Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Paris Pass? Is it worth it?

wife and I are heading to Paris for New years.





We%26#39;ll be there for a week and in London for a week.





I see a Paris Pass listed for $120-140 Euro for 4 days. Can anyone give me advice as to whether this is a good deal or should we just wait until we arrive and buy on an %26quot;as needed%26quot; basis? We are going to stay in Paris for the most part (day trips out are not necessary)...but we%26#39;re going to the Louvre and a couple other museums...I expect we%26#39;ll be using the metro to get around some (staying in the 7th district)





Any advice would be appreciated.





Don




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Hi,





The pass that includes entrance to museums + transportation is usually not a good deal.





In my opinion the best pass for museums is http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php





Regarding a pass for transportation: could you please tell me on what days of the week you%26#39;ll stay in Paris and if you%26#39;re going to use the public transportation from the airport to Paris?




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We%26#39;ll be in paris from Dec 28th until Jan 2nd - so a full week.



We%26#39;d like to take the train from CDG to paris and then take some sort of train from Paris to London on the 2nd.





so inter city travel is needed (although on dec 31st, I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;ll be very crowded and we%26#39;ll end up walking alot - and on Jan 1st, i would think alot of the city will be closed)




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the eurostar is the high speed train that you can take from Gare du Nord in Paris to St. Pancras station in London. The tickets are like airline tickets, the cheap seats go first. You can book 120 days out, look at www.eurostar.com and http://www.seat61.com/



for information




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The privately %26#39;..re-packaged..%26#39; PARIS PASS is RARELY a good deal....for your proposed itinerary--a week, beginning on a Monday...and especially bad deal.




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Wait until you arrive, it is cheaper and you will have a better idea of your needs.




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Don,



Since Dec 28th is a Monday and you%26#39;ll be in Paris for an entire week, the Navigo Découverte is an excellent option for you (it%26#39;s valid for a week, Mon-Sun)



Issuing a Navigo Découverte + charging it for a weekly pass for zones 1-2 will cost you 23.80. This pass is valid for the metro, buses and RER stations within Paris.



Notice, however, that since CDG is zone 5, you%26#39;ll need a special ticket from CDG to Paris (since you%26#39;ll only be in zone 5 once, the pass for zones 1-5 isn%26#39;t economical for you).





You can buy this pass in any metro or RER station in Paris.




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Ohadb, is this also good for Batobus (seine) and HOHO (hop on hop off Bus)? And is this the one that needs a passport size picture?




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It%26#39;s not valid for Batobus and the hop on hop off Bus.



Yes, it needs a passport size picture.




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Do NOT buy the Paris Pass you have listed, these sorts of bundled and repackaged items you see on the net are not worth it and you%26#39;re not sure what you are getting. Instead buy a %26quot;Paris Visite%26quot; pass at the train station in CDG airport. For 48 Euro, you can get unlimited use of ALL public transit for 6 zones for 5 days and upgrade it for another couple days for about 10 Euro. This will also get you to and from CDG, Orly, Disney and Versaille. The museum passes are not a good deal either unless you want to see A LOT of museums, but you can get saturated. Most museums in Paris cost 6-8 Euros for entry and this usually includes an audio guide.




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For a Mon-Sun week, the Navigo Decouverte is ALWAYS a better deal than the Paris Visite!

Cheap hostel / motel near the beach in Nice?

May 7th to May 9th, looking for a cheap hostel, motel, hotel.. my only requirement is that it%26#39;s a walking distance from the city and the beach (a good walking distance is everything less than 3 km). Two people so I want an own room, no dorms.. what can you suggest? I%26#39;ve found a few online I%26#39;m thinking of, but would like to check if there%26#39;s something good I%26#39;ve missed before I book anything.




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The only cheap hotel I can think of near the beach and town is the Hotel Solara in Rue de France (ne frills but friendly staff.)




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Couple of budget options





Two star Hotel: The Crillon rue Pastorelli - basic but around 50 euro a night and central







Youth Hostel: Les Camélias 3, rue Spitalieri off Nice Etoiles




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Removed on: 3:21 pm, October 23, 2009

Help, does this make sense, Paris to Lyon to Provence.

Hi we are leaving Tues night for Paris and have just in the last day or so decided to explore a bit more beyond, we are visiting friends in Lyon, and very much want to go to Provence. So does it make sense to fly into Paris, stay for a night to rest up.....drive to Lyon, stay two days, drive to Provence, and then eventually a few days later back to Paris and stay there a few days and then head home via CDG?



I know it might be a lot but we are fine with squeezing in a lot of traveling/as long as we are there,why not?



What are special things to do in Provence? Restaurants and hotel recommendations?



Please help us, asap....we appreciate it!!



Thanks.






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I wouldn%26#39;t drive if I were you, although you won%26#39;t get the best fares on TGV with such lates reservations.





I would take the TGV (high speed train) to Lyon (1 hour and 55 minutes ride), and then take an other TGV to Avignon after your stopover ( a little more than 1 hour train ride only).





Regarding things to do and to see in Provence, I suggest that you start browsing the Provence forum and post your additionnal questions there, toutou, alpilles and many other experts will certainly be happy to help you!




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hi thanks, people have said that by driving we will get a different experience, we love to absorb the local cultures and feelings...and though the train is shorter, we like the idea of driving. if we did take the train any idea how much the fare is?



also how is the weather at this time? I am planning on bringing many layers to go with the weather. Any advice?



Thanks.




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Driving is great if you have time to take the small roads and make a few stopovers, not if you stick to the motorway. So it really depends on the number of days you have and on your plans.





Here is the SNCF website to check schedules and fare if you consider taking the train:



http://www.voyages-sncf.com/





The weather is unpredictible as you know : very nice spring weather during the weekend, colder with (little) rain now...





Here is the useful website to check the weather in France:



http://france.meteofrance.com/france/accueil




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Removed on: 3:20 pm, October 23, 2009

Hotel decision help

My son and his girlfriend will are renting a motorcycle in Nice and will be traveling to Paris (to meet up with me, mom). I%26#39;m looking for a reasonable ($100) room for them. I saw the post about the du Theatre and de Artiste but they are full for when they are in need. A few others I%26#39;ve found are from high to low are...





Des Savoies





Axotel Perrache





Berlioz





Hoteldu Simplon





any comments or other ideas would be helpful. They are in there 20%26#39;s and my son says he just wants a place to lay his head. They do need parking though.





The other places they plan to stop at are Nevers (?) and Normandy if any one can suggest for there as well.





Thanks





Dawna




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In the same central area, you may try this one that is in your budget range.



hotelcelestins.com/en/Room-rates-hotel-lyon-…





Perrache area is not as nice as place des Célestins, but hotel Simplon is also a good choice (I would choose this one over Axotel or Berlioz).




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Removed on: 5:16 pm, October 23, 2009

Hotel and dining recommendations?

Hi well quite last minute we are changing our plans. We are flying into Paris tomororw night...then two days later driving to Lyon to see friends, from there we are going onto Provence, where I have always wanted to visit for so long! First thing...what is the difference between Aix en Provence and Provence?



Where do you recommend we stay? We like top hotels but do have a 13 year old son with us, so we want to all be comfortable. Any memorable dining tips/places that you would recommend that are special to that area?



Thanks in advance...........




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Provence is the name of the region - I was told it was the original province of the Roman Empire, so that%26#39;s what they called it. Aix is a city in Provence - I%26#39;ve just found a list of 23 other places called %26#39;Aix%26#39; in France and surrounding coutries, so adding %26#39;-en-Provence%26#39; simply differentiates it from the other 22.



Out of curiosity, why are you driving to Lyon? If you take the train, you have time to look out of the window and enjoy the countryside rather than just the concentrating on the autoroute ahead. If you really want to drive and avoid the toll motorway (so that you actually go through towns and villages), you will need to allow at least 6.5 hours rather than 4, according to viamichelin. Otherwise tolls are 30€ and about the same for fuel. Actually, the trip from Lyon to Avignon is more convenient by train too, and there are plenty of car hire companies at Avignon TGV station.




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Hi fabfinds,



It would be very helpful if you could provide Forum members with some additional information such as how long yo plan on staying in Provence and what your interests are. Hope to hear from you soon since you are apparently leaving tomorrow night.



AlpillesGal




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thanks for responding....well we are open to maybe taking the train ,how long of a ride to Lyon? Would it be feasible to rent a car in Lyon and drive to Provence? Can anyone answer what the weather is like right now? I have packed many layering pieces...sandals, a raincoat, umbrella,sweaters,etc.....





Well, re interests, I like history, art, culture, great food, anything special to the area. We will have 2 days in Provence, we are squeezing in a lot of travel within 8-9 days.





Thanks for your help in advance!




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Two days is not enough time to see Provence, or did I misunderstand how long? Rent a small car as the streets and roads are very narrow in Provence.



The Vaucluce, the Luberon. The Alpilles are different from eachother. You need reservations for a hotel. Have your friends in Lyon try to book you.



Unkess we know where you are stayong we can%26#39;t give restaurant suggestions.




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Two days is not enough time to see Provence, or did I misunderstand how long? Rent a small car as the streets and roads are very narrow in Provence.



The Vaucluce, the Luberon. The Alpilles are different from eachother. You need reservations for a hotel. Have your friends in Lyon try to book you.



Unkess we know where you are stayong we can%26#39;t give restaurant suggestions.




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make sure you book your B%26amp;B hotel in Provence. As an owner I can tell you we are Fully booked for Easter as are most others.



ESCARGOT




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It%26#39;s about 2 hours by TGV from Paris to Lyon, then 1.25-1.5 hours on to Avignon TGV. You can also get a local train from Lyon to Avignon which takes 2-3 hours depending on stops. I don%26#39;t know when you are planning to travel on to Provence, but the sncf site shows at least one TGV is fully booked on Saturday 11th - there is no booking for local trains.




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Removed on: 4:19 pm, October 23, 2009

don´t rent a car with SIxt!!!!!

NEVER EVER AGAIN WITH SIXT.





We hired a car from Sixt in Paris in March 2009 for 2 days...we wanted to have a nice experience so we rented a Mercedes Benz...SURPRISE!!!! the driver mirror was broken and the car had some scratches...when we told that to the staff lady she was completlely indiferent and she never moved from her seat...when I told her that I was dissapointed with the car and that I want another, she asked me WHY?????





Worst....when we star driving the car (because they told us that it was the only one available) the oil alert notify us that there was NO OIL in the engine, so we stopped in the next gas station and tried to call customer service for advice...nobody paid attention to us!!! Finally another indiferent guy told us to put any diesel oil that we can find...we paid almost 50 euros in oil for our rented Mercedes.





We were very surprised because everybody in France was so nice and we had such a wonderful time in the rest of the places, hotels, restaurants, etc...what´s the matter with Sixt staff? I don´t know





NEVER EVER AGAIN WITH SIXT.




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Removed on: 5:18 pm, October 23, 2009

cost from CDG to Gare du Nord

Ive spent the last 40 mins trying to find the price but I cant find it. Can someone please give me an indication of the cost to travel from Gare du Nord to CDG for terminal 1 (on a Monday if thats important). We arrive at Gare du Nord on the Friday and we will have the weekend in Paris. As we will mainly walk here and there we are planning to take a hop on bus sometime and buy a carnet for the other trips.



Thanks everyone




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By RER to anywhere in the centre of Paris is €8.90 per person. This includes travel on the metro or other RER lines if required.





In the context of the costs of a holiday in Europe, it is hardly worth getting excited about it!




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Removed on: 5:18 pm, October 23, 2009