POWERPUFF71

Has anyone stayed at the Concorde Montparnasse hotel? Thinking of booking a "tour" with Club ABC and this is the best price option. Looks nice on the wesite. Not even sure which arrondissement it is in. the address is
40, rue du Commandant Mouchotte | Place Catalogne
75014 Paris | France
Is it easy to get around from this hotel? What is easier? train or taxi? Planning the trip for February. Looking to see the basic sites, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe, Louvre, Notre Dame, Opera Garnier house. Possible Sacre Coeur, Rodin Museum, Pantheon. How is the surrounding area? Are the neighboring arrondissements more affordable for meals?

Michel_Paris

14th arrondissement. Bit away from the centre, it owuld be a long walk to sites.

Do a Google on Paris, Place de Catalogne and you will get a map, including Metro stations. One metro line narby to Eiffel, another to Notre Dame.

Michel_Paris

Do not use taxi, use Metro or RER (commuter train).

Location is near one of bigger train stations. Also location of shuttle bus to CDG, if that is needed.

It will be a bit less touristy, so that might be OK. I like idea for first timers to be in a walkable arrondissements.

What is the tour?

Michel_Paris

www.ratp.com will give overview of public transit. Click on the British flag.

The green lines #6/ #12 (Pasteur Metro station near you) gets you to Eiffel and Louvre/Champs Elysee/Arc. Purple line #14 (Montparnasse Metro station) gets you to Notre Dame.

Rodin, could walk from Eiffel. Sacre Coeur..stay on green line #12. Garnier, could walk from Louvre or do a metro switch at Concorde, off of line 12 to line 8

You should look at a basic Paris map. Your location is southwest of the Luxembourg Gardens.

Michel_Paris

We can help you plan an itinerary. Tell us more about ABC. You are doing the 'Paris Your Way'?

Christina

It's fairly easy to get around from that location. That's a popular hotel with airline staff, and I think the Air France airport bus stops right there. I might want to be a little closer to a metro stop (Gaite is the closest) but it's not too bad -- about 3 blocks to a metro stop. That area is going to be cheaper than lots of other places for meals, if that's a big concern. Montparnasse station with metro stops is just a bit farther and gives you lots of options (although it is a big metro station so you may have to walk a lot for various transfers).

I'm not clear on what you mean about neighboring arrondisements and whether they are cheaper. Don't you have specific hotel choices, and if so, why would you ask about the neighboring ones in particular (which would be 13 and 15). Those are moderatley places areas, in general, but all of these areas are huge so it is most important you are convenient to a metro stop. A lot of package hotels in the 15th are not in the most convenient area, I think (more along the river, often). It would really depend what hotels you are comparing to.


The surrounding area has lots of shops, cinemas and restaurants, its a more modern area of Paris. It's not bad depending on your alternatives.

Michel_Paris

Travel to/from airport

http://www.lescarsairfrance.com/en.html

People here have liked the 14th, it is just not the closest. That being said, the Metro in central Paris is very good, so you will be able to move around efficiently.

If you do a search here, you can get some resto suggestions.

POWERPUFF71

Yes,it is the "Paris your way" tour. Only 3 nights in Paris so I want the most time saving and convinient transportation options. Probably 2 sites per day which we will organize by locations espicially the beautiful & quiant areas of Paris.
I am from NY/Long Island so I don't want to spend any extra time in a modern/city areas.

Michel_Paris

Very good. It will be a bit hectic on first day, since you will probably get to hotel and out of it by...noon.

So maybe a 1/2 day first day, day 2 day 3, part of day 4

You could group, as you say. Day 1, maybe lunch near hotel, Luxembourg Gardens, St Germain, over to Seine, wander along Seine, dinner in 5th/6th.

Day 2 Eiffel area, Rodin, over to Louvre, Champs Elysee, Arc
Maybe a night time Seine cruise.

Day 3 Notre Dame, St Chapelle, islands, head over to Right Bank and Marais area. End day at Sacre Coeur?

What sort of things interest you? Museums can eat up a lot of time

I try to do 2 things a day also. Last trip I did a couple of organized walking tours (Paris Walks). So I would have breakfast at local cafe, plan 1/2 day around tour, lunch before and/or after, and then a wander around neighbourhood.

Michel_Paris

There are soe nice smaller museums. The louvre can be overwhelming becasue it is massive. Marmottan, Orangerie, Jaquemart-Andre, Cluny (Moyen-Age),etc.. are bite sized ones.

Paris is a great walking city. So taking a good pocket sized-street map with Metro/RER stations on it, and you are set. A lot of Metro stations in the city, so you are never really far from one. I'd suggest just getting a 'carnet', which is a book of 10 individual tickets.

I tend to gravitate to the Seine, and on trips usually get ot it once a day.

You'll find a lot of restaurant sugggestions here. One thing I had to contend with my last trip was that, like you, I was staying away from the centre. So while I ate dinner nearby a couple of times, it was a hassle if I wanted to go back to hotel before dinner (to drop stuff off, do a foot relaxation) and then head off again.

But, staying a bit out means less tourists, less busy, easier to get into restos,etc. A different vibe.

Surfergirl

I'm a huge fan of the 14th and have a couple of friends who live in the area. You'll be closest to 2 of my favorite places (not that I'm ghoulish or anything) -- the Montparnasse Cemetery (say hello to Sartre!) and the Catacombs.

Great little restaurants in the area, from simple bistros to all the creperies to the higher end Le Dome (and its somewhat cheaper relative across the street). The Hemingway area.

AnthonyGA

The Concorde Montparnasse is on the Left Bank. It's in a nice area with many restaurants and cinemas. It is not close to any major monuments, but it is right next to a major railway station that also has excellent subway and bus connections, so you can get to other parts of the city very easily.

Do not take taxis within the city. Walk or take public transportation. Taxis are useful for getting to and from the airports, though. However, an Air France shuttle to and from the airports stops very near your hotel (because the Meridien Montparnasse is right down the street).

Restaurants in the area are plentiful and not expensive. It is not a touristy area, most of the activity is locals going to the movies or out to eat. There's a shopping center nearby, and the Montparnasse tower, which has a better view of the city from the roof than the Eiffel Tower. Public transportation can take you directly to the Latin Quarter, the Champs-Elysées, etc., or you can walk if you have time (about 40 minutes to walk to the heart of the Latin Quarter).

Overall it is off the beaten path but still pretty conveniently located.

Michel_Paris

Since you mentioned restaurants in the area, and Anthony mentioned the Tour...

http://www.cieldeparis.com/

This place is a good alternative to eating at the Eiffel tower, with views over the city and be easier to get a reservation.

Christina

The Meridien Montparnasse was sold, it isn't owned by Meridien any more, it's owned by Pullman. I've heard AF staff don't stay at Meridien any more, I think they stay at Concorde hotels, here and at Maillot.

Michel_Paris

Nearby, famous haunt in olden days. In your general area.

www.closeriedeslilas.fr


Le Dome Montparnasse and Le Dome Bistrot get good reviews.

POWERPUFF71

Michel_Paris'just chekced the website for http://www.cieldeparis.com/. they are closed for renovatiosn till April 2012. Maybe next time.

Michel_Paris

Ah, sorry about that.

www.chezfrancis-restaurant.com

AnthonyGA

The restaurant at the top of the tower and the observation deck are two different places. As far as I know, the observation deck is open.

However, the deck has recently been enclosed by a glass barrier, so I don't think I can continue to recommend it for the view. It used to be truly open. Given French standards for maintenance, I expect that the glass will become filthy and will stay that way, and in any case glass is always a problem for photography (a lot of people taking pictures at night are going to get nothing but photos of their flash units, for example).

AnthonyGA

Hmm, I had not noticed that the Meridien was bought out by Pullman. Pullman must have expansion in mind—just a few years ago they bought the Paris Hilton, almost fifty years after it was built in 1966. And yet they had sold some nice properties years earlier, such as what is now the Marriott Rive Gauche. I guess fortunes change. It's hard to keep track of things. Does this mean that the Meridien up by the Porte Maillot has been sold, too? I'll have to look it up.

KN2011

I stayed there two years ago, it is a very nice hotel.

As has been said prior it is not close to any major monuments but the metro is very convenient, I liked this hotel but when I go back this October I am positioning myself in the 6th much closer to the Seine.