eyemom84

My DH and I are planning our first trip to Paris.
We are foodies in our 50s, enjoy museums, architecture, & history.
I am now trying to decide where to stay regarding area & apt/hotels.
I would, of course, prefer a different time of year but decided to seize the opportunity!
Are there day trips you would recommend that time of year?
Any other recommendations?

nytraveler

How long will you be there? Do you know when - early Oct will be very different than late Nov.

There are many day trips based on your interests.

I always think first-time visitor should stay in a hotel to get the benefit of advice from Concierge or front desk staff. But if you really want a kitchen an apt can make sense (I don;t cook at home, never mind on vacation so the need escapes me).

RonZ

As history buffs, you would enjoy a visit to the Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, which was the inspiration for Versailles. See details on the web site.

Have lunch or dinner at Le Souffle.

Start with the escargots, the scallops or a tomato and basil or other souffle; then the duck with peaches, which is sensational. Finish with a Gran Marinier or Peach and apricot souffle, each served with a bottle of the liqueur. 36 Rue du Mont Thabor, across from the Tuilleries. Reservations essential.

http://www.lesouffle.fr/

adrienne

Two months in Paris - I'm jealous!!

In addition to the very good suggestion of Vaux, you can visit the cathedral in Chartres or Versailles or Fountainbleau. A great cathedral closer to Paris is St-Denis.

For that length of time I would stay in a apartment which would save on meals out and give you the convenience of a late night snack or cup of tea. You won't have a hotel concierge to advise you but you can always stop in any hotel and ask a question. And if you bring a laptop or tablet you can get on the internet and get your questions answered.

Where to stay - it depends on your budget. Most first time visitors to Paris stay in the 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7th arrondissement because they are close to the river and many sights. Accommodations here will be more expensive. You can try looking for apartments in the 14th where there are fewer tourists but many cafes and restaurants and nightlife.

eyemom84

I WISH it was 2 mos.! No, just 10 days (first week of November). I wasn't sure of the dates when I posted this morning.
I think that a hotel will work best for such a short visit and I think in the mid to upper price range will work best. DH likes his luxuries so we compromise. I care most about making memories and I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time.

StCirq

While I think Vaux is a wonderful site, it's just one of thousands of historical places of interest in and around Paris. With only 10 days, I'd plan on one or two daytrips, one of which might be Vaux, but there's also Fontainebleau, Versailles, Chantilly and Senlis, Auvers-sur-Oise, Chartres, Giverney, Compiègne, Ile des Impressionistes, Saint-Denis, St-Germain-en-Laye....there are dozens and dozens.

Mid- to upper price range can mean different things to different people. For appropriate suggestions, it's best if you actually name a price range, in dollars or euros.

Judy

For 10 days I would seriously consider an apartment. My husband and I like hotels for shorter stays but, once we are staying somewhere for a week or more, really appreciate the space of an apartment.

Perhaps we are unusual but I tend to wake earlier than he does. In a hotel, I try to stay in bed longer or get up and take a book to the bathroom and read. In an apartment, I get up, close the bedroom door and make coffee, watch the news or just open the window and enjoy the morning....all without disturbing him. Likewise, if he wants to stay up late and watch TV, he can do so without disturbing my sleep.

Paris has many luxurious apartments.

denisea

Take a look at Paris Perfect apartments. We loved being in an apartment.

We loved Reims for the Champagne and the cathedral! Easy TGV ride from Paris.

There are some great boutique hotels in the 6th around St Sulpice/Odeon....Espirit St Germain, Relais St Germain and Hotel Odeon St Germain are a few to look at. We love this area of the 6th. The metro and bus stations are very close and my favorite pain au chocolat are near by at Gerard Mulot.

StCirq

I am a huge fan of renting apartments/villas/houses, etc., iin Europe, but I do think that first-time visitors may need a "helping hand" to figure basic stuff out. I hardly ever use the front desk of a hotel for info, but even as a super-frequent visitor to Paris have had situations where it was just easier to go to the concierge and ask for guidance on something than figure it out on my own (I do have the advantage of having stayed at the same hotels in Paris dozens of times over the years, so they are invariably really helpful to me). For a first visit, I think the OP would do better with a hotel. Nothing like being able to go to the desk in the morning and ask for help with...whatever. In an apartment, you're forced to figure it all out on your own (which isn't a bad thing, just more challenging, especially if you don't speak the language).

Just my two sous.

TPAYT

Here's our favorite apartment agency to work with. Fantastic apartments and service. Most on Ile St. Louis, our favorite location right in the middle of things. Their office is steps away to help you with anything you wish.
http://www.guestapartment.com/

Our favorite hotel is The Madison on St. Germain. Pricy but a great location.

Start reading the Paris posts and trip reports. There are so many Fodorites who love Paris and who chat about it every day. You will get a lot on valuable information right here.

Ackislander

This is a great time to go. Few crowds except in the most touristed spots, and I have always been comfortable in a blazer and shirt, though it is very likely to rain once or twice and you need to be prepared for that.

I second Judy on renting an apartment because my wife and I have differences in rising time. There is no greater luxury for an early riser than the ability to make coffee on waking, and there is no greater luxury for the late sleeper than someone popping across the street to bring home fresh croissant or pain au chocolat, still warm from the oven.

Gretchen

Another vote for a hotel and most especially for first timers. We have loved the Muguet. They have breakfast in the lobby if you want it or you can walk a block and a half to rue Cler and have coffee and a croissant at a cafe and watch the market street come to life.

mamcalice

Ten days in Paris is wonderful! You have a great opportunity to get to know the city. I am of the "hotel for a first visit" camp. We have been many times and love staying in apartments but used hotels for the first several visits and had wonderful help from the front desk staff. There are so many instances where their assistance saves time and money and helps you find what you want.

We like the left bank. There is a discussion on this forum of "Left Bank Hotels" which has suggestions in all price ranages.

As for day trips in November, keeping in mind that the days are becoming shorter, we love Charatres - both the town and the cathedral. Versailles is great. I would save Giverny for another trip as the gardens are pretty much asleep in November.

Enjoy your planning, come back here with questions and have a wonderful trip.

mamcalice

That's Chartres.

eyemom84

We decided that a hotel is the way to go as my French is limited (DH=none). Our price range is around $400/night.
Thank you for all the great suggestions. It will be nice to see all the cathedrals I learned about 100 yrs ago in my Art & Architecture classes.

Christina

I think a hotel is a much better idea in this case, also. It is so much easier to ask a hotel to book a taxi for you, for example, than trying to get one on your own in an apt.

That budget is fine for a mid-level hotel but is a little tight for the 4* or 3* nicer hotels in St Germain (like the Aubusson or even the Madison). They charge 350 euro or more, I believe, and I think you want a superior room for the space. The HOtel Luxembourg Parc is a great value in St Germain for a 4* hotel, and they do have superior rooms at closer to your rate (which is around 325 euro per day) http://www.luxembourg-paris-hotel.com/

I generally think it preferable to get a superior room in a 3* hotel than the standard room in a 4*, or whatever levels they are, the more expensive nicer hotel versus other one. Because you get more space with superior rooms.

Here is a nice 3* hotel in the 7th arr, where you can get a superior room with view of Eiffel tower for only around 225 euro http://www.hotel-paris-bosquet.com/rooms.html That is a good and convenient area.

Finally, the Esprit de France group has a very nice selection of boutique 3-4* hotels, I often stay in one of them. You can't go too far wrong with any of them, just depends on the style and location you want. The Hotel des Saints Peres for example, in St Germain, has superior doubles from about 215 euro.
http://www.esprit-de-france.com/en/

nytraveler

Paris has some very upper price range hotel - at $1000 per night and up. You budget is definitely in the moderate - and many hotels in Paris are in old buildings often with small rooms. I wold agree to get an upgraded room in a simpler hotel as long as it has the amenities you want. One that can be an issue is room service - which is not common on 3* hotels - also many do not have a bar.

For that reason we always go for a 4* - breakfast in bed is a deal breaker for me - but it really depends on what you want. (Although a 4 * in a central location with a larger room/suite is more like $550/$600 per day.)

Christina

That's true that 3* hotels usually do not have room service, in fact, I believe that is often the defining difference in a 3 vs. 4 star rating (there are other things, of course, but that is often the one that may be lacking for a hotel). Many hotels will serve you breakfast in your room, though, in fact, some budget hotels prefer to do that as that way they don't need to maintain a breakfast room -- but that doesn't qualify as room service in getting the 4*. But lots of hotels will serve you breakfast in your room, even 2* ones. It will just be continental or nothing requiring cooking.

If one cares about a bar, I know a couple 3* hotels in the center with bars (I'd rather go out to a cafe myself, but some people don't).

In fact, the 3* Lenox St Germain is a very good choice, I didn't think of it. It has a very popular bar with the fashion crowd. http://www.hotelparislenoxsaintgermain.com/
And you can get a superior rm. or even jr suite within that budget in November.

The 3* Select Hotel near the Sorbonne is very wellknown, a lot of famous people used to stay there, and it has a small bar. That may not be the area desired, though, it is around a lot of cafes/bars with a relatively younger crowd. http://www.selecthotel.fr/fr_content/hotel.php

I'd rather stay in the Lenox, but you do usually need a 4* for a good bar, or a larger hotel for it to amount to much, anyway (the bar). the 4* Aubusson has a good bar and even live jazz at times, but I read you really want to get their superior, not std, rooms, and those are over this price point.

eyemom84

As always, such fantastic suggestions and I am prowling TRs and Paris threads as recommended - Thank you so much!

Once I convinced DH to go to Paris,this thread caused us to rethink the timing of our trip. We may move the trip to late April if DH can get time off. The longer days & emerging gardens (my passion) certainly make this a more attractive option although I suspect it will be more crowded. Big difference having daylight until 8:30-9:00 vs 5-5:30!

DH and I are in our mid-50's and early risers. We don't really care about room service, just morning coffee. One of our favorite things about our hotel in Rome several years ago was the rooftop bar for coffee or drinks...even in December!

DH is a huge jazz fan so I will also look for some evening jazz.

We found a small orientation tour by Context tours to be very helpful in Rome so we may do something similar in Paris.

I am very excited and enjoying the planning!

golfernz1

Someone suggested Chartres and to experience a smaller town this is a great choice. I took the train from Montparnasse and the journey was a very pleasant one hour. It is a short walk from the train station to the cathedral, the main attraction and the town centre itself. There is a little tourist train that takes visitors up and down the narrow winding streets of the old town and this is well worth doing and inexpensive, takes about an hour. It leaves from opposite the cathedral. There are some good cafes and very enticing pastry shops. The people are very friendly but do learn a few words of French before you go, it is much appreciated.