I am planning my first trip to Paris for me and my girlfriend and need some advice. <BR><BR>I am looking at April as a possible travel time, but the dates (apprx 4/19 - 4/27 or the week before) I am looking at might include staying over the Easter holiday. Is this a problem? I avoided the Easter holiday in Rome last year because I was afraid that too many attractions would be closed for multiple days. <BR><BR>Another concern is the weather in mid-April. Too cold or comfortable?<BR><BR>Hotel recommendations? We can splurge a little on the hotel since we will use Skymiles for the airfare. The only thing I know about Paris accommodations is what I have read on this site. I assume we will stay in the 6th or 8th area. I would prefer a hotel with good location as opposed to one with luxurious decorations. Small rooms are not a problem as long as the hotel is clean and in good working order. In-hotel restaurant is also not a must. In Rome, I went out of the way to stay in a hotel with an eatery, not knowing the amount of bars/trattorias nearby. I assume Paris is just as plentiful.<BR><BR>Day trip ideas? My girlfriend wants to go to London, possibly for a day or two. Is this easily accomplished. I am looking at possibly Normandy and Bruges, Belgium. I would also like to take awint tour, but I can not find any good web sites. Any ideas?<BR><BR>I guess this is enough for now. I appreciate any opinions and ideas. Thanks for the help.

April in Paris sounds great! I wouldn't worry too much about the weather -- it seems as though it can be cloudy/cool at anytime of the year there, and sometimes cool weather is better for a lot of walking. <BR><BR>For day trips, I would suggest places a bit closer to Paris -- personally, I think it would be exhausting to go to London as a day trip. Chartres is a wonderful day trip (only about an hour's train ride from Paris), as is Reims/Epernay if you are interested in touring some of the Champagne houses. <BR><BR>I enjoy staying in the 7th at the Hotel Muguet (which fits your description of being &quot;clean and in good working order&quot;, but of course there are tons of recommended hotels on this site in the 6th and 8th as well.

Jason,<BR><BR>I just returned and we stayed in two different Paris hotels. Hotel Bonaparte in the 6th and Hotel de Notre Dame in the 5th. I liked both, but would probably rather return to the Notre Dame. Fabulous location on an old, narrow little street...only about 100 yards from the Seine and Notre Dame! I loved starting out my morning walk crossing the Pont Archeveche to Notre Dame and the Iles. We paid 150euro plus 6 for breakfast in the room. Our window looked right down the street to the river. Great restaurants all around and a good metro stop just steps away.<BR><BR>Check them out here:<BR>http://www.hotel-paris-notredame.com/index.html

If you are younger and enjoy going to bars and restaurants, the 6th is ideal location. Plenty of eateries and nightlife. I stay in the Welcome Hotel/Hotel Welcome, but it a small, not fancy, nothing special hotel, but it is inexpensive and ideal location for the metro and St. Michel area which is very lively at night. Right by the Odeon metro station near St. Michel. London is only 3 hours a way by Eurostar, but I would plan on going at least 2-3 days. I did the same trip a few years ago and flew into London and out of Paris and split the week. I usually go to Europe in Nov every year and the weather is not that bad so APril will be great. For the 6th, there is a English pub, you will see the Untion Jack and it has about 4 parts to it. Go to the basement and watch the live music. It is very small but it feels like a Berlin nightclub early in the century. You sit right on the stage. No lie, it is no bigger than some American living rooms, but fun. Nothing like a french band sing a &quot;Doors&quot; song. Again, the hotel Welcome is nothing fancy, but has 24 hour reception service. Like any European hotel, just remember to leave your key at the desk when you leave, if they do not have electronic keys.

Thanks for the responses.<BR><BR>For further reference, I am 27 and will be flying out of Memphis or Nashville. <BR><BR>We don't anticipate doing a lot of bar hopping but live music would be a huge plus. I did find a reduced rate offer at the Hotel Napoleon, by the Arc de Triomphe, for the length of time I would be staying. Any one ever stay at this hotel?<BR><BR>Any wine tour ideas?

I highly recommend the Hotel Verneuil in the 6th arr. I stayed here at the beginning of October with my husband and it was amazing! Ideal location behind the Musee d'Orsay and a 5 min. walk to the Louvre. Lovely furnishings and helpful staff. Good bang for the buck too.

Jason<BR>Paris is pretty far north, and in my experience &quot;April in Paris&quot; is more song lyric than pretty reality.<BR>Don't get me wrong, I love Paris, but not because I count on good weather at any time.<BR>You can check websites like wunderground.com for &quot;historical&quot; weather info, but it's always a matter of luck.<BR>I'd still plan on umbrellas, jackets/rain coats, and layers that you can wear or do without underneath the jackets. And extra dry socks and shoes.<BR><BR>I have a file on Paris; if you'd like to see it, email me.<BR>

Hey Jason: It's a small world. It just dawned on me when you said you were leaving from Memphis or Nashville that I know your girlfriend Mandy. Just my opinion, but if you are going to London you might want to split it half &amp; half or at least spend 3 days in London. Tell Mandy to stop by the office and I'll give her some ideas. If you tell her Sheila, she'll know who I am. I think the end of April would be a great time to go.

Just returned from eight days in Paris this past week. Would recommend the 6th for your stay. I stayed at Le Regent on rue Dauphine....loved the place. The location can't be beat as there are many cafes, bistros and jazz clubs in the area. ATM outside the front door and Metro stop is around the corner. I was staying alone and got a standard double. Room was tight, but nicely decorated, great bathroom, and the staff is wonderful. Don't fret about the weather in Paris in April. Just bring umbrellas and hope for the best...I did and had sunshine almost everyday! Bon Voyage!

Hi Jason,<BR><BR>My experience with April in Paris has been that some days were lovely and we could have lunch on a cafe terrace, and then the next day might be blustery, rainy and cool. Either way, it's lovely. It's Paris!

Jason: I would suggest layers in April and a good rain coat but the weather could be beautiful (you never know). With only a week, the countryside of France might be easier than a daytrip to another country. I don't think one day does London justice. Take a side trip to Versailles.

I suppose you'll have fun staying any place, but I wouldn't suggest the 7th for you, it's kind of dull, I think. I'd suggest the 4th-6th or close-in 11th arrondisement for convenience and fun. <BR><BR>As for the timing, if you can change dates, I would suggest some time other than Easter -- not because things will be closed but because a lot of European tourists go to Paris for Easter and it will be very crowded.<BR><BR>What do you mean that you want to take &quot;awint&quot; tour?

That's suppose to say wine tour.

This past April was in the 60s; we had one day where it showered and used our umbrellas. The rest of the week was clear and glorious; even the nights just required my all-purpose raincoat. Had been there the previous August during a heat wave, and I would take April any time.

I have changed my travel dates to 5/18/03 - 5/25/03 tentatively, maybe a few days longer. Any problems with strange French holidays that don't show up on any search engines?

Jason, no. Problems will mainly start with the Ascension weekend starting May 29. Paris will be packed then till the following Sunday. <BR>We have our room already booked for that particular period.

I second Christina's suggestion: go off the beaten Fodor's path and look for a hotel in the Marais-Bastille area. This corresponds to the 3rd, 4th or 11th arrondissements. You'll be able to sample the rue de la Roquette/rue Oberkampf nightlife. For any hotel suggestions in these areas, go to wwww.timeout.com, those Brits have Paris and its latest trends totally covered !