, she'll be older and may not want to go to any. Next time, she says that she wants to spend more time in the Louvre. I was surprised that these two teenagers loved the Louvre so much that they said they could have spent days there!

Hi Dianne, <BR> <BR>Great trip report! Sounds like you all had a great time, with the exception of the return from Disney. Live and learn, I guess. <BR> <BR>I'm glad you liked Balcons. I did make reservations for my return to Paris in October. They have a same day arrival cancellation policy, so we're pretty much set. I hope to get the same room that I enjoyed last year! Did you get a room facing the street? <BR> <BR>Next visit you'll definitely have to go to Sainte Chappelle, my favorite Cathedral! We hope to go there for an evening concert, but will have to make arrangements when we get there. <BR> <BR>See you soon! <BR> <BR>

Im going in Sept.with my husband. How did you get to Giverney? Iwould love to go .He has trouble walking. Did you take a tour? How do you get Musee d'Orsay tickets ahead of time? We're staying at the Hotel Chomel any one hear of it?

Hi Key Collie, <BR> <BR>re: Giverny - just rent a car at Charles de Gaulle, it's only a 60 mile drive. Then you can go to Les Andelys, too - which is about 7-8 miles from Giverny. This is the ruins of a 700+ year old fortress built by Richard the Lion Hearted. it overlooks the Seine and the views are stunning. <BR> <BR>now, if your husband has trouble walking, I don't know what to tell you re: the fortress... you can park farly close but you'll have to go up a bit of a hill to get to it. <BR> <BR>Beth

Hey Monica - Glad to hear that you are staying at the Balcons again. I really did like the area thanks to you and Thyra recommending it to me. Yes, I did get a room facing the street. Our room was small which was fine with us, but I found out that if you pay a little more, you can get a bigger room. That's why they have that price range. They also said that their rates were always the same no matter what time of year is is. <BR> <BR>Key Collie- We didn't take a tour to Giverny. We took a train from St-Lazare station in Paris to the Vernon station. Then from Vernon you can take a shuttle bus or take a taxi at the taxi stand just in front of the small train station. Girvery is 3 miles from Vernon. We took a taxi because we would have had to wait too long for the shuttle and we had to meet a friend in Givery. It's all very easy and it is all explained when you ask for a round trip ticket to Girverny at the station. You will be given a schedule of the shuttle buses. The gardens and Monet's house are easy to walk through except for the stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms. There is also a nice little restaurant there to relax in and a sandwich bar. However, if you prefer a tour, I know that there are nice ones because I saw them advertised in the many tour bus brochures at our hotel. <BR> <BR>For Musee d'Orsay, we didn't buy tickets ahead. We bought the museum pass that allowed us to enter the museums without waiting in long lines. It's well worth it and you can but them at any participating museum (we bought ours at d'Orsay). My daughter and her friend got in free to most because they were under 18 years old! <BR> <BR>I haven't heard of Hotel Chomel. What arrondissement is it in?

Dianne - A wonderful review of your trip - please see my message re: teen entertainemnt (probably in the Europe section, I haven't figured out how to post to the France section alone). I look forward to your comments.

Dear Dianne - Your message was great! I can't tell you how much I learned. Please review my question on the Europe page (thought it was on the France page, but no), regarding teens in Paris. I think you have a lot more to say than was in your message! <BR>

Diane, great report on paris. We are planning a trip in September and I was curious if a metro pass is a good investment or is most of the tourist places within walking distance to each other.

Martha- I found your question on teens and I posted a reply. Hope I helped you! <BR> <BR>Curious- We were all set to purchase a metro pass but decided on the 10 ticket carnet instead because it was more economical for us. Mainly because we only used the metro 1, 2 or 3 times a day. You can save a lot by buying 10 tickets at once. Towards the end of our stay we bought 10 and split it among ourselves. Each district in Paris has so much to see, so if you plan your sightseeing by districts, you can walk to most places once you are there and then take the metro back to the hotel. Sometimes (but rarely) we took a taxi if we were late getting somewhere. It was very easy getting around by metro and we became experts at it! I miss the hustle and bustle. <BR> <BR>

Can not find any information on the Internet regarding the Balcons Hotel in Paris. Can anyone help me in locating it so i can see/get more information about this property? <BR>Thanks