Hi
Can anyone help me and my friends. We are going to be in Paris in June for about 5 days.
We need to know the following :
How to get from Charles De Gaulle as cheaply as possible
Which are the decent hotels close to the train station that have clean linen and good breakfast
Where can we eat for a reasonable amount - lunch and supper without breaking that bank
Please note we are from South Africa so the currency is not in our favour , in fact we should bring meal supplements with us!!
Thanks
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How to get from CDG:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k10517…
How to choose a hotel:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k24891…
You haven%26#39;t said which train station. There are many. As for food, what is a %26quot;reasonable amount%26quot; for you?
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The links in the previous post are very good. A note about the Air France bus - buy the ticket on the bus. At the info place in CDG it cost 15 e each if that is the transportation you choose.
You don%26#39;t need to stay near a train. The metro/bus situation is excellent for staying almost anywhere in Paris. A breakfast included in the price adds to your cost. Eating on the run - getting a pain raisin or croissant and a cafe is much cheaper (standing or taking and going).
The restaurants post their menus. Many have English subtitles but not all. Most have a plat du jour for 15e on up. It usually includes an entree (appetizer), main course and dessert but sometimes only two of the three. Ask for a carafe d%26#39;eau, s%26#39;il vous plait ( a carafe dough sil vou play). It is a carafe of water and free. There are tons of places. Parisians and tourists alike often buy a baguette and eat on a bench. It is when you sit in a restaurant, etc, it costs more but that can also be a good experience.
Have a great time. PS. Don%26#39;t know how it is in S. Africa but if you are bringing a credit card, notify your card company so they don%26#39;t cut you off because they think there is fraud going on.
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Hi --
A phrase book with a good food section is a big help. The bills of fare with prices will be posted outside any establishment serving food.
What we all call %26quot;the menu%26quot;, the French call %26quot;la carte%26quot;, and what we call the %26quot;daily specials%26quot;, they call %26quot;le menu%26quot;. Le menu or %26quot;la formule%26quot; is a fixed price meal, usually consisting of two or three choices for two or three courses. It is usually the most frugal selection for the meal involved - lunch or dinner.
Drink the house wine, no place in France could survive with a bad one. There is only one reason to drink bottled water and that%26#39;s that you hate the flavour of the satuff from the faucet. Imported spirits and Coca Cola will break the bank. If you must have them, bring the spirits from the duty free, and the Coca Cola from the Monoprix and enjoy them in your quarters.
When you eat or drink at a brasserie or bistro, remember the 3-tier price system. Standing at the bar will be the cheapest, sitting at an inside table more expensive, and sitting at an outside table will be most expensive.
The rates are based on the relative price of the real estate and the fact that you will not be asked to leave to make room for someone else. They know that you%26#39;ll spend the greatest amount of time at an outside table, so the %26quot;rent%26quot; there is higher than for the inside table where you will probably leave more promptly.
I agree that there is no reason to stay near any of the railroad stations. Go to www.venere.com and see what they have that interests you if the hotels already mentioned don%26#39;t work out. Venere lists hotels, small inns, B%26amp;Bs and apartments, and you don%26#39;t pay them in advance. You should find something in your price range.
Do not go out to the outskirts of the city. There is no charm there and travel may well cost you much more.
Don%26#39;t be afraid of an apartment. Many shops sell prepared food to take home and the market streets sell the freshest of the fresh so it%26#39;s not a great hardship to prepare a meal at home once in a while.
Breakfast and snacks are easy to do at home - you send someone out for bread and/or pastries while you make coffee - if you want tea, take it with you, I%26#39;ve never found a tea I like anywhere in Europe. You can prepare the eggs or cereal or whatever and be ready to eat when the bakery messenger returns.
When I stay in a hotel and have their continental breakfast, I supplement it with cheese, yogurt, and perhaps a hard boiled egg from a nearby shop. They%26#39;ll al be fresh when I buy them in the evening. There%26#39;s no problem with keeping them overnight. Paris isn%26#39;t in the tropics and they won%26#39;t spoil on the window sill before morning.
Most folks will advise the single digit arrondissements. That will keep you fairly close to many of the tourist sites, although some of them will require a long walk or the use of the metro or bus, just because they are spread out in Paris.
Read a good guide book so you know which of the arrondissments most appeal to you, and then look there for affordable accommodation.
Bonne chance et bon voyage.
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Hi All
Thank you for the responses they are much appreciated. I will def follow the links sent through with great interest. Let me just give you a quick overwiew of SA. Breakfast ranges between R 25 - 35 (about 3 euro) for a full english b/fast. Lunch R 30 - 60( about 4 euro) for pasta or meat with veggies and supper from R 80 - 150 ( about 9 euro)for a full meal and dessert and a coke is abour 0.50 euros.
So as you can see the situation is quite dire but with all the tips im sure we will be ok.
I will update you on my progress so far.
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Paris is not an ideal destination for people on a tight budget. Very unfortunate for most of us!
Try to buy food at markets and %26quot;compose%26quot; some of your meals. June is a good time for eating on park benches. Crispy bread, tomatoes and delicious cheese!
Also go to outside arrondissements and look for ethnic food.
Beware of drinks. Coca cola and the likes are expensive in restaurants.
Go to Chez Leon rue d%26#39;Illy, some of the best and cheapest food in Paris (near Printemps depatment store.
Good luck!
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Hi, FNB fraud unit have contacted me today about purchases I made on the internet for purchases - Emirates Airlaines, Easyjet %26amp; Ryanair - they have advised that even minimal purchases on credit cards R200 or less) may be turned down unless the country limit is increased for specific purposes - France is not on the Alert list (for now) but could happen - Spain is
We are also in Paris June and enjoy = forget about the euro conversion (50 euro for an aerly departure before 9:00!!!) it just makes me depressed.- although check out the upper priced accommodation in RSA , methinks it pays to go to Europe!
Enjoy!
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Hi Faircape
Luckily we are only in Paris for 4 days and we have tried to cut costs as much as possible, like we are going to buy the 2 day hop on and off bus ticket so that should be a good saving. I did the same in New York last year and it worked out perfectly. If i was going to NYC on the same budget as Paris , i would come back with at least 20 pairs of shoes!!!
I am trying not to think about the conversion so much cuz i have had time to save up but you know when you are paying 15 euro for a meal and you convert it , you get sick in the stomach!!! I hope you will also have lovely time in Paris. We are also taking a train down to Milan, Venice and Rome so i am totally looking forward to the pasts in italy!!
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Hi Faircape
Luckily we are only in Paris for 4 days and we have tried to cut costs as much as possible, like we are going to buy the 2 day hop on and off bus ticket so that should be a good saving. I did the same in New York last year and it worked out perfectly. If i was going to NYC on the same budget as Paris , i would come back with at least 20 pairs of shoes!!!
I am trying not to think about the conversion so much cuz i have had time to save up but you know when you are paying 15 euro for a meal and you convert it , you get sick in the stomach!!! I hope you will also have lovely time in Paris. We are also taking a train down to Milan, Venice and Rome so i am totally looking forward to the pasts in italy!!
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If you are thinking of using the hop on/hop off bus as a means of transportation, the I don%26#39;t think it is a very good value. Use the metro, city bus and walk. Much cheaper.
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Paris2004 now i am confused , i thought the hop on and off bus worked out perfect because it goes past all the tourist spots. but if you say its cheaper to take the train and walk then maybe we will look at that. How much are the metro tickets? Oh we also want to go to Disney for 1 day where can we find reasonable tickets that include the train ride to Disney? Thanks
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