$150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
Aug 2nd 2004, 4:44 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
$150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a night
max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
Aug 3rd 2004, 6:01 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
find pretty much anything you want.
"RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
night
> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
find pretty much anything you want.
"RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
night
> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
Aug 3rd 2004, 9:50 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
On 2004-08-03 19:01:07 +0100, "Mark Fagan" <[email protected]> said:
> Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
> find pretty much anything you want.
>
> "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
> night
>> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
>> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
Best cheap 'hotel' I went to in Paris was the Holiday Inn at Disney
Park... It's very high quality, nice restaurant, and they run shuttles
from the park to the hotel. you can get a room for about 70Euros most
of the time which is pittance compared to the city centre places. It's
right on the RER A line at the end of the line, 'Marne La Vallee'.
You can also get decent cheap hotels in the Val d'Europe region which
is one stop short of Marne La Vallee, including another Holiday Inn
(generally pretty cheap) and the usual suspect chains. It's about a
thirty minute train ride from Chåtelet Les Halles to the East. If
budget is a priority, and you've already got train passes like Paris
Visité or Mobilis (as long as you have them for Zones 1-5) then you've
nothing to lose but time. The only travel warning is that the shuttles
from the park to the hotel shut at around midnite, and it is about a 20
minute walk to the hotel otherwise (all in the same complex area but a
little further out and to the East of the Disney hotels). (or taxis run
from the park) and also the early morning train into Paris can be
somewhat crowded, as can the trains from 5-9 about as far as six or
seven stops short of Marne La Vallee. If you are British or American
and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
on the train.
Aside from the 30 minute train ride, the line you are on is
unbelieveably convenient. For example, to go from the Disney Park to
the airport you can also take a coach for about 20euros which takes
about 45 minutes or so, or if you have the train passes, you take the
RER A direct to Chatelet Les Halles and then switch line (literally 10
yards ) and take the RER B (I think it's the 'B') to CDG Airport.
Otherwise Chatelet connects pretty much everywhere with the integrated
Metro lines. If you want to go further into the city, and not get stuck
in the zoo that is above Les Halles, you can stay on the RER A to Auber
which is a station connected to the Opera district. Getting out there
allows you to go North to Hausmann Blvd (shops and hotels) or West to
Madeleine and Place de la Concorde (more shops and hotels) or you can
walk south (or metro it) to Rue Rivoli where you will find the Louvre
and another bunch of shops and hotels.
All the way to the other end of the RER A you will find La Defense
where there are an array of the usual budget hotels (it is business
district) which is equally on the main line. It's not anywhere near as
far out of the city as Disney Park, but the trade off is that it is a
busy urban area, pretty safe at night but a little desolate and
soulless.
In terms of the centre of Paris, it's a case of 'you'll pay a lot for a
little or a little for even less.' There are some Best Western (small
ones) dotted in the side streets around the area of Opera, particularly
North of Madeleine or between Charles De Gaulle Etoile and St Lazare
(if I've got the station right).
For cheap hotels you're looking at three main areas.
On the Rive Gauche you've got some of the chain hotels dotted all along
the route from Austerlitz to the Champs De Mars (nr Eiffel Tower)
particularly South of Blvd St Germain... some of the 'express' type
hotels and Ibis, Best Western and Etap are in the side streets as you
get further south from the main Left Bank shopping and dining districts
and out in Montparnasse area particularly around the area of
Montparnasse Cimetiere.
There are a few on the Right Bank, some in and around Bastille...
however, for first time tourists the 'eclectic' nightlife of Bastille
can be a bit intimidating. As can the ample budget accommodation to be
found in the Montmartre district. There are a bunch more Best Western
and other franchises along with Ibis, Etap, Holiday Inn Express out to
the north of Place Pigalle (be warned if you're a family person,
Pigalle is one of the porn n sex club capitals of Paris particularly to
the East and South East of Place Pigalle, but there are some hotels to
the North just beyond the cemetary, and also to the back of the mount
from Sacre Coeur. By the way, if you end up for nostalgia's sake going
to the Metro at Abbesses, don't be a smart ass when you get out and see
the queue for the lift, and try to walk the stair way.... those stairs
go on for miles... It's the deepest sub station in Paris, because it's
halfway up the tallest hill in Paris, while the substation is at the
typical Parisian ground level (deep)... the elevator takes dozens of
people at once, so there will be plenty of room if you wait with the
crowd.
For proximity to the city, I'd try the Opera area. There's enough going
on in and around Opera, especially in the Madeleine district, to be
safe and remain in proximity to the fun stuff. Many of the world famous
bars and restaurants are in that district, and you should be able to
pick up a Best Western with breakfast for maybe £100 euros, perhaps a
little bit more. I think there are about 10-15 Best Westerns and
Holiday Inns between them with 'opera' in the name, so you should be OK
there. It's right on the main metro lines to the RER A and so is sat
right on the hub of everything Parisien.
Have a great trip, I hope I may have helped you and not bored you.
You'll never forget Paris...
Enjoy
> Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
> find pretty much anything you want.
>
> "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
> night
>> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
>> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
Best cheap 'hotel' I went to in Paris was the Holiday Inn at Disney
Park... It's very high quality, nice restaurant, and they run shuttles
from the park to the hotel. you can get a room for about 70Euros most
of the time which is pittance compared to the city centre places. It's
right on the RER A line at the end of the line, 'Marne La Vallee'.
You can also get decent cheap hotels in the Val d'Europe region which
is one stop short of Marne La Vallee, including another Holiday Inn
(generally pretty cheap) and the usual suspect chains. It's about a
thirty minute train ride from Chåtelet Les Halles to the East. If
budget is a priority, and you've already got train passes like Paris
Visité or Mobilis (as long as you have them for Zones 1-5) then you've
nothing to lose but time. The only travel warning is that the shuttles
from the park to the hotel shut at around midnite, and it is about a 20
minute walk to the hotel otherwise (all in the same complex area but a
little further out and to the East of the Disney hotels). (or taxis run
from the park) and also the early morning train into Paris can be
somewhat crowded, as can the trains from 5-9 about as far as six or
seven stops short of Marne La Vallee. If you are British or American
and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
on the train.
Aside from the 30 minute train ride, the line you are on is
unbelieveably convenient. For example, to go from the Disney Park to
the airport you can also take a coach for about 20euros which takes
about 45 minutes or so, or if you have the train passes, you take the
RER A direct to Chatelet Les Halles and then switch line (literally 10
yards ) and take the RER B (I think it's the 'B') to CDG Airport.
Otherwise Chatelet connects pretty much everywhere with the integrated
Metro lines. If you want to go further into the city, and not get stuck
in the zoo that is above Les Halles, you can stay on the RER A to Auber
which is a station connected to the Opera district. Getting out there
allows you to go North to Hausmann Blvd (shops and hotels) or West to
Madeleine and Place de la Concorde (more shops and hotels) or you can
walk south (or metro it) to Rue Rivoli where you will find the Louvre
and another bunch of shops and hotels.
All the way to the other end of the RER A you will find La Defense
where there are an array of the usual budget hotels (it is business
district) which is equally on the main line. It's not anywhere near as
far out of the city as Disney Park, but the trade off is that it is a
busy urban area, pretty safe at night but a little desolate and
soulless.
In terms of the centre of Paris, it's a case of 'you'll pay a lot for a
little or a little for even less.' There are some Best Western (small
ones) dotted in the side streets around the area of Opera, particularly
North of Madeleine or between Charles De Gaulle Etoile and St Lazare
(if I've got the station right).
For cheap hotels you're looking at three main areas.
On the Rive Gauche you've got some of the chain hotels dotted all along
the route from Austerlitz to the Champs De Mars (nr Eiffel Tower)
particularly South of Blvd St Germain... some of the 'express' type
hotels and Ibis, Best Western and Etap are in the side streets as you
get further south from the main Left Bank shopping and dining districts
and out in Montparnasse area particularly around the area of
Montparnasse Cimetiere.
There are a few on the Right Bank, some in and around Bastille...
however, for first time tourists the 'eclectic' nightlife of Bastille
can be a bit intimidating. As can the ample budget accommodation to be
found in the Montmartre district. There are a bunch more Best Western
and other franchises along with Ibis, Etap, Holiday Inn Express out to
the north of Place Pigalle (be warned if you're a family person,
Pigalle is one of the porn n sex club capitals of Paris particularly to
the East and South East of Place Pigalle, but there are some hotels to
the North just beyond the cemetary, and also to the back of the mount
from Sacre Coeur. By the way, if you end up for nostalgia's sake going
to the Metro at Abbesses, don't be a smart ass when you get out and see
the queue for the lift, and try to walk the stair way.... those stairs
go on for miles... It's the deepest sub station in Paris, because it's
halfway up the tallest hill in Paris, while the substation is at the
typical Parisian ground level (deep)... the elevator takes dozens of
people at once, so there will be plenty of room if you wait with the
crowd.
For proximity to the city, I'd try the Opera area. There's enough going
on in and around Opera, especially in the Madeleine district, to be
safe and remain in proximity to the fun stuff. Many of the world famous
bars and restaurants are in that district, and you should be able to
pick up a Best Western with breakfast for maybe £100 euros, perhaps a
little bit more. I think there are about 10-15 Best Westerns and
Holiday Inns between them with 'opera' in the name, so you should be OK
there. It's right on the main metro lines to the RER A and so is sat
right on the hub of everything Parisien.
Have a great trip, I hope I may have helped you and not bored you.
You'll never forget Paris...
Enjoy
Aug 3rd 2004, 3:14 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
RipVanWinkle wrote:
> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a night
> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
For how many people? I am very fond of the Hotel Bastille Speria, and
will, infact be staying there in Mid September myself, to attend opera
performances at the Opera Bastille (which is about a block from the
hotel). The price they gave me for a single (with bath) was 105 Euro,
including taxes. There is a lift (it's a three-star hotel) and the
rooms are spotlessly clean. They only provide breakfast (not included
in the room rates) but there are any number of good restaurants nearby.
Their web-site is in both French and English, and you can make
reservations over the internet via their secure reservation page.
The web-site URL is http://www.hotel-bastille-speria.com/
>
>
> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a night
> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
For how many people? I am very fond of the Hotel Bastille Speria, and
will, infact be staying there in Mid September myself, to attend opera
performances at the Opera Bastille (which is about a block from the
hotel). The price they gave me for a single (with bath) was 105 Euro,
including taxes. There is a lift (it's a three-star hotel) and the
rooms are spotlessly clean. They only provide breakfast (not included
in the room rates) but there are any number of good restaurants nearby.
Their web-site is in both French and English, and you can make
reservations over the internet via their secure reservation page.
The web-site URL is http://www.hotel-bastille-speria.com/
>
>
Aug 3rd 2004, 6:06 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
> If you are British or American
> and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
> not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
> as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
> the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
> on the train.
I'm sure this is true, but my family had an interesting experience returning
from Disneyland on the RER last week. It was about 23:00 or so, and all
seemed relatively normal except for the presence of RER (RATP?) police, with
dogs, who were inspecting tickets. OK fine, no big deal, they were nice
enough.
Then at a stop somewhere between Disneyland and Nation everyone was told to
exit the train and walk across the platform to another, which would continue
on. In the process we observed a number of people being arrested. No
violence, and nothing that seemed particularly disturbing, just strange.
I should also point out that, to the western visitor, security is *far* more
visible in France than in the US. Armed police (many more "Nationales" than
I've seen in the past... used to be primarily Gendarmes) and dogs are
everywhere.
The only time I felt that my own safety could have become an issue was on a
late-night trip to Les Halles, searching for an Internet Cafe that was
supposed to be open until 2am. What I found was a raging street brawl with
a couple guys getting seriously beaten up by an angry gang. The Internet
Cafe was closed (it was about 2300, a good 3 hours earlier than should have
been the case), probably due to the scene outside. As I was leaving the
area, there were a couple of very concerned shop keepers a couple blocks
away hearing (and watching) the action, with one of them appearing to be
calling the police. But y'know, there are places in my own town that I'd
probably feel considerably less safe at that time of night!
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
> and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
> not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
> as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
> the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
> on the train.
I'm sure this is true, but my family had an interesting experience returning
from Disneyland on the RER last week. It was about 23:00 or so, and all
seemed relatively normal except for the presence of RER (RATP?) police, with
dogs, who were inspecting tickets. OK fine, no big deal, they were nice
enough.
Then at a stop somewhere between Disneyland and Nation everyone was told to
exit the train and walk across the platform to another, which would continue
on. In the process we observed a number of people being arrested. No
violence, and nothing that seemed particularly disturbing, just strange.
I should also point out that, to the western visitor, security is *far* more
visible in France than in the US. Armed police (many more "Nationales" than
I've seen in the past... used to be primarily Gendarmes) and dogs are
everywhere.
The only time I felt that my own safety could have become an issue was on a
late-night trip to Les Halles, searching for an Internet Cafe that was
supposed to be open until 2am. What I found was a raging street brawl with
a couple guys getting seriously beaten up by an angry gang. The Internet
Cafe was closed (it was about 2300, a good 3 hours earlier than should have
been the case), probably due to the scene outside. As I was leaving the
area, there were a couple of very concerned shop keepers a couple blocks
away hearing (and watching) the action, with one of them appearing to be
calling the police. But y'know, there are places in my own town that I'd
probably feel considerably less safe at that time of night!
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
Aug 4th 2004, 3:04 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
I find that the Hotel Climat chain is very good value...motel style but
comfortable and fully equipped and not expensive. But their restaurants are
excellent and even better value (how many motels in North America serve
whole Dover sole?) The drawback is they tend to be out at the edge of
Paris, but you can always get youself in with the Metro. There's one near
Porte de la Clignacourt in the 18th and another in the 10th, which looks
like a very traditional small hotel. Both are near metro stations. If they
don't suit, their parent company runs several other hotel chains of
different price/quality levels. Search them at
http://www.envergure.fr/envergureen.html
<SampleX> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2004-08-03 19:01:07 +0100, "Mark Fagan" <[email protected]> said:
> > Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You
can
> > find pretty much anything you want.
> >
> > "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
> > night
> >> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
> >> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
> Best cheap 'hotel' I went to in Paris was the Holiday Inn at Disney
> Park... It's very high quality, nice restaurant, and they run shuttles
> from the park to the hotel. you can get a room for about 70Euros most
> of the time which is pittance compared to the city centre places. It's
> right on the RER A line at the end of the line, 'Marne La Vallee'.
> You can also get decent cheap hotels in the Val d'Europe region which
> is one stop short of Marne La Vallee, including another Holiday Inn
> (generally pretty cheap) and the usual suspect chains. It's about a
> thirty minute train ride from Chåtelet Les Halles to the East. If
> budget is a priority, and you've already got train passes like Paris
> Visité or Mobilis (as long as you have them for Zones 1-5) then you've
> nothing to lose but time. The only travel warning is that the shuttles
> from the park to the hotel shut at around midnite, and it is about a 20
> minute walk to the hotel otherwise (all in the same complex area but a
> little further out and to the East of the Disney hotels). (or taxis run
> from the park) and also the early morning train into Paris can be
> somewhat crowded, as can the trains from 5-9 about as far as six or
> seven stops short of Marne La Vallee. If you are British or American
> and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
> not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
> as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
> the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
> on the train.
> Aside from the 30 minute train ride, the line you are on is
> unbelieveably convenient. For example, to go from the Disney Park to
> the airport you can also take a coach for about 20euros which takes
> about 45 minutes or so, or if you have the train passes, you take the
> RER A direct to Chatelet Les Halles and then switch line (literally 10
> yards ) and take the RER B (I think it's the 'B') to CDG Airport.
> Otherwise Chatelet connects pretty much everywhere with the integrated
> Metro lines. If you want to go further into the city, and not get stuck
> in the zoo that is above Les Halles, you can stay on the RER A to Auber
> which is a station connected to the Opera district. Getting out there
> allows you to go North to Hausmann Blvd (shops and hotels) or West to
> Madeleine and Place de la Concorde (more shops and hotels) or you can
> walk south (or metro it) to Rue Rivoli where you will find the Louvre
> and another bunch of shops and hotels.
> All the way to the other end of the RER A you will find La Defense
> where there are an array of the usual budget hotels (it is business
> district) which is equally on the main line. It's not anywhere near as
> far out of the city as Disney Park, but the trade off is that it is a
> busy urban area, pretty safe at night but a little desolate and
> soulless.
> In terms of the centre of Paris, it's a case of 'you'll pay a lot for a
> little or a little for even less.' There are some Best Western (small
> ones) dotted in the side streets around the area of Opera, particularly
> North of Madeleine or between Charles De Gaulle Etoile and St Lazare
> (if I've got the station right).
> For cheap hotels you're looking at three main areas.
> On the Rive Gauche you've got some of the chain hotels dotted all along
> the route from Austerlitz to the Champs De Mars (nr Eiffel Tower)
> particularly South of Blvd St Germain... some of the 'express' type
> hotels and Ibis, Best Western and Etap are in the side streets as you
> get further south from the main Left Bank shopping and dining districts
> and out in Montparnasse area particularly around the area of
> Montparnasse Cimetiere.
> There are a few on the Right Bank, some in and around Bastille...
> however, for first time tourists the 'eclectic' nightlife of Bastille
> can be a bit intimidating. As can the ample budget accommodation to be
> found in the Montmartre district. There are a bunch more Best Western
> and other franchises along with Ibis, Etap, Holiday Inn Express out to
> the north of Place Pigalle (be warned if you're a family person,
> Pigalle is one of the porn n sex club capitals of Paris particularly to
> the East and South East of Place Pigalle, but there are some hotels to
> the North just beyond the cemetary, and also to the back of the mount
> from Sacre Coeur. By the way, if you end up for nostalgia's sake going
> to the Metro at Abbesses, don't be a smart ass when you get out and see
> the queue for the lift, and try to walk the stair way.... those stairs
> go on for miles... It's the deepest sub station in Paris, because it's
> halfway up the tallest hill in Paris, while the substation is at the
> typical Parisian ground level (deep)... the elevator takes dozens of
> people at once, so there will be plenty of room if you wait with the
> crowd.
> For proximity to the city, I'd try the Opera area. There's enough going
> on in and around Opera, especially in the Madeleine district, to be
> safe and remain in proximity to the fun stuff. Many of the world famous
> bars and restaurants are in that district, and you should be able to
> pick up a Best Western with breakfast for maybe £100 euros, perhaps a
> little bit more. I think there are about 10-15 Best Westerns and
> Holiday Inns between them with 'opera' in the name, so you should be OK
> there. It's right on the main metro lines to the RER A and so is sat
> right on the hub of everything Parisien.
> Have a great trip, I hope I may have helped you and not bored you.
> You'll never forget Paris...
> Enjoy
comfortable and fully equipped and not expensive. But their restaurants are
excellent and even better value (how many motels in North America serve
whole Dover sole?) The drawback is they tend to be out at the edge of
Paris, but you can always get youself in with the Metro. There's one near
Porte de la Clignacourt in the 18th and another in the 10th, which looks
like a very traditional small hotel. Both are near metro stations. If they
don't suit, their parent company runs several other hotel chains of
different price/quality levels. Search them at
http://www.envergure.fr/envergureen.html
<SampleX> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2004-08-03 19:01:07 +0100, "Mark Fagan" <[email protected]> said:
> > Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You
can
> > find pretty much anything you want.
> >
> > "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
> > night
> >> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
> >> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
> Best cheap 'hotel' I went to in Paris was the Holiday Inn at Disney
> Park... It's very high quality, nice restaurant, and they run shuttles
> from the park to the hotel. you can get a room for about 70Euros most
> of the time which is pittance compared to the city centre places. It's
> right on the RER A line at the end of the line, 'Marne La Vallee'.
> You can also get decent cheap hotels in the Val d'Europe region which
> is one stop short of Marne La Vallee, including another Holiday Inn
> (generally pretty cheap) and the usual suspect chains. It's about a
> thirty minute train ride from Chåtelet Les Halles to the East. If
> budget is a priority, and you've already got train passes like Paris
> Visité or Mobilis (as long as you have them for Zones 1-5) then you've
> nothing to lose but time. The only travel warning is that the shuttles
> from the park to the hotel shut at around midnite, and it is about a 20
> minute walk to the hotel otherwise (all in the same complex area but a
> little further out and to the East of the Disney hotels). (or taxis run
> from the park) and also the early morning train into Paris can be
> somewhat crowded, as can the trains from 5-9 about as far as six or
> seven stops short of Marne La Vallee. If you are British or American
> and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
> not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
> as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
> the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
> on the train.
> Aside from the 30 minute train ride, the line you are on is
> unbelieveably convenient. For example, to go from the Disney Park to
> the airport you can also take a coach for about 20euros which takes
> about 45 minutes or so, or if you have the train passes, you take the
> RER A direct to Chatelet Les Halles and then switch line (literally 10
> yards ) and take the RER B (I think it's the 'B') to CDG Airport.
> Otherwise Chatelet connects pretty much everywhere with the integrated
> Metro lines. If you want to go further into the city, and not get stuck
> in the zoo that is above Les Halles, you can stay on the RER A to Auber
> which is a station connected to the Opera district. Getting out there
> allows you to go North to Hausmann Blvd (shops and hotels) or West to
> Madeleine and Place de la Concorde (more shops and hotels) or you can
> walk south (or metro it) to Rue Rivoli where you will find the Louvre
> and another bunch of shops and hotels.
> All the way to the other end of the RER A you will find La Defense
> where there are an array of the usual budget hotels (it is business
> district) which is equally on the main line. It's not anywhere near as
> far out of the city as Disney Park, but the trade off is that it is a
> busy urban area, pretty safe at night but a little desolate and
> soulless.
> In terms of the centre of Paris, it's a case of 'you'll pay a lot for a
> little or a little for even less.' There are some Best Western (small
> ones) dotted in the side streets around the area of Opera, particularly
> North of Madeleine or between Charles De Gaulle Etoile and St Lazare
> (if I've got the station right).
> For cheap hotels you're looking at three main areas.
> On the Rive Gauche you've got some of the chain hotels dotted all along
> the route from Austerlitz to the Champs De Mars (nr Eiffel Tower)
> particularly South of Blvd St Germain... some of the 'express' type
> hotels and Ibis, Best Western and Etap are in the side streets as you
> get further south from the main Left Bank shopping and dining districts
> and out in Montparnasse area particularly around the area of
> Montparnasse Cimetiere.
> There are a few on the Right Bank, some in and around Bastille...
> however, for first time tourists the 'eclectic' nightlife of Bastille
> can be a bit intimidating. As can the ample budget accommodation to be
> found in the Montmartre district. There are a bunch more Best Western
> and other franchises along with Ibis, Etap, Holiday Inn Express out to
> the north of Place Pigalle (be warned if you're a family person,
> Pigalle is one of the porn n sex club capitals of Paris particularly to
> the East and South East of Place Pigalle, but there are some hotels to
> the North just beyond the cemetary, and also to the back of the mount
> from Sacre Coeur. By the way, if you end up for nostalgia's sake going
> to the Metro at Abbesses, don't be a smart ass when you get out and see
> the queue for the lift, and try to walk the stair way.... those stairs
> go on for miles... It's the deepest sub station in Paris, because it's
> halfway up the tallest hill in Paris, while the substation is at the
> typical Parisian ground level (deep)... the elevator takes dozens of
> people at once, so there will be plenty of room if you wait with the
> crowd.
> For proximity to the city, I'd try the Opera area. There's enough going
> on in and around Opera, especially in the Madeleine district, to be
> safe and remain in proximity to the fun stuff. Many of the world famous
> bars and restaurants are in that district, and you should be able to
> pick up a Best Western with breakfast for maybe £100 euros, perhaps a
> little bit more. I think there are about 10-15 Best Westerns and
> Holiday Inns between them with 'opera' in the name, so you should be OK
> there. It's right on the main metro lines to the RER A and so is sat
> right on the hub of everything Parisien.
> Have a great trip, I hope I may have helped you and not bored you.
> You'll never forget Paris...
> Enjoy
Aug 4th 2004, 3:34 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
On 2004-08-04 07:06:54 +0100, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> said:
>> If you are British or American
>> and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
>> not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
>> as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
>> the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
>> on the train.
>
> I'm sure this is true, but my family had an interesting experience returning
> from Disneyland on the RER last week. It was about 23:00 or so, and all
> seemed relatively normal except for the presence of RER (RATP?) police, with
> dogs, who were inspecting tickets. OK fine, no big deal, they were nice
> enough.
>
> Then at a stop somewhere between Disneyland and Nation everyone was told to
> exit the train and walk across the platform to another, which would continue
> on. In the process we observed a number of people being arrested. No
> violence, and nothing that seemed particularly disturbing, just strange.
>
> I should also point out that, to the western visitor, security is *far* more
> visible in France than in the US. Armed police (many more "Nationales" than
> I've seen in the past... used to be primarily Gendarmes) and dogs are
> everywhere.
>
> The only time I felt that my own safety could have become an issue was on a
> late-night trip to Les Halles, searching for an Internet Cafe that was
> supposed to be open until 2am. What I found was a raging street brawl with
> a couple guys getting seriously beaten up by an angry gang. The Internet
> Cafe was closed (it was about 2300, a good 3 hours earlier than should have
> been the case), probably due to the scene outside. As I was leaving the
> area, there were a couple of very concerned shop keepers a couple blocks
> away hearing (and watching) the action, with one of them appearing to be
> calling the police. But y'know, there are places in my own town that I'd
> probably feel considerably less safe at that time of night!
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
Les Halles is simply not a clever area at night if you're not a very
streetwise local.
I got caught there at just 9pm, and apart from not being able to find
the entrance to the station as easily as I would have liked (it was
tucked away round the side) I was followed by not just one but two
large gangs of black blokes. It was quite a relief to get into the
station, though I was followed in there too, and managed to make enough
conversation around them at kiosks and so on to make myself pass for a
fluent french speaker (what a lie) and they backed off thinking that I
was not a foreign visitor.
Sounds like the police were filtering off illegals... they frequently
take the runs from CDG to Chatelet, and then out to MLV. It's a tourist
route for foreign looking folks, and a heavily ethnic route for
natives, so they are able to blend in a little better particularly
algerians, and moroccans and arabs. You often see a couple of older
chaps (say, early thirties) with a bunch of teenagers and early twenty
somethings working the route.
Second to last time I was there we had the RATP (4 of em) and the dogs
(2 of em) pull a group of youths on the train...
There's enough RATP to make the transport system a safer place
indeed... I'd be happier taking the metro and the RER in Paris than in
London (where I look like anything BUT a tourist)
One skill I learned is that though I had forgotten a lot of French from
my school days, knowing enough to survive, and listening to
conversation and interaction reveals that the 'proper' French grammar
of structured sentences taught in our schools is bollocks, and the
fastest way to get spotted as a tourist.
Listening to Parisien conversations, there are a lot of 'abbreviated'
statements addressed without formalities, and a lot of 'pauses' for
thought resulting in a 'errrrrrrr' sound. As long as you get the
pronunciations and so on right, you can easily pass for a very casual
native, until you get stuck in words you don't know. For example, I
went to places and heard English tourists using 'oui' as the sound
'wee', even 'we'... however, I had spent a lot of time watching French
movies, and learned that a sound more like 'weh' produces a slightly
regionalised version of the same. The English tourists struggling with
their language were frequently asked to join in English, and yet when I
spoke, even though I do not know much French by any stretch, I was
getting surprised responses when I got into linguistic difficulty and
was frequently asked 'have you lived here long?'
I taught a friend of mine to listen to the same patterns of
conversation in Paris as well... For example, if you went to the RER
platform in Chatelet and were buying a drink from the kiosk there your
french teacher would have taught you how to formally say 'je voudrais'
or some derivative of acheter, but observation allows you to get away
with 'Orangina, sil vous plait.' or to pick something up, hold it in
the air and say 'combien', to then fork over the change quickly and
utter 'merci, au revoir' as fluently as you can... that way, on the
trains as the crooks are watching you, as long as you've not got on
your I Love New York T-Shirt on and a camera round your neck, you're
not so distinguishable from natives... while many of the criminals are
also not French, they can tell the foreign accents, the typical
appearance, and when an individual is struggling with the language in
order to do something very simple.
One other tip for first timers... if you've got a good sense of
direction, study the metro maps before your journeys and familiarise
yourself with the lines, the colours, the numbers and the directions of
the metro (the RER is dead easy) so you don't spend lots of time on the
train or in subways looking like a glaringly obvious stranger. It also
pays if you know a bit of French, to be very fluent with your numbers
for while transactions are taking place (know that you're not being
ripped off, don't make your numeric difficulty obvious) and have enough
operating words of French to be able to, without formalities of
schoolroom French, say what you want and make yourself understood...
Many Parisiens speak English pretty well though they appreciate the
effort in French, however if you find yourself in back streets looking
for food or lodging and so on, you find a lot of traditionally purist
French folks who shrug when you say 'parlez vous Anglaise?' You need to
be able to relate to these people... you'll come across a lot of
Boulanger who would love to serve you a sandwich and a cake, but have
no clue what you're saying.
The only French waiter who really threw me was one who had no clue what
I was saying when I ordered Kronenbourg seize-cent soixante-quatre...
(remember the UK TV advert where the french voice whispers those
words)... we managed to point to the menu at his cluelessness and he
declared 'ah, biere...' Except they also had about 8 other brands of
'biere' I shrugged and nodded, and said 'merci' in the right place. And
not a single place did I find yet where I could, just for experience,
utter the immortal line 'une Stella Artois s'il vous plais'
I recommend, if you don't know French, that you learn a fluent
derivative of 'Excuse me, but my French is not very good (or is
non-existant), do you speak English...'
Paris, however, is my favourite place in the world.
I'm desperate to go back... I found a little mexican restaurant on one
of the back streets between St Michel and Blvd St Germaine , I can't
remember if it was just before or just after Alcazar. Anyway, there was
really lovely girl who was waitressing in there, who seemed to be a
part of the furniture (perhaps it was family business) and the owners
knew next to no English, but she seemed to be an aspirational English
speaker, and did wonderfully with me and my guests... having lived with
a Californian Mexican for a year, and being a bit of a good cook
myself, I can say that the food sucked beyond belief, though the place
was tiny and beautifully quaint, but my goodness... I want to tell that
waitress I love her....
>> If you are British or American
>> and this is your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do
>> not be alarmed at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far
>> as MLV/Chessy. This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all
>> the times I have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident
>> on the train.
>
> I'm sure this is true, but my family had an interesting experience returning
> from Disneyland on the RER last week. It was about 23:00 or so, and all
> seemed relatively normal except for the presence of RER (RATP?) police, with
> dogs, who were inspecting tickets. OK fine, no big deal, they were nice
> enough.
>
> Then at a stop somewhere between Disneyland and Nation everyone was told to
> exit the train and walk across the platform to another, which would continue
> on. In the process we observed a number of people being arrested. No
> violence, and nothing that seemed particularly disturbing, just strange.
>
> I should also point out that, to the western visitor, security is *far* more
> visible in France than in the US. Armed police (many more "Nationales" than
> I've seen in the past... used to be primarily Gendarmes) and dogs are
> everywhere.
>
> The only time I felt that my own safety could have become an issue was on a
> late-night trip to Les Halles, searching for an Internet Cafe that was
> supposed to be open until 2am. What I found was a raging street brawl with
> a couple guys getting seriously beaten up by an angry gang. The Internet
> Cafe was closed (it was about 2300, a good 3 hours earlier than should have
> been the case), probably due to the scene outside. As I was leaving the
> area, there were a couple of very concerned shop keepers a couple blocks
> away hearing (and watching) the action, with one of them appearing to be
> calling the police. But y'know, there are places in my own town that I'd
> probably feel considerably less safe at that time of night!
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
Les Halles is simply not a clever area at night if you're not a very
streetwise local.
I got caught there at just 9pm, and apart from not being able to find
the entrance to the station as easily as I would have liked (it was
tucked away round the side) I was followed by not just one but two
large gangs of black blokes. It was quite a relief to get into the
station, though I was followed in there too, and managed to make enough
conversation around them at kiosks and so on to make myself pass for a
fluent french speaker (what a lie) and they backed off thinking that I
was not a foreign visitor.
Sounds like the police were filtering off illegals... they frequently
take the runs from CDG to Chatelet, and then out to MLV. It's a tourist
route for foreign looking folks, and a heavily ethnic route for
natives, so they are able to blend in a little better particularly
algerians, and moroccans and arabs. You often see a couple of older
chaps (say, early thirties) with a bunch of teenagers and early twenty
somethings working the route.
Second to last time I was there we had the RATP (4 of em) and the dogs
(2 of em) pull a group of youths on the train...
There's enough RATP to make the transport system a safer place
indeed... I'd be happier taking the metro and the RER in Paris than in
London (where I look like anything BUT a tourist)
One skill I learned is that though I had forgotten a lot of French from
my school days, knowing enough to survive, and listening to
conversation and interaction reveals that the 'proper' French grammar
of structured sentences taught in our schools is bollocks, and the
fastest way to get spotted as a tourist.
Listening to Parisien conversations, there are a lot of 'abbreviated'
statements addressed without formalities, and a lot of 'pauses' for
thought resulting in a 'errrrrrrr' sound. As long as you get the
pronunciations and so on right, you can easily pass for a very casual
native, until you get stuck in words you don't know. For example, I
went to places and heard English tourists using 'oui' as the sound
'wee', even 'we'... however, I had spent a lot of time watching French
movies, and learned that a sound more like 'weh' produces a slightly
regionalised version of the same. The English tourists struggling with
their language were frequently asked to join in English, and yet when I
spoke, even though I do not know much French by any stretch, I was
getting surprised responses when I got into linguistic difficulty and
was frequently asked 'have you lived here long?'
I taught a friend of mine to listen to the same patterns of
conversation in Paris as well... For example, if you went to the RER
platform in Chatelet and were buying a drink from the kiosk there your
french teacher would have taught you how to formally say 'je voudrais'
or some derivative of acheter, but observation allows you to get away
with 'Orangina, sil vous plait.' or to pick something up, hold it in
the air and say 'combien', to then fork over the change quickly and
utter 'merci, au revoir' as fluently as you can... that way, on the
trains as the crooks are watching you, as long as you've not got on
your I Love New York T-Shirt on and a camera round your neck, you're
not so distinguishable from natives... while many of the criminals are
also not French, they can tell the foreign accents, the typical
appearance, and when an individual is struggling with the language in
order to do something very simple.
One other tip for first timers... if you've got a good sense of
direction, study the metro maps before your journeys and familiarise
yourself with the lines, the colours, the numbers and the directions of
the metro (the RER is dead easy) so you don't spend lots of time on the
train or in subways looking like a glaringly obvious stranger. It also
pays if you know a bit of French, to be very fluent with your numbers
for while transactions are taking place (know that you're not being
ripped off, don't make your numeric difficulty obvious) and have enough
operating words of French to be able to, without formalities of
schoolroom French, say what you want and make yourself understood...
Many Parisiens speak English pretty well though they appreciate the
effort in French, however if you find yourself in back streets looking
for food or lodging and so on, you find a lot of traditionally purist
French folks who shrug when you say 'parlez vous Anglaise?' You need to
be able to relate to these people... you'll come across a lot of
Boulanger who would love to serve you a sandwich and a cake, but have
no clue what you're saying.
The only French waiter who really threw me was one who had no clue what
I was saying when I ordered Kronenbourg seize-cent soixante-quatre...
(remember the UK TV advert where the french voice whispers those
words)... we managed to point to the menu at his cluelessness and he
declared 'ah, biere...' Except they also had about 8 other brands of
'biere' I shrugged and nodded, and said 'merci' in the right place. And
not a single place did I find yet where I could, just for experience,
utter the immortal line 'une Stella Artois s'il vous plais'
I recommend, if you don't know French, that you learn a fluent
derivative of 'Excuse me, but my French is not very good (or is
non-existant), do you speak English...'
Paris, however, is my favourite place in the world.
I'm desperate to go back... I found a little mexican restaurant on one
of the back streets between St Michel and Blvd St Germaine , I can't
remember if it was just before or just after Alcazar. Anyway, there was
really lovely girl who was waitressing in there, who seemed to be a
part of the furniture (perhaps it was family business) and the owners
knew next to no English, but she seemed to be an aspirational English
speaker, and did wonderfully with me and my guests... having lived with
a Californian Mexican for a year, and being a bit of a good cook
myself, I can say that the food sucked beyond belief, though the place
was tiny and beautifully quaint, but my goodness... I want to tell that
waitress I love her....
Aug 4th 2004, 3:57 am
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 11:04:06 -0400, "Mark Fagan" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I find that the Hotel Climat chain is very good value...motel style but
>comfortable and fully equipped and not expensive. But their restaurants are
>excellent and even better value (how many motels in North America serve
>whole Dover sole?) The drawback is they tend to be out at the edge of
>Paris, but you can always get youself in with the Metro. There's one near
>Porte de la Clignacourt in the 18th and another in the 10th, which looks
>like a very traditional small hotel. Both are near metro stations. If they
>don't suit, their parent company runs several other hotel chains of
>different price/quality levels. Search them at
>http://www.envergure.fr/envergureen.html
You can find reasonably priced and quite decent hotels
in convenient locations.
We stayed at the KYRIAD ITALIE GOBELINS, which currently
is advertising rates of 80euros per night for a double room.
We paid somewhat less in May. Good bus and Metro transportation
but really also walkable to Luxembourg Gardens area. We
could be at Notre Dame in 10 minutes on the bus.
This hotel has no special charm but clean, TV, hair dryer,
and more than just acceptable if what you want is a bed
at a decent price. Our twin bedded room was small, but we
spent litte time there except to sleep.
We enjoyed stopping in at the neighborhood sidewalk cafes
in the evenings. Not a touristy area.
I am sure there are many other similar hotels in Paris and
one need not stay in the outskirts to find them.
>I find that the Hotel Climat chain is very good value...motel style but
>comfortable and fully equipped and not expensive. But their restaurants are
>excellent and even better value (how many motels in North America serve
>whole Dover sole?) The drawback is they tend to be out at the edge of
>Paris, but you can always get youself in with the Metro. There's one near
>Porte de la Clignacourt in the 18th and another in the 10th, which looks
>like a very traditional small hotel. Both are near metro stations. If they
>don't suit, their parent company runs several other hotel chains of
>different price/quality levels. Search them at
>http://www.envergure.fr/envergureen.html
You can find reasonably priced and quite decent hotels
in convenient locations.
We stayed at the KYRIAD ITALIE GOBELINS, which currently
is advertising rates of 80euros per night for a double room.
We paid somewhat less in May. Good bus and Metro transportation
but really also walkable to Luxembourg Gardens area. We
could be at Notre Dame in 10 minutes on the bus.
This hotel has no special charm but clean, TV, hair dryer,
and more than just acceptable if what you want is a bed
at a decent price. Our twin bedded room was small, but we
spent litte time there except to sleep.
We enjoyed stopping in at the neighborhood sidewalk cafes
in the evenings. Not a touristy area.
I am sure there are many other similar hotels in Paris and
one need not stay in the outskirts to find them.
Aug 4th 2004, 4:02 am
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
> I recommend, if you don't know French, that you learn a fluent
> derivative of 'Excuse me, but my French is not very good (or is
> non-existant), do you speak English...'
Such as-
Je parley Francais come une vauche Espagnol. Vous parley Anglais? :>)
The only problem with that one is that I don't know how well it goes over in
Southern France, where there might be a fair number of Spanish natives.
After experiencing the extreme rudeness of many Germans towards non-German
Tour de France riders, perhaps it should be-
Je parley Francais come une porc ....
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
> derivative of 'Excuse me, but my French is not very good (or is
> non-existant), do you speak English...'
Such as-
Je parley Francais come une vauche Espagnol. Vous parley Anglais? :>)
The only problem with that one is that I don't know how well it goes over in
Southern France, where there might be a fair number of Spanish natives.
After experiencing the extreme rudeness of many Germans towards non-German
Tour de France riders, perhaps it should be-
Je parley Francais come une porc ....
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
Aug 9th 2004, 4:38 pm
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
Hi,
jack's pages are great...he's a nice guy, his wife wonderful, an honest
man and a gentleman. I did business with him (he wasn't in a
travel/tourism related business... retired now with his young beautiful
wife..)
we should all be so lucky... but when he was born somebody was looking
out for him.
but I stay at the Hotel du Midi on Place Denfert Rochereau in the
14eme... details at http://www.paris.org in the hotels section... I like
the neighborhood...the catacombs and a statue by the same guy who did
the Statue of Libery are the only "tourist" attractions... but several
movie theatres within a couple blocks, good brasseries/cafes, a good
market street, metro/bus/rer/orly-bus stops.
if 150$/200$us isn't in your range there are a couple of * places on the
square too that while you'll give up some of the more modern touches the
du midi has added over the years aren't bad and are good buys.... beware
though that the Rue Daguerre is a market street and can be noisy and
busy (if convenient) in the morning.
Mark Fagan wrote:
> Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
> find pretty much anything you want.
>
> "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ink.net...
>
>>Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
>
> night
>
>>max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
>>preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
>
>
>
--
jack's pages are great...he's a nice guy, his wife wonderful, an honest
man and a gentleman. I did business with him (he wasn't in a
travel/tourism related business... retired now with his young beautiful
wife..)
we should all be so lucky... but when he was born somebody was looking
out for him.
but I stay at the Hotel du Midi on Place Denfert Rochereau in the
14eme... details at http://www.paris.org in the hotels section... I like
the neighborhood...the catacombs and a statue by the same guy who did
the Statue of Libery are the only "tourist" attractions... but several
movie theatres within a couple blocks, good brasseries/cafes, a good
market street, metro/bus/rer/orly-bus stops.
if 150$/200$us isn't in your range there are a couple of * places on the
square too that while you'll give up some of the more modern touches the
du midi has added over the years aren't bad and are good buys.... beware
though that the Rue Daguerre is a market street and can be noisy and
busy (if convenient) in the morning.
Mark Fagan wrote:
> Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
> find pretty much anything you want.
>
> "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] ink.net...
>
>>Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
>
> night
>
>>max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
>>preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
>
>
>
--
Aug 9th 2004, 4:40 pm
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
Hi,
now on the real cheap end there ARE a couple of Formule 1 in the paris
area... one out at St. Denis Basillique (still zone 1) and 1 I think
over by the Clignacourt market area.
SampleX wrote:
> On 2004-08-03 19:01:07 +0100, "Mark Fagan" <[email protected]> said:
>
>> Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
>> find pretty much anything you want.
>> "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected] ink.net...
>>> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
>> night
>>> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
>>> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
>
>
> Best cheap 'hotel' I went to in Paris was the Holiday Inn at Disney
> Park... It's very high quality, nice restaurant, and they run shuttles
> from the park to the hotel. you can get a room for about 70Euros most of
> the time which is pittance compared to the city centre places. It's
> right on the RER A line at the end of the line, 'Marne La Vallee'.
>
> You can also get decent cheap hotels in the Val d'Europe region which is
> one stop short of Marne La Vallee, including another Holiday Inn
> (generally pretty cheap) and the usual suspect chains. It's about a
> thirty minute train ride from Chåtelet Les Halles to the East. If budget
> is a priority, and you've already got train passes like Paris Visité or
> Mobilis (as long as you have them for Zones 1-5) then you've nothing to
> lose but time. The only travel warning is that the shuttles from the
> park to the hotel shut at around midnite, and it is about a 20 minute
> walk to the hotel otherwise (all in the same complex area but a little
> further out and to the East of the Disney hotels). (or taxis run from
> the park) and also the early morning train into Paris can be somewhat
> crowded, as can the trains from 5-9 about as far as six or seven stops
> short of Marne La Vallee. If you are British or American and this is
> your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do not be alarmed
> at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far as MLV/Chessy.
> This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all the times I
> have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident on the train.
>
> Aside from the 30 minute train ride, the line you are on is
> unbelieveably convenient. For example, to go from the Disney Park to the
> airport you can also take a coach for about 20euros which takes about 45
> minutes or so, or if you have the train passes, you take the RER A
> direct to Chatelet Les Halles and then switch line (literally 10 yards )
> and take the RER B (I think it's the 'B') to CDG Airport. Otherwise
> Chatelet connects pretty much everywhere with the integrated Metro
> lines. If you want to go further into the city, and not get stuck in the
> zoo that is above Les Halles, you can stay on the RER A to Auber which
> is a station connected to the Opera district. Getting out there allows
> you to go North to Hausmann Blvd (shops and hotels) or West to Madeleine
> and Place de la Concorde (more shops and hotels) or you can walk south
> (or metro it) to Rue Rivoli where you will find the Louvre and another
> bunch of shops and hotels.
>
> All the way to the other end of the RER A you will find La Defense where
> there are an array of the usual budget hotels (it is business district)
> which is equally on the main line. It's not anywhere near as far out of
> the city as Disney Park, but the trade off is that it is a busy urban
> area, pretty safe at night but a little desolate and soulless.
>
> In terms of the centre of Paris, it's a case of 'you'll pay a lot for a
> little or a little for even less.' There are some Best Western (small
> ones) dotted in the side streets around the area of Opera, particularly
> North of Madeleine or between Charles De Gaulle Etoile and St Lazare (if
> I've got the station right).
>
> For cheap hotels you're looking at three main areas.
>
> On the Rive Gauche you've got some of the chain hotels dotted all along
> the route from Austerlitz to the Champs De Mars (nr Eiffel Tower)
> particularly South of Blvd St Germain... some of the 'express' type
> hotels and Ibis, Best Western and Etap are in the side streets as you
> get further south from the main Left Bank shopping and dining districts
> and out in Montparnasse area particularly around the area of
> Montparnasse Cimetiere.
>
> There are a few on the Right Bank, some in and around Bastille...
> however, for first time tourists the 'eclectic' nightlife of Bastille
> can be a bit intimidating. As can the ample budget accommodation to be
> found in the Montmartre district. There are a bunch more Best Western
> and other franchises along with Ibis, Etap, Holiday Inn Express out to
> the north of Place Pigalle (be warned if you're a family person, Pigalle
> is one of the porn n sex club capitals of Paris particularly to the East
> and South East of Place Pigalle, but there are some hotels to the North
> just beyond the cemetary, and also to the back of the mount from Sacre
> Coeur. By the way, if you end up for nostalgia's sake going to the Metro
> at Abbesses, don't be a smart ass when you get out and see the queue for
> the lift, and try to walk the stair way.... those stairs go on for
> miles... It's the deepest sub station in Paris, because it's halfway up
> the tallest hill in Paris, while the substation is at the typical
> Parisian ground level (deep)... the elevator takes dozens of people at
> once, so there will be plenty of room if you wait with the crowd.
>
> For proximity to the city, I'd try the Opera area. There's enough going
> on in and around Opera, especially in the Madeleine district, to be safe
> and remain in proximity to the fun stuff. Many of the world famous bars
> and restaurants are in that district, and you should be able to pick up
> a Best Western with breakfast for maybe £100 euros, perhaps a little bit
> more. I think there are about 10-15 Best Westerns and Holiday Inns
> between them with 'opera' in the name, so you should be OK there. It's
> right on the main metro lines to the RER A and so is sat right on the
> hub of everything Parisien.
>
> Have a great trip, I hope I may have helped you and not bored you.
>
> You'll never forget Paris...
>
> Enjoy
>
--
To live outside the law, you must be honest...
(Absolutely Sweet Marie - Blonde on Blonde - 1966)
now on the real cheap end there ARE a couple of Formule 1 in the paris
area... one out at St. Denis Basillique (still zone 1) and 1 I think
over by the Clignacourt market area.
SampleX wrote:
> On 2004-08-03 19:01:07 +0100, "Mark Fagan" <[email protected]> said:
>
>> Best listing of hotels I know of is Jack's, www.jack-travel.com. You can
>> find pretty much anything you want.
>> "RipVanWinkle" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected] ink.net...
>>> Looking for hotel recommendations in Paris for mid September. $200 a
>> night
>>> max but $150 would be even better. Easy access to underground/subway
>>> preferred. Any recommendations? Thanks.
>
>
> Best cheap 'hotel' I went to in Paris was the Holiday Inn at Disney
> Park... It's very high quality, nice restaurant, and they run shuttles
> from the park to the hotel. you can get a room for about 70Euros most of
> the time which is pittance compared to the city centre places. It's
> right on the RER A line at the end of the line, 'Marne La Vallee'.
>
> You can also get decent cheap hotels in the Val d'Europe region which is
> one stop short of Marne La Vallee, including another Holiday Inn
> (generally pretty cheap) and the usual suspect chains. It's about a
> thirty minute train ride from Chåtelet Les Halles to the East. If budget
> is a priority, and you've already got train passes like Paris Visité or
> Mobilis (as long as you have them for Zones 1-5) then you've nothing to
> lose but time. The only travel warning is that the shuttles from the
> park to the hotel shut at around midnite, and it is about a 20 minute
> walk to the hotel otherwise (all in the same complex area but a little
> further out and to the East of the Disney hotels). (or taxis run from
> the park) and also the early morning train into Paris can be somewhat
> crowded, as can the trains from 5-9 about as far as six or seven stops
> short of Marne La Vallee. If you are British or American and this is
> your first time there, and you pick this hotel, please do not be alarmed
> at how 'ethnic' the stops are from Nation station as far as MLV/Chessy.
> This is suburban Paris you are travelling to, and in all the times I
> have made this journey, I have never seen a single incident on the train.
>
> Aside from the 30 minute train ride, the line you are on is
> unbelieveably convenient. For example, to go from the Disney Park to the
> airport you can also take a coach for about 20euros which takes about 45
> minutes or so, or if you have the train passes, you take the RER A
> direct to Chatelet Les Halles and then switch line (literally 10 yards )
> and take the RER B (I think it's the 'B') to CDG Airport. Otherwise
> Chatelet connects pretty much everywhere with the integrated Metro
> lines. If you want to go further into the city, and not get stuck in the
> zoo that is above Les Halles, you can stay on the RER A to Auber which
> is a station connected to the Opera district. Getting out there allows
> you to go North to Hausmann Blvd (shops and hotels) or West to Madeleine
> and Place de la Concorde (more shops and hotels) or you can walk south
> (or metro it) to Rue Rivoli where you will find the Louvre and another
> bunch of shops and hotels.
>
> All the way to the other end of the RER A you will find La Defense where
> there are an array of the usual budget hotels (it is business district)
> which is equally on the main line. It's not anywhere near as far out of
> the city as Disney Park, but the trade off is that it is a busy urban
> area, pretty safe at night but a little desolate and soulless.
>
> In terms of the centre of Paris, it's a case of 'you'll pay a lot for a
> little or a little for even less.' There are some Best Western (small
> ones) dotted in the side streets around the area of Opera, particularly
> North of Madeleine or between Charles De Gaulle Etoile and St Lazare (if
> I've got the station right).
>
> For cheap hotels you're looking at three main areas.
>
> On the Rive Gauche you've got some of the chain hotels dotted all along
> the route from Austerlitz to the Champs De Mars (nr Eiffel Tower)
> particularly South of Blvd St Germain... some of the 'express' type
> hotels and Ibis, Best Western and Etap are in the side streets as you
> get further south from the main Left Bank shopping and dining districts
> and out in Montparnasse area particularly around the area of
> Montparnasse Cimetiere.
>
> There are a few on the Right Bank, some in and around Bastille...
> however, for first time tourists the 'eclectic' nightlife of Bastille
> can be a bit intimidating. As can the ample budget accommodation to be
> found in the Montmartre district. There are a bunch more Best Western
> and other franchises along with Ibis, Etap, Holiday Inn Express out to
> the north of Place Pigalle (be warned if you're a family person, Pigalle
> is one of the porn n sex club capitals of Paris particularly to the East
> and South East of Place Pigalle, but there are some hotels to the North
> just beyond the cemetary, and also to the back of the mount from Sacre
> Coeur. By the way, if you end up for nostalgia's sake going to the Metro
> at Abbesses, don't be a smart ass when you get out and see the queue for
> the lift, and try to walk the stair way.... those stairs go on for
> miles... It's the deepest sub station in Paris, because it's halfway up
> the tallest hill in Paris, while the substation is at the typical
> Parisian ground level (deep)... the elevator takes dozens of people at
> once, so there will be plenty of room if you wait with the crowd.
>
> For proximity to the city, I'd try the Opera area. There's enough going
> on in and around Opera, especially in the Madeleine district, to be safe
> and remain in proximity to the fun stuff. Many of the world famous bars
> and restaurants are in that district, and you should be able to pick up
> a Best Western with breakfast for maybe £100 euros, perhaps a little bit
> more. I think there are about 10-15 Best Westerns and Holiday Inns
> between them with 'opera' in the name, so you should be OK there. It's
> right on the main metro lines to the RER A and so is sat right on the
> hub of everything Parisien.
>
> Have a great trip, I hope I may have helped you and not bored you.
>
> You'll never forget Paris...
>
> Enjoy
>
--
To live outside the law, you must be honest...
(Absolutely Sweet Marie - Blonde on Blonde - 1966)
Aug 9th 2004, 5:07 pm
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: $150 hotel recommendations for Paris, please?
>> I should also point out that, to the western visitor, security is
>> *far* more
>> visible in France than in the US. Armed police (many more
>> "Nationales" than
>> I've seen in the past... used to be primarily Gendarmes) and dogs are
>> everywhere.
Hi,
for those that don't know the difference "nationales" are basically
ARMY... technically federal police but they carry the FAMAS roughly
equivalent to the M16.
> Les Halles is simply not a clever area at night if you're not a very
> streetwise local.
or looking for heroine.
> One skill I learned is that though I had forgotten a lot of French from
> my school days, knowing enough to survive, and listening to conversation
> and interaction reveals that the 'proper' French grammar of structured
> sentences taught in our schools is bollocks,
well it's like american convenience store english.
sit items on counter, glance at register, pay...au revoir...
> It also pays if you know a bit of French, to be very fluent with your numbers
> for while transactions are taking place <...> and have enough
> operating words of French to be able to <...> say what youu want and make yourself
> understood...
> The only French waiter who really threw me was one who had no clue what
> I was saying when I ordered Kronenbourg seize-cent soixante-quatre...
un seize s'il vous plait
but it still sucks...
un heineken s'il vous plait is much beter.
> I'm desperate to go back... I found a little mexican restaurant on one
> of the back streets between St Michel and Blvd St Germaine ,
mexican food in PARIS... it's like Chinese Food in Paris... just doesn't
work (it could but they try so hard to fit the french menu system it
screws it up).
> I can say that the food sucked beyond belief
ttyl
akia
--
To live outside the law, you must be honest...
(Absolutely Sweet Marie - Blonde on Blonde - 1966)
>> *far* more
>> visible in France than in the US. Armed police (many more
>> "Nationales" than
>> I've seen in the past... used to be primarily Gendarmes) and dogs are
>> everywhere.
Hi,
for those that don't know the difference "nationales" are basically
ARMY... technically federal police but they carry the FAMAS roughly
equivalent to the M16.
> Les Halles is simply not a clever area at night if you're not a very
> streetwise local.
or looking for heroine.
> One skill I learned is that though I had forgotten a lot of French from
> my school days, knowing enough to survive, and listening to conversation
> and interaction reveals that the 'proper' French grammar of structured
> sentences taught in our schools is bollocks,
well it's like american convenience store english.
sit items on counter, glance at register, pay...au revoir...
> It also pays if you know a bit of French, to be very fluent with your numbers
> for while transactions are taking place <...> and have enough
> operating words of French to be able to <...> say what youu want and make yourself
> understood...
> The only French waiter who really threw me was one who had no clue what
> I was saying when I ordered Kronenbourg seize-cent soixante-quatre...
un seize s'il vous plait
but it still sucks...
un heineken s'il vous plait is much beter.
> I'm desperate to go back... I found a little mexican restaurant on one
> of the back streets between St Michel and Blvd St Germaine ,
mexican food in PARIS... it's like Chinese Food in Paris... just doesn't
work (it could but they try so hard to fit the french menu system it
screws it up).
> I can say that the food sucked beyond belief
ttyl
akia
--
To live outside the law, you must be honest...
(Absolutely Sweet Marie - Blonde on Blonde - 1966)
