Travelling to Paris, Help required

[Hardcore Mel]

Ive found this hotel & it seems quite nice' date=' but having looked at literally hundreds of hostels/hotels, i dont know? Just looking for some reassuring words before i actually book it. So please, take a look at the pages & be honest.

Thanks

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/HotelCaliforniaSaintGermain-Paris-9484#

http://www.california-saint-germain-hotel.com/index.html

it's in a really nice area, and the pics seem fine. only thing that would worry me is whether i could check out any time i like but never leave. but that's just a bit of eagles humour.

if you're staying in saint germaine and the weather is decent, you'll be able to walk to most of the major tourist sites. like val said, buy a carnet of metro tickets but only really use them to get to the out of the way places. last time i went i walked about 9 miles a day just around paris, and stumbled upon loads of little hidden treasures that you wouldn't normally see if you were just taking the metro everywhere.

i love paris. wish i was there just now.

[NapoleonesPizzaHouse]

Thanks!

Everyone seems to want to be in Paris & ill be there in 2 weeks & Im a little nervous & unsure about the trip.....

Im going to mull it over for another few hours, then make a decision on the hotel. It is a little more than i had planned to spend, but its an actual hotel, im paying for a private room & its in the latin quarter....

Anyone see anything wrong?

[AKMartin]

Don't worry about not speaking French. Practically everyone wants to speak English to you and will bend over backwards to do so. Which is fine if you don't speak French, a bit annoying if you do...

Pffft. You for real? The French stereotypes are very true. They seriously don't appreciate people who can't/won't speak any French. But if you at least try a few words, they'll cut you some slack and help you out.

Even though most of them have conversational English, it's polite to learn a leetle beet of Francais.

AKM

[Afro Droid]

Its hard to decide on the things you want to see...There are so many & so much tourist information sites....It makes things confusing & difficult!

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best days I've had in Paris were spent out just randomly exploring. Sacre Couer and Versailles are essential though. Didn't think much of the Eiffel Tower though, and The Louvre would take a coupl'a days to see all of it (a lot of it is just paintings of Jesus and his chums). Paris is incredible though, one of the best cities on the planet.

[NapoleonesPizzaHouse]

I hear many people saying similiar things about the eiffel tower & the louvre, but they are things one feels drawn 2, things you have to see at least once.

There are so many things to see & so little time, so im not exactly sure how ill arrange my trip. I do think ill organise myself a bit, but ill never see everything i want to, thats not possible. I will of course leave some time spare to just ramble the streets.

[Val]

Pffft. You for real? The French stereotypes are very true. They seriously don't appreciate people who can't/won't speak any French. But if you at least try a few words' date=' they'll cut you some slack and help you out.

Even though most of them have conversational English, it's polite to learn a leetle beet of Francais.

AKM[/quote']

Fair point. Its nice to be able to say bonjour, au revoir and s'il vous plait. But there is a big difference between a 'French stereotype' and a Parisian stereotype. For example, Parisians won't say "bonjour" to each other in the street, waiters and shop assistants are generally rude etc. etc. If you say "bonjour" your accent will be detected like a shot and the rest of the conversation will proceed in English, but then again, you can tell British and French people apart from what they're wearing.

I know where that Hotel California is. Its just along the road (literally) from the uni I go to. It seems fine to me. The rue des Ecoles is fairly busy, buses run along it. Maubert is nice though, because there is a market on Saturdays (and some other days I would imagine, but I don't quite know which). Use St. Michel rather than Maubert, because line 10 isn't exactly a tourist's line and St. Michel is not that far, especially if you're coming from CDG.

Personally, I've stayed in two hotels on the rue Cujas, both were nice, however, if I were staying in that area I would go to the Hotel de la Sorbonne,www.hotelsorbonne.com , just because it looks lovely, and it is a fantastic location, just opposite the chapel and two seconds from the Place de la Sorbonne. But I don't know about the prices etc. etc.

If you do decide on the Hotel California, there is a caféteria/bakery place on the rue des Ecoles, in the section between the rue St. Jacques and where the hotel is, but the opposite side of the road. I can't remember the name, but they do really fantastic lunches, with lovely patisseries!

I don't know when in the week you'll be in Paris, but if its the weekend, the best thing to do is to get up super early on a Sunday morning and just wander. Start at the Arc de Triomphe and work your way down. In my opinion, that's Paris at its best!

[NapoleonesPizzaHouse]

That hotel looks nice, but unfortunately its about 100 more, which i cant really afford. Is it far from the California?

Also, have you been to the Grand Rex? Im going to a concert there....I beleive its fairly central?

Thanks!

[Val]

You must be getting a good deal for that Hotel California then, go for it!

The bus 47, Gare de l'Est - Kremlin-Bicetre stops at Maubert and is rather handy for cutting across Paris where the metro is a pain, especially for going to the Grand Rex. Get off the bus at Strasbourg Saint-Denis and walk.

I haven't been to the Grand Rex before, however, if you're in the area, you have to go to Chartier for your tea or lunch. Its at metro Grands Boulevards, which is one station awat (5 minutes walk) from Bonne Nouvelle. You get out of the metro station, Boulevard Montmatre exit, and you end up outside an O'Sullivans Irish pub (awful things!) Anyway, that's a crossroads and there is a shoe shop Millieni (or something) on the other side of the road. Cross the road and walk down the hill, and on the left there is a lane with Chartier at the end of it. An essential Parisian experience! Then to get to the Grand Rex just walk along the main Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle.

I'm going to see Snow Patrol on the 10th:love: