Paris in December
 

I've purchased a gotoday.com winter special for early December in Paris. The hotel included is in the 15th arrondissment, near the Convention metro stop.

2 questions - is there anything to do in that area...any place to eat?

and how long will it take to get into the area where most of the tourist sites are located - such as the Louve, Notre Dame and the Eiffel tower - from the Convention metro stop?

any other advice anyone might have will be appreciated, too - neither of us has ever been to Paris!

Hi,
Paris has a great public transportation system. If you go to

http://www.ratp.fr/index_eng.htm

you will be able to get directions from your hotel to anywhere else.

Convention is only a few metro stops past Montparnasse, and it's a nice area that is more residential than tourist. At 14, rue Cauchy, you have a very good restaurant called Durand-Dupont. Several other bistros and brasseries in the area--beware that some do not open on Sunday. You will find food and book street markets there. By metro, you are about 15 minutes away from places you named and typically December is not a month for strikes.

Friends of mine living in the 15th arr. rave about this Italian place. Personally, I've never made it there, but I absolutely trust these friends.

Le Grand Venise
171, Rue Convention, 15th
Tel. 01 45 32 49 71

Reservation recommended, especially for dinner.

When you have to change metro lines (which you will have to), do it, if possible anywhere, but at Montparnasse stop. Huge and pretty confusing, if you're not used to the Paris metro system. Smaller and more convenient stops to change would be Sevres-Babylone, Pasteur, Raspail.

We stayed at a small family-run hotel on rue Olivier de Serres in 1997. I enjoyed being in a neighborhood that was not in the center of things. I recall there being 2 or 3 brasseries or cafes on the corners by the Convention metro entrance, as well as a small carrousel. Picked up a few items, fruit, Cokes, etc. from the local (small) grocer. Got new insoles (liners) for my shoes from the local shoe repair guy. Husband said he 'found' a nice park (George Brassens?) nearby, but I didn't get to see it. It feels kind of neat (to me, anyway) to sit down on the Metro after a full day and say "let's go home", meaning we've put the day's activities behind us and are heading back to a different-feeling environment for the night.

THANKS!
I feel better already with the choice of the 15th arrondissment.
now I'll start working on the itinerary - so much to do in just 6 days!
kathy

Kath
I swear buy Patricia Wells log on to her site www.patriciawells.com to view her resturant reviews, I believe several are in the 15th.
Viva la France
Fluffy

You might want to check out a fish restaurant in the 15th. Autour du Mont, 58, rue Vasco de Gama Tel (01 42 50 55 63) Metro: Porte de Versailles

I've enjoyed Paris in all seasons. After my first winter visit I learned the following: be prepared for bone chilling cold, +/or precipitation! Bring a pair or two of silk long underwear, maybe even long sleeve silk undershirt if you are particularly cold sensitive. I like those better than the thicker, waffle-weave insulated kind. Dress in layers, and bring (or buy there) a collapsible umbrella. Remember a hat, scarf and gloves, too.
With this bit of preparation you should have a great time. One of my favorite things is to visit Versailles - not the chateau, but the town itself - as the merchants get togther and decide on a theme for the season and all decorate accordingly. I've found quite a few cool gifts there, usually at better prices than in the city.

I was in Paris this past December and had a great time. It is a beautiful time to go. I don't know anything about the 15th Arrondisement. I really enjoyed the store displays for christmas (especially Galeries Lafayette), a good excuse for hot chocolate and hearty meals and no lines at the museums. Also December is a good season for ballet, opera and theater. Look at www.timeout.com in the Paris section a few weeks before you go to see what you might be interested in. Enjoy!