Adding Paris to our next trip

[BehindBlueI's]

Alright, we're a go for this fall break. I'm looking through apartments on AirBNB, any particulars I should be looking for as far as what area of Paris to stay in? The Kindle version of the guidebook we normally buy is only $3.99. Woot!

Side note, I don't know if it's due to currency shifts or oil prices or what, but this is the cheapest plane tickets to Europe I've ever seen. We're going to skip Madrid this go round and do it later, just do Paris this year.

 

[chef larry]

All I can think about Paris is the movie National Lampoon's European Vacation with the car forever going around the roundabout.

 

[Sylvain]

Alright, we're a go for this fall break. I'm looking through apartments on AirBNB, any particulars I should be looking for as far as what area of Paris to stay in? The Kindle version of the guidebook we normally buy is only $3.99. Woot!

Side note, I don't know if it's due to currency shifts or oil prices or what, but this is the cheapest plane tickets to Europe I've ever seen. We're going to skip Madrid this go round and do it later, just do Paris this year.

How long are you planning to stay there?

 

[MohawkSlim]

I only had about 8 hours on a layover at CDG but I was able to hit most of the major landmarks by taking the city bus and walking.

Air France runs a shuttle from the airport to the Arc d' Triomphe for like $10 and the city bus is just a few bucks. You can hop on the bus to Le Tour and then ride a few stops, walk across the Seine to see Notre Dame, the Louvre, Jardin de Tuileries, Joan of Arc, Churchill, the Egyptian Obelisk and back up the Champs Elysees to hop back on the bus.

That was about 10 years ago so prices are probably higher now but the point is you can make a loop utilizing public trans/walking and see quite a few sights for pretty cheap. If you're actually staying there you'll have plenty of time to see everything on your list. Might even want to stop by McDonalds to get a Royale w/Cheese.

 

[Spear Dane]

Alright, we're a go for this fall break. I'm looking through apartments on AirBNB, any particulars I should be looking for as far as what area of Paris to stay in? The Kindle version of the guidebook we normally buy is only $3.99. Woot!

Side note, I don't know if it's due to currency shifts or oil prices or what, but this is the cheapest plane tickets to Europe I've ever seen. We're going to skip Madrid this go round and do it later, just do Paris this year.

I admire the size of your nuts. I hope you have a safe trip!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

How long are you planning to stay there?

A week.

 

[Sylvain]

I admire the size of your nuts. I hope you have a safe trip!

It's hardly a war zone.
Certainly safer than a trip to Washington DC or Chicago when you look at the crime rate.

 

[rob63]

Funny, this thread popped up right now, I hadn't seen it before. I am visiting Brussels, London, Barcelona, Paris, Milan, and Rome with my brother and nephew this coming May. Yes, it is an ambitious itinerary! I have spent a rather good part of the last few days making plans and reservations. Prices are pretty good right now, I have really been pleasantly surprised at hotel prices. I am also managing to squeeze in some time to see Ypres, Waterloo, and the Normandy beaches. I have had a number of emails back and forth with a guy originally from England that gives tours of Waterloo and he said his business has suffered considerably since Brexit.

I am really looking forward to it, haven't worried about terrorism at all. Pick-pockets, yes; terrorists, no.

 

[Woobie]

I appreciate the sentiment, but I didn't care for Paris. It stunk, and the people were rude and smelly. The history was neat, though. But I'm not much of a city boy, I guess. I just can't see spending hard-earned money to go back. I would like to go to Normandy, or some of the other more rural, scenic areas.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Funny, this thread popped up right now, I hadn't seen it before. I am visiting Brussels, London, Barcelona, Paris, Milan, and Rome with my brother and nephew this coming May. Yes, it is an ambitious itinerary! I have spent a rather good part of the last few days making plans and reservations. Prices are pretty good right now, I have really been pleasantly surprised at hotel prices. I am also managing to squeeze in some time to see Ypres, Waterloo, and the Normandy beaches. I have had a number of emails back and forth with a guy originally from England that gives tours of Waterloo and he said his business has suffered considerably since Brexit.

I am really looking forward to it, haven't worried about terrorism at all. Pick-pockets, yes; terrorists, no.

Barcelona was incredible. Sagrada Familia is more than a cathedral, it's an experience. Definitely spend time there, and the Gaudi House museum. We loved Barcelona. For Rome, see if they still have the Roma pass. You get entrance into a set number of exhibits and attractions by showing the card or swiping the magnet strip. Use one of the major attraction entrances at the Colloseum. The automated turn style for those with the pass had no wait when we went, the line for ticket holders was probably a 2 hour wait to get in. I've been to London but don't really have anything to recommend. I've not been to Milan or Brussels.

 

[rob63]

Barcelona was incredible. Sagrada Familia is more than a cathedral, it's an experience. Definitely spend time there, and the Gaudi House museum. We loved Barcelona. For Rome, see if they still have the Roma pass. You get entrance into a set number of exhibits and attractions by showing the card or swiping the magnet strip. Use one of the major attraction entrances at the Colloseum. The automated turn style for those with the pass had no wait when we went, the line for ticket holders was probably a 2 hour wait to get in. I've been to London but don't really have anything to recommend. I've not been to Milan or Brussels.

Thanks! The Sagrada Familia was on my list, but I will make sure it #1. We are also going to the Formula 1 race there, probably won't have time for much else. I know it's probably odd to waste time on a car race, but we thought it would be neat to see one in Europe. It's what got the whole trip started in the first place.

 

[Sailor]

Have a great time, we just got back from a 12 day Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. Took trains in between the cities.

Paris is on our list. My cousin who is a Marine Jag Atty just bought a small farm in rural Franc. Would be a great base to hike from also.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Great trip so far. No one has been rude, quite the opposite. A police man gave me a patch off his uniform today. Velcro, literally took it off and gave it to me. I took his address and will mail him one of mine.

The only odd thing so far was a really fat cross dresser staring at us in the grocery. Picture Rodney Dangerfield, half again as big, in a cheap blond wig and sun dress. Eyes open as wide as they will go, staring at everyone as they passed. The locals laughed. We avoided.

Food is great, lots of cool attractions and history, really glad we came.

 

[SouthernStar25]

 

[Sylvain]

Great trip so far. No one has been rude, quite the opposite. A police man gave me a patch off his uniform today. Velcro, literally took it off and gave it to me. I took his address and will mail him one of mine.

The only odd thing so far was a really fat cross dresser staring at us in the grocery. Picture Rodney Dangerfield, half again as big, in a cheap blond wig and sun dress. Eyes open as wide as they will go, staring at everyone as they passed. The locals laughed. We avoided.

Food is great, lots of cool attractions and history, really glad we came.

I'm glad you're having a good time.

 

[vitamink]

Lets see the patch.

 

[Sylvain]

Lets see the patch.

My bet is on this one ...

Or this version in Paris ...

 

[vitamink]

I like it!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

My bet is on this one ...

Or this version in Paris ...

The bottom one.

 

[Sylvain]

The bottom one.

Nice.
Police officers outside Paris wear the top one and the bottom ones are just for the Parisian police (PP stands for Préfecture de Police).
But you see both in Paris.