Would like some recommendations on areas to stay in and hotels. Metro passes. Good tours etc. Book thru expedia etc. or on your own. Any help appreciated. Thanks! Joyce

Certainly I am not a Paris expert, but I book my own airfare with the carrier direct, then my own hotel with the hotel front desk. I would suggest somewhere 4th to 7th arrondisement as most central. I don't buy or book anything else until after I arrive.

Every place in Paris is a good place to stay...for someone. You need to provide more info.

Who and how many? Family with children? Senior Adults? Young gay single? Interests? Shopping? Nightlife? Museums? What time of the year?

People on this board are an amazing resource but you will need to do a bit of work yourself too. Newbie questions have been asked and answered before and you can glean great info from previously posted threads.

Go to "Search this forum" and type in Paris hotels or Paris metro then click "France" under "topic" and keep playing with the old posts for lots of info. Just keep trying different combinations of words for the search engine.

Also, don't forget to check out that hideous orange strip across the top of this site with Destinations and Hotels as a good starting point.

The main thing is to know your budget. How much pernight are you wanting to spend and is that for 2 people in one room?

Joyce,

There's a wealth of first timer information under the "Paris Superthread". Do a search and you'll find a wonderful thread with links to commonly asked questions.

I do what suze does, book my own flights and hotels, you must first decide which district you wish to stay in, then book your hotel, decide in advance which touristy things you want to do, then plan the rest of your time accordingly, dont waste time wondering each day what you will do, decide before you go, that way, you wont waste any valuable time.