Phyllis

I have plans to stay at the Brighton Hotel in Paris -- has anyone heard of or stayed at this hotel? Can I purchase tours and metro passes and museum passes before I leave the USA? Any and all comments greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Lee

<BR>Are you referring to the Hotel Brighton on the Rue de Rivoli? If so, I stayed there about 10 years..it's got a very small lobby and restaurant. The rooms are OK - not great decor but the bathrooms were huge with a wonderful giant bathtub! We paid about $80 per night but back then the dollar was stronger against the FF. The hotel is in a great location- <BR>across the street from the Louvre <BR>and nearby great shopping! <BR>Sorry I dont' have any current info. <BR>

Marcia

Metro passes and museum passes can be purchased at almost any metro station. The museum passes are good for different numbers of days. They are worthwhile if you plan well and get to more than one site in a day. If you have anyone under 18, they get into museums free. The passes are also good for monuments, but the freebie cut off age is 12 (i.e. the archeological museum under the plana of Notre Dame). The passes come with a wonderful compact fold out brochure listing all the subscribing museums, opening hours , days closed, etc. It's a great little booklet. <BR> I think you are supposed to have photos for the metro passes, but no one asked for it - maybe we were just lucky because it was August and unbearably hot so no one wanted to make any extra movements! <BR> And as far as I know, you cannot buy these in the US - but why would you. They're so handy to get in Paris. Also you can use mastercard or visa to buy them.

Boots

<BR>Phyllis, you can buy a week's pass on the métro and subway for 80 FF at a métro station or in a tabac. They are valid from Monday morning to Sunday evening, but must be purchased on Monday. They are a much better buy than a Paris Visite card. Ask for a Carte Orange Hebdomadaire, Zones 1 & 2. Take a photo with you. One cut from a snapshot will work. You show the entire thing to the driver when you get on a bus. You put the ticket through the turnstile when you use the subway. Be certain you return the ticket to the étui (folder) because you will use it all week. I buy them even when I am leaving Paris on a Thursday. I get my money's worth in three days, and they are very convenient.

Yvonne

You can buy the passes before you leave the USA, but you'll pay a handling fee so they're more expensive. Visit www.webcom.com/~wta/welcome.html. A good site to look at your museum options is www.intermusees.com. It is painless to buy the passes in Paris.