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Paris first visit to Paris
Hi - I am starting to research our first trip to Paris and need guidance from Fodor pros ...
Is late September a nice time to visit and which hotel area is best for walking and site seeing. Thank you! |
Late September is a great time to visit but it is a very busy time. I am having trouble finding the accommodation I want earlier in the month. Airfares have traditionally been lower in October. Any chance you can wait?
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Yes we can wait until October. Which area do you think would be the best for first time visitor.
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Late September is a good time but Paris is very crowded in September with a lot of fashion and trade shows so hotels can be hard to find. We like the 6th Arrondisement but that area is especially busy. We will probably go in early October and rent an apartment. I wouldn't recommend an apartment for a first visit. Staying in the 1st - 8th Arrondisement will make walking to many attractions easier.
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This is very helpful thanks for suggestions.
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Paris has an excellent Metro system, so almost anywhere will be easy to get to the sights. We use the metro for long trips across town, but prefer the buses so that we can look around as we drive thru the different areas.
Some of our favorites: Hotel de Fleurie http://www.hoteldefleurieparis.com/hotel.html Hotel du Champ deMars http://www.hotelduchampdemars.com/ The Muguet http://www.hotelparismuguet.com/ The Relais Bosquet http://www.hotel-paris-bosquet.com/ Those are just ones we have stayed at . . there are hundreds of others |
I don't think it makes that much difference if late Sept or early October, it is busy both times, there are usually trade and fashion shows in early October also. That's a long time away, also, so it's just a matter of whether you get a hotel or not, if you can, it doesn't matter. If your air fare changes in October and you like that, both would be fine times.
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Thank you very much, this is a great start to a fun week!
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The 6th is not cheap, but you will be generally within walking distance or a quick bus ride of just about any place a first time visitor might want to go.
You can begin by looking at Bookings.com which allows you to search by District ( arrondisement) and price. I have also had good luck with Venere, an Italian search engine. You can use the search box here in the upper right corner to find reports on particular hotels or you can come back here. Just a few general points. Don't overplan, especially if you don't live in a big city. It takes time to get around and to get served in restaurants, and you don't know any of the rules when you go shopping. No more than one museum per day, no more than two sites, and they have to be close together (Eiffel and Invalides, for example but not Eiffel and Notre Dame). Buses are a great way to see stuff while resting your feet. You room will be smaller than you expect, and even US brand hotels (Holiday Inn) may not have ice. You will have a wonderful time. I envy any first trip to Paris or second or thirty second! |
Joy2 - what is your budget?
are there any sights that you particularly want to see? how long are you planning on staying in Paris? |
Thank you is much for all of the great advice. I am so excited! Not sure about the budget... We usually try to stay in a four star hotel. I'm thinking we will stay 7 nights. We live in Boston and are very comfortable in a large city. We will definitely do only one museum per day and mostly enjoy walking and dining. Open to all of your suggestions!
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Several of the main sites also let you book tickets online, so that saves some queuing time & allows you easier access on entry. There are some evening openings you can take advantage of, which also maximise your time each day (eg in early Oct I am taking my Mum this time, so I'll buy online tickets to a 7pm Sainte-Chapelle concert, as well as tickets to the Thurs evening session at Musee D'Orsay). We are staying at Hotel du Champ de Mars in the 7th, as recommended earlier by Rich, but when we booked a couple of weeks ago, it was already almost booked out for our week (it's only small). But many people will have other hotel recommendations for you (I also really like Le Muguet or L'Empereur) - but just remember Paris hotel rooms are rarely large, even the four star properties!
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Joy, just so you know, the hotel star rating system in France is totally different from that in the USA, so when you say 4-star you could easily, in France, be talking about a place with conference rooms, a gym, front desk staff who speak Russian, and an elevator.....but zero charm. Forget about the stars for the moment.
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October also brings many shows, and hotel bookings are slim and high priced.
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also, if you are staying for a week or so, do consider staying in an apartment. you say that you are comfortable in big cities, and with the help of a decent guide book [or 6], the internet, and the help you'll get here, you could probably manage very well without a concierge.
An apartment gives you more space and the freedom to eat at home; with all the lovely take away food available in Paris, you wouldn't need to cook at all. it's a good idea to try to group the places you want to see together, so you cut down on the time you spend between sights -eg Notre Dame, and St Chappelle. but also bear in mind the a transport links available - for example you can get the batobus along the Seine so that can link the Eiffel Tower with Notre Dame. The other thing to remember is that museums and galleries may close on certain days - THe Louvre on Tuesday, the Musee D'Orsay on Monday. Finally, consider a museum pass at least for part of the time you're in Paris as it will cut down on the time you spend in queues at popular sights. |
September is the best month of the year to visit Paris.
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We were in Paris in late Sept for 7 nights 2 years ago and it was beautiful. It was our first time there and we stayed in an apartment in the Marais. We paid 140 euros/night which was way less than what most appealing hotels in good locations charged. I would definitely do the same thing again. We like to walk and went most everywhere by foot but also took the metro a few times. Have a great time!
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We enjoy staying at the Millseime Hotel in the sixth. The concierge is always helpful and the breakfast is a great way to start the day, The coffee is delicious as well.
You just go out the door and Paris is at your feet. |
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