disneymania4444

We just returned from Paris yesterday late afternoon. We are still trying to recover from jetlag, but I thought I would start a post at least.

First of all, thanks to all of you for answering my questions before we left. I can't tell you the number of times I quoted the forums to my family to answer questions we had!! All of your shared expertise really helped us a lot!! Many thanks. If I can answer any questions for first timers, I would be happy to.

We did end up staying at the VIP apt at Champs Elysee. It was just as expected in the pictures on the Net. The apt was very nice, and gave us a lot more room than we would have had in a hotel room. This was a new experience for us to stay in an apt for vacation. Thw washer and dryer was very different from the states, but really came in handy. We did have a couple things that came up with the appliances during out stay, but one call to the manager rectified it quickly.

When we first arrived at CDG airport, we had arranged for Airport Connection shuttle to pick us up. Fortunately and quite an unusual occurence, we arrived ONE hour early!! I had given Airport Connection all our flight info and hoped they would be waiting for us early. They weren't. But again, we were early, so... We got to baggage and then called them as per the email instructions (somehow I thought they would meet us at baggage with a sign but that didn't happen). It took 3 calls to get someone there. They told us the driver was waiting for us in another area of the airport. They told us what number door to go to which we were already at and the driver was somewhere else. So, we wasted a lot of time at the airport trying to get connect with the shuttle driver to get to our apt.

After settling in our apt, we walked around looking for places to eat. Champs Elysee is just as you all described it. Lots of fancy shops with the price tags to go with it. We mostly just shopped and the girls tried things on, but the price tags were prohibitive to buy much.

We found the bakeries very quickly. Yummmmm! Just as we heard, the pastried were delicious!! We couldn't get enough of them. So many to choose from. I cheated on my diet a lot, have to be good now. I tried to remember some of the names to report back on this post. I think the "chain" bakery was Midore which was very good. It was the only bakery we could find open after the infamous Aug vacation period started in France. We really liked Cahier De Patisserie (I hope I got that name spelled right). The little green iced cakes were our favorites. We did go to Monoprix as some of you suggested (like our Target). It had lots of things we needed for the apt. It was a bit far though to carry back heavy water bottles. Great place to get necessities. The airline had broken one of our suitcases. I looked there for a replacement, but it was 99 Euros. We just strapped the suitcase and thankfully, it made it home. Got some sandwiches at Bioche Doree and of course more pastries.

Next day we went off the the Drugstore and got had sit down lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches. By the way, the question everyone asked us (for those newtimers) is gas or still? This was in reference to the water we ordered. Of course they meant carbonated or not. It was just unsual to us the first time we heard it.

We went to the Arc de Triomphe near the Geroge V metro station. We debated whether to go into the Arc, but decided we would have many opportunities to do that later since it was so close to the Metro. So much to my DD's dismay, we went onto the Louvre via the Metro. As my DD feared, we never did make it back to go inside the Arc. Sigh...

We spent most of the day in the Louvre admiring all the works of art. We ate at the Cafe Louvre and just about stayed until it closed. The fixed price dinner was 97 Euros/person.

I don't know if anyone else had this reaction, but I was very surprised that the Mona Lisa was so small. The glass around it was for protection I'm guessing, but it reflected off for picture taking. The other paintings are so enormous in comparison.

Will have to take a laundry break. Will continue later...

surfmom

so glad to hear about it... and glad the crew was helpful.

Did you make Disney Paris ? I knew that was a high priority and some of us tried to talk you out of it, but your DD really wanted to go...

will you do a full blown trip report ? looking forward to the details....

yk

Hi disneymania - you're BACK! I hope you had a great time. I don't think Mona Lisa is that small... it's just that you can't get close to it, so it seems smaller from afar.

elcon

Glad you had a good time. I just visited Paris for the first time in May and am constantly plotting my return!

disneymania4444

surfmom, yes we did make it to Disneyland. It's at the end of the TR.

Thanks for your comments yk and elcon!

Anyway, the next day we went to the Eiffel Tower. We had lunch reservations at the Jules Verne. We were unable to get a window seat as requested due to the high demand for one. We had booked on the internet but not soon enough. It was very neat to be able to get past all the long lines and go straight up to the restaurant. The food wasn't up to our expectations (since the price was so high I guess we expected too much). However, it was a spectacular view once we went out on the observation deck. It was a windy day and quite cool, so we had to take it all in quickly. Once we got back on the ground level, we were hit up multiple times by the people selling the Eiffel Towers on the huge round rings. It was hard to get away from them since they were everywhere! One person bargained with them and finally bought one. I remember someone told me or I read it that the quality of those souvenirs are horrible.




I had experienced vertigo before the trip and unfortunately the elevator ride up and down the Eiffel Tower triggered it again for me. So things started spinning and I wasn't able to walk straight. This put me out of commission for the next day also.




I also had back and knee problems which were exasperated by walking long distances and up and down the stairs in the Metro. So my mantra became have Motrin and Antivert, will travel.




There were also many folks who went around asking, "Do you speak English?" I knew that was part of another scam, so we all said no or just shook our heads and avoided them. What do they do afterwards if you say you do speak English?




The next day, the family went on without me to see Marmottan and Musee d'Orsay I think. I met them that night for Chinese food at the Elysees Mandarin which was close to our apt. The food there was quite good. The hostess and the owner were super friendly. We enjoyed dim sum there. We kept waving "hi" each subsequent night since they were on the way home from the Metro. Very nice folks. They offered to convert back to USD to save us money on our bill.They said could give us a good rate we can't get elsewhere. They seemed SO nice, I was tempted. I remembered that someone on the forum told me DEFINITELY don't ever let them them do that. So we politely declined.




Next day we took a day trip to Versilles. Took RER to get there. Beautiful chateau and gardens. Very hot that day and nothing was air conditioned. Then took RER and many Metros to Chinatown. The prices there were very reasonable. Had another dim sum meal and then called it a day. Ate at the Pacifique there, was pretty good.




Next day I got hit with traveller's diarrhea and was sidelined again. Somehow just not my trip. This caused me some problems for a few days again.




The family went without me again to Notre Dame Cathedral and some other places. They said it was magnificent. That was one I hated to miss. However, with no bathrooms at the metro stations, etc... not an option.




We took some shopping in at the Galeries Lafayette, quite an impressive dept store. My DD actually was able to get a blouse for 15 Euros in the sale rack.




BTW, we did buy museum passes which I would highly recommend.




I called for a shuttle for the next day to go to Disneyland. The Airport Connection said they had no shuttles left. So, for any first timers using the shuttles-book ahead!! We looked up any company in the Yellow pages since I didn't have the phone number for Shuttle Inter (one mentioned on the forums a lot). Couldn't find it on their internet site also. I believe this company was somthing like Novette?? We asked that he come 9:45A since we had to do all the apt prepping procedures before we left. He never showed. When we called, they said he was there at 8:45A and no one was there, so he left. Sigh, we didn't have good luck with shuttles. He finally did come within about 10 min after we called, so it worked out.




BTW, after all the discussions on the board, we did use the ATM's there and found them plentiful and a good way to get Euros for us. I did get a small amount before we left to pay for things along the way. The ATM's were great!!




We arrived at Dream Castle Hotel at Disneyland, stored our luggage and




I just lost this whole post. So I am going to submit and then continue.

disneymania4444

Ok, back to the TR. We went to Dream Castle which got horrendous reviews on the internet. I was very leary of going, but we had to go with availability. I checked in and they gave me a room with 1 double and 2 bunk beds. My kids are adults and couldn't fit into the bunk beds obviously. I had worked on this very problem for hours before the trip to correct this. They finally assured me I would get a quad with 2 queens. So we get there and encounter the same problem. Sigh. They said they fixed it and we stored our luggage and went to the parks.




We had a 2 day park hopper. It was fun, just quite hot, (86 and 87 I believe) and we didn't find many places with air conditioning. The US has all the indoor shows with A/C. Didn't find that there. Much smaller parks, the studio one is somewhat similar to the MGM Studios at Disney World. Disneyland is an smaller version of Magic Kingdom. It was still enjoyable, they had mostly the same rides, some differences. They had fast passes but not for many of the rides. The folks there don't follow "lines" as much, so there was a lot of crowding and line jumping. The kids enjoyed the French flair to the parks. Many of the rides were closed due to problems. The irritating part was you would stand in a long line and then find out they are closing it and you wasted all that time. It would open and close and open and close.




When we got back late to the hotel, we found that they booked us in the room with the bunks AGAIN. they said they switched us to a room with 2 queens, then switched it back to the bunks. The room with the bunks had a musty odor and we were glad we weren't staying there. It was exactly what the reviews had warned us about. We finally got a room with 2 kings I think. The beds were glorious, we had a great night sleep. Maybe pure exhaustion.


We had the breakfast buffet the next morning. I think it was suppose to be an American buffet. The food was absolutely horrible. Again, something they mentioned on the reviews. I would totally agree. So, for anyone thinking of going to this hotel, I would suggest you NOT get the room rate including the breakfast.




I booked a private shuttle to CDG which worked out well.




The CDG was a mess just as you all warned me. For some reason they wouldn't allow us to check in via the internet the night before. We walked to the airport itself and still got blocked. They told us to just come extra early the next morning. We were staying at the Sheraton at the CDG which was super convenient, though pricey.




You all warned me that 3 people in front could make you wait 45 min. You are exactly right. We were in a LONG line to check-in. Once we finally got up to the counter we waited forever because the little conveyor belt wouldn't move to dump our suitcases onto the bigger moving belt. I asked if I could just jump back there and push it manually myself? Nope. They don't seem to have any sense of urgency there at all, never mind we have to make our flight.




We made it, and even had some time to do some duty free shopping.




Thats it! Thanks again for all of your help!

Seamus

Glad you enjoyed your trip - welcome back! For future reference, asking if you want gas or still, it's a way to up sell you to bottled water, which is totally unnecessary unless you want it. As you probably noticed, it was pretty pricey. Just ask for <<un pichet d'eau>> and you will get a pitcher of tap water at no cost.

disneymania4444

Thanks, Seamus! Lots of things were so pricey.

susan001

Glad you enjoyed your Paris vacation. I remember visiting some of these places during my '05 trip. To me, the Mona Lisa is awe- inspiring in person.... and I thought of her as quite a celebrity with people of all ages -- many of them young -- crowded around to see her and take her picture.

Yes the gypsies were out in the park leading to the Louve when I was there. "Do you speak English?" as they waved a sheet of paper. I believe the others come and rob you as you attempt to read their document. I reacted same as you, shaking my head without stopping.

There are so many wonders in Paris aside from the high prices and tourist scams; makes me want to return.

Guenmai

Glad you had a nice time although, unfortunately, there were a lot of bumps in the road. But, it was summer and it's very crowded in summer and things don't always move as smoothly as they might at other times of the year.
I was at EuroDisney at the opening many years ago and yes, the situation with not standing in line, but crowding, and cutting in line is very annoying. I don't know what's so difficult about standing in a line. Things would move a lot smoother. It's the same at CDG and Orly. I remember one , of several nightmare experiences at Orly in which I wanted to scream. Folks were pushing and shoving and crowded around and there was no line and people were cutting in line etc. And as you said, there's a no-urgency, move at snails pace attitude although people need to get to their flights. I understand it. Have been dealing with the situation since the mid 70s. Smiles. Happy Travels!

disneymania4444

susan, thanks for clarifying what they would do if you said you do speak English. I had no idea what came next, nor did I want to find out. They appeared to be just single folks, but I bet their "group" was nearby once they found someone who would talk to them.

Guenmai,
You hit the nail right on the head. No respects for lines really made each situation chaotic instead of organized. The kids did it a lot, but so did the adults. If you respected the lines, it took a lot more time to get through due to this.
I don't think the folks at CDG meant to frustrate us by their snail's pace, I think that is just their culture. Just when you want to insure you make it to the plane, it's like they are moving in slow motion... Have a great trip!

disneymania4444

Guenmai,
What's funny is that on the Metro, the sense of the urgency was palpable. Everyone was rushing and pushing. The opposite of the CDG workers.

jkbritt

We just got back two weeks ago from a two week stay in Paris. Some things you say are really true. The beggers at the Eifel Tower are pushy, to say the lest. Speak Klingon or Pig Latin to them and they go away. Did anyone try the "found a gold ring" scam on you? We had 3 tries in 10 minutes at the Louve.

We booked the Ibis (no AC) at CDG and it was just across the street from the entrance to termainal 3-Hotel Ibis Charles de Gaulle Aéroport / Terminal. Be careful when reserving. There are two Ibis's. The other is 5km away. I did it online before I left and got a 20% discount for booking early. It was around E55. They have a decent breakfast for E8 if bought at the desk. They were running a sale. If bought online it is E10. It was worth it.

We try to use the buses when possible. Get to see a tour of Paris for E1.30. I use an electric scooter, so Metro is out of the question. We (wife) walks a lot when in Paris. I scooter ride. We take bus close to where we want to go and walk from there. Also, by busing, we get away from the tourist sections and eat at cafe's and Brasseries with price fix menus at around E8-12. Good, cheap food.

We found the best prices on clothes down from the Moulin Rouge a couple of blocks and at the market at Saint Ouen. Wife found leather purses for 5 or 6 Euro, blouses and skirts for less than E10. Also shopped ETAM. Great prices there too. Les Halles, which is undergroud had some great shops. Be warned, you will get lost there in the winding halls.

disneymania4444

jkbritt,
Man, you really found the right places to shop. We didn't find any of those. We paid through the nose at the touristy areas. $120 USD for 4 sandwiches, $300 for a dinner. We knew instinctively that if we got out of the touristy areas, we would get lot better prices, but time didn't allow and we really didn't know where to go. Didn't want to wander down a place that was a bad area.
Agreed the beggars are very aggressive. It was challenging to get to your destination and avoid all of them since they were everywhere!! Fortunately we didn't get hit with the ring scam. Is that the one where they drop a ring and then ask if it's yours? Then what do they do?
I tried to "people watch" which some on the boards said was one of the most interesting things to do. I constantly got asked if I spoke English which caused me to keep moving and I couldn't just relax and "take it all in".
You got a tremendous deal for the Ibis.
We did choose from the fixed price menus, but where we were, they cost 97 euros, 86 euros/ person. Again, as they say in real estate: location, location, location!!

CarolA

I am really sorry to hear about your meal expereinces. I think that's what scares people off of Paris and I can say that as a single female I have NEVER spent that much per person on a meal. (I have spent some decent amounts, but those were on meals that were at "respected" places, not "tourism")

Honestly, it's "hard" to wind up in the "wrong area" of Paris. I have done it, but I had to work at it LOL! Just wandering off for food... nope, I don't walk that far )

disneymania4444

Carol,
We just didn't seem to pick the right ones. Most of ours were around the Champs Elysee area and then the touristy spots. I wish I went to where jkbritt went!!

Nikki

Congratulations on resisting the offer to let the Chinese restaurant charge your bill in dollars. Their special rate would not only have been higher than your own bank's rate, but your bank would probably have tacked on their own fee on top of the restaurant's fee. This is dynamic currency conversion, and it is good that you read about it here before traveling to Paris.

StCirq

Sorry to hear of your travails.

Next time stay away from the Champs Elysées and Disneyworld. In countless trips to Paris, I've never paid what you were paying for those experiences/restaurants. When I pay as much as you did for a meal, it's at a place I consider to be very, very nice, with meals up to my somewhat foodie standards.

Hope you'll go back and enjoy a less expensive and problem-free trip sometime again.

jkbritt

I ate one meal on the Champs Elysées, and on a scale of 10 it was about a 4. Not worth the price by any means. That was a couple of years ago and we have learned. This was our 4th Paris trip and I have found that Boulangers have wonderful sandwiches and great deserts for around 4 to 6 Euros each. At times, one is enough for two if you want a light meal. Buy cheese and drink from Monoprix, Champion or other store and have fresh sandwich and find a park, which should not be hard, and have a wonderful picnic and people watch, like the French. Also I have found that Brassaries, as many have stated before, wonderful places for price fix menu with great food. Cous-Cous is also a filling meal that is fairly cheap. One order will usually do two people unless you are starving. We ate at the best Cous-Cous restaurant in Paris(supposidly) -La Oriental on Avenue Trudaine, and the meal, with 1/2 liter of wine, for the two of us was around E34 for dinner. I had chicken Cous Cous and my wife had a wonderful chicken in pastry. I could not eat all of mine. Should have just gotten Cous-Cous, but did not know size of meal unitl it arrived. Chicken in pastry was wonderful also. Good deal, I thought.

Also, La Pergola, a Brassarie on Boulevard Bessieres and the intersection of Avenue de Saint-Ouen. Coming down St. Ouen, take a left at Bessieres, and it is 45 yards down the street on the left. It has a green awning. Good price fix menu and wonderful owner. Good place to stop and eat after shopping the St. Ouen flea market all day.

When we stopped at a Brassarie and ordered cafe' Americano and tap watter, we just sat, drank coffee and water and watched people go by. We had very few questions. I usually initiated any conversations with people around us.

Also, about the French in general. I use a scooter, as mentioned above. At times the battery would run down before I got home. Everytime I asked in a Brasserie, Restaurant, etc. could I plug it in and charge it, they were more than willing to let me. Moving tables and chairs so I could get close to an outlet. Could not have asked for better help. Also, when I got stuck on curbs or on ledges at doors, people came out of the woodwork to help me get over the rough spots. This was also true in Milan, Italy, our next stop on our trip this summer.

disneymania4444

Nikki, I'm glad now that we did resist the temptation. It's just that they seemed so nice. I guess that's how you get taken.

StCirq-agreed those two areas are quite pricey and not the best quality.

jkbritt-you certainly had the opposite experience than us for getting good deals.