Walking from train station to hotel
 

I wanted to get some feedback on something I've been thinking about. So I will be arriving at Gare de l'Est in Paris. We are staying at the Hotel Est (Monop' Gare de l'Est) which looks like it's about 3 or so blocks away. It looks close enough that we can walk with no problems but I've been looking at the street view on google and just wondering if I'll catch stares if I'm walking down these streets hauling luggages? It will be myself, my wife and my mother and we each will have 1 large luggage and our carry on's? I'm comfortable doing it and really don't care if anyone stares or tries to scope me out a possible target for theft but I don't want to put my mother/wife in that situation. Should I take a taxi/bus there? I just don't think it's far enough to justify the need for that but I'm willing to shell out if I will stick out like a sore thumb. Address of hotel: Est Hotel 49 Boulevard De Magenta - Paris, France

I don;t know old old your mother is - but if someone asked me to do that I would be really cranky. If you have one small carry-on it;s one thing. But hauling large luggage through the streets IMHO is for college kids.

Sorry, on the way home tonight I encountered 2 tourists hauling their luggage through the street (I work near Grand Central and his was on 42 st at 6:30 pm. People were pouring out of the office buildings and hurrying toward either one of the subway entrances or one block to Grand Central - so the sidewalks were crowded with people going n both directions.

This poor couple - each trying to pull 2 wheelies (not large but not tiny) with a purse or small soft carry-on on a shoulder - just couldn;t make any headway. And people had to keep stopping or circling around them or cross in front of them -making them pull up. I bet the 2 block walk took them 15 minutes of dodging pedestrians and trying to cross 42 st. IMHO - not worth it.

As long as your luggage has wheels you should be ok. You won't be the only ones. Mapquest it so you'll know exactly where you're going.

If it is not raining or stifling hot, it is not that long of a distance. Many people do similar distance hauling luggage between Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord.

But a larger question is how did you end up choosing that location? Other might disagree, but neither station area ever interested me as a place to stay. A trek to the station for many people is a one or at most a two time event. It probably does not make sense to optimize the accommodation location on that basis unless you will be using Gare de l'EST often such as traveling on long distance trains leaving that station.

I see people pulling their luggage all the time when I'm overseas (and I do it as well). No one is going to stare at you, and for three blocks, there is no way I would take a cab, especially if my luggage has rollers.

What time of day? How 'large' is your large luggage? If broad daylight, I'd walk. But if it would be in the dark and the luggage is crazy big, I'd take a cab and hope the luggage and three passengers all fit.

I rarely take taxis, and walk or take public transport, usually a mix - even in New York, lol. Tomorrow I'll arrive at Penn Station, take the subway a couple of stops south and walk half a mile to my hotel. I expect zero problems (having done the reverse seven weeks ago), but then my case is carry-on size. Rather depends on how big your bags are.

ny traveler -- what a perfect description!

Agree, timing is everything. If rush hour, well, it might be problematic from a sidewalk movement point of view, but even my 83 year old mom could do 3 blocks without a struggle.

This would be an easy walk - straight out the front of the gare, down a block or two and left on Magenta, another block or two to the hotel. The bigger question is do you really want to stay there? Not a particularly nice area nor all that well located, and looks like the type of place that if two of you have a large suitcase it will be cramped in the room.

You can walk to that very close address.

If you don't walk, you have to stand in a taxi line. You will likely be asked for money by beggars. I don't know this route, but there's a good chance the driver would have to make a big loop in traffic. I would definitely walk.

We always walk to our hotels from train stations and transit stations...never take cabs. We don't bring more luggage than we can handle and are cognisant of people trying to get places so if we need to pull out a map we pull to the side to stay out of the way. Around the stations you will see many people with luggage!

Some taxis may refuse to take you that short distance. I would walk, as long as everyone can handle their own luggage. I do hope you have packed lightly, over packing and bringing large suitcases can make everything so unpleasant. In Paris there are many, many people pulling luggage, and from Gare L'est to Gare Du Nord many people just walk.. no one will care or stare at you , unless you look like you are all struggling and then the only ones looking will be pickpockets.

So our advice is to walk but to reduce the "large luggage" you say you each will have.