spouse of scouse

I know BE's not a tourist information site, but I'm hoping someone will take pity on me.

The husband's had this grand idea to take me to Paris for a few days, to celebrate my 60th birthday. Which is all very nice, except for the following

I'll have to arrange everything, as the husband doesn't 'do' online stuff

My three sisters are visiting from Australia at the time, so the party will consist of 5 people ranging in age from 46 to 68. To give an idea of the difficulties in finding suitable accommodation for everyone - 2 are smokers, so will need access to a balcony/terrace/garden - one would feel distinctly uncomfortable staying in a super glitzy area - one can't walk too far - one's never been to Paris so will probably want to do tourist stuff - blah blah blah. Maximum accommodation budget per night is £1,000

An apartment with enough bedrooms and bathrooms for us all would probably be the best bet. Taxis and metro would solve most other problems. But - what area of Paris? Any inspiration on location or anything else gratefully received - except don't worry about suggesting that I back heel the spouse's brainwave and just stay home with a Chinese takeaway, because I've already thought of that

EuroTrash

When I go to Paris for a weekend or a break I usually stay in Montmartre. That's because it's convenient for central Paris, it's an iconic area and I love the buzz, there are some reasonably priced hotels and loads of restaurants and cafés in the neighbourhood. However I realise that Place Pigalle is not everybody's cup of tea (sex shops, ladies of the night, Moulin Rouge etc).

BritInParis

Paris is very compact and the Métro stations are very frequent so the chances are you'll never be far from one. Have a look on Airbnb for a suitable apartment.

For a personal recommendation I lived for a year in a little neighbourhood in the 11th arrondissement at the top of Rue de la Roquette near Père Lachaise (worth seeing) and thought it was perfect. Close to a Ligne 2 station (Philippe Auguste) for Gare du Nord (La Chapelle) so easy access to the airports and Eurostar but also close to a Ligne 9 station (Voltaire) which runs through most of the tourist attractions on La Rive Droite. There's a little park (Square de la Roquette) and a parade of shops including a supermarket and two boulangeries.

dmu

As said, an AirBnB is probably your best bet, in view of your numbers, but I'd avoid anywhere near a railway station or the périphérique, and steer clear of the 10ème, the eastern parts of the 18ème, and the 19ème.
The bus network is good, allowing you to get your bearings, using the same tickets as the Métro (buy a "Forfait" each for Métro/Bus and hop-on, hop-off when you want for the number of days you want).
Have a good time!

grannybunz

It is unlikely you will find anything that will accommodate smokers.

I love the Marais district, great restaurants plenty of cultural visits and a lovely neighbourhood atmosphere.
Not cheap but we satyed here for our Golden Wedding a couple of years ago.It was heavenly.
→ Le Pavillon de la Reine - 5-star Hotel and Spa Paris 3 - OFFICIAL WEBSITE
I can'r walk too far either.
I prefer taking the bus, which is easy, allows you to see the sights. I don't "do" underground.

spouse of scouse

Thanks for that info ET, Montmartre sounds like a handy location. My sisters and I wouldn't worry at all about sex workers etc, we'd be more likely to stop and have a chat My Liverpool lad would blush though (in between sneaky looks!)

scrubbedexpat142

And keep an extra hand on the wallet - fun area though!

spouse of scouse

Thanks BiP, lots of great info there. I had a look on Google maps at the area you lived in, it looks lovely and very convenient.

spouse of scouse

Thanks DMU, it's good to know areas to avoid as well as recommendations where to stay. The bus and metro ticket info will be very handy!

spouse of scouse

Thanks grannybunz. All of us, including the smokers, are very 'anti' smoking indoors and wouldn't do that, but a little balcony or similar would be handy so they didn't have to leave the accommodation and go outside for a ciggie. Have seen a few possibilities that mention it's fine to smoke on the terrace or in the garden.

Marais does sound lovely and I'm glad you had such a wonderful time for your golden wedding anniversary. Very belated congratulations on reaching that milestone!

spouse of scouse

Good idea! I have a very unassuming looking necklace that I brought in New Delhi last year, it's long enough to tuck under your top and has a silk pouch for cash. Mind you, the puzzled attention I attracted fishing it out lessened its effectiveness a bit

cyrian

You used to be able to get a museum pass for several main venues which let you avoid the queues. Check and see if it is still available.
Don't carry a handbag; don't wear nice jewellery or watches and if you have a backpack - wear it in front of you.
Take great care on the metro and metro stations.
Take photos of your passports; credit cards etc and keep your phone/camera secure.
If you arrive at CdG airport, I would choose an area on the route of the airport buses because the RER connections can be difficult for visitors to understand.
Paris taxis normally only take 4 people max. and charge extra for luggage.
HTH

scrubbedexpat142

I remember a British Vice Consul telling me that he used to carry cash on 3 separate places on his person - on the basis that when he reached journey's end he should have at least one sum left!

cyrian

On a good day

Annetje

Just a quick jump into this thread ... Need to spent 1 night in Paris having to be in Montparnasse. I'm going with my sister who would like to stay in a hotel in Montmartre ...
Since there seems to be a huge choice ... any idea where ? I am not a milionaire but not on a budget neither. Middleclass will do.


PS whish we had spell check back.