Robespierre

My 3 boys and I stayed in a family room at the Hotel-Alixia.com in Antony in 2007. There was plenty of space for the four of us, with a private bath and separate WC. Current rates are 125€ Mon-Thu and 87€ Fri-Sun. Mme. Robespierre and I luxuriated in a 2-room suite (125€/84&euro last year.

Antony is on the RER B line about 25 minutes south of Notre Dame, and ten minutes from Orly Airport.

kerouac

<i>French slang for swamp</i>

Slang? I think not. Marais is the official French word for swamp.

Robespierre

Since OP said "...Marseilles (though I heard this area is not too good, also kinda far)...", and the Marais is neither, I assumed Marseilles was intended.

disneymania4444

Wow, there is just so much to research. This is actually a graduation trip for one daughter. There is tons to plan for that event. I will have to squeeze time to do this vast amount of research.

We travelled to China awhile back and got some insurance that you could cancel due to "change of mind". I thought that was MH Ross from the same site that Christina and Sally 30 suggested. It was more expensive but worth it for our situation.

I looked at the apt web site you recommended, yk. It looks great!! The washer and dryer are particularly desirable. I assume the hotels will not provide washers and dryers on the premises? I guess if we can keep the cost of 2 rooms under $400, that would be great. One of the apt I saw appeared to be about $275/night, and you get so much. Is there any room service or maid service in the apt? They still supply towels, etc?

A friend suggested Europe Saint-Severin to us. I looked on the net, it doesn't look ultramodern, but comes highly recommended. Anyone stayed there?

USNR, I'm afraid my daughter did mean Marseilles. It doesn't appear convenient to do on this trip.

Both want to go to Disneyland in Paris. I would assume it's the same as here, but... Is one day sufficient?

Lots to read... Thanks for your help!

yk

Each apartment rental has its own rules and supplies. I don't think any will provide daily maid service - that's why apartments are cheaper than hotel rooms. So if you need someone to pick up after you, you'd be better off staying at hotels. by the same token, at an apartment, there will be no concierge to make dinner reservations for you, call cabs for you, recommend restaurants etc. AFAIK, apartment rentals provide linens and towels. Additional benefit is: you can more room (living room, dining room, and bedroom) for your money, and you can save money by eating-in and cooking some meals.

Most hotels do not have washer dryer - you'd have to pay $$$ for the hotel laundry service.

disneymania4444

Yk,
You made some excellent points. I think we do need the concierge for the dinner reservations, recommending restaurants, etc. I hate to lose the washer and dryer though. Maybe that puts us back in the hotel serach. What can we get if we are thinking of paying $200-250/night per room, < $500 for the 2 rooms?

kerouac

www.accorhotels.com

Plenty of modern places in your price range from the Accor group (Ibis, Mercure, Novotel, etc.)

www.louvrehotels.com

Also the Louvre group (Campanile, Kyriad, etc.)

tod

disneymania4444 - Kerouac has put forward an excellent suggestion recommending the Accor Group.
I am a big fan of the IBIS Hotel chain and even have my fav Ibis in London.
If you book on the internet you can secure a double en-suite (or twin) for 49euros a night! Sounds too good to be true hey? The catch of course - if you can even call it that, is that you check in on a Friday and leave on a Monday. But, that's not so bad either if you locate to reasonably priced hotel in another area of Paris and experience a different vibe altogether. No reason why you can't stay on for the remainder at the Ibis's usual rate - even try and get a better deal???

We are staying at The Ibis La Defense in May and have the three day special. Then moving on to Hotel Hospitel right on the doorstep of Notre Dame cathedral, for another three nights. Then for the last 2 nights we are ensconsed in the Hotel Eldorado way out in the 17th arr.

I think you could still get good lodging in an apartment but it would have to be in the double-digits for a lower rent.
Keep searching!

Langcraft

You could visit Versailles, but be advised that unless you are a die hard Louis XIV fan, you could find that Versailles is more of an ordeal that a pleasant day trip. Lines are always long and crowds inundate the palace and grounds. Probably more so when you will be there in June. I have been to Versailles about 6 times, as a guide to take friends when I have gone wih a group. They loved it; I dreaded it.

The town of Angers is 90 mins away from Paris via the TGV (Gare Montparnasse). The Chateau d'Angers overlooks the Maine River, a tributary of the Loire. It also houses the Apocalypse Tapestries which were woven in the 14th century. It is an amazing work of art based on the Book of St. Matthew and the Apocalypse. Angers is a lovely town with a pedestrian only area around Place Ste. Croix. The chateau is less than a 10 min. walk from the TGV station, Gare St. Laud.

As far as Paris hotels go, I usually stay at an Ibis in the 13th arrondisement @ Ave. Stephen Pichon. Great location right next to the Place d' Italie. If you book thru the Accors Hotels website, you may be able to find a deal that I got; 69 euros a night with a buffet breakfast 6 euros extra per person.

surfmom

Honestly, I think you are biting off a lot in this trip. You threw out at least 3 day trips - with a 7 day trip (expect to lose the first to jet lag), you will be spending a lot of time on trains, planes, and automobiles.

I would recommend against Disney. Not b/c I've been there, but if you are a disneymaniac like your handle suggests, you know all about Disney. For example, why go to NY and spend time seeing the copy of the Mona Lisa ? Unless you have the goal of seeing Disney's around the world...

We love the space of staying in an apartment. And having a w/d means that we went for a week and carried on our bags. Makes like much easier! However, if you are uneasy about the lack of front desk/concierge, then that is not a good option for you. We are not dinner reservations people - we just walk until we stumble onto something good, so I can't relate.

here is a list of options given to me in another thread:

Try these options:

Hotel Excelsior Latin - Latin Qtr
http://www.excelsior-paris-hotel.com/
Quad looks big enough to add a cot for small child

Hotel Palais Bourbon - "family room"
http://www.hotel-palais-bourbon.com/

Hotel Danube "apartment"
http://www.hoteldanube.fr/

Hotel de la Paix - Montparnasse
http://www.paris-montparnasse-hotel.com/
Ask them about the room photo that shows a double + 2 twin beds

Citadines aparthotel with double sofabed + double bedroom
http://www.citadines.com/

Novotel rooms have double bed + 2 'twin' sofabeds
http://www.novotel.com/gb/home/index.shtml

----------------
"Also check out the Hotel Residence Henri IV. We stayed there years ago with our two kids who were then 11 and 13. We had a 2-room + kitchenette. It's in a great location near the Sorbonne on a quiet side street, walking distance to Notre Dame, etc. Maybe they would allow 5 to stay in one "room" since one of the five is so little. "
-------------
"A hotel I stayed in might have room for you, as it has studios (I rented one, includes kitchenettes) and has one for 3/4 people and has a price for extra beds, so it is possible. That is the Trois Poussins hotel near metro St. Georges in the 9th arrondisement, and it was a nice place and I really like the neighborhood. www.les3poussins.com "
---------------
"Just read about this place here on Fodors; it has a "family cottage" which is apparently two adjoining rooms. The price is a little above your 300 Euro per night, but for only two nights????

http://www.hotelvaladon.com/tariffs.htm "
-------------
"
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...de_France.html

Raves about the Valadon; check out the guest photos too"
----------------------
"We stayed at Hotel de France Invalides. They do have adjoining rooms that can accomodate 5 people. Each room has its own bathroom. The location is pretty good, too. The street is very safe and quiet, and its an easy walk to the metro station. The Eiffel Tower is less than a 10 minute walk away.

Here's the website:
www.hoteldefrance.com "
---------------

here is the original thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...amily-of-5.cfm

disneymania4444

Had a different question. I assume the US cell phones won't work in France? I did buy a cell phone while we were in China. I think it's an unlocked GSM which uses SIM cards.

Otherwise, what is the best way to keep in contact with folks in the US?

Thanks!

nwtraveler

To keep in contact with family and friends in the US when I travel to France I usually purchase a phone card (5 or 10 euro) and make calls from my hotel room. The most a hotel has ever charged me for international calls was 0.30 euro (local calls were free). The phone cards usually have about 200-300 minutes. I also use email, but less frequently.

disneymania4444

The phone card sounds like a great idea, nwtraveler. Thx. Where do you purchase these? At the airport? I do need to be able to be reached for emergencies, so I'm still interested in cell usage.

QuentinL

Hello, regarding the hotels go to this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-358786-2.cfm

Regarding the visit I advise you to get a map of Paris before and track out the route you want to take for each monument. I think 7 days if enough to get around paris.

Robespierre

Your China phone will probably work with a local SIM. The French carriers' per-minute rates are among the highest in the world, so shop for a non-Froggie brand.

Phone cards might be available at the airport; I do know they're sold in Tabacs - but do you know about Skype.com? If you have a high-speed internet connection, you can chat for hours at no cost.

We used it last summer from the Loire. Crystal clear, easy to use, video, <U>free</u> - what's not to like?

disneymania4444

Thanks for the info, Quentin and Robes!

I'm trying to decide between apt and hotels.

I hope the China phone does work, Robes. That would be convenient to just put in another SIM card and off we go. I use and love Skype. HOwever, I'm keeping in touch with an elderly relative who doesn't own a computer. Otherwise, that would be the way to go!

Thx!

Robespierre

You can Skype to a land line much cheaper than a transoceanic call. The minutes are as low as 2.1&cent;. If your relative needs to contact you, an SMS could tell you to Skype him/her.

disneymania4444

I wasn't aware of that at all. Thanks! Do hotels have computers available to be used for that purpose? I"m asuming apt will not. I wasn't planning on bringing a laptop. Then have to worry about theft. What is SMS?

disneymania4444

We've decided to postpone our trip to end of July, early Aug. Someone mentioned that most of Europe shuts down for vacation in Aug. How does that impact all the touristy sites? They said that some places actually close down, including the restaurants. If the French folks are vacationing also, the lines I guess will be even longer. Is any of this true?

yk

Yes, some restaurants may shut down, but rest assured, there will still be thousands of restaurants that stay open.

Do you go visit your hometown's sights when you're on vacation, or do you take a trip somewhere? Same for the French. Many of them head south to beach resorts. So, instead, Paris will be overrun by foreign tourists, like you.