Joan, so sorry to hear you had to postpone your trip(s) to Paris but glad that you're all set for next Autumn. I'm happy to report that my husband and I have been able to get 2 frequent flier tickets and we'll have 10 days in Paris in late September into October. As much as we'd love to rent a Paris Perfect apartment, even with their "sales" it's more than we want to spend on lodging. We also found that we loved Montparnasse area and we've found a lovely apartment through VRBO and are renting directly from the owners and hope for a better experience than we had last year with VIP!

I'm sorry our trips won't overlap! Maybe in 2011.

plafield,

I'm sorry that I will not be in Paris whre you are there, too.!

Glad you found a nice apartment in the Montparnasse area. It is a nice area with lots to do..great shopping!

Yes, you deserve a great stay this time, after the really bad experience that you had last year.

a bientot..

Joan

I have been mostly nailed in place due to family obligations since 2005, so no sympathy from me for a delayed trip! (I just want to annoy!)

Of course, I live in Paris, so being nailed in place is perhaps not as bad for me as it is for a lot of people.

I, too, have enjoyed reading Joan's posts from time to time, and we actually took her advice and spent a full month in Paris. What a wonderful way to experience a city.

My question for Kerouac, Joan, and others planning future trips to Paris is when to expect lower air fares for a flight next October. They seem to be hovering around $1000 rt right now, and I am not sure how long to wait. Opinions?

Air fares from where?

I have been seeing air fares for next month going for something like 530€ from San Francisco to Paris, which is pretty damned cheap for the west coast.

October can be worse or better -- who knows what the future has in store, since the fares change each and every day?

map,

I just bought my tickets for the month of November 2010. I live in Asheville, NC and I take the shuttle to ATL and then on to CDG. All via Delta and/or one of their codeshare partners. I used thier 'pay with miles' for part of the ticket and paid them the balance. My ticket total cost was $949.20 with all taxes. Never any of the good bargains from here.

Glad to read that you spent a month, too. Makes a difference, doesn't it?

a bientot...

Joan

Thank you Kerouac and Joan. We depart Kansas City for CDG, and so far, about the best rate I've seen is around $1000. I'll wait until early Feb. and then buy, assuming rates are about the same.

The longer stay makes a huge difference, and we have become much less compulsive about seeing everything. In fact, I've become much less of a planner and actually go with the flow part of the time! However, I still love good dining tips, and I always relish a bargain.

Cafe Constant was a wonderful suggestion, and we enjoyed a very nice lunch there sitting next to two friendly Parisian women "doing lunch." They recommended Les Clos Gourmets, or something close to that spelling. Will try that in October.

Thanks for your comments.