Hi There,
I have a few questions to ask regarding Paris that I would appriciate help with!
1. Have found a hotel called %26#39;Hotel D%26#39;Albe St Michel%26#39; I think its in the latin quarter? Is this a good area to stay for bars and restaurants that are reasonably cheap? (On a budget!).
2. Flight to Beauvais airport so how long would the transfer take to hotel and how much would it be?
3. Have read that you can get good deals for meals in Paris compared to London but am slightly worried about the alcohol prices! Are they really high? How much for a pint beer/glass wine in a pub/bar/restaurant? We dont spend our days drinking but like to have a few in the evening with our meal and a few after!!!
I appriciate ANY help as I dont have a clue where Paris is concerned as Ive never been before. It looks lovely in the pictures but I have always been lead to believe it is VERY expensive compared to London and Edinburgh for example!!
Thankyou x
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1.
Rue de la Harpe ?!!! The area is called Little Athens because of its many cheap Greek joints - and yes, there are also lots of bars. It is probably the most intense area for bars and restaurants (and therfore: MANY tourists) - maybe apart from Rue de Lappe next to Place de la Bastille. Think Torremolinos, Costa del Sol and you%26#39;ll have a pretty good idea. Charming area to firsttimers, though.
Your hotel gets very fine reviews:
tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d208082…
2.
Don%26#39;t know
3.
We have had recent threads about this:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k87352…
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k87854…
Paris is not so expensive as London, but almost.
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Thankyou for your advice. The area doesn%26#39;t sound like my cup of tea!
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I don%26#39;t know about Edinburgh, but London is VERY expensive compared to any country, Paris in particular. Think about spending one euro here when you would spend one pound in the UK. A decent bottle of wine at a restaurant can be had for 15 euros. That%26#39;s 10 pounds. So you figure...
BTW you can use the handy research tool for things such as price comparisons or transport from BVA to Paris. Plenty of existing threads on these topics. And, since you seem to be at a total loss, some old fashioned guide book wouldn%26#39;t do any harm either. I would recommend DK%26#39;s Top Ten or Time Out%26#39;s Shortlist series, that won%26#39;t overwhelm you but will give you some lay of the land.
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SummerSun: don%26#39;t misunderstand. It is not a bad place and you will be smack in the middle of the city, right on the banks of the Seine, across from Notre Dame, 10 minutes from Louvre etc. And with dozens of transportation possibilities on your doorstep.
Rue de la Harpe, Rue de la Huchette, Rue St.Severin are pedestrian streets - and as I wrote, they are packed with restaurants and cafés AND there is a lively nightlife, so it can be noisy. But when you read the hotel-reviews of your hotels, most guests like the hotel and the location very much, so maybe you will too.
If you do want a more quiet location I would look for something a little further south in the 5th arrondissement, e.g. around Jardin de Luxembourg, Pantheon, Rue Monge - or maybe the Hotel de Notre Dame, which is also only a stones throw from the Seine.
tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g187147-zfn10-Paris_I…
Take a look at these pictures:
http://www.insecula.com/salle/MS02166.html
(click on %26quot;vue panoramique%26quot;)
www.atkielski.com/inlink.php…
(this site also has a photo of Rue de la Huchette)
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## I appriciate ANY help as I dont have a clue where Paris is concerned as Ive never been before. It looks lovely in the pictures but I have always been lead to believe it is VERY expensive compared to London and Edinburgh for example!!##
Whoever told you Paris is more expensive than London probably ate at high -end establishments on tourist streets (eg Champs d%26#39;Elysees, Rue de Rivoli). even so these would be cheaper than their UK equivalent. In the 25 years I have been visiting, I have never thought it expensive - even 15 years or so ago when the franc dropped from an acceptable 10 to the pound, to a paltry 7.5.
Turn off the main tourist streets for bars and restaurants (you won%26#39;t need to go far) and you will save money. I rarely pay more than 25 Euro for a 3 course meal, excluding wine. A decent bottle plus aperitifs could double this. Can%26#39;t advise beer prices as I%26#39;m a wine person.
BTW Latin Quarter is great for bars / restaurants etc but I would look for a hotel just slightly outside.
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Summer --
My perception from my experience as a traveller is London is the most expensive of the three cities, compared to Paris it%26#39;s waaaaaaaaaaay up the scale.
If you are on a budget, don%26#39;t drink anything imported. Drink the local beer or wine and your wallet will thank you.
Bottled water is unnecessary unless you don%26#39;t like the flavour of the tap water. I%26#39;ve never found it to be objectionable, but others may not like it.
There is no excuse for being blindsided when the check comes - the prices for everything are posted outside the cafe, restaurant, brasserie, it%26#39;s the law.
What we call the menu, the French call la carte, as in a la carte. What they call le menu, we call the day%26#39;s specials; usually two or three choices for two or thrree courses, often with a glass of wine thrown in. Almost always the best buy in that establishment for the meal involved.
If you%26#39;re in an area that attracts lots of British tourists, you%26#39;ll find steak and chips on le menu in almost every restaurant. Which, by the way, is just fine. The meat is very good although sliced a little thinly for my taste (but then I live in cattle ranch country), and the frites (chips) will rival any that you have ever had, except, perhaps, those in Belgium.
Get your Euros from the ATMs - you%26#39;ll get the best exchange rate available, and your bank%26#39;s fees are probably not going to be any worse than the fees at the exchange companies - so you%26#39;ll come out ahead.
Do not carry travellers cheques - they%26#39;re remarkably difficult and expensive to cash. I have some for an emergency fund that I%26#39;ve been carrying for years, and would never try to cash them except to keep myself out of jail.
If you don%26#39;t have a 4 digit PIN number, go to your bank and get that changed, also, have your daily withdrawal limit raised for the duration of your trip. I have mine set at 1,000 Euros for my trips.
Be sure that your money is available in your chequing (current) account. European ATMs seldom allow for selection of an alternate account. They go straight to chequing.
Read your guidebooks and make your wish list of things that interest you. Then prioritize it. That way you%26#39;ve got some things to drop off the bottom of the list if any one thing at the top so enchants you that you toss your schedule to the winds.
Learn the courtesies. Polite people are treated better than rude ones. Remember that the French are very reserved. Don%26#39;t expect them the be very friendly when you first meet. Very friendly takes time.
Never forget that Paris has been there for a long time, and it will probably be there for a long enough time for you to make another trip (we all make another trip) and don%26#39;t overschedule yourself. Take some time to enjoy just being there.
Bon voyage.
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London is unquestionably more expensive than Paris, but IMO not by as much as Bob_S would have you believe. Aside from taxis and public transport (I consider both to be almost obscenely expensive in London) the difference is around 10% to 15% for most other things. It is certainly easier to eat relatively well and inexpensively in Paris than it is in London. Edinburgh is actually probably a bit less expensive than Paris for a visitor except during the festival, leastwise that is my experience.
The shuttle from BVA to Porte Maillot costs 13€ and takes about 70 minutes, so a bit more than 1.5 hours from when your plane lands. From there you can take the métro to your final destination. A %26quot;carnet%26quot;of 10 tickets will cost 10€90. One ticket will take you anywhere within Paris with unlimited transfers by métro, or anywhere by bus but with no transfers. More info re the métro and buses and various transportation passes etc. at ratp.fr
The Hôtel d%26#39;Albe St. M. is definitely in a busy and touristy area especially on weekend nights but the behaviour of even the weekend crowds is generally better than what you would see in e.g. the Leicester Square area, perhaps the closest equivalent in London — WAY less public intoxication and generally anti-social behaviour, IMO. And the crowds will be much thinner in winter than in the warmer months. You will be within walking distance of most places you will likely want to go and with dozens of affordable places to eat within a 15 minute walk. So not a hotel to shy away from necessarily. However, there are many good hotels in the 5th arrondissement (Latin Quarter) within a short distance of the H. d%26#39;A. if you want to be a little less close to Paris tourism%26#39;s Ground Zero. And you would still have plenty of inexpensive eateries close by.
Other areas you might consider are the 4th arrondissement (Marais) or the 11th either near the Bastille or farther north near Oberkampf/République. The last two are not so much what most people think of as %26quot;picture postcard%26quot; Paris but they are lively in the evening, especially Oberkampf, as is the Marais, and less touristy than the 5th. And they all have good restaurant/café and bar options. Evn if you stay somewhere else you might check out the Oberkampf area on a Friday or Saturday night.
Enjoy planning — and have a great trip!
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Thankyou everyone! You have been really helpful. Will let you know what we decide! x
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BTW, to help you budget, if you stand at the bar the drinks are cheaper than if you sit at a table. You do pay a price for people watching!
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