Less than 4 weeks til Paris!
 

The countdown has begun!

Apartment - Check
Airport Transportation - Check
CooknWithClass scheduled - Check
Fodorite GTG - Check
Day with Michael Osman - Check

I am starting to get pretty excited about the upcoming trip. It's also turning into quite the social expedition. A friend from Australia was able to rearrange her schedule so that she will still be in Paris my first two days.

I'll get to see my friend who lives there, and hopefully her mother will come into Paris for a day. Her mother is fabulous and we hiked together in Australia, and have spent the day together in Paris before. My friend who is traveling with me also has a good friend and a cousin in Paris, so she will get to see them, and this will all work well so we have plenty of time together, and plenty of time apart as we see our other friends.

I'm not tightly scheduling every day. Rather, I have the above days scheduled, and have put together a little list of the things I want to see and when they are open, and will take things day by day. I want to take the approach that I will be back, and not rush around to see everything.

Thanks to those of you who don't even know you have helped me plan this trip! The Michael Osman contact, the reviews of CooknwithClass, the idea of the Promenade Plantee and the very interesting building to look for, and more!

Whoohoo! Happy for you. Hopefully the weather will be warmer to make it even better.

Don't forget to check back and let us know how things worked out.

Have a great trip, Toucan2!

If one can, two can do it better!

Same for us!!!! Can't wait.

What are you using for airport transportation? For the first time we are coming into Orly-should be interesting.

We are looking forward to meeting you.

klondiketoo, I'm packing the Cuddle-Duds (log underwear) just in case!

AGM, I'm so thrilled about the GTG.

I went ahead and arranged the transportation via the apartment rental agency. My friend and I arriving close enough together that I can wait for her at the airport and we can go together, sharing the cost. I will likely take the RER back to the airport as there is a stop across the street from the apartment.

Here is the info on the company that Paul sent to me:

Firstway. The price for 5 people is 95€ from the airport. The driver waits for you at the airport with a board with your name on it, then he helps you for the luggage and take you to the apartment.

We are generally between totally cheap (RER) and extravagant (cab) and take the AirFrance bus to the closest stop to our accomodations and take a cab from there. Maybe we will contract for a car coming in since we have such a long trip but our flight home is on a Friday so may RER that day.

No matter what you do, Paris just gives you a good feeling of being alive.

Have a great trip and we'll look forward to your trip report. Reading the TR's keeps the feeling going until the next afventure.

i deliberately look for accommodation near an RER B stop, so that we can walk from there to the hotel.

so far, this has worked very well.

Yay for you! Hub and I almost always traveled in March. Always took silk long johns and only wanted them the one time we forgot to pack them! Probably quite a range in temps though.

ok going to show my relative newness to Fordors.....what is Fodorite GTG?????

I wish I could be at the GTG,
will you still be there after the 14th?
Say hello to Michael and Scott for me.

HG- GTG is a get together

I wish you could too Mimi. I will be leaving the morning of the 18th.

It is possible I will still be in a slight bit of jet lag haze on Monday night at the GTG as I will have arrived Saturday and immediately spent a ton of time with my friend from Oz. So fellow Fodorites, forgive me in advance!

I forget when you arrive Mimi?

What do you have planned for your day with Michael Osman?

See you at the GTG! We arrive that day so you can't possibly be in more of a jet lagged haze than us ;)

Oh, true Patty, it's possible you will be much loopier than me. :-)

We haven't actually planned our day with Michael yet, I just wanted to make sure I booked him! We will be going out with him (or Scott) on Wednesday. There are museums I want to visit, and cemetaries, so we will put together a list soon and send off to him. Whatever we do I am sure we will enjoy.

So fellow Fodorites, forgive me in advance!>>

consider yourself [and indeed yourselves] forgiven.

Have fun! We did a half day class with Cookin With Class and absolutely loved it. I was going to book again with them last summer, but one of our traveling partners was on a major budget. I should have done it anyway, lol. We liked it so much that it is definitely on the list for next time, although a full day class. Which class are you taking?

Thanks annhig!

mms, we decided on the morning market class. I figure that when you take into account 5-6 hours, plus a four course meal, it's not really that expensive :-)

We arrive on the 15th and leave on the 22nd

Toucan--We did the macaron class. I think they are worth every penny.

Have a great Trip ahead. :)

And now I have a trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte planned! It opens the Saturday before we leave, and my friend who lives there wants to go too so we will have a fun outing with the kids.

I hope you have a great time in PAris. We are also going to there from March 11-17. I do have a request - I have been trying to reach Michael Osman for the last few weeks but to no avail !! and since you have booked time with him, could you please please do me a favor and ask him if he is available during our time there. I feel like our Paris trip will be incomplete without a tour with him ad I have had no luck in getting in touch with him. Thank you so much !

SMK2002, have you been using [email protected]? I know once my email went in his junk folder and he didn't realize it. I had to just send him an email with my local phone so I asked his availability for the rest of that time. If he comes back to me I will share that with you. I have booked him for the 14th.

Less than a week now!!!! See you in Paris is our mantra.

I know! The countdown has begun! I will even pack this weekend. I never do that, pack far in advance, but I leave early Friday am and this will be a busy week at work.

See you AGM!

It is just so exciting preparing for Paris! I love the little hand warmer things they sell in outdoor/camping stores. Great to have on a chilly or windy day. I just carry a set in my pocket or bag to use if I get cold.

Have a wonderful trip and can't wait to read the TR!

See you in Paris.

Packing? What would I wear for the week before I leave?

i'm like you Nikki. Pack the day before - even on the day if we are leaving later on [not the case this time].

still trying to decide how to plan our days - and nights! -

friday night is the comedie francaise [need somewhere to eat nearby]

saturday is Versailles or [need wet weather option] followed by dinner [where? somewhere nice for DH's b'day required]

Sunday is ? followed by the MATCH [rugby, France v England @ Stade de France] followed by?,

Monday is ? followed by GTG.

where has all the time gone???

I can't pack until I get a better idea of the temperatures so that means last minute. I have a list (somewhere??) of what I still need to do before we leave. Glad my DH remembered we need to stop the mail.

Ann, there is the Omnivore food festival Sunday and Monday, I'll be there Monday some time with Abby.

Nikki - i'd forgotten that. thanks for the reminder.

I work from home so generally wear yoga pants and t-shirts every day (don't hate me) so packing doesn't impact that so much. I generally go for layers, so hopefully I'll be okay. I do plan to pack Cuddle Duds, gloves and a scarf in case it is chilly, but can peel those off.

My week has filled up so quickly! That time is going to go by very fast. It's become rather more scheduled than I had hoped, but that will be okay too.

What is the Omnivore Food festival and where? I must go Google now!

PS, I did no packing today. it's not looking good for tomorrow either! Good intentions and all.

The trip sounds amazing. We are heading over at the end of April. Can someone tell me more about Cookingwithclass? Thanks!

2 days to go and this is how our plans are turning out:

<<friday night is the comedie francaise [need somewhere to eat nearby]>>
ok - i've now got the location of the comedie francaise fixed in my head -jardins royale, not difficult to find, i hope, - and there are loads of restaurants in that area. fine.

<<saturday is Versailles or [need wet weather option] followed by dinner [where? somewhere nice for DH's b'day required]>>
still vacilating, but tending to think that we will go anyway.

<<Sunday is ? followed by the MATCH [rugby, France v England @ Stade de France] followed by?, >>

st Denis is very close to the Stade de France, so I think it gets my vote. we can walk there for the match. probably have brunch first somewhere near the hotel.

<<Monday is ? followed by GTG.>>
musee cluny i think - it's one of the few that are open on a monday, and it's very close to where we are staying at the hotel Europe in the 5th.

then time to tart ourselves up for the GTG! hooray!

we're getting there!

Uh oh. Is tarting up required? New thread: how do I tart myself up to meet imaginary friends in Paris?

Tarting up? How cool! I will check my closet. Two days now!!

Sorry, miki and I won't be for the GTG.
it sounds wonderful but luckily at some points we
meet up with Abby and Nikki and Sandy and ED

Tarting up? Oops, may need to revisit the packing :-)

NHgirl, check www.cooknwithclass.com.

I can tart up when tarting up is required. 4 days for us!