livelyin

hi all

We are three adlults and one infant planning to go to paris for 4 days from 19th of august.

We would like to have recommedations for cheaper accomdations, we prefer a accomdation with kitchen which will be useful for the kid

Also suggestions to see around, what all we can cover.

We are originally from India and presently living in Budapest

please guide us

adrienne

You'll want an apartment if you want kitchen facilities; a studio should be fine for 4 days. There are many many threads here recommending apartments in Paris. You can start looking on vrbo.com. It's very short notice for accommodations but since it's August you might find something. You do not state your budget so it's hard for anyone to recommend something based solely on "cheaper."

livelyin

hi adrienne

thanks for the reply

i would suggest to go for around 120 Euro/night

iam already looking at vrbo.

my plan is for 3 days in paris and may be 2 days in Chateaux of the Loire Valley

is this ok

adrienne

If you've never been to Paris then 3 days is not very much time for the experience and you may not want to be moving around much with a child (how old is your child?).

Paris is a diverse city with so many options. In the heat you'll want to take advantage of the many parks and maybe the beach that is set up along the river.

Click on the word "destinations" at the top left of the screen. Fodor's gives good itineraries for short visits to cities and this will help ground you on how much you can accomplish in a day. I usually recommend 2 big things or 1 big thing and 2 smaller things per day. A big site would be something that is large with much to see (such as the Louvre or Orsay museums) or one that takes lots of waiting time such as the Eiffel Tower.

Decide on what types of things you want to see and focus on that. It may be outdoor activities, museums, churches, bike/walking tours. You'll need to give more thought to your focus and report back.

Michel_Paris

I'd skip the Loire Valley, just due to time contraints...Paris can chew up your time quite easily. If you need a castle fix there is always Versailles or Vincennes which are quite close to Paris.

If you do a search here for Paris appartments you will get a ton of recommendations and agencies.

livelyin

thanks for the comments

iam looking in VRBO for the options

my kid is 2 years now, she can walk around. We prefer to stay somewhere in a centre place and may be walkaround to some areas and others by transport.

someone suggestion was to go to Loire valley, i can skip that if paris would be good enough for 4 or 5 days

zeppole

Paris can sometimes have severe heat waves in August. I would want air conditioning, which may be difficult in your budget, but try to get it if you can. A lot of Parisians leave town in August, so I hope that improves your chances of getting a rental.

If you are driving up, ask the rental owner specifics about where you can park your car for free.

My recommendation would be to find your apartment first, and then plan a day that has you going farthest in the morning, and then coming back to near your apartment before or after lunch. That way you can have an easy trip back to your apartment in case you'd rather rest in the afternoon if it gets very hot. Paris is very beautiful at night, and at this time of year, it will stay daylight until late. So you can plan to go for many beautiful or exciting walks at night, either along the banks of the Seine where it is quiet or along the Champs Elysees with all its bright lights. Museums are often open at least some nights during the week, and they are less crowded then.

Churches are very cool places to go when it gets blazing hot. So are parks, and the riverside. And they are free. If you are interested in visiting museums, try doing it in the afternoon, when it is hot.

It is very cool and a great way to sightsee to take the public Batobus which is a boat that makes many stops along the Seine, from the Jardin des Plantes to the Eiffel Tower, with Notre Dame in between.

I've never been to the Loire area and don't know how much it would mean to you to go. But I think it will might be hard to find accommodations in your budget this late -- and you will need to book since you have an infant.

Enjoy your trip!

zeppole

PS: If you do a google search with words like "three days in paris" or "walks in paris" or "paris top 20" you can get a good idea of what's available and how much of it you want to attempt.

A two year old (and you) will love the parks. Be sure to take in the Luxembourg gardens where children sail beautiful toy boats. Your daughter will probably also enjoy the Metro and the buses as well as the Batobus.

But otherwise it can be tiring to walk around Paris -- maybe especially with a small child -- where streets are narrow and without sidewalks, and adults and traffic move fast. Fortunately, there is usually a park nearby for breaks.

zeppole

http://parisfrance.ca/attractions/toyboats.html

PamEwing

Hi Live -

I agree with Adrienne and Michel-Paris, spend your whole time in Paris and save the Loire Valley for another trip. That will give you enough time to visit a couple of museums, ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower, take a river cruise along the Seine, and take a day trip to Giverny to see Monet's garden and home and the palace at Versailles, if that interests you. My favorite museums were the Musee Rodin and Musee d'Orsay. Hope that helps, and bon voyage!

adrienne

With a 2 year old I would try to find an apartment/hotel that is near a park or playground. The Luxembourg Gardens has a children's playground at the southern end where your daughter can run around and play on the swings, etc. Normally one is not allowed to walk/play/picnic on the grass in Paris but there are some exceptions.

One recommendation is the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in the 5th (if you can't find an apartment). They have a garden with tables so you can buy food for lunch or dinner and eat it there. That would save money. There are many places for take out food on rue Mouffetard, just a few minutes away. If you choose this hotel ask for a room across from reception as the rooms in this building are larger. This hotel is also near the Jardin des Plantes. But I don't believe they have air conditioning.

http://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com/

Christina

I think you may have to spend more than that to find something. I think some people didn't notice that you have three adults plus the child, and I've never seen a studio that would allow that many people to stay in it. That's just a very low budget for four people, three of whom are adults. I don't know of any place for that many people for only 120 euro in central Paris.

I would stay in Paris, also, given the short time frame and maybe take all the money you would have spent on the Loire Valley and apply it to accommodations. I also think staying near a park would be a good idea, like Luxembourg Gardens, which is very nice. Parc Montsouris is also, and accommdations are cheaper down there, but transportation options fewer. I just don't know of any place that cheap for four people, let alone with a kitchen. Some place on VRBO might be your best bet, in a cheaper part of Paris.

livelyin

thanks for all the comments, i understand finding a staying place is important now

let me do that and update you guys for suggestions

livelyin

hey all

i found some intersting options in district 6. These are from VRBO and some are from other sites.

1. VRBO 37195 670 Euros
2. VRBO 190125 440 Euros
3. http://www.residences-paris.com/pont...-2nd-floor.php - 470 euros
4. http://usaparis.com/2P_DAUPHINE/index.htm - 550 euros

Can you please go through and suggest me which is better

The amount written is for 4 nights.

jetsetj

here is more suggestions if you need them.

www.francelodge.fr
www.ahparis.com
www.parisautrement.com
www.ApartmentParis.fr
www.regentsuites.com
www.2binparis.com
www.athomeinfrance.com
www.VacationRentals.CyberRentals.com
www.OwnerDirect.com
www.everymantravel.com
www.rendez-vousaparis.com/links.html
www.my-apartment-in-paris.com/en/links.php
www.parisvacationapartments.com/links.html
www.vacationinparis.com/links.html
www.mycityflat.com
http://www.yourstudioinparis.com/ren...aris-links.htm
www.parisapartmentsearch.com/parislinks
www.parisapartmentsearch.com
www.apartrental.com
www.yellowflat.com
www.elzevironze.com/links.htm
www.welcome2france.com/?links
www.parisbestlodge.com
www.elzevir.net/parislinks.html
www.france-apartment.com
www.ucparis.fr/paris_links/useful.html
www.apartment-rentals-paris.com
www.rentals-paris.com/parissites
www.only-apartments.com
www.ParisAddress.com
www.nyHabitat.comParis
www.VacationInParis.com
www.my-Apartment-In-paris.com/Apartment
www.ApartmentParis.fr
www.theparisapartment.com/links.html
www.christoph-grandt.com/paris.html
http://www.accomodationsrome.com/Ren...aris/index.htm - www.fanpop.com/spots/paris/links/2579785
www.luxury-apartments-paris.com
www.rentals-paris.org/links.html
http://www.break.com/.../Our-apartme...nt-681501.html
www.absolutemarais.com
www.feelparis.com
www.parisfurnishedapartments.com
www.paris-paris-paris.com/apartments
http://www.parisreference.com/appart....php?refid=148
www.24paris.com/links.html
www.rentaparisflat.com
www.parisia.com
http://www.justfrance.org/france/par...apartments.asp
http://www.parisluxurytours.com/link...tsforrent.html
www.welcome2france.com
www.perfectlyparis.com

livelyin

i have checkedmanjor of the website

as suggested i found something in 6 and talk to the owner.

The final price is 600 euros all inclusive for 5 nights

is this worth, can i close the deal, the webaddress is as below

http://usaparis.com/2P_DAUPHINE/index.htm#

livelyin

hi now that i fixeed up the dates, suggest me a itineary. The place i will stay is nearby Saint Michelle, Norte Dame.

iam there for 4 days, my rough itineary is something like this

Day 1 WED NIGHT - walk through the river, Norte Dame
Day 2 THU - one day tour, sienne river cruise, batobus, eiffel tower for the evening and night.
Day 3 FRI - La Vileete, LE Lovure, Le Marias, Beaubourg, Gare Du Nord and Gare de EST
Day 4 SAT - Moulin Rouge, Opera, Parc Monceaue, Arc ce Triomphe, Concorde
Day 5 SUN - Pere lachaise, REpoubliquye, Basille, Garede lyon, Place d italie, Luxembourg

Is this something workable, please suggest the changes

Christina

I think you did an amazing job of finding a place so quickly in your price range, especially since the notice says it is usually 160 euro a night. It is a very convenient location, so I wouldn't wait in booking it, if you can and that is the full price.

I'm not clear on some of your itinerary. What one day tour are you taking on Thursday? I think most of those city overview things take about half a day, so other than that, it is okay, but you won't want to take a Seinne river cruise and ride the Batobus. Why the batobus?

I'd scrap the Villette for such a short stay, it's far out and will eat up time. Why do you want to go there? Do you just plan to tour the train stations (gare du Nord and Est)? Or do you just want to look at them, I'm not clear on that. I think Gare de Lyon is actually one of the most attractive from the outside. You can't do all those things in one day (day 3). So I'd drop Villette and the train stations, at least. I would not put two museums into one day when you don't have any on other days (I assume you mean to tour the modern art museum, ASA Beaubourg, as well as the Louvre?).

Day 4 is okay. Are you going to a show at the Moulin Rouge or just want to see it? It's not work going there just to look at it, it doesn't look like much nowadays. If a show, what about the kid.

Sunday is okay if you don't spend much time at these places but I'd drop place d'Italie, it is surely not an attraction (ugly modern buildings, a mall, etc -- it's convenient as a transportation point, but no attraction).

livelyin

hi

i have booked the apartment and all inclusive it is 600 euros.

Regarding the itineary all i wanted to do is, overview on the Day 1. May be i take the overivew in the morning and be there at effiel for the rest of the day.

Batobus i thought kid will enjoy, suggest me what i should do

Day 3 - villete goes off, Gare du nord i included since it is the indian area, so we are indians and would love to take indian lunch somewhere there. So the plan would be modern art musum, ASA Beaubourg and Louvre for the day with lunch or dinner at indian restaruant

Day 4 - moulin range i drop, can i include a trip to versailles instead of that and take other things for sunday. Versailles - you suggest sat or sun, which would be the best

Day 5 - d'italie is dropped, based on day 4, will plan day 5. May be any other place i left out in the schedule, please suggest me.

Please help me as this is the first trip on holiday for us.

livelyin

Do you recommed me to take any of the following

1. Museum pass
2. Weekly metro pass - which will cater for entire week. I reach there on wednesday, as per information i get, we cna buy that pass which is to travel in all metro tram and buses for zone 1 and 2. Carte Orange ??
3. Batobus - we would like to travel for the kid, should i pick up for one day or 2 day pass