Paris and ...? Also, hotel recs pls?

[keweenawlove]

I went with my mom and my sister and we thought 2 days was plenty. We're not city people at all though.

We had taken a train from Bruges to Paris (through Brussels). I can't remember how long it took but we left in the morning and still had a big chunk of the day in Paris. I really liked Bruges. It was a cute little town with amazing chocolate.

In Paris, we stayed here.
www.hotelduchampdemars.com/
We were on a much lower budget but we really like the location of this place. It was just off the rue Cler market and close to the Eiffel Tower. It was small but nice.

[mdgirl]

Last year we did a Paris/Amsterdam trip and several years ago we did a Paris/Loire Valley trip, although IMO you have to rent a car for the Loire Valley so maybe that's out. We chose Amsterdam because I'd never been there, and we were able to do a direct flight from Seattle to Amsterdam and from Paris back to Seattle, which also made it easier. Getting from one city to the other was pretty quick and easy, too.

We also stayed near Rue Cler for both trips, but next time we go back to Paris I either want to stay somewhere on the Ile Saint Louis or the Marais neighborhood.

[chicago]

Hotel rec - we really liked the Duquesne Eiffel. It was near the Rue Cler neighborhood, easy to get around both on foot or on the metro (a stop nearby). We booked a Superior room (number 45), and it had an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower. I think we spent around $250/night for a March trip.

We spent 4 nights and felt that was perfect.

[dearprudence]

I think Paris/Bruges or Paris/Amsterdam works really well. The Thalys is fast and convenient. I haven't done Bruges, but I much prefer Amsterdam to Paris. Although, as a caveat, I'm not a huge Paris fan to begin with. I think the last time I was there I spent 3-4 days which was plenty. The first time I was there I was there for a week and I used some of that time to take daytrips from the city and explore (Chatres, Versaille, etc.)

[Deleted]

We stayed in this awesome boutique hotel near Champs Elysees. Hotel Keppler.
www.keppler.fr/

[pittpurple]

I think Paris/Amsterdam sounds fantastic unless you'd prefer some time in the countryside. Are you looking at open-jaw tickets so you can fly into and out of different cities? I've only been to Paris once for three days (including a day in Versailles) and was in no way ready to leave. I think you could really spend as much time as you want almost anywhere but you can obviously get an overview in a few days. I do highly recommend Versailles, it was pretty amazing. If you did 4 days Paris / 4 days Amsterdam you'd be able to see a bit of the cities and wouldn't have to rush around too much.

[hz80408]

From your other post, it looks like you may have decided on Paris/Amsterdam. We took Thayls train from Amsterdam to Paris with no issues whatsoever. It's an easy trip!

For Paris rec's; we stayed in an apt that I don't think you'd be interested in. However, we've had family stay at both of these hotels a few times and they highly rec them:
www.hotel-paris-londres-eiffel.com/
www.selecthotel.fr/uk_content/hotel.php

[shauni27]

We are going to Paris the same week you are! We are doing 7 days in Paris and then 5 in Lyon. We are staying in an apartment for 5 days in Paris, but are also looking for a (much more affordable!) hotel for 2 nights. We really don't want to spend a lot of $$. hz80408's blog, just call me haha, was really helpful, TONS of great tips, etc. We are doing a lot of the same things she did on her trip because of how helpful her blog was!

Have fun, maybe we will see you around on the streets

[hz80408]

Jul 9, 2012 12:02:06 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

We are going to Paris the same week you are! We are doing 7 days in Paris and then 5 in Lyon. We are staying in an apartment for 5 days in Paris, but are also looking for a (much more affordable!) hotel for 2 nights. We really don't want to spend a lot of $$. hz80408's blog, just call me haha, was really helpful, TONS of great tips, etc. We are doing a lot of the same things she did on her trip because of how helpful her blog was!

Have fun, maybe we will see you around on the streets

Thanks for the shout out! That reminds me I owe you an email response! My apologies!

[stephanie305]

I just got back from Paris yesterday! We stayed at the Holiday Inn Notre Dame and we really liked it. Don't let the name fool you- it felt more like a boutique hotel than your typical Holiday Inn. The St. Michel Metro station is steps away from the hotel and a lot of attractions (Notre Dame, Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, Boulevard St. Germain, to name few) are within walking distance. The hotel has an awesome rooftop bar with great view of the city.

We spent six nights in Paris and I think that was plenty. We saw everything we wanted to without feeling rushed. I think even five nights would have been plenty.

[tricolore]

I think Normandie and/or the Brittany coast would make for a nice night or two outside of the city. We were in Honfleur and St Jacut about a week ago and the shore was lovely-- little bit of rain, but nice in cool (a very welcome change from the city). I'd suggest Normandy over Brittany b/c I think train options are better (we drove, so I'm not much help).
Have fun!

[travelingjen]

I've been to Paris three times and my favorite hotel is Hotel Muguet in the Rue Cler neighborhood. However, since my last visit to Paris I have become a huge fan of renting apartments in large cities in Europe so next time I'll find an apartment on a website such as VRBO or Homeaway.

[wanderlustfoodie]

You could do day trips or overnight trips to the Champagne region, Luxembourg, or the Loire Valley.

[cricketwife]

I adore Paris and would spend the whole time there with two day trips - Versailles and Giverny.