I have the Metro Pass for Paris. My adult son and I are arriving into Gare de Lyon at 9 PM. Would you recommend taking the Metro to the St Paul stop? We will be looking for Grand Hotel Jeanne d'Arc. Do you know how far the hotel is from the metro? We will each have one suitcase on wheels.

You can ride the Métro Ligne 1 (Direction La Défense) to St-Paul. Your hotel is perhaps a hundred meters east and north of the station, as shown here:

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...;loc=quartiers

It's a short walk from the St. Paul Metro to your hotel; I would estimate less than 10 minutes and it's easy to do with your suitcase. When you come up out of the metro go "right" down rue St. Antoine (toward Bastille) turn "left" on Rue Caron (short street), which takes you into Place St. Catherine, walk through the square to rue de Jarente.

You got perfect directions, and it is less than ten minutes. It is a great neighborhood, and the hotel is in a terrific location within it.

My only caution -- and believe me, I am not paranoid about pickpockets -- is that this line, especially between Gare de Lyon and Bastille, is notorious for pickpockets, many of them gypsies. Yes, I know it has been argued on this list that there are no gypsies, but that is how the police described them when we reported our friend's stolen airline tickets and cash.

We stood near the doors rather than in the middle of the car, afraid we would miss our stop. They also congregated near the door, four of them. Just as the door started to close, we got the Academy Award performance, "Oh, this is our stop, hurry (only in French)", and they bumped past my friend, one bumping him in front, the other from the back, taking his security belt with them. Two went one way, down the platform, two the other. All over in seconds and absolutely unstoppable even once we realized what was going on. This is how these guys earn their living, and they are very good at it.

Lessons: (1) don't stand near the doors until you have _left_ the station before yours; you won't miss your stop (2) be aware of who is around you, and prepare to stay out of their way (3) don't rely on waist belts

Was this kind of waist belt that you wear under your clothes?

Normal urban caution is generally sufficient -- just make sure you are never crowded or jostled if your items are vulnerable. It almost always happens from behind.