Thanks to dln, marcy, and the sale at Northwest Airlines, I'm going to Paris next month! Any help with Carofftel Gobelins hotel?
Jan 27th, 2005, 06:22 PM
#23
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I haven't stayed there, but Christina's Hotel de l'esperance is certainly cute from the outside. I like that location a lot because it is on a quiet street. Bus 27 on rue Claude Bernard takes you easily to St. Michel, Orsay, etc.
If you are in that area on a Sunday, do walk north to the St. Menard church, as there is a singer who passes out the words to songs and everyone sings along. (happens about 12:30) It is right where Mouffetard (the market street) starts.
Have a ball!
If you are in that area on a Sunday, do walk north to the St. Menard church, as there is a singer who passes out the words to songs and everyone sings along. (happens about 12:30) It is right where Mouffetard (the market street) starts.
Have a ball!
Jan 28th, 2005, 05:08 AM
#24
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A lot of these hotels look great, especially the Port Royal and de l'Esperance. We're starting to wonder now, though, if having to bus to and from the hotel will offset any savings from staying more central. Are things so spread out that we'd need to be using the bus/metro a lot anyway? I'm wondering if a three-day pass would make sense. I'm sure a lot of it will depend on the weather. We are young and good walkers, but both from So Cal and we're chickens when it comes to cold! ~
gt; ~gt;
gt; ~gt;
Jan 28th, 2005, 05:23 AM
#25
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I'm so thrilled for you and it will be a wonderful trip! If you want a hotel closer to central Paris, I have noticed many discounts and promotions for next month at www.france-hotel-guide.com. If you find something with a great rate that interests you, come back and ask for feedback before booking. There are always great bargains in Paris in February.
Peg
Peg
Jan 28th, 2005, 06:34 AM
#26
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Good morning you two chickens 
In my opinion...
When one has only a limited amount of time to see the most of a place, one needs to be right in the thick of things or as close to it as possible. You do not want to spend hours getting to places.
Although Paris itself is a lovely place to be, just walking there is enough for me..you want to see certain sights and you do not want to spend that precious time, waiting underground for a train, standing at a bus stop for a bus, or walking in the rain/cold for many many blocks ..
That was all the worst case scenario btw~
So I would up the hotel as much as possible to get yourselves within the area that you most want to be in. Look for hotels that include breakfast. Get a travel card.
The areas I would go for would be the edge of the Latin Quarter around Blvd St Michel, not farther into the Latin Qrter. The 6th or even parts of the 7th. Look into the Lutece on the Ille St-Louis, we have been there, my daughter has been there, the hotel is charming and nice and in a perfect location..and not expensive!
Good luck, dear!
Scarlett
In my opinion...
When one has only a limited amount of time to see the most of a place, one needs to be right in the thick of things or as close to it as possible. You do not want to spend hours getting to places.
Although Paris itself is a lovely place to be, just walking there is enough for me..you want to see certain sights and you do not want to spend that precious time, waiting underground for a train, standing at a bus stop for a bus, or walking in the rain/cold for many many blocks ..
That was all the worst case scenario btw~
So I would up the hotel as much as possible to get yourselves within the area that you most want to be in. Look for hotels that include breakfast. Get a travel card.
The areas I would go for would be the edge of the Latin Quarter around Blvd St Michel, not farther into the Latin Qrter. The 6th or even parts of the 7th. Look into the Lutece on the Ille St-Louis, we have been there, my daughter has been there, the hotel is charming and nice and in a perfect location..and not expensive!
Good luck, dear!
Scarlett
Jan 28th, 2005, 07:00 AM
#27
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Scarlett, the Lutece is 158 euros a night ($205). One man’s inexpensive is another’s outta sight! On the other hand, Hotel de la Sorbonne is 80 euros ($103). It’s quite centrally located and had good comments on www.france.com. It’s also not toooo far (for California walkers) from the St. Michel or Luxembourg RER stops (almost midway), making it easy to get in from the airport.
Type http://www.france.com/
followed by
hotels/hotel.cfm?hotel_id=495#comments
I’ve used france.com to book hotels often. And I find it a good site for information.
Type http://www.france.com/
followed by
hotels/hotel.cfm?hotel_id=495#comments
I’ve used france.com to book hotels often. And I find it a good site for information.
Jan 28th, 2005, 07:14 AM
#29
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Scarlett, I think we may take your advice and try something more central. I checked the france-hotel-guide.com (thanks mimimn!) and the Perreyve in St. Germain has a promotional rate of 90E/night for a twin double. I'm also looking at Hotel des Balcones for 100E, and Hotel Muguet, although pushing the upper limit at 108E. I'm going to check some more on the Perreyve. I'll also look at france.com and the Sorbonne hotel; thanks LVSue.
Jan 28th, 2005, 07:16 AM
#30
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Not to add more fat to the fire, Jocelyn, but here's another consideration for you. I picked this recommendation up from a French newsletter I subscribe to. It's near the Luxembourg Gardens and has rates that go for 62 euros/2 pp. It might be worth looking into.
Pension Ladagnous
78 Rue d'Assass
Paris
www.pensionladagnous.com
I think the Port-Royal hotel is a good bet. The neighborhood is good, the price is good, and the reviews are good. You can drive yourself nuts trying to find the "perfect" hotel. Since this is your first trip to Paris, I'd stick with the budget you've set for yourself, and not upgrade it. Do that on subsequent trips! You'll be doing so much walking around while you're in the city that you'll come away with an excellent feel for which area you prefer. Stick a small notepad in your purse and when you see a hotel on a street you like, jot its name down for future reference.
About staying out of the thick of things--everyone has their own idea about what constitutes that! You WILL be using the bus/metro a lot no matter where you stay. Paris might be compact but it's not <i>that</i> compact.
Pension Ladagnous
78 Rue d'Assass
Paris
www.pensionladagnous.com
I think the Port-Royal hotel is a good bet. The neighborhood is good, the price is good, and the reviews are good. You can drive yourself nuts trying to find the "perfect" hotel. Since this is your first trip to Paris, I'd stick with the budget you've set for yourself, and not upgrade it. Do that on subsequent trips! You'll be doing so much walking around while you're in the city that you'll come away with an excellent feel for which area you prefer. Stick a small notepad in your purse and when you see a hotel on a street you like, jot its name down for future reference.
About staying out of the thick of things--everyone has their own idea about what constitutes that! You WILL be using the bus/metro a lot no matter where you stay. Paris might be compact but it's not <i>that</i> compact.
Jan 28th, 2005, 07:25 AM
#31
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You might check on the Hotel Delavigne, also.
Elaine(another poster here) preferred it to the Grand Hotel des Balcons, and it is just down the street from there.
I believe the rate for a double is 115E, but you can always ask to see if you can get a lower rate.
www.hoteldelavigne.com
email [email protected]
Here's a link to elaine's thread with her comments about the hotels:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34554042
Elaine(another poster here) preferred it to the Grand Hotel des Balcons, and it is just down the street from there.
I believe the rate for a double is 115E, but you can always ask to see if you can get a lower rate.
www.hoteldelavigne.com
email [email protected]
Here's a link to elaine's thread with her comments about the hotels:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34554042
Jan 28th, 2005, 07:44 AM
#33
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web address is [email protected]
Jan 28th, 2005, 07:45 AM
#34
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Okay, it looks like we may go with
http://www.agora-paris-hotel.com/
It has a promotional rate of 99E instead of 150E. Reviews on tripadvisor are great.
http://www.agora-paris-hotel.com/
It has a promotional rate of 99E instead of 150E. Reviews on tripadvisor are great.
Jan 28th, 2005, 09:22 AM
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It's hard to predict what is palatable to some people and what is so bad. To me, the idea of staying around St Michel in order to avoid a metro ride of a couple stops so you can walk to Notre Dame is horrific. That area is just so much more unpleasant, more congested, uglier, noisier, more expensive, more touristy, etc. Also, this was asked as a worry about paying a few euro for metro/bus fare making the savings less and then the comparisons are some hotels a whole lot more expensive, like 30-40 euro more. So, I don't get it but I think you are assuming a lot of things that aren't true.
The Gobelins metro stop will not be any farther from many things than the Hotel Muguet, for example (except the Eiffel Tower). It's closer to Notre Dame and things around there, and the Muguet is a lot more expensive.
So, if you want to stay elsewhere, that's fine, but just be aware of why you are deciding these things because the cost of bus/metro fare doesn't make sense unless you never plan to take it at all and so wouldn't buy a pass, and the distance doesn't make sense in comparison to places like the Muguet. YOu are going to have to take the bus/metro if you stay at the Muguet, and the Muguet is not closer to things. It's about twice as far to Notre Dame, for example, and about the exact same distance to St Germain church. The Gobelins metro stop is hardly far out, it's less than a mile from the Seine.
So, if you want to stay somewhere closer to the Seine, okay, but make sure your substitutions make sense for your goal and you are talking about spending around 30 euro+ more a night, or around $US40. Now that isn't really that much over only 3 nights and split, but that's why it is confusing when you said you were worried about the price of a metro ticket from Gobelins.
I've stayed at the Sorbonne Hotel, that could be a reasonable choice, also, but there are several good hotels in that price range around there. I don't think you are going to find the 70 euro places in these more popular areas, that's why they are around 30 pct more, because most tourists want to stay near the Seine, I suppose.
The Agora is close in and I've heard some good comments about it. I don't find it's exact street and location attractive, it's kind of a closed-in street leading to a deadend with a road overpass above it as I recall, due to rue des Ecoles being on a hill and that hotel just below it. This is all just opinion, but I wouldn't really like that location, I think many of these other suggestions are better.
I think the Perreyve is a good location, or the Hotel Regent which is very near it, and only about 80-100 euro, also, for a double.
http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75006regs.htm
I guess out of all the choices and suggestions, settling on the Agora I just don't get, and only see two comments on Tripadvisor, one hardly great and the other person doesn't know where it is since they say it is 2 min to St Germain but 5 min to Notre Dame, which is much closer to it. They probably meant bd St Germain which goes all across the city down there, but that's not St Germain in that area.
The Perreyve might be a good choice, though, it's on rue Madame near Luxembourg Gardens.
The Gobelins metro stop will not be any farther from many things than the Hotel Muguet, for example (except the Eiffel Tower). It's closer to Notre Dame and things around there, and the Muguet is a lot more expensive.
So, if you want to stay elsewhere, that's fine, but just be aware of why you are deciding these things because the cost of bus/metro fare doesn't make sense unless you never plan to take it at all and so wouldn't buy a pass, and the distance doesn't make sense in comparison to places like the Muguet. YOu are going to have to take the bus/metro if you stay at the Muguet, and the Muguet is not closer to things. It's about twice as far to Notre Dame, for example, and about the exact same distance to St Germain church. The Gobelins metro stop is hardly far out, it's less than a mile from the Seine.
So, if you want to stay somewhere closer to the Seine, okay, but make sure your substitutions make sense for your goal and you are talking about spending around 30 euro+ more a night, or around $US40. Now that isn't really that much over only 3 nights and split, but that's why it is confusing when you said you were worried about the price of a metro ticket from Gobelins.
I've stayed at the Sorbonne Hotel, that could be a reasonable choice, also, but there are several good hotels in that price range around there. I don't think you are going to find the 70 euro places in these more popular areas, that's why they are around 30 pct more, because most tourists want to stay near the Seine, I suppose.
The Agora is close in and I've heard some good comments about it. I don't find it's exact street and location attractive, it's kind of a closed-in street leading to a deadend with a road overpass above it as I recall, due to rue des Ecoles being on a hill and that hotel just below it. This is all just opinion, but I wouldn't really like that location, I think many of these other suggestions are better.
I think the Perreyve is a good location, or the Hotel Regent which is very near it, and only about 80-100 euro, also, for a double.
http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75006regs.htm
I guess out of all the choices and suggestions, settling on the Agora I just don't get, and only see two comments on Tripadvisor, one hardly great and the other person doesn't know where it is since they say it is 2 min to St Germain but 5 min to Notre Dame, which is much closer to it. They probably meant bd St Germain which goes all across the city down there, but that's not St Germain in that area.
The Perreyve might be a good choice, though, it's on rue Madame near Luxembourg Gardens.
Jan 28th, 2005, 09:35 AM
#38
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Thank you Christina. I know you've spent a lot of time in Paris and I really value your input. Now I'm really confused, though! Does knowing our ages/interests make a difference? We're both 30ish and like to think we're pretty hip, but we won't be out partying at night. We're more the sit and have a glass of wine type.
I think I need to take a break and come back to this later...
I think I need to take a break and come back to this later...
Jan 28th, 2005, 09:55 AM
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I don't see Christina's issue with road 'overpass' when I look at pix on pagesjaunes,maybe that is further up rue des Ecoles or something... and although I agree that it is nice to stay outside of 'tourist central', I don't think the closer-in location is a bad idea for a first-time visitor....
<b>However</b> - the most recent (January) review on Tripadvisor mentions there is extensive renovation going on at Agora St Germain, therefore hammering/drilling noise.
Don't worry, Jocelyn, there's a hotel waiting for you, just gotta figure out which one!
<b>However</b> - the most recent (January) review on Tripadvisor mentions there is extensive renovation going on at Agora St Germain, therefore hammering/drilling noise.
Don't worry, Jocelyn, there's a hotel waiting for you, just gotta figure out which one!
