Paris Hotel, Metro, and Cell phone advice sought
Dec 25th, 2007, 02:20 PM
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Paris Hotel, Metro, and Cell phone advice sought
Paris Metro,Cell phone and Hotel, advice sought for March '08 by an American Aunt with 17 yr old nephew.
Going on a one-week Museum Crawl. Seeking feedback on:
*Cheap but nice hotels as we'll each need a single
*Best arrondisment to stay and/or hang out in
*Metro weekly tickets including RER and bus; how to get?
*Cell phones; does Paris have an equivalent of U.S.'s pre-paid Trac phones?
*Reasonable dining options for a 40-something woman wanting to enjoy Parisian dining with a young man who will at least eat chicken~!
*Multi-museum passes available from?? I'd like to see the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, Quai Branley and ?? Am open to museum feedback and advice
*Other must-see ideas for a Wiz kid from WI? (That won't wear out his Aunt)
Many Thanks~!!
Going on a one-week Museum Crawl. Seeking feedback on:
*Cheap but nice hotels as we'll each need a single
*Best arrondisment to stay and/or hang out in
*Metro weekly tickets including RER and bus; how to get?
*Cell phones; does Paris have an equivalent of U.S.'s pre-paid Trac phones?
*Reasonable dining options for a 40-something woman wanting to enjoy Parisian dining with a young man who will at least eat chicken~!
*Multi-museum passes available from?? I'd like to see the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, Quai Branley and ?? Am open to museum feedback and advice
*Other must-see ideas for a Wiz kid from WI? (That won't wear out his Aunt)
Many Thanks~!!
Dec 26th, 2007, 12:09 AM
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Hi
Maybe you can get some ideas by looking at my Paris trip report with pictures and links http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . My wife and I went there in April last year
Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures
Maybe you can get some ideas by looking at my Paris trip report with pictures and links http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . My wife and I went there in April last year
Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures
Dec 26th, 2007, 06:49 AM
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Hm. Let me try and hit this one thing at a time.
Hotels: This is hard, b/c I live in Paris. The two times I came before we stayed in the 17th and in the 7th. The one in the 7th I would definitely recommend: called the Hôtel du Champ de Mars. I would contact them now if you're interested as they're quite popular with the Rick Steves' set (I admit, that's how I found them).
Arrondissement: There is no one "good" arrondissement-it depends on what you're looking for. Don't listen to those weirdos who say things like "only 1-8 are safe areas" etc. Generally, western Paris is more posh and eastern less so, but this isn't hard and fast. I live in the 20th, which freaks people out--"Do they riot there???" No. I love the 20th because it's so non-touristy. So just bum around.
Metro passes: OK, here's the deal. You can buy 10 packs of tickets for 11.10 euro or a weekly Carte Orange pass (ask for "Carte Orange hebdomadaire") for 16.30 euro. Get the Carte Orange! You can use it non-stop throughout the week. The only thing is you should buy it on a Monday to get the full value, but you can buy it any day of the week. Sneaky metro agents will pretend that they don't sell it if you come on Tuesday or Wednesday, but they do. Just insist. Or go to another station. The Carte Orange is nicer because you can use it on buses and the RER (also true with the tickets, but each ride uses up 1 ticket). In the RER you have to scan your ticket to get in AND get out. The Carte Orange just makes this a lot simpler.
Cell phones: I'm not really a technology person. You should find out if you can just switch the bandwith on your phone from the States--your telephone provider should know.
Food: Again, it's up to you. I would avoid the restaurants in the museums as the staff are usually surly and the food overpriced, but if you really are hungry, it's not bad! Near the Louvre, Le Fumoir is nice, but often you need a reservation. My absolute favorite place to eat is near the Sorbonne on the Rue de l'Ecole de Médecine (M Odéon, walk against traffic on above street when exiting Métro, you'll probably have to pull a 180). It's called Bistrot 1, but may still be listed as La Fourchette. Their food is great, well-priced, and, well, I'm drooling right now.
Museums: You can buy the Museum pass in most large metro stations--he won't need one (lucky) because under eighteen gets in free! (in most places) Just be sure he has an I.D. like a driver's license to show the museum people. I would also recommend the Musée Jacquemart-André (M Miromésnil). It's really amazing just to walk around and see that people actually lived in this place!!! Versailles isn't included on the pass and you'd have to get a special RER ticket to get there. Musée Rodin is a must as well.
Keep him full of cheese and I'm sure your WI kid will be happy. From one cheesehead to another.
Hotels: This is hard, b/c I live in Paris. The two times I came before we stayed in the 17th and in the 7th. The one in the 7th I would definitely recommend: called the Hôtel du Champ de Mars. I would contact them now if you're interested as they're quite popular with the Rick Steves' set (I admit, that's how I found them).
Arrondissement: There is no one "good" arrondissement-it depends on what you're looking for. Don't listen to those weirdos who say things like "only 1-8 are safe areas" etc. Generally, western Paris is more posh and eastern less so, but this isn't hard and fast. I live in the 20th, which freaks people out--"Do they riot there???" No. I love the 20th because it's so non-touristy. So just bum around.
Metro passes: OK, here's the deal. You can buy 10 packs of tickets for 11.10 euro or a weekly Carte Orange pass (ask for "Carte Orange hebdomadaire") for 16.30 euro. Get the Carte Orange! You can use it non-stop throughout the week. The only thing is you should buy it on a Monday to get the full value, but you can buy it any day of the week. Sneaky metro agents will pretend that they don't sell it if you come on Tuesday or Wednesday, but they do. Just insist. Or go to another station. The Carte Orange is nicer because you can use it on buses and the RER (also true with the tickets, but each ride uses up 1 ticket). In the RER you have to scan your ticket to get in AND get out. The Carte Orange just makes this a lot simpler.
Cell phones: I'm not really a technology person. You should find out if you can just switch the bandwith on your phone from the States--your telephone provider should know.
Food: Again, it's up to you. I would avoid the restaurants in the museums as the staff are usually surly and the food overpriced, but if you really are hungry, it's not bad! Near the Louvre, Le Fumoir is nice, but often you need a reservation. My absolute favorite place to eat is near the Sorbonne on the Rue de l'Ecole de Médecine (M Odéon, walk against traffic on above street when exiting Métro, you'll probably have to pull a 180). It's called Bistrot 1, but may still be listed as La Fourchette. Their food is great, well-priced, and, well, I'm drooling right now.
Museums: You can buy the Museum pass in most large metro stations--he won't need one (lucky) because under eighteen gets in free! (in most places) Just be sure he has an I.D. like a driver's license to show the museum people. I would also recommend the Musée Jacquemart-André (M Miromésnil). It's really amazing just to walk around and see that people actually lived in this place!!! Versailles isn't included on the pass and you'd have to get a special RER ticket to get there. Musée Rodin is a must as well.
Keep him full of cheese and I'm sure your WI kid will be happy. From one cheesehead to another.
Dec 26th, 2007, 08:07 AM
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Seeking feedback on:
*Cheap but nice hotels as we'll each need a single
Get an apartment... a one bedroom
with hideabed would do... more room
than a hotel an probably cheaper
than 2 single hotel rooms.
*Best arrondisment to stay and/or hang out in
Subjective but for me it would be
the 4th, 5th or 6th and the closer to the Seine the better.
*Metro weekly tickets including RER and bus; how to get?
Answered by previous poster
*Cell phones; does Paris have an equivalent of U.S.'s pre-paid Trac phones?
Google "prepaid cell phone,france"
and you'll find lots of choices including phones with airtime you can have delivered before you leave.
Usually a better bet to buy than rent...
*Reasonable dining options for a 40-something woman wanting to enjoy Parisian dining with a young man who will at least eat chicken~!
Search this forum once you decide
where to stay. We had not trouble feeding a picky 15 year old in Paris
this summer.
*Multi-museum passes available from?? I'd like to see the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, Quai Branley and ?? Am open to museum feedback and advice
Already answered... you can pick up
the pass at CDG or any museum. Places like the Conciergerie are good because they usually have smaller lineups than the Orsay or
Louvre...
*Other must-see ideas for a Wiz kid from WI? (That won't wear out his Aunt)
Do not miss taking a Segway tour! You'll both love it! Google 'segway,paris' for the address.
Bon voyage!
*Cheap but nice hotels as we'll each need a single
Get an apartment... a one bedroom
with hideabed would do... more room
than a hotel an probably cheaper
than 2 single hotel rooms.
*Best arrondisment to stay and/or hang out in
Subjective but for me it would be
the 4th, 5th or 6th and the closer to the Seine the better.
*Metro weekly tickets including RER and bus; how to get?
Answered by previous poster
*Cell phones; does Paris have an equivalent of U.S.'s pre-paid Trac phones?
Google "prepaid cell phone,france"
and you'll find lots of choices including phones with airtime you can have delivered before you leave.
Usually a better bet to buy than rent...
*Reasonable dining options for a 40-something woman wanting to enjoy Parisian dining with a young man who will at least eat chicken~!
Search this forum once you decide
where to stay. We had not trouble feeding a picky 15 year old in Paris
this summer.
*Multi-museum passes available from?? I'd like to see the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, Quai Branley and ?? Am open to museum feedback and advice
Already answered... you can pick up
the pass at CDG or any museum. Places like the Conciergerie are good because they usually have smaller lineups than the Orsay or
Louvre...
*Other must-see ideas for a Wiz kid from WI? (That won't wear out his Aunt)
Do not miss taking a Segway tour! You'll both love it! Google 'segway,paris' for the address.
Bon voyage!
Dec 26th, 2007, 12:24 PM
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Whoop, my bad. I actually haven't bought a museum pass in several years. 
Thanks for the correction. I'm not really Parisian anyway, so I'll admit to being wrong, ha ha ha. Here's the Conciergie site that lists the biggies, though I hope you don't try to hit all of them!!!
http://www.conciergerie.com/main.htm?O=PO
One thing I noticed on the list that might intrigue a 17 yr old guy is the Parc de la Villette Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie. Here's the link:
http://www.cite-sciences.fr/francais/indexFLASH.htm
An extremely popular exhibition is Zizi le Sexuel (ha ha ha!) but as it's aimed at 8-14 yr olds I think you're safe!
I don't know how much you've heard this or not, but you really must go to l'As du Fallafel in Rue des Rosiers (M St Paul). No substitute. First time I went there I didn't know what a falafel was. Watch out--they're insanely addictive. Good thing I don't live nearby.
This may be heresy and I don't know if anyone else will rip me for this or not, but Let's Go does a really great series of guidebooks for travelers who are on a budget but who want to have fun. Their hotel listings are frank and usually quite spot-on.
Thanks for the correction. I'm not really Parisian anyway, so I'll admit to being wrong, ha ha ha. Here's the Conciergie site that lists the biggies, though I hope you don't try to hit all of them!!!http://www.conciergerie.com/main.htm?O=PO
One thing I noticed on the list that might intrigue a 17 yr old guy is the Parc de la Villette Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie. Here's the link:
http://www.cite-sciences.fr/francais/indexFLASH.htm
An extremely popular exhibition is Zizi le Sexuel (ha ha ha!) but as it's aimed at 8-14 yr olds I think you're safe!
I don't know how much you've heard this or not, but you really must go to l'As du Fallafel in Rue des Rosiers (M St Paul). No substitute. First time I went there I didn't know what a falafel was. Watch out--they're insanely addictive. Good thing I don't live nearby.
This may be heresy and I don't know if anyone else will rip me for this or not, but Let's Go does a really great series of guidebooks for travelers who are on a budget but who want to have fun. Their hotel listings are frank and usually quite spot-on.
Dec 26th, 2007, 09:59 PM
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The Carte Orange is a great pass, but it isn't sold every day of the week. It's sold Friday-Wednesday for use Monday thru Sunday.
So if you buy it on Saturday, it won't be good until Monday. If you buy it on Wednesday, you have only Wed-Sun to use it.
If you just want a cheap cell phone to make 'check in' calls (not long-winded chats), look at the Mobal phones for $49 - no other charges except the per-minute rate (around $1.50/minute) that is charged to your credit card. We haven't spent more than $15-20 on calls on our 10-day trips. We have used it 3 trips over the past 2 years.
www.mobalrental.com
So if you buy it on Saturday, it won't be good until Monday. If you buy it on Wednesday, you have only Wed-Sun to use it.
If you just want a cheap cell phone to make 'check in' calls (not long-winded chats), look at the Mobal phones for $49 - no other charges except the per-minute rate (around $1.50/minute) that is charged to your credit card. We haven't spent more than $15-20 on calls on our 10-day trips. We have used it 3 trips over the past 2 years.
www.mobalrental.com
Dec 29th, 2007, 04:32 AM
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Ahh-hh, you all are WONDERFUL with your suggestions and feedback
I'm so glad I posted my questions - I never expected such specific and complete information. Thank you!
(Yes, I'll try not to gush like an American WHILE IN PARIS, and grin at everyone, but here...)
I will do the google searches and enlist my cheese-head nephew's help in looking into the Carte Orange, etc. We're arriving on a Thurday, so looks like we'll run into trouble with the M-F timeframe. Now to go back and re-read all the posts! You all are a gold mine!
I'm so glad I posted my questions - I never expected such specific and complete information. Thank you!
(Yes, I'll try not to gush like an American WHILE IN PARIS, and grin at everyone, but here...)
I will do the google searches and enlist my cheese-head nephew's help in looking into the Carte Orange, etc. We're arriving on a Thurday, so looks like we'll run into trouble with the M-F timeframe. Now to go back and re-read all the posts! You all are a gold mine!
Dec 29th, 2007, 04:58 AM
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There are tons of possible hotels, so hard to recommend something, but it would help if you really stated your budget. With a 17 yr old nephew, the Latin Qtr might be a good idea. I've stayed at the Hotel de la Sorbonne and that's a nice 2* hotel and a good location--pretty cheap. That's just one idea, it depends on what you want to spend. The Hotel Parc St Severin would be another good choice, but I believe it costs more. The Hotel Champ du Mars is a good choice as it is cheap and near convenient transportation, but I would prefer different areas myself.
As for the metro tickets, how to get them -- you go to a metro station and there are usually clerks at the window, at least at the major ones and during the day time. A few minor corrections to one of the above posts -- a carnet isn't really 10 packs of tickets, it is one pack consisting of 10 single tickets. YOu can read all about the tickets and passes on the Paris Tourist Info website, as well as other places.
Versailles is included on the museum pass. Conciergerie is a private, for-profit website, and I would personally go to the source and check the Museum pass' own website for best information, which is www.parismuseumpass.com It tells you where you can buy it (I don't believe you can buy them in metro stations any more) and the places it covers, prices, etc.
As for the metro tickets, how to get them -- you go to a metro station and there are usually clerks at the window, at least at the major ones and during the day time. A few minor corrections to one of the above posts -- a carnet isn't really 10 packs of tickets, it is one pack consisting of 10 single tickets. YOu can read all about the tickets and passes on the Paris Tourist Info website, as well as other places.
Versailles is included on the museum pass. Conciergerie is a private, for-profit website, and I would personally go to the source and check the Museum pass' own website for best information, which is www.parismuseumpass.com It tells you where you can buy it (I don't believe you can buy them in metro stations any more) and the places it covers, prices, etc.
Dec 29th, 2007, 06:51 AM
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Further insight into the transport issue: tinyurl.com/2fx9w3 Note particularly the Ticket Jeunes for nephew's Sat-Sun travel. Other than that, single tickets and Mobilis one-day passes are your best option.
All the RATP (transport authority) products are sold at the RER station in CDG-T2. For the Museum Pass, points of sale and included venues are outlined at parismuseumpass.com
All the RATP (transport authority) products are sold at the RER station in CDG-T2. For the Museum Pass, points of sale and included venues are outlined at parismuseumpass.com
Jan 2nd, 2008, 03:10 PM
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Thank you again for all the replies.
Re: hotels,has anyone used the website:
http://www.paris35.com/
It states, "hotels, hostels and apartments for 35€ per night."
Seems too good to be true. I was asked by several folks how cheap of single rooms am I hoping for; 75€ !?! (too low??) I checked the website Let's Go Paris, but it came up empty on descriptors "budget" and "cheap".
Hotel St. Louis on Ile St. Louis is 155€ per nigth. Hotel de la Sorbonne I have emailed, winter rate might be as low as 100€. Hotel Prince in the 7th arrondisment is 79€ for singles, but it IS in the 7th~!! ...and as evidenced by another chat thread on Fodor's, the 7th is quiet, rich, and except for Le Tour, an outlying area. I think I'd like to try the busier 4th or 5th as folks have recommended.
So any other hotel recommendations? (tiny, family-run joints are fine!)
I'm happy to do follow-up searching and emailing if any of you have names of hotels you've stayed at. And any feedback on above website appreciated.
Re: hotels,has anyone used the website:
http://www.paris35.com/
It states, "hotels, hostels and apartments for 35€ per night."
Seems too good to be true. I was asked by several folks how cheap of single rooms am I hoping for; 75€ !?! (too low??) I checked the website Let's Go Paris, but it came up empty on descriptors "budget" and "cheap".
Hotel St. Louis on Ile St. Louis is 155€ per nigth. Hotel de la Sorbonne I have emailed, winter rate might be as low as 100€. Hotel Prince in the 7th arrondisment is 79€ for singles, but it IS in the 7th~!! ...and as evidenced by another chat thread on Fodor's, the 7th is quiet, rich, and except for Le Tour, an outlying area. I think I'd like to try the busier 4th or 5th as folks have recommended.
So any other hotel recommendations? (tiny, family-run joints are fine!)
I'm happy to do follow-up searching and emailing if any of you have names of hotels you've stayed at. And any feedback on above website appreciated.
Jan 2nd, 2008, 03:30 PM
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That site is just a booking agency, and there are many hotels in Paris for 75 Euros or less per night. The booking should work fine, but you can always follow up with the hotel directly.
Two budget hotels in the 2nd (which is very central) are Tiquetonne and Sainte Marie. You can find more at http://www.eurocheapo.com/Paris .
Two budget hotels in the 2nd (which is very central) are Tiquetonne and Sainte Marie. You can find more at http://www.eurocheapo.com/Paris .
Jan 2nd, 2008, 03:51 PM
#16
I stayed at the Familia Hotel with my daughter in the Latin Quarter. Singles in your price range, according to the web site:
http://www.hotel-paris-familia.com/index.html
The Wiz Kid might be interested in the Musee des Arts et Metiers:
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/?lang=ang
Don't worry about the carte orange, since you won't be arriving the optimum day of the week. I have always done fine with carnets of ten tickets. Public transportation in Paris is inexpensive, and the difference in cost to you is pretty insignificant.
http://www.hotel-paris-familia.com/index.html
The Wiz Kid might be interested in the Musee des Arts et Metiers:
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/?lang=ang
Don't worry about the carte orange, since you won't be arriving the optimum day of the week. I have always done fine with carnets of ten tickets. Public transportation in Paris is inexpensive, and the difference in cost to you is pretty insignificant.
