Paris, it is!

For those of you who followed the passport question thread, after a long, greuling day and 1/2,

Paris wins!

So, the flight over is going to be murder, and since we are flying from the Western US, we have a 6 hour layover in Houston.....in virtual hours, the trip will last 28 hours going there (sigh)....we leave on the 25th, arrive the morning of the 26th...

in Paris 26th-30th

Leave afternoon of the 30th and in virtual hours arrive home 9 hours later!


So, this thread is:

What do we do there?

Just bought a Paris book, of course we are going to the Louvre and Versailles....

Oh, I want to hear all about your love of Paris! I have never been there....yet!

And btw, we are considering just staying at the youth hostels in a single room for $60usd a night, but can you recommend anything comparable? We are somewhat cash-shy....

xoxokerri

:p

Kerri, I always stay at a hotel belong to the Accord chain (Ibis, Etap, Formula 1 and this one is a Ibis) in Paris, which costs me 80 Euros/day for the room (not per person as is the case sometimes in other hotels). It's clean, has a bathtub and a shower, fonctionnal. Like a business hotel. Non-smoking rooms are available too, and breakfast is not included.

The advantage is that they are very well located. Sometimes if you stay too far from downtown, you'll spend more money in transportation, and in the end it will be about the same price, without the comfort of being closer. Take this into consideration because often Youth Hostels are not located in easy places. Don't know about Paris, though.

You have to see: Montmartre, Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame de Paris, the Seine, those two musems at least and maybe the George Pompidou Center (modern art), the Opera. The Panthéon where so many famous people are buried, and it's a magnficent building itself, not far from all the other monuments.

The city at night deserves its name of city of Lights. It's gorgeous. Choose a restaurant in the many guides they have, one I often use is Pariscope, but you can go to any newspaper stand and ask to see their weekly guides.

I have never been to the Moulin Rouge, but it seems interesting. What I like the most are the two largest Department Stores, Printemps (Spring in English) and Galleries Lafayette. In the ground floor ifyou present your passport you'll have 10% discount in everything and you are also allowed to have your tax refund (more 15% I think) when you leave the country. It's really worth gettting all this and these stores are just wonderful. You find out why the Parisiennes dress so well!

Oh so much to tell you! ;)

Kerri,

Please bring back pictures for us to see. Have a great time! Try the crepes!

Maria, what about the Marche des Puces? Is that still happening? If so, can you still get good bargains or has it become totally commercialized?

About 4 years ago, I was planning a trip to Paris. My plans fell through at the last minute, which actually turned out to be a good thing--that is another story. I myself prefer to stay in apartments when I travel and did find some good deals for my trip and had selected a cheap apartment in Montmartre near the Metro. I had talked to the guy--a British dude who was actually working in California at that moment. He didn't even want payment in advance. He said he would just swing by the apartment sometime while we were there to pick up the rent. If you make even one meal at home, you can make up the difference between a cheap hotel and a cheap apartment.You just have to be careful to make sure there is a shower if that is important to you. Some places have only tubs. Sometimes, you can talk people into a discount if they have an online calendar which has a lot of vacancies for the month. I found some rental agency sites with some good places. They were very nice in their email communications. Here is one example available for your dates from a site that has a lot of possibilities:

http://www.byownervacationrentals.com/28993

Patricia, I have been just once to a Marché aux Puces (flee market) and didn't like it so much because it had really bad stuff, and the buyers were mainly poor immigrants looking for second hand clothes and furniture. I tried to ask people around for those charming places where you can find antiquity, but it seems that all over Europe many marché aux puces have become just a second hand market. If someone knows of a good one, tell me because I would love to go, too! I am sure there must be one but unfortunately it's not so easy to find.

When Yvonne was here we didn't have the time to go to other places around Paris, but Kerri, make sure you have one day to go to Versailles. I went once by taxi, it was my first trip to Paris I had just arrived from Tokyou, it was late, I was exhausted after so many hours of flight and my hotel was in Versailles. I was alone, with a big piece of luggage, didn't speak the language and didn't want to take the train!! I think I spent about 60 dollars for the taxi. So the train is definitely the choice!

In Versailles you will see the mirror room (I don't remember the right name in English) and the place where the queen gave birth (she had to give birth in front of a small public to make sure the prince was really born from her!!!), the king's room, it's really an incredible place. You need almost a whole day to visit it and there are the gardens. You take little buses that keep circulating, leaving you in many different places of the gardens. A must see.

Something you have to eat in France: creme brûlée!!! It's divine, my favorite dessert. I also like profiteroles (there's hot chocolate sauce on them, hmmm) and tarte tatin (some kind of inverted apple pie with vanilla ice cream). As for the food, everything is good, fish, meat, pasta. There's even a Brazilian place, with dancing after 11 pm, wild like the country. But since you are bringing the cake to the party (your boyfriend...;) ) we won't talk about nice places to flirt :p

We could see if Séb (sweetnights) is free, he should be the perfect guide!!!He's from Strassbourg, not far from here, but he's French after all!

Oh I do love Paris - lucky you to be going :D

I agree with Maria on visiting Montmarte (also her choice of deserts Creme Brulee! Yum! :D) and of course the beautiful Sacre Coeur - watch out for all those steps though! Also the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe is amazingl.

An ex and I spent a wonderful weekend in Paris a while ago now and we walked nearly everywhere - it was just so romantic and I have some very happy memories of crepes, red wine and wonderful cheese :D We stayed in a great little hotel on the Rive Gauche and the night life was brilliant :D

Maria is a Goddess!

She has found the hotel for me and rested my mind of any anxiousness! This will be wonderful and romantic, to be sure!

Edit>>> I pressed return and it posted! So, anyway!

We got our official flight plan and seats this morning at the airline...the check-in person had no clue how to do these tickets....we were the first in line when we got there....she was the only staff person, and the line grew...and grew...and grew...people were not happy. She had to have someone else on the other end of the phone line process our tickets, so this took ...an hour and 20 minutes! We kept our heads down as we finished and left the terminal so the rotten fruit wouldn't hit us un the eyes! :D

Still so interested in hearing all of your experiences! We are going to try to borrow a laptop for the trip...we have not one.

Want to hear what I am excited about? The hotel has hair dryers! :p

xoxo from la la land

Okay, now is this a good deal?

http://www.conciergerie.com/main.htm?O=PP

a 5 day transportation pass... looks good....

:D

I always ask about hair dryers, often they don't have them here. In Brazil and in Japan they always do!

The pass looks great! I never bought one because I usually stay only two days, and often went by car with friends, but that is a very good way to visit.

I will see about how you can connect to a French server so that you don't have to call an American server. Or do you have any other you can use freely when you are abroad?

I'll have to check on that for the server....

I looked at the metro/museum pass site and I have a feeling they are a bit of a rip-off....

I got that opinion from 2 tips...

1.) To send express mail to the US, they want to charge $55 usd

2.) For an individual pass to Paris Disneyland, they want to charge $109 each (I know they are $46)


Would it just be easier to buy these passes in Paris? Anyone?

or an online place with good rates....

the 5 day/5 zone pass looks good! (for metro)
(5 regions includes the airport and Versailles)

and a 3 day pass for the museums works for me....

:)

oooh look!

I'll go through this site for prices now....

http://www.ratp.fr/

edit>> oh yes, cheaper...definitely the way to go...!

Girl, now you know more than I do!!!!

should I change my avatar title to *research guru extraordinaire* ?

so, looks like it may be around $125 each to have a 3 day pass for the museums and a 5 day pass for the metro/busses....

I need to get this all planned soon! After 3 days, my back is killing me!

Oh, Maria! I am PMing you now!

wow, that was quick!

I sent it off overnight to Charleston, SC from CA last wed., and Fed Ex. tried to deliver it today! It's here! I have to pick it up at 5:45 today....

Yay!:D

PROBLEM

well,
I'm gonna be busy the next couple weeks.
randomly

I called the passport agency because of something I read in a tour book.

It says your passport needs to have 6 months remaining on its validity.....

does yours?

mine doesn't!

So, in order to qualify for expedited service, a call needs to be made on Friday (13 days before departure)
to San Francisco for an appt.

Then, take to appt (could be an all day thing, first come, first serve) renewal app, 2 photos, proof of departure within 2 weeks, and confirmation number of appt., and a money order for $115 for the new passport and the passport will be issued in 3 days, upon which I must drive back to SF to pick it up.

Will work, but what a pain.

they won't let me call until 13 days before....

I just made a fake call to see what the time frames looked like (did not book appt., couldnt...)

My *mock* travel dat for this test was 3/23 (13 days from now) the next avail appt. for that is 3/17.....

So, if I call on Friday am, I'll likely be later...a couple days maybe?!

eek! Damn!

damn. I may be driving there the day before I leave to pick it up!

****e.

I hope.

Oh, Serendipity, how fun! We will be going to visit my husband's family just as soon as he receives his green card (should be very soon) - Jeremy is from Versailles; his parents still live there. His grandparents live in the southwest of France. I want to hear all about your trip later.

Opps, I just read your last post after I had already posted. I hope that you will get everything done that you need! Keep us all posted.

I was a first time passport applicant when I applied about 5 weeks ago. I already had my form filled out that I downloaded from the internet and just went to a post office location to apply. They took my picture for me, so I didn't have to do that. They told me it would only be about 3 weeks. I felt completely relaxed.

When the 3rd week came and went, I got nervous and called the number the post office gave me to check the status. The first time I called they said they could find no record of my application.

I called two days later and they had it in New Orleans processing it, but told me it could take up to another 4-6 weeks. :eek:

So, I requested an expedited review and received it by fedex 4 days later. whew!

I am not sure where you have to go to apply, but I really found it was simple to go to the post office. I didn't need an appointment, only had to wait in line like every other postal customer there that day.

Good luck!

well, I have to have faith it will work out.

I was told that I now have to go to the SF office. It will work -- cross your fingers for me!

-- what I'm in shock over it that you can't even imagine just *how* close we were to choosing Madrid....(the 10 bombings today... :( )

At least we weren't ticketed there, though I believe there is a terrorist refund policy with airlines.....
we likely could have changed our tickets...
but I wish I would have paid attention to the news. I knew there was a Basque uprising, but Madrid wasn't on the list of *no-gos*, -- I'm surprised, because of recent bombing attempts in Madrid. (which I hadn't previously read about)
:rolleyes:

...but here's to positive thoughts about Paris! :D

Oh gosh, Kerri, I thought you just received your new passport in the mail a couple of days ago. Isn't it supposed to be good for years?

Originally posted by Patricia
Oh gosh, Kerri, I thought you just received your new passport in the mail a couple of days ago. Isn't it supposed to be good for years?

That was just amended form my maiden name to my married name (I still *ug* carry my married name)...

but come to realize, it's only good for 4 more months, and France requires you to have 6 months left on a valid passport....

So, I will be involved in a little drama... :rolleyes:

(But Hey, I didn't choose Madrid!)

Poor Kerri. I hope that it works out. I am sure they will understand and rush it through.

appt: 9am, March 22nd.

I leave March 25th.....

(crossing fingers AND toes...) :eek: :(

Wow, your appointment time will be about 1 1/2 hours before I meet Remi. I will pray that the magic of my moment rubs off on you for good luck. :)

Whiterose! You have to try to post from Bucharest! (so we know how it is going and that you are alright!) -- I'll try to post too...

we'll see, still not sure if we can manage bringing a computer, but I am pretty sure we can find access s o m e w h e r e . . . . .

oh, have SO much fun...I know you can't stop thinking about it!

So, what does it *feel* like when it rains this time of year in Paris? I know rain in the spring here in Northern CA can feel kinda warm and sticky....

10 day forecast at bottom:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/local/FRXX0076?lswa=WeatherLocalUndeclared&lswe=Paris,%20France&y=0&x=0

we're only bringing one small umbrella, I suppose I can buy one there if it's *so* bad....

but I have hope -- the weather WILL change!

It can be a bit cool, but not sticky, not at this time of the year. It's such a beautiful place even with the rain. Btw, don't go up the Eiffel tour if you have little time, it's not worth it especially when the visibility is not good. Paris is the kind of city that is more beautiful when you are on the ground!

And as for the umbrellas, Theo and you will certainly fit into a small one... ;)

Wow Sally, what a great place! Thanks! I want to go there, too!!! The bloody mary was created there? My place to go! :D

And right close to our department stores, Kerri! Whooo Hooooo!:D

hmmmm...so should we drink before or after shopping, maria? :)

Kerri, drinking before is surely going to be dangerous, but you know, we won't feel any pain in our pockets either!! :D

And Sally, Ph D it is! Why don't you live in Luxembourg? ;)

Wow, 26 countries, Sally? How did you get to do that?

Has anyone ever eaten at Le Train Bleu? If I ever get to Paris, I want to have at least a drink there.

http://www.le-train-bleu.com/us/page1.html

Oh, Patricia, what a wonderful place!!! I have never been there either! You girls know everything!!!

Really, we should have a forum for trips and hints on what to see where to go!!!

Oh, Sally, you had the life I would have liked. I also took off by myself to see the world, but didn't get past Yucatan! I fell in love. Oh well, I can't regret it, but am ready to pick up where I left off and travel for the rest of my life. The only thing I am lacking is...MONEY!

I got my passport !

...falls back on the floor in sheer exhaustion....

:p

Dress warm, it's a bit colder these days... let's hope it will get better! :)

Hurray, Kerri! Now, you are all set.

Ooooh! I didn't post yesterday, because I didn't want anyone to panic, and basically I didn't have the strength!

I was bit with some nausea yesterday, but I think it all came down to nerves!

I'm fine today, with the help of some great love!

Theo came over last night, washed my dishes and played with my son so I could get better....(for 4 hours!)

So amazingly sweet this was, you just can't imagine what it did for me to know I have such a kind and giving man.

Thank you Theo, my love!

less than one day to go!

bizzy bizzy bizzy!

:D kerri

Have so much fun! It's one of my favorite cities in the world (that I've visited so far)...I'm looking forward to visiting in the near future now that I'm moving to London! Yippee! (of course after visiting many people in other locations!)

...we won't have a computer on us in Paris, but will try to find an internet cafe of sorts to say hi!

:D

Final countdown. About 12 hours until we leave for our flight, and I AM STILL NOT PACKED! -- taking a very small, much needed break here. Packing my son up for grammas now, taking him over there in about an hour....
Theo is coming over with our friend Terry...we'll make dinner for him (Korean BBQ) as he is taking us to the airport at the ungodly hour of 4:45 am....

My back is killing me. I must do some stretching tonight. I want to sleep NOW!

So, any last minute suggestions for Paris? Hmmmm? Hmmmmmmmmm?

:D

Prepare to a romantic trip and leave some space in your luggage for some shopping!

Ah, lip cream for the airplane! ;)

okay, going to bed soon - just want to thank everyone for the input, and we'll try to check in!

Up in 5.5 hours.... :D

xoxokerriandtheo

Kerri,

Have a great time on your trip to Paris with Theo!!! Take some pictures back for all of us!!!

I'm leaving Luxembourg in about one hour, to meet Kerri and Theo tomorrow.

They say Sunday will be sunny all over France and a gorgeous day. I's not bad today either and I hope we'll be able to make a good tour tomorrow.

I'll take care of them! And pictures, too!

Bye, folks, have a great weekend! :)