Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)
-   -   Planning a Paris trip - only two days!help (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/planning-a-paris-trip-only-two-days-help-671097/)

slampoet Jan 17th, 2007 08:40 AM

Planning a Paris trip - only two days!help
 
Hello all, my first post. Need your help desperately. My wife and I are traveling to Paris (our first time) Need a hotel that is inexpensive, close to the tourist sites, close to Charles De Gaulle airport. Please help. I also would love some general information on where to go for great Jazz, and less touristy/more artistic scenes.
Safe travels to you all.

Thank you`

StCirq Jan 17th, 2007 08:55 AM

Not sure what your definition of "close" is, but the airport is 40-mins outside the city, so you really can't have "close to the tourist sites" (which are spread out all over the city, anyway) and "close to the airport."

Do you want to stay at the airport and train into the city and back, or stay in the city and train into and back to the airport?

ira Jan 17th, 2007 08:58 AM

Hi S,

>Need a hotel that is inexpensive, close to the tourist sites, close to Charles De Gaulle airport.<

You can't have both.

What's your budget?

This is your 1st time to Paris and you wnat "less touristy"? :)

((I))

eric502 Jan 17th, 2007 09:22 AM

You can't get close to the airport and close to the tourist sites.

How much is inexpensive?


slampoet Jan 17th, 2007 09:27 AM

hello- inexpensive is 140 euros a night? ok, so I can take a cab to and from the airport. However, still need something close to tourist things and places I can travel (at night_ for jazz, and less tourist stuff)

Christina Jan 17th, 2007 09:31 AM

Actually, an area that fits your requirements fairly well would be the 10th arrondisement, not far from Gare du Nord. That is a main stop on the RER rail line right from the airport, so you can get there pretty cheap and in not long a time, and it is near some great jazz clubs like New Morning. It is also definitely less touristy than some other parts of Paris, also, and has cheaper hotels.

flsd Jan 17th, 2007 09:31 AM

I note you posted a similar request on a separate thread. There are no "touristy" spots near the airport. Just take the train into the city (forget cabs, unless you have a bottomless wallet).

SuzieC Jan 17th, 2007 09:46 AM

OK, if I were hip ... and wanted Jazz ... I'd stay in the 10th and find my way to New Morning jazz club.
I poked around on Venere and there are nice hotels within your budget...
(I can recommend the Lyon Mulhouse on Beaumarchais Blvd. I was pleased with it.)
OR, somewhere up closer to the Oberkampf ... hip and trendy.

SuzieC Jan 17th, 2007 09:48 AM

Oh! If you only have 2 days... I wouldn't stay way out there by the airport. (snoooozzze....)
I'd pack light and RER it if I were you.
Otherwise, I like a cab, but also have taken the AirFrance Bus into town and either walk or then cab to the hotel

Christina Jan 17th, 2007 10:02 AM

Here's Jazz clubs in that general area, some very famous:

www.newmorning.com (in the 10th arr)

Not far away, in the 1st:
www.sunset-sunside.com
www.ducdeslombards.com

Here are some hotels in that area:

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75010newhotel.htm

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75010republique.htm

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75010excelsior.htm

Those look like the best on that one website (which I like) to me, but you can check others. There are also several Libertel hotels around there, and that is a good chain of French hotels, although they might cost more. Here is one, for example

http://www.hotel-gare-du-nord-suede.com/

There is a very good brasserie over there, also, that is pretty wellknown and historic, Brasserie Flo, with reasonable rates.
http://www.flobrasseries.com/brasser...sp?brasserie=5

It's near Chateau d'Eau metro.

YOu can get to Gare du Nord from CDG by the RER suburban light rail system for only about 8 euro. There is a station right in the airport.

slampoet Jan 17th, 2007 10:11 AM

First and foremost, thank you for your help. Special thank you to Christina for the jazz websites. I appreciate all of you! Ok, so, what district would be central to the tourist stuff (I mean I might as well see some of that stuff) and the Artisty places. I hear 5th is good. What do you guys think? 1st is expensive huh?

Travelnut Jan 17th, 2007 07:36 PM

You can find cheap-budget-inexpensive all the way to expensive in any of the central arrondissements ('districts'). The sights/museums are scattered all around and the metro and bus system is very good.
The Latin Quarter is very touristy, at least around the Seine, Pantheon, etc.
The suggestions made in the previous posts are good if you don't want to stay in touristy areas, like jazz, and can use the metro or bus for short rides to get to various 'sights' around Paris.

Christina Jan 18th, 2007 08:44 AM

you're welcome but since I gave you kind of pretty much what you asked for, I am confused that now you seem to want the opposite (and there is some more arty areas over there, also, but I didn't want to get into all that). typical male ... :@

So now you want to stay in a touristy area that isn't as convenient to the airport and is more expensive?

okay, go stay in St Germain or the Latin Qtr right near Notre Dame, that should suit your desires. You can find some cheaper hotels in those areas, of course, if you want. St Germain is the more expensive of those two, and both will be more expensive than the 10th. They are both very touristy. St Germain can be artistic in that it has some very expensive art dealers, but I doubt that's what you mean.

If you don't care about the airport thing, anywhere would do. If you still want to use the RER, then you should concentrate on a hotel near the RER B line and stops St Michel or Luxemboug. Some budget hotels near there could be Cujas Pantheon, Hotel St Jacques, and many more.

YOu don't have to stay in a hotel right next to the Eiffel Tower in order to see it, you know :D If you are willing to travel to the 10th/1st for those jazz clubs, you can also travel by metro to visit the tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower or a museum. Ultimately, it is your vacation and you should do what you want, of course, and that's fine.

slampoet Jan 19th, 2007 08:38 AM

No Christina, all I meant was, an area centrally located to both " tourist" and "artsy" That is why I thought the 5th (being in the middle of 1 and 10.. but what do I know)

Thank you again for your input.
i am well armed with jazz places.
and I am eternally grateful *bowing*


eaf2007 Jan 21st, 2007 03:21 PM

Slampoet, the arrondissements begin with 1 in the center city and then spiral out in a snail shell sort of arrangement. The fifth is actually on the opposite bank of the Seine from the first and the tenth.

Travelnut Jan 21st, 2007 07:55 PM

http://www.paris.org/Maps/MM/


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:14 AM.