amwosu

I am looking for suggestions for things to do for a couple of days while I am staying on the south side of Paris. My husband and I are going on a two week organized bike tour during the Tour de France in July. We will be staying at the Hotel Mercure Port de la Plain for one night at the beginning of our tour and one night at the end of the tour. That isn't by choice...it is where the tour organizers have arranged for us to stay.

When I look at the area on www.pagesjaune.fr I am less than thrilled with what I see. I won't complain though because I will stay in the Marais and the Latin Quarter for ten days prior to the bike tour so I will have hit many Paris "must sees". I will also have already done the usual day trips to Versaille and Giverny. On top of everything else, the first night we are in the Mercure is Bastille Day so that adds another dimension to the planning.

Travelnut

I read that there is a hot-air balloon (thethered) in the Parc Andre Citroen that you can take for great Paris views.

Haven't explored this area, but there is a 'village' neighborhood in the 13th called Buttes aux Cailles, if I spelled it right.

Are you asking for things to see or do that are in Paris' 14th/15th arrondissements, so you don't have to travel into city-center and back?...

StCirq

You'll be reasonably close to the RER line C that goes to Versailles.

Christina

I know that area pretty well and could make some recommendations but I don't understand where you are. I've never heard of such a hotel and those words aren't French. Well, port is but there aren't ports down there, do you mean Porte? plain isn't a word and I don't think it would be feminine if it were.

Do you mean Porte d'Orleans? Or Porte de Pantin (which isn't south, I know)? or Porte de Vanves? There are lots of "portes" down there, but none that I can figure out what Plain would mean. If you've found the address in pagejaunes you must have it, so what did you input -- I'm sorry if I'm being dense or my mind is blanking today and this is a wellknown place, but I've never heard of it. If it's a name Mercure made up, what is it near?

Michael

Christina--it could be Porte de la Plaine, although I never heard of it.

StCirq

Porte de la Plaine is between Porte de Versailles and Porte de Briancon, near the Paris Expo.

hanl

I know where that Mercure hotel is - it's by Porte de la Plaine, which is between the Porte de Versailles and the Porte Brancion. I once went to see an apartment just near there. It's not a brilliant location as there are no metro stations right nearby. It's an OK residential neighbourhood, nothing to write home about I suppose.
The closest metro is Porte de Versailles (line 12), about 10 minutes walk, or Porte de Vanves.
As travelnut mentions, you can walk to Parc André Citroen, maybe a 20 minute walk. It's a nice park for picnics on sunny days. There's also the flea market on Saturdays and Sundays at Vanves (Avenue de la Porte de Vanves).

amwosu

Sorry for butchering the name and causing confusion. I am sure it is Porte de la Plaine. I was winging it at work without the name directly in front of me. Gee, can you tell who doesn't know the language?

The tethered balloon sounds cool. I'm going to check that out. Since we will have been in the city for ten days prior to this I prefer not to metro in to the city.

I was hoping for things to do in the general vicinity (including the arrondisements just north of it)- not necessarily museums or cultural activities- just fun or interesting. Thanks to all of you who ahave already responded.