Tips needed for trip to Paris

Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Dec 2009
Posts
5,195
Location
Bristol
Thanks for your replies.

@just Scott Thanks for the heads up. I've found a couple of YouTube called Les Frenchies, they're an american couple who've settled in Paris and apparently it's part of daily life avoiding pickpockets. Even when doing their video on avoiding being pickpocketed there are pickpockets in the background!


@tbyeah Thanks for the info. I like; ked into this and apparently the best value for money at the moment is to buy 10 tickets for 16 euros, so I guess we'll buy 10 tickets each and see how we go.


I've ordered a Crit d air pollution sticker for the car, it was less than a fiver. There is a large multi storey car park very close to the hotel, hotel parking reservations are not possible so at least there is a back up.

I've been studying the layout of the city landmarks and it's all walkable, so if we're lucky enough to have good weather we'll walk where we can and only get the metro for longer trips.

Just earmarking some good cafes/bistros for lunch in various bits of the city so we have options.
 
Associate
Joined
26 Feb 2024
Posts
1
Location
france
ok,
if you want to park your car in a parking in paris or in the outskirts check this comparator,

If your are looking for an hotel in paris I recommand you this aera in the south of the place de la republique.
ZyIuDFw.jpeg


because there is a lot of subway line in republique station, this neighborhood is calm and feel like a village, paris is really noisy staying in a peacefull place is really worth it.

If you want to stay in the outskirt, I would look for an hotel on the RER A, the RER train that cross paris, the RER A has the best frequency, some subway lines do not have as many train.
plan-de-ligne_rer_ligne-a.1657062002.png

you will need to buy a 2€ Passe Navigo Easy card per person to be able to buy a ticket, I strongly recomand to take a "Forfait Navigo Jour" which provide an acess for all day.
the link below gives all diferent options of paiement and services
depending where you stay you will have to buy within the zone it covers 2 zones paris only (the zone are on the image above).
I suggest you look for an hotel in fontenay sous bois, nogent sur marne, joinville le pont, saint maure-creteil, la parc de saint maur, (it's on the down right side of the plan).
theses cities are not the poshest but pretty wealthy and safe, they are on the marne river and quite pretty, not as pretty as paris but in the outskirst of paris many cities are ugly, those are what I consider pretty.
0702452474445-web-tete.jpg

wherever you stay choose try to stay close to the RER station

(this icon on google map)
NWlH1Uc.jpeg


restaurant:
don't choose a restaurant in a touristical spot, it is going to cost a lot and they don't care about customer because they will get customer anyway.
Use an app to find a good restaurant, the more visible the restaurant is, higher the rent is and you pay that on the bill.
it is still ok to have a drink there (even it is expensive), but I wont eat there.
when I lived in paris i used to go Bouillon Chartier a art nouveau restaurant pretty cheap

scam and pickpocket and safety:
-don't use a backpack
-in the subway put your bag on your feet, and bring your handbag on your belly, let nothing behind your back.
-keep your wallet in your front pocket of your trousseurs.
-don't buy ticket subway from a soliciter
-dont play to bonneto money game
-do not accept a ring or a braccelet
-dont trust someone who tell you he needs money to go back home.
- in the metro remenber the direction you need to go , and go straight to it (scammers/theif target lost tourists)
-dont go in bastille/stalingrad/la chapelle neighborhood after midnight
-never accept a take taxi solicitation they are unlicence and will scam you , take an uber, a taxi at a taxi station, or call a taxi company like g7.
-around train station after midnight might be dodgy.

other tips:
-choose an hotel not on the big avenue, choose an hotel on small street it is less noisy, if you can choose a room on courtyard side.
don't choose an hotel with a view (on the seine, the eiffel..etc) it will cost you a lot and the fact you will be to tired when you go back to the hotel, and for privacy you will close the curtains.
-if you you want to visit a museum don't target the big ones, it is really industrial , long,exausting, and expensive. Choose the small one like the musée guimet for example, it much more confy atmophere.
- targeting secondary tourist attraction is better. the quai saint bernard have dancers
Z4GJ4PM3TNBJXLAV3J2TPJZYTM.jpg
,
Musée Albert Kahn boulogne billancourt and it's garden
albert2-143652.jpg

ok it help
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Dec 2009
Posts
5,195
Location
Bristol
ok,
if you want to park your car in a parking in paris or in the outskirts check this comparator,

If your are looking for an hotel in paris I recommand you this aera in the south of the place de la republique.
ZyIuDFw.jpeg


because there is a lot of subway line in republique station, this neighborhood is calm and feel like a village, paris is really noisy staying in a peacefull place is really worth it.

If you want to stay in the outskirt, I would look for an hotel on the RER A, the RER train that cross paris, the RER A has the best frequency, some subway lines do not have as many train.
plan-de-ligne_rer_ligne-a.1657062002.png

you will need to buy a 2€ Passe Navigo Easy card per person to be able to buy a ticket, I strongly recomand to take a "Forfait Navigo Jour" which provide an acess for all day.
the link below gives all diferent options of paiement and services
depending where you stay you will have to buy within the zone it covers 2 zones paris only (the zone are on the image above).
I suggest you look for an hotel in fontenay sous bois, nogent sur marne, joinville le pont, saint maure-creteil, la parc de saint maur, (it's on the down right side of the plan).
theses cities are not the poshest but pretty wealthy and safe, they are on the marne river and quite pretty, not as pretty as paris but in the outskirst of paris many cities are ugly, those are what I consider pretty.
0702452474445-web-tete.jpg

wherever you stay choose try to stay close to the RER station

(this icon on google map)
NWlH1Uc.jpeg


restaurant:
don't choose a restaurant in a touristical spot, it is going to cost a lot and they don't care about customer because they will get customer anyway.
Use an app to find a good restaurant, the more visible the restaurant is, higher the rent is and you pay that on the bill.
it is still ok to have a drink there (even it is expensive), but I wont eat there.
when I lived in paris i used to go Bouillon Chartier a art nouveau restaurant pretty cheap

scam and pickpocket and safety:
-don't use a backpack
-in the subway put your bag on your feet, and bring your handbag on your belly, let nothing behind your back.
-keep your wallet in your front pocket of your trousseurs.
-don't buy ticket subway from a soliciter
-dont play to bonneto money game
-do not accept a ring or a braccelet
-dont trust someone who tell you he needs money to go back home.
- in the metro remenber the direction you need to go , and go straight to it (scammers/theif target lost tourists)
-dont go in bastille/stalingrad/la chapelle neighborhood after midnight
-never accept a take taxi solicitation they are unlicensed and will scam you, take an uber, a taxi at a taxi station, or call a taxi company like g7.
-around train station after midnight might be dodgy.

other tips:
-choose a hotel not on the big avenue, choose an hotel on small street it is less noisy, if you can choose a room on courtyard side.
don't choose a hotel with a view (on the seine, the eiffel..etc) it will cost you a lot and the fact you will be to tired when you go back to the hotel, and for privacy you will close the curtains .
-if you want to visit a museum don't target the big ones, it is really industrial, long, exausting, and expensive. Choose the small one like the Musée Guimet for example, it much more confy atmosphere.
- targeting secondary tourist attraction is better. the quai saint bernard have dancers
Z4GJ4PM3TNBJXLAV3J2TPJZYTM.jpg
,
Albert Kahn Museum Boulogne Billancourt and it's garden
albert2-143652.jpg

ok it helps
Apologies I missed this reply. Thanks very much for this info, it's very helpful.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Dec 2009
Posts
5,195
Location
Bristol
OK,
if you want to park your car in a parking in paris or in the outskirts check this comparator,

If your are looking for a hotel in Paris I recommend you this aera in the south of the place de la republique.
ZyIuDFw.jpeg


because there is a lot of subway line in republique station, this neighborhood is calm and feels like a village, paris is really noisy staying in a peacefull place is really worth it.

If you want to stay in the outskirt, I would look for an hotel on the RER A, the RER train that cross Paris, the RER A has the best frequency, some subway lines do not have as many train.
plan-de-ligne_rer_ligne-a.1657062002.png

you will need to buy a 2€ Passe Navigo Easy card per person to be able to buy a ticket, I strongly recommend to take a "Forfait Navigo Jour" which provide an access for all day.
the link below gives all different options of payment and services
depending where you stay you will have to buy within the zone it covers 2 zones paris only (the zone are on the image above).
I suggest you look for a hotel in fontenay sous bois, nogent sur marne, joinville le pont, saint maure-creteil, la parc de saint maur, (it's on the down right side of the plan).
theses cities are not the poshest but pretty wealthy and safe, they are on the marne river and quite pretty, not as pretty as paris but in the outskirts of paris many cities are ugly, those are what I consider pretty.
0702452474445-web-tete.jpg

wherever you stay choose try to stay close to the RER station

(this icon on google map)
NWlH1Uc.jpeg


restaurant:
don't choose a restaurant in a tourist spot, it is going to cost a lot and they don't care about customer because they will get customer anyway.
Use an app to find a good restaurant, the more visible the restaurant is, higher the rent is and you pay that on the bill.
it is still ok to have a drink there (even it is expensive), but I wont eat there.
when I lived in Paris I used to go Bouillon Chartier a art nouveau restaurant pretty cheap

scam and pickpocket and safety:
-don't use a backpack
-in the subway put your bag on your feet, and bring your handbag on your belly, let nothing behind your back.
-keep your wallet in your front pocket of your troussers.
-don't buy subway ticket from a solicitor
-dont play to bonneto money game
-do not accept a ring or a bracelet
-dont trust someone who tells you he needs money to go back home.
- in the metro remind the direction you need to go, and go straight to it (scammers/theif target lost tourists)
-dont go in bastille/stalingrad/la chapel neighborhood after midnight
-never accept a take taxi solicitation they are unlicensed and will scam you, take an uber, a taxi at a taxi station, or call a taxi company like g7.
-around train station after midnight might be dodgy.

other tips:
-choose a hotel not on the big avenue, choose a hotel on small street it is less noisy, if you can choose a room on courtyard side.
don't choose a hotel with a view (on the seine, the eiffel..etc) it will cost you a lot and the fact you will be to tired when you go back to the hotel, and for privacy you will close the curtains .
-if you want to visit a museum don't target the big ones, it is really industrial, long, exausting, and expensive. Choose the small one like the Musée Guimet for example, it much more confy atmosphere.
- targeting secondary tourist attraction is better. the quai saint bernard have dancers
Z4GJ4PM3TNBJXLAV3J2TPJZYTM.jpg
,
Albert Kahn Museum Boulogne Billancourt and it's garden
albert2-143652.jpg

ok it helps
Apologies I missed this reply. Thanks very much for this info, it's very helpful.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Dec 2009
Posts
5,195
Location
Bristol
Update:

We went to Paris on the weekend and it was very enjoyable, the OH loved the surprise.

Having added it up I was pleased to see that it was indeed about a grand:

Le Shuttle return tickets: £160

Fuel: £90

Road tolls: £41

Ibis Paris Clichy-Batignolles for 2 nights including breakfast: £237

Hotel parking for 2 days: £34

Metro passes x2 (10 tickets on each pass) £33

Meal on 1st night: £47

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EW5gKZQo1jPK2EH2A

Meal on 2nd night £273


Burger joint on 3rd day £34


Coffees, drinks and snacks £60

Total £1009
 

img

img

Associate
Joined
23 Mar 2005
Posts
1,036
scam and pickpocket and safety:
-don't use a backpack
-in the subway put your bag on your feet, and bring your handbag on your belly, let nothing behind your back.
-keep your wallet in your front pocket of your trousseurs.
-don't buy ticket subway from a soliciter
-dont play to bonneto money game
-do not accept a ring or a braccelet
-dont trust someone who tell you he needs money to go back home.
- in the metro remenber the direction you need to go , and go straight to it (scammers/theif target lost tourists)
-dont go in bastille/stalingrad/la chapelle neighborhood after midnight
-never accept a take taxi solicitation they are unlicence and will scam you , take an uber, a taxi at a taxi station, or call a taxi company like g7.
-around train station after midnight might be dodgy.


This is pretty much rules for anywhere.

I was in paris few days ago wandering around on my own and its not a scary city really. I walked 3 hours across in day rather than get a train and worst area is around Gare du Nord. I used google to see restaurants reviews but as usual if theres no obvious prices then dont go there on tourist areas.
 
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