Help with non - Disney trip to Paris please

[cherrymarzipan]

Hello, I need some help please. Much as we all love DLP, I think it would be nice to soak up some Parisian atmosphere, visit the sites and museums etc. and perhaps improve our language skills by staying in Paris itself with my two teenage children for a few days. Hence I am trying to find the best and cheapest place to stay in, in as central an area of Paris as possible (no car but we love to walk and I have copied and pasted previous advice from CarrieCat on Navigo plus sightseeing ideas). I have been surfing hotel sights until I am dizzy with it all but it is hard to know what areas are really like from these brief descriptions. I am favouring the Latin Quartier to home in my search to but not really sure why or what my hunch is based on.

So, I desperately need advice – can anyone recommend a nicely located, and dare I hope, budget hotel that ideally would have rooms for three people (we could do two rooms if necessary and the price was right as DD will actually only be there for three of the five nights)? We don't need any frills just as long as it is clean. We also want to visit Versailles again for one of the days so could move to a hotel near there if it made sense for a night or two.

There are just so many possibilities and my head is spinning so I am hoping someone on here can give me the benefit of their experience to guide me. Please!

 

[disneylandarchives]

Most hotels in paris are quite expensive, when i go to paris myself i book dlp kyraid and just train in everyday, which is about 7 euros, there are hotels about the same price in paris (kyraid is around 60 euros a night) but its risking whether they are any good, alot seem to have mixed reviews, and remember your in tiny side streets usually with no view, that was a worry for me as a first time paris visitor returning to my hotel at night.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Hello, I need some help please. Much as we all love DLP, I think it would be nice to soak up some Parisian atmosphere, visit the sites and museums etc. and perhaps improve our language skills by staying in Paris itself with my two teenage children for a few days. Hence I am trying to find the best and cheapest place to stay in, in as central an area of Paris as possible (no car but we love to walk and I have copied and pasted previous advice from CarrieCat on Navigo plus sightseeing ideas). I have been surfing hotel sights until I am dizzy with it all but it is hard to know what areas are really like from these brief descriptions. I am favouring the Latin Quartier to home in my search to but not really sure why or what my hunch is based on.

So, I desperately need advice – can anyone recommend a nicely located, and dare I hope, budget hotel that ideally would have rooms for three people (we could do two rooms if necessary and the price was right as DD will actually only be there for three of the five nights)? We don't need any frills just as long as it is clean. We also want to visit Versailles again for one of the days so could move to a hotel near there if it made sense for a night or two.

There are just so many possibilities and my head is spinning so I am hoping someone on here can give me the benefit of their experience to guide me. Please!

Hello

The most central districts tourist wise are the 4th, 5th and 6th (so the Latin Quarter) and therefore they are the most expensive.

Personally there are few districts or rather areas within districts that I wouldn't recommend such as the 19th, parts of the 18th and 20th and around Gare du Nord/Gare de l'Est and Les Halles

Not knowing your budget it's difficult to suggest places and also I've not totally got how many rooms you are looking for Is it 3 singles or 1 triple room or

You could also rent an appartment as it often works out cheaper for several people than an hotel or there is the hotel apart chains such as Adagio which are popular

You don't need to move to a hotel in Versailles to visit there as it's only a short RER ride from central Paris.

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Thank you both. Disneylandarchives, I must admit I am tempted by the Kyriad because although we have not actually stayed in it I am very familiar with Magny le Hongre and it feels the safe option.

Carrie Cat, I am thinking of a triple room and had hoped to spend less than £100 per room per night. Is that unrealistic? We want to be as central as possible but I am certainly finding the single digit arrondissements very expensive but hadn’t thought about an apartment as we only want five nights. Do you have any ideas of sites to look these up on?

Thank you for helping.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thank you both. Disneylandarchives, I must admit I am tempted by the Kyriad because although we have not actually stayed in it I am very familiar with Magny le Hongre and it feels the safe option.

Carrie Cat, I am thinking of a triple room and had hoped to spend less than £100 per room per night. Is that unrealistic? We want to be as central as possible but I am certainly finding the single digit arrondissements very expensive but hadn’t thought about an apartment as we only want five nights. Do you have any ideas of sites to look these up on?

Thank you for helping.

If you stay out at Disney you will be losing a couple of hours everyday on the RER plus I'd be more worried about travelling home later on in the evening than staying in Paris in a hotel.

Appartments can be rented for a night or two so it's always a possibility.

I only lived in the 7th/15th near the ET and the 16th near the CE so I'm not much help on recommendations if you want central point-Notre Dame Paris

I'll have a look for you tomorrow and ask a couple of people who live in the lower digit districts where they put friends and family.

Also go and ask them on Trip advisor as lots of them rent appartments or stay in hotels in central Paris and they can give good advice

 

[cherrymarzipan]

If you stay out at Disney you will be losing a couple of hours everyday on the RER plus I'd be more worried about travelling home later on in the evening than staying in Paris in a hotel.

I'd been worried by that myself and already decided that if I went for that option it would mean restricting ourselves to travelling no later than rush hour in the evening.

Appartments can be rented for a night or two so it's always a possibility.

I only lived in the 7th/15th near the ET and the 16th near the CE so I'm not much help on recommendations if you want central point-Notre Dame Paris

I'll have a look for you tomorrow and ask a couple of people who live in the lower digit districts where they put friends and family.

Thank you so much Carrie_Cat.

Also go and ask them on Trip advisor as lots of them rent appartments or stay in hotels in central Paris and they can give good advice

Now I have never used Trip advisor so will definitely give it a go as I am hoping to book something today.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

I've left a couple of messages with people but don't know if I'll get a reply back today as with it been the school holidays they are away


If on Tripadvisor they give you some hotels let me know which ones and I'll tell you what I think about the area etc

 

[cherrymarzipan]

OK, my current thinking is Hotel Cluny Sorbonne (8, rue Victor Cousin 05 Arr.) for three nights (twin room) which seems to have good reviews on TA then as they don’t have triple rooms move to the Kyriad for two nights.

What do you think?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

OK, my current thinking is Hotel Cluny Sorbonne (8, rue Victor Cousin 05 Arr.) for three nights (twin room) which seems to have good reviews on TA then as they don’t have triple rooms move to the Kyriad for two nights.

What do you think?

It's a good area and I see exactlly where it is as one of my Dr's is on rue Soufflot so I've walked past it many a time. It is off the main St Michel drag so it will be quiet at night.

You have loads of restaurants and cafes and it's a straight walk down to the river.

In the same area though I have no idea of prices you have the ones mentionned in this post

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTo..._to_stay_in-Paris_Ile_de_France.html#38947834

Again they would all be good locations

 

[disneylandarchives]

If you stay out at Disney you will be losing a couple of hours everyday on the RER plus I'd be more worried about travelling home later on in the evening than staying in Paris in a hotel.

This was somthing id concidered, train is about 40 mins to dlr, thats ok for me in heading to paris around 8am and returning around 8 again. I was concerned over night travel myself but have read the rer-a line is one of the safest due to the fact it goes to disneyland and trains therefore end at an international eurostar station (disneyland) hence security is stepped up. I dont think it would be any worse than a normal train, i guess it depends what kind of trip you want and whether you want a wholely parisian experience.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

If you stay out at Disney you will be losing a couple of hours everyday on the RER plus I'd be more worried about travelling home later on in the evening than staying in Paris in a hotel.

This was somthing id concidered, train is about 40 mins to dlr, thats ok for me in heading to paris around 8am and returning around 8 again. I was concerned over night travel myself but have read the rer-a line is one of the safest due to the fact it goes to disneyland and trains therefore end at an international eurostar station (disneyland) hence security is stepped up. I dont think it would be any worse than a normal train, i guess it depends what kind of trip you want and whether you want a wholely parisian experience.

It's a hour from DLP to the Etoile and 50 minutes to Les Halles You are looking at going in rush hour times in the morning so the trains will get fuller the closer you get to Paris and coming home at that time is ok as again you have lots of people.

Remember to sit straight away on the inner seats as the people on the outer seats will have to stand and it can get very unpleasant.

RER A doesn't have better security than the others. It has far less on the Disney side than on the side going out after La Defense as there are fewer issues .

There are some stations that are to be avoid on the stretch but as you are not planning on disembarking at them you'll be fine.

The RER A is the busiest line as there are more than 1.2 millon people using it everyday. It has more breakdowns and strikes because of that.

 

[disneylandarchives]

It's a hour from DLP to the Etoile and 50 minutes to Les Halles You are looking at going in rush hour times in the morning so the trains will get fuller the closer you get to Paris and coming home at that time is ok as again you have lots of people.

Remember to sit straight away on the inner seats as the people on the outer seats will have to stand and it can get very unpleasant.

RER A doesn't have better security than the others. It has far less on the Disney side than on the side going out after La Defense as there are fewer issues .

There are some stations that are to be avoid on the stretch but as you are not planning on disembarking at them you'll be fine.

The RER A is the busiest line as there are more than 1.2 millon people using it everyday. It has more breakdowns and strikes because of that.

You got me worried now! ahhhh haha, It should be cool, only plan on getting it twice, there shouldnt be any problems, should there? it is safe?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

You got me worried now! ahhhh haha, It should be cool, only plan on getting it twice, there shouldnt be any problems, should there? it is safe?

Like I say 1.2 million people use it everyday so I'm sure you will be fine.

You are travelling at peak times so the worst you are going to get is rush hour crush and/or bad musiciens and maybe the odd beggar which you just ignore or say non to.

I use it a couple of times a week and have done for many years and I'm still here

 

[disneylandarchives]

How about offpeak, what are the trains like, pretty empty or still alot of people? meaning am i better to get onto a carrige with other people on, rather than an emptier one for safety. I intend to get the train from the arc de triomphe, firstly around 6-7pm and then a return from disneyland around 11am to arc de triomphe a few days later

 

[Carrie_Cat]

How about offpeak, what are the trains like, pretty empty or still alot of people? meaning am i better to get onto a carrige with other people on, rather than an emptier one for safety. I intend to get the train from the arc de triomphe, firstly around 6-7pm and then a return from disneyland around 11am to arc de triomphe a few days later

6-7 pm you are in rush hour still as lot's of people don't finish work before then and the rest of the day so 11 am you will always have a fair amount of people getting on the trains the closer you get to Paris especially after Noisy Champs as there is a big university complexe nearby

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Remember to sit straight away on the inner seats as the people on the outer seats will have to stand and it can get very unpleasant.

I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by inner and outer seats - do you mean in relation to proximity to doors? Why would people seated on these outer seats have to stand, or do you mean people will stand around them? Sorry if I am being dim here.

There are some stations that are to be avoid on the stretch but as you are not planning on disembarking at them you'll be fine.

Can you let me know which stations to avoid disembarking at please? Might be helpful to DD who uses this line far more than I do. (Mum who always worries!!!)

Now some more questions if you can bear it:

1) What is the best way for me to get back from Chessy to Orly at the end of our stay?

2) This trip is meant to be semi-educational with an emphasis on French language experience (think A-levels!), any ideas on how to get the best out of the trip in this respect?

3) I was wondering whether to do Provins on one day as none of us have been there before. Bearing in mind that we are also spending one day at Versailles do you think this is worth doing in itself and as part of the "French immersion experience" I hope to provide? And will the three days that leaves be enough to do Paris justice or should I scrap that idea?

Thanks

 

[disney_princess_85]

We have just booked the Hidden Hotel for three nights in June. It seems quite quirky and it's in a good location.

 

[cherrymarzipan]

We have just booked the Hidden Hotel for three nights in June. It seems quite quirky and it's in a good location.

Ooh, lovely - thank you. All suggestions for any part of this trip gratefully received!

 

[Carrie_Cat]

The seats one is because in rush hour you can get trains looking a bit like this

http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fr...sagers-bloques-trois-heures-dans-une-rame.php

and if you are sitting near the doors you aren't going to be able to stay seated long

The inner seats are the blocks of 4 facing each other as opposed to the fold down ones or the fixed 2s

They look like these

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/523/cimg0372ve8.jpg/

Stations which are not so great when you don't know the area and you don't fit in on the DLP-Vincennes stretch are Noisiel and Noisy le grand-Mont Est at certain times once the shopping center closes especially.

From the other side after La Defense i don't like most of them after Nanterre going up to Cergy and it's a shame as there are some nice places up there but it's nothing like the RER D going North That's one I avoid when I'm on my own

I'll have a look at the other questions later on as I'm off to Carrefour

 

[cherrymarzipan]

The seats one is because in rush hour you can get trains looking a bit like this

http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fr...sagers-bloques-trois-heures-dans-une-rame.php

Aaargh that is so scary!!! I HATE enclosed spaces and especially being crushed up with strangers. At least I learnt a new word though, never knew "rame" for train....

and if you are sitting near the doors you aren't going to be able to stay seated long

The inner seats are the blocks of 4 facing each other as opposed to the fold down ones or the fixed 2s

They look like these

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/523/cimg0372ve8.jpg/

Much better.

Stations which are not so great when you don't know the area and you don't fit in on the DLP-Vincennes stretch are Noisiel and Noisy le grand-Mont Est at certain times once the shopping center closes especially.

From the other side after La Defense i don't like most of them after Nanterre going up to Cergy and it's a shame as there are some nice places up there but it's nothing like the RER D going North That's one I avoid when I'm on my own

Will take note.

I'll have a look at the other questions later on as I'm off to Carrefour

Many thanks, bon shopping