Paris
- Thread starter tres
- Start date
We really like staying in the 10th Arondisement. Plenty of good restaurants around there, and the whole area has a neighbourhood feel to it. Not far from the Gare du Nord if you go in on the Eurostar (or get the RER train from CdG Airport) and Metro stations nearby get you pretty much anywhere in the city, though if you've never been, it's worth walking as much as possible because you see so much more that way and it's actually a pretty compact city.
My girlfriend and I are off for a 3 day city break in Paris towards the end of August and we're staying pretty much slap bang in the middle of the city, about 200m south from Ile de la Cite.
We're taking the Eurostar and attractions will include the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame, the catacombs, a boat trip and the Palace of Versaille (and probably some other stuffs which I forget now).
This time last year it was a similar break to Rome, which was amazing, so I'm hoping Paris will be similar.
We're taking the Eurostar and attractions will include the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame, the catacombs, a boat trip and the Palace of Versaille (and probably some other stuffs which I forget now).
This time last year it was a similar break to Rome, which was amazing, so I'm hoping Paris will be similar.
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Dec 2002
- Posts
- 21,889
- Location
- North Yorkshire
One top tip , take lots of money as you'll need it! Paris is stupidly expensive.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Jan 2014
- Posts
- 3,905
This place was fantastic for steak, and reasonably priced. Properly blue, and utterly delicious sides. It's very close to the Louvre so does get busy, but going just slightly before/after 'the rush' and you'll be dandy:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restau...views-La_Cooperative-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Must avoid: crap food at a totally unwarranted price.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restau...-Roger_la_Grenouille-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Regarding locations to stay, I'd recommend some of the streets off Avenue Foch as they are quiet and very calm, but in easy reach walking/metro of just about anywhere. Av. Budget dependent of course, but well worth what I paid given the location. The Metro in Paris is just spectacular, so whatever you do, try and get near to a well-connected stop as it makes life so much more pleasant when wanting to go out of your local area.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restau...views-La_Cooperative-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Must avoid: crap food at a totally unwarranted price.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restau...-Roger_la_Grenouille-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Regarding locations to stay, I'd recommend some of the streets off Avenue Foch as they are quiet and very calm, but in easy reach walking/metro of just about anywhere. Av. Budget dependent of course, but well worth what I paid given the location. The Metro in Paris is just spectacular, so whatever you do, try and get near to a well-connected stop as it makes life so much more pleasant when wanting to go out of your local area.
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Jan 2014
- Posts
- 3,905
My experience (which is limited to just a handful of trip to Paris) peak lunch at 12.30 to 1pm, evening 7-8.30pm was when restaurants had queues/reservations only.
Booking if possible is advisable, as it takes the pressure off. All the places I wanted to go to had online reservation systems, so no need to stress if not able to speak the lingo.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Jan 2014
- Posts
- 3,905
Père Lachaise Cemetery has odd opening/closing times, but is worth a look. It's vast, and very peaceful, and with the resting places of some very notable people (if that is of interest).
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Jan 2014
- Posts
- 3,905
That's what I thought...but I couldn't find many! I more chanced-upon them, but I must have been doing something wrong. I, like you, am still convinced they must be everywhere!
Prices were astonishingly variable, with restaurants next to each other having a price difference of up to 3Euro for 500ml of lager (that's 60% price increase from one to the next in some places). It really is worth shopping around for food/drink, but don't fall into the self-perpetuating cycle of 'Oh, let's check the next one just in case'...
Soldato
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2010
- Posts
- 3,251
Yes, it makes no sense what so ever to stay right next to a significant train station with good metro links to every where in the whole city... Why would anybody want to get off the Eurostar, dump their bags next door to the station and immediately get on with their holiday
Mercure Paris Terminus Nord
Last edited:
It is extremely easy in Paris to get sub-standard and over-priced food. In most of France it seems impossible to have a bad meal but in Paris there is are some cynical tourist traps, so do a bit of research. I go quite a bit with work and swear by this little bistro: http://www.bistropoulbot.com/
Yes, it makes no sense what so ever to stay right next to a significant train station with good metro links to every where in the whole city... Why would anybody want to get off the Eurostar, dump their bags next door to the station and immediately get on with their holiday
Mercure Paris Terminus Nord
Because much of that area is really horrible. I've stayed there twice, once in a cheap hotel, once in a more expensive one, but the area was one of the worst places I've ever been to - certainly worse than the supposed "dodgy" parts of London.
For the sake of a few stops on the metro I'd stay elsewhere - most of central Paris is great so there's plenty of places to choose from which don't have such a high concentration of thieves and beggars.
I do often stay next to Garde du Nord or Est but it puts me in walking distance to my main Paris client and is just a place to crash because I am working. If I were on my jollies, I wouldn't stay there as it is pretty charmless and with quite nasty touristy restaurants.
We booked it all as separates: first the train ticket, then we found a nice hotel and then just looked up each attraction we wanted to see and either bought a ticket or just noted the time they are open if they're free.
There are tourist passes you can get, which were a Godsend in Rome, but we didn't feel they were as worth it in Paris.
We've done trips like this before so we're pretty happy doing it this way.
e: More restaurant suggestions are welcome!
Last edited:
It doesn't really matter where you stay as Paris has a metro so everything is only 15 minutes travel away. Me and the gf went in Feb and stayed in a Marriott in the 1er arrondissement which was of course fabulous! Latin Quarter is cool too down near Luxembourg gardens and Sorbonne university. It's such an amazing city!