Hello! We could really use your help! My last thread fell off the board with no response. My wife and I have decided on Paris and some day trips vs. Paris & Rome. We will travel in September 2006. We have narrowed our hotel choices to:

Hotel le Tourville
Hotel de la Bourdonnais
Hotel relais bosquet

All are 3 star hotels that have strong reviews. Has anyone stayed at one of these hotels? Other questions:

1) It is only January, is it too early to book for September (a lot of smaller hotels already appear to be at 1/2 capacity due to the busier September bookings)?

2) Has anyone booked a package with Expedia, Travelocity etc. It appears we can save $ going this route vs. booking hotel & air seperate. Any ideas?

Thank you so much for the help. This is a big trip for us so all help is appreciated!

Most people would think it's a little early to book plane tickets more than nine months out, but if you see a good deal, there's no reason not to do so. There's another recent thread here about packages, and the general consensus is to break out the constituent parts and price them separately in order to see if you have a good deal.

In September, you might still need air conditioning. I'm pretty sure the Bourdonnais and Relais Bosquet have it, but I don't know about Tourville, so that's something to consider.

Hi jb - you can retrieve your previous message by clicking on your screen name, I noticed that it did have a response. I have no info about the hotels, sorry! And I usually book through the hotel not as part of a air/hotel package. But I've been there in September and it is a great time to visit!

Thanks for the help! CLS, being new to Fodors I had no idea you could click on the name to retrieve messages. I did have a good response. I appreciate the help!

jbjayhawk: &quot;<i>My last thread fell off the board</i>

Actually, threads virtually never fall off the board. (Well they do if Fodors deletes them - but that is a whole different story). They only fall off the first page. So now that you know about clicking on your name, in future when you want more response -- just find your earlier thread(s) and post something to it. That will bring the thread back up to the top.

Posting anything will do - even just ttt which means &quot;to the top&quot;

Sorry don't know those 3 hotels but at least others have helped you so you can find you other posts (click on your name behind author:___).

For me in Paris I would pick by location, all other things being equal. Do you have a map so you can plot where these hotels are and use that to help you decide?

I've read a bunch of reviews of the Tourville in recent years that suggest that it's noisy and the plumbing is bad. A very nice 3* hotel in the same area is the Duquesne-Eiffel. I've been staying there off and on for more than 20 years and have nothing but good things to say about it except that some Americans not knowing typical French room sizes might find some of the rooms a bit small.

I have some friends who stay yearly at the Bourdonnais. Obviously, they absolutely love it. They say the rooms are a very nice size compared to most French hotel rooms. And, they love the location as well.

JB, is this a first time to Paris trip? If so, you will find that wherever you stay in Paris you will be able to get to other parts of Paris easily on the Metro. It's not that far from point to point and the Metro is quick and fairly easy to navigate. Just hold on to your wallet (pickpockets).

Booking your trip this far in advance I would recommend travel insurance.

September is HIGH SEASON for visiting Paris. And, I would recommend booking both airfare and hotel accomodations forthwith. Back in November, I booked flights with 1800flyeurope.com non-stop Boston/CDG for $552, so can tell you it is never &quot;too early&quot; to shop like the dickens.

All of those hotels are quite nice. Though, if you can afford to splurge, check out www.parisperfect.com. If you'd rather economize, check out Hotel Muguet.

I would definitely advise against ANY Paris air/hotel packages. Believe me, I've shopped them and you can do better separately. Those &quot;better&quot; prices are NOT when you consider the inconvenient flight times, connections, out of the way and &quot;marginal&quot; hotels...

September is a busy time in Paris and most hotels are small, so booking early is not a bad idea. However, when you decide on your hotel, inquire about their cancellation policy. Most hotels won't charge if you cancel up to a few days before your reservation.

I've always booked air and hotel myself so cannot advise on their packages. Do you have the same choice in hotels with Expedia and Travelocity?

I booked an air + hotel package with Expedia to Paris and stayed at the Hotel de La Bourdonnais, and I was pleased with both Expedia and the hotel.

They have a selection of flights and hotels to choose from so you can avoid what djk just mentioned.

Subtracting the airfare cost that I would have paid if I just booked through the airline's website, I paid about 115 euro per night for a twin room in May in the 7th district with a balcony and view of the Tour Eiffel. I'd say I got a pretty good deal

jbjayhawk, we stayed at the Relais Bosquet in one of their &quot;superior doubles&quot; in 2001, I think it was. It was exactly as shown in the photographs on their web site, except to note that the room actually felt a tiny bit less spacious than the photo would suggest. (I suspect they used a wide-angle lens for their photgraphs.)

The staff were gracious and helpful, the room, although overlooking the street, was quiet, and it was bright, comfortable, and spotless. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, although we have since been trying out other parts of the city.

As you have probably determined, the hotel is well-located; rue Cler is just around the corner. It is a short walk to les Invalides, and the Eiffel tower is only a bit further. There is, of course, a Metro station near-by, but its name escapes me at the moment.

You might also try a search here for earlier postings on le Relais Bosquet. I'm quite sure I have seen other people comment on the hotel.

Anselm

.....Hi there:
We stayed at the Relais Bosquet in 2002.
We recommended it to friends who stayed
there in 2003. We were very pleased
with everything - especially the most
helpful staff.

A word of warning - this is a Rick
Steves fav. so I would book now for
a September stay.