WHERE in FRANCE?? I'm so confused. Will be coming from Spain
 

In June I am spending a week in Barcelona before we come to France. I know I want to end up in Paris but I have NO idea where in France to go before. I'm looking for a city that I won't need a car and is a train ride away from Barcelona. Any suggestions??

I was interested in maybe a wine town...loved Tuscany last year. So I looked at Provence but from what I am understanding there isn't really one area there large enough to fill 4 days (with maybe a hired tour one day)but small enough to do by foot. I seem to be reading that you really need a car to drive village to village. I also read it isn't easy to get there from Barcelona. *sigh* So I am lost and don't know where to go.

Also, what is the most convenient and fun area of Paris to stay. We tend to like the more artistic/bohemia areas..

THANK YOU in advance :)
Jessica (who feels frozen in Florida)

Toulouse - one of our two favorite cities in France after Paris.
Leave Barcelona at 10:24 and arrive in Toulouse at 13:30. No train changes.

Then on to Montpellier. Many departures from Toulouse with no train changes.

Then on to Paris - many departures with no train changes.

Stu Dudley

And just use www.capitainetrain.com or en.voyages-sncf.com to buy the tickets, with really cheap fares if you pre-book 2-3 months out.

Booking usually opens 92 days ahead.

Stu is the expert on southern France!

After you reach Paris, I think the consensus here is usually 'left bank' somewhere along the 6th and 7th arrondisements. By searching 'Paris' you'll find hundreds of responses plus there is a multi-year thread on Paris hotels alone.

I'm actually looking for an apartment in Paris but I don't know which "neighborhoods" are the ones for me. lol is left bank the name of one of the neighborhoods?

So no wine regions would work? :(

I will only have time for one, are you saying you like Toulouse or Montpellier better?

thank you!!

<i>jessicasquared on Jan 8, 14 at 1:26pm
I'm actually looking for an apartment in Paris but I don't know which "neighborhoods" are the ones for me. lol is left bank the name of one of the neighborhoods?</i>

"Left Bank" is everything south of the river. The best area is the 5th and 6th, more or less the area called the Quartier Latin. I lived in the 5th near the Seine. Good, central, fun.

You need a guidebook. Get the Michelin Green Guide for Paris. There is also one for Provence. Popular second tier cities in France are Lyon and Dijon.

All of the south of France is a wine region. What had you planned to do if you stayed in a city, but were surrounded by vineyards?? A guided tour???

I prefer Toulouse over Montpellier. There are many trains to Paris from Toulouse. There's less travel involved going to Toulouse than going to Montpellier. You can do an easy day-trip by train to Carcassonne from Toulouse.

Any French guide book will explain left/right bank and arrondissements (1 through 20). Even areas like St Germain des Pres, Marais, Latin Quarter, etc. will be explained. Apts in the St Germain des Pres (6th & 7th arrondissements that hopingtotravel referred to) will be on the expensive side. I like Rick Steves - his personality, frankness, and enthusiasm - but his guide books are a little "too basic" for me. However, I suggest that you purchase his Paris guide & read it as a start. Then get the Michelin Green Guide for Paris. Also purchase the Michelin Green Guide for the Languedoc and read about Toulouse. There are several excellent walking tours for Toulouse in the Green Guide. Carcassonne is also in the Languedoc Green Guide.

Stu Dudley

Oh, a "wine town." Probably the quintessential wine town is Beaune. It is in Burgundy between Lyon and Dijon. Take a train to get there. Walkabout in the town. Many degustation stores in town and vineyards on the hills to the west. Rent a bike and pedal around, even to Nuits-St-Georges, one of my favorite little wine villages. Get a wine map before you go. Buy a 5 kg jerrycan of wine if you really like it. Plastic jerrycans are available at the degustation stores. My favorite red is passetoutgrains. For white, aligote beats chardonnay on my taste buds. If you like cognac try the marc de Bourgogne.

Glad Stu weighed in on Montpelier. I would not choose to be based there with no way to leave!!
Wine? How about the Loire?
LOVE aligote and hard to get in the US.
Beaune also has the famous hospital.

Everything Rick Steves knows about Paris is Rue Cler, also known as "Rue Rick" to those who have been there. If you want to see and know Paris get the Michelin Green Guide. If you want to see it in heavy detail get the DK Eyewitness guide. DK also publishes a book on all of France. DK guidebooks have plenty of pretty pictures, maps, and data, but they are very heavy because of the high quality paper. The Fodor's guide to Paris is also very good, and probably the best writing in guide books to be found these days.

How long will you be in Paris? What size apartment do you need?

>>Everything Rick Steves knows about Paris is Rue Cler,<<

True - but the OP does not know the difference between the right & left bank, and what an arrondissement is. Rick Steves explains this & other "stuff" (like tipping) better than the Michelin Green Guide does. That's why I told him/her to start with the GG to get the "basics".

Stu Dudley

Dijon is our "other" second favorite city in France after Paris. However, the train from Barcelona takes anywhere from 8 to 9 1/4 hrs to get there - and from 1 to 2 train changes. That pretty much eats up an entire day. Then it is 1 1/2 hrs to Paris by TGV.

Beaune is rathar small - but a good day-trip from Dijon by train.

Lyon is 4 3/4 hrs away from Toulouse by train - but it arrives in Lyon at 22:04 and then you will probably want to take a taxi to a more "centrally" located (for tourists) hotel. There are other departures that take more time and involve a train change.

Toulouse is 3 hrs by train from Barcelona, with 0 train changes. Then it is 5 1/2 hrs to Paris with 0 train changes again.

Stu Dudley

A good guide book is essential. Check a few out at the library or bookstore. There are 20 Arrondissements in Paris and within each (often overlapping) are the different neighborhoods, districts or 'quartiers". Paris is an extremely walkable city with an excellent transport system. You can walk from one end to the other in 2-3 hours.

Photos to give you a sense of each neighborhood,
https://www.airbnb.ca/locations/pari...hborhoods?tags[]=5&tags[]=8

A basic description,
http://youngadventuress.com/2013/02/...nts-guide.html

Short films,
http://www.geobeats.com/video/2bac99...e-neighborhood

Or, any of Mxsmanic's,
http://www.youtube.com/user/Mxsmanic/videos

Artistic/bohemian is a relative term. For me, it would be eastern Paris or, the Right Bank. The 10th,11th,18th,19th,20.
I also like the Marais and the Latin Quarter. They tend to be more expensive, but I've always managed to find lovely and inexpensive places.

This article is old (2001)but is still relevent and a great read, especially if you're just beginning to explore Paris,
http://www.travelandleisure.com/arti...paris-je-taime

I have been reading travel books but honestly my head is spinning, we are doing 4 countries with several cities over the summer and I figured I'd come here for advice and short cuts because I am getting very confused. I know you guys recommended the other bank but what do you think about this location https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/257214?...%2F2014&s=1f0b ? It's inexpensive and near public transport...

There are better areas to rent an apt in Paris as mentioned in earlier posts.

The Rue Montmartre apartment looks good to me. I bookmarked it for my next trip. Let us know how it works for you. Being on the fourth floor helps keep out street noise, but is that a church window I see in one of the photos? The bells might be tolling. Bring ear plugs.

I kinda agree with HappyTrvlr. The "map" map shows that is is very near les Halles - perhaps my least favorite section of Paris. Also, I think Les Halles is "under construction" - but I have no idea what stage/state the construction is in. The street view shows an address other than R Montmartre (which is a very long street).

>>Also, what is the most convenient and fun area of Paris to stay. We tend to like the more artistic/bohemia areas..<<

Look for something in the Marais!!!


I'm not a fan of the Latin Quarter or the Pigalle region.

Stu Dudley

Thank you StuDudley, Marais is definitely looking like our favorite area :)