Visiting Paris & South France in Sept. – advice/help needed (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

Yikes, may I ask where he stayed, Patrick?

The hotels we've booked have been well reviewed and recommended (from Rick Steves' book and tripadvisor.com) and are also fairly well known and central in location [not out in the lesser-well-known or seedier areas], so hopefully there will be less of a chance of that happening. That said, we are travelling with relatively few expensive belongings (I think I'm leaving the Macbook Pro at home though I really want to take it), so we could stash the money and passport between the two of us in bed.

I do already have the belt packs a la Eurotrip for our valuables while walking about to deter pickpocketers:

 

[Patrick Sun]

I didn't get the name of the place he stayed at, but I doubt it was a 4-star hotel, and I would have gotten out of there as well after he started to describe it. This is sort of what you get when you "wing" it through Europe, plus he's a bit on the trusting side of things. But his outlook on life is still good, this hasn't deterred him from visiting again, just resolved to be a little more careful.

BTW, the theft happened about 11 days ago.

 

[Carlo_M]

Thanks for the 411 Patrick. I'm not staying at 4 star hotels (though most are 3 star, but their "star definition" does not equal what it does over in the states). I'm just hoping for good luck because these places are recommended by people who are considered "respected experts" (like Rick Steves) and have a ton of reviews at tripadvisor, meaning that they are frequently visited by discerning tourists who care to share their experiences.

One thing I've learned about tripadvisor, if anyone even has a minor complaint they'll air it there. So the hotels we picked were as devoid of complaints as possible (there's always one or two no matter how great the hotel) and I read and researched each review thoroughly. Luckily none of the ones I chose had a report of theft.

But I will definitely be in ultra-safe-bordering-on-paranoia mode when I'm there, just to be sure.

They can take my dignity

 

[Jay H]

What I've found from travelling a little in China is the star designation doesn't necessarily have to do with the quality of the hotel, just that it has certain amenities:

For example, a 4-star hotel will have fax/phone/internet service, pool, room service, etc. But it doesn't mean that the hotel will be kept up nicely, although usually that is the case...

Jay

 

[Carlo_M]

That's exactly right, Jay. I think in Paris/France, in order to be 2 stars you have to have over 60% of your rooms with in-room bathrooms, 3 stars means you have to have an elevator, that kind of thing.

 

[Carlo_M]

Getting a bit antsy/nervous/jittery/excited. This trip would be a lot less stressful if it wasn't for the recent incidents that led to airport security step ups.

Still I'm looking very forward to the trip, just dreading the airport security (which I fully understand, just still dreading it) and being trapped in a metal cylinder for 11-12 hours. I'm not afraid of flying, but being in an enclosed space with no choice but to sit for that long will drive me batty. No, I'm not claustrophobic, I've been trapped in an elevator before and was fine, but I've never flown for this long before. Well, when we first emigrated to the U.S. I did, but I was 4 and I didn't remember anything. But since then the furthest I've flown is to NYC, about 5 hours.

I remember being so thrilled about finding a nonstop flight to Paris...now if I could do it all over again, I might schedule one with a stopover in NYC or some other east coast city, just to get out and stretch my legs, walk around, and get a latte.

In 48 hours and change I should be stepping foot in Charles de Gaulle airport and be on European soil for the first time in my life!

 

[Cees Alons]

When flying east, the plane will get some advantage of the Brave Western Winds, meaning you'll probably fly only 9 hours, or so (depending of your point of departure). The word is: just sit and relax (and perform some of the advised movements).

The weather is greatly improving the last few days, so you may have a very pleasant stay (as far as that is concerned).

My wife and I will be rather close to you (we're spending a few days in Cannes, which is close to Nice, if that's of any comfort to you , from 15-20 September), but my schedule is so shaky (as will be my internet access), that I don't see an easy way to plan a meet.
We could try, though.

Have a great trip, Carlo. I'm sure you're going to love it!


Cees

 

[Jay H]

Have a great trip Carlo, spend some time WALKING around downtown Paris, it is a fun city to explore by foot as there are a lot of things you will see when moving slowly. I like walking around cities and cycling the countryside, myself...

Jay

 

[Carlo_M]

Thanks Cees. The airline site says it will be 11 hours to Paris from LAX, and 12 hours back. If we can really shave off another hour or so, that would be great, although then we'd be arriving in Paris at 7AM instead of 8'ish, and I'm not sure what we would do then. Our hotel will surely not have our room ready until the early afternoon, but hopefully they'll hold our luggage while we explore the city.

Jay, we are both big walkers so no worries there. I chose a hotel right near the St. Severin church, so we are literally within walking distance of Notre Dame and most of the centralized museums of note (Orsay, Louvre, etc.). We will definitely plan on walking most of the time, though we may choose to ride to the Eiffel Tower/Arc de Triomphe, once we figure out if they are too far out of range.

 

[Cees Alons]

Or take one of those boat trips on the river Seine.
On some you can get out half-way (e.g. visit the Eiffeltower) and then proceed to the starting point again.

But whatever you do: the Metro is your friend! Just be aware of possible pick-pockets.


Cees

 

[Jay H]

...and the roving Metro subway Jazz bands!!! I found them to be so surreal. Very hip!

Ditto the metro, get one of those weekly passes and you're golden. It's a great system and it's easy to use as they have video screens of where you are and where you're going. If you have a metro map then it's easy to visit all the different neighborhoods around there.

Jay

 

[Holadem]

Actually it's a pretty dumb system, as the seven day pass starts on Monday and expires the followign Sunday. So unless you buy early in the week, you will always have to gauge whether it's worth the expense or not. In NYC, a seven-day pass gets you seven days from the day of purchase...

--
H - just a heads up.

 

[Carlo_M]

Yeah I read about that. Plus the carte orange I believe is only for the inner zones in Paris. The Paris Visite is overpriced, you can get 4 carnets (10 tickets = carnet) for those prices. We're thinking of just getting 2 carnets each. Since we'll only be in Paris W, Th, Fr, with Sat being essentially going to Orly airport, that should do the trick.

Unfortunately, it's raining. Or as the old umbrellas I used to see for the Wimbledon tennis matches said (I don't know why they were in French since Wimbledon is a British tourney) "Merde, il pleut!"

All right, T-minus 4 hours until liftoff. Thanks everyone for their help and suggestions!