Paris and
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this board and from what I have seen you are very generous with your advice. My husband and I are going to Paris the last week of June this year for a week. He thinks that a week in one place will be too much for him. I was wondering if a two or three day side trip outside Paris would be a good idea? From my recent research the Loire Valley sounds good. What do you think? If so can you recommend what to do in terms of renting a car or where we should we go, stay etc?

Also I would like the recommendation on a good hotel in either the Saint. Germain/Latin Quarter area or on the Ile de St. Louis. We are looking for a four star hotel that might have brekfast included in the price?

Thanking you for your replies.

Linda

I would rate the Loire and Normandy equally good. And maybe Burgundy (Dijon, Beaune) on a similar par, though I have never really traveled there.

For less than the cost of a car rental, you could fly round trip to Venice, by the way, on www.volareweb.com - - in case you have never been there...

But I am not trying to talk you out of splitting a short trip between two countries. All of the countryside of France is great.

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi,

With only a week, stay in Paris, with perhaps one day trip to Giverny, Versailles or Chartres.

Once he gets there DH will realize his mistake. Paris ain't Branson, MO.

There is only one luxury hotel on the Left Bank, and that's the Lutetia; it gets mixed reviews, depending on the room people ended up in. As far as I know, there aren't any luxury hotels on the Ile St-Louis.

As for breakfast, it's becoming more common to find it included with the room price, but not always. I understand from someone in the industry in Paris that it's actually illegal to include breakfast, but apparently hoteliers can say it's a package and get away with it.

One hotel in the St-Germain area that I would particularly recommend is the Madison, which is a 3* that would be a 4* if it had room service at times other than breakfast.

What are you looking for in a hotel in terms of 4*?

If the week includes the possibility of a weekend getaway, I would head out to Loire Valley or Normandy region. There are both rich in history and beautiful countryside; Normandy has the WWII connection while Loire Valley has all those beautiful chateau. Your pick.

We picked a rental car at the Hertz Rental Office located in the underground stores in the Louvre Museum. Wonderful staff.

Hotels in Paris typically include breakfast. Hotel Du Louvre is one recommendation, there are literary hundreds of hotels already posted in this forum. Which one appeals to your taste/budget? By the way, make sure the room has A/C!! :-D

Thanks for the great replies already.
We are Canadian and will already have to pay a huge premium on the Euro. We would like to treat ourselves with the hotel. I certainly know that something like the George V is out of our price range but I would like something with a nice view, a nice bath, a great area. I don't want to appear shallow but I like a few creature comforts and it is our 21st Anniversary. The suggestion about A/C certainly has been added to my list.
Linda

Please inform DH that a week in Paris will barely allow you to skim 1/2 the city. After a week, you'll come back thinking of all the places you didn't get a chance to see and planning your next trip there. I would not commit to any day trips at this point, you may decide against it once you get there.

I think how long you will be comfortable in Paris will depend on the way you like to travel and which sights you want to see. Have you done any sort of itinerary yet? During a 10 day trip, I usually take 2 day trips to somewhere near - Chartres, Versailles or Giverny. As mentioned above, these are very good day trips that go along with a stay in Paris.

Also agree with Ira - I think your spouse will like Paris and find that one week is not enough instead of the other way around.

Happy anniversary!

I too like creataure comforts, but you can get those in most 3* hotels--no need to pay a premium for the 4*. You might have a look at the web sites of the Hôtel d'Aubusson, the Duc de St.-Simon, and L'Abbaye. All three are highly thought of by picky people.

I'd strongly encourage you to book a room ASAP; July is a major month for tourists, and many of the good places might already be full. You can always reserve a room at a hotel that seems okay and then keep looking, just to have something on tap in case.

To add to Underhill's list try Relais christine, though for the time you'll spend in your room..try the Madison, Millesime,Vernueil or any other 3 star in the area.Just make sure it has AC

With only 7 days, I'd not leave Paris even for a day trip, but that is me. We've just made our 11th trip there and spent 2 weeks and saw things we'd not seen before..and we;re booked already for another trip this fall.

If you need a day trip Chartres, Versaille, Auvers-sur-Oise are easy.

I, too, recommend staying in Paris the whole time and day trip out. No additional hotels this way. Versailles can easily take up a whole day to see the entire site and my personal favorite, Rouen, is a great whole day trip. Chartres is a half-day assuming you go early - but be sure to take in Malcolm Miller's tour which may still start at 12.30. In a week you will just touch Paris.

I, too, think a week in Paris just scratches the surface, but if you do take a daytrip to Chartres, Malcolm Miller's tours are at noon and 2:45 p.m. Other easy daytrips include Versailles, Chantilly, Senlis, Auver-sur-Oise, and Fontainebleau. But really, Paris has more than enough to occupy you for a week. If you feel you must have a "bucolic" experience, take a trip down the Canal St-Martin.
I could be wrong, but I sense that you are thinking that you need to stay in a four-star hotel to get a sense of luxury, good amenities, etc. That's really not the case in Paris. You can find a lot of very beautiful hotel rooms with all amenities at very good prices if you look at 3-star properties, and save a lot of those Canadian dollars! We like the Hôtel Duquesne-Eiffel in the 7me, but there are lots of others suggested. Personally, I've always paid extra for breakfast, and in fact I hardly ever eat breakfast at the hotel, preferring to go to a local café for some ambiance with my coffee.

There aren't as many expensive 4* hotels on the Left Bank as the Right, but there are quite a few to choose from. I think l'Hotel is really the only one classified as 4*L, rather than the Lutetia. There are a lot of good 4* ones, though: Lutetia and Relais Christine, as noted, as well as Montalembert, Pont Royal (both near rue du Bac and more modern), Bel Ami (also modern), Aubusson, Relais St-Germain, Victoria Palace, Littre, Villa d'Estrees and the old Buci (modern, I forget what it is now).

Finally, there is a relatively new 4* just off Luxembourg Gardens, and I might give it a try, myself -- the Luxembourg Parc. It is near St-Sulpice and a great location, and was giving good rates because it was newly opened.

A lot of people on here have liked the Aubusson, of course. I've always thought the Bel Ami or Pont Royal or Montalembert looked good as I sometimes like more modern style and they have great locations. I think the Lux. Parc has good rates for its level in comparison to some others and is more traditional in style, but it's still 300-400 euro
http://www.luxembourg-paris-hotel.com/

sorry, I meant 200-300, and I thought 200 was probably not bad for that area

I think if Mr. Lindaann has decided 1 week is too long in one place it will be. Some of us get ansy when we stay in one place "too long" despite the array of goodies. So follow your instincts and pick one of the good places others have suggested for part of the time.

As you can tell by many of the replies, you could easily spend a week in Paris and not see everything.

However, in making your decision, consider what you've enjoyed during previous trips to other places, and what kinds of things you like to see/do. My husband and I love Paris, but when we've visited, we've always spent some time in Paris, and some time in the countryside. We like to have both city and rural time in the same trip.

If your week is actually more than that (a weekend on each end, plus the week days), you could easily visit the Loire, or even Burgundy (especially if you're interested in wine), Provence or the Dordogne (though I would advise more than 3 days at any of those places). We've visited all of those places (during different trips) in combination with Paris - the high-speed train is a great resource!

My parents stayed at the d'Aubusson in St. Germain; it seemed very nice, was a beautiful hotel, the interior courtyard was a great place to have drinks, and their room was spacious (we chose to stay at the cheaper, and less spacious, Le Regent down the street).

My boss raved about Montelambert on the LEft Bank, he said St. Germaine area...

Stayed at the Luxembourg Parc last fall and loved it. Has a large return clientele. Beautifully decorated rooms and bathrooms that have great showers. Lobby bar and library/lounge. Hotel is across the street from Luxembourg Gardens and a block from St. Sulpice.

A week in Paris is too short...especially if you want to eat nice meals. Remind your husband that nice meals take a couple of hours each in Paris, so lunch and dinner can easily consume 4 hours of your day...not to mention if you want to sit outside at a cafe and watch the world go by. Do the two of you like museums at all? You could spend hours at so many! Flea markets? Cemetaries? It's also pretty fun to just go watch a movie (look for "v.o.")..the ads are interesting.

topping while trying to decide on a Paris hotel