Another First Timer

My wife and I are going to be in Paris from Feb 6th(Morning) to the 14th. I%26#39;m trying to figure out a couple of things.

(1) What area and hotel to stay.

We both will enjoy the sites/art and would like to be somewhat close to the majority of the locations. We also would to be in a nice area with some nite life also.

(2) We thought we would like to split the trip up a little by going somewhere else for a couple of days. By rail. (Rome, London)Any idea%26#39;s? Or should we just do a day trip or two? We fly out of Paris at 2:00pm on the 14th.

Thank You

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you may get more responses if you do a little research on the city first.

Most tourists stay in Quartier Latin (5th arrondissement) or Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th). I like Le Maris (3rd or 4th).

Hotels depend on your preferences...price etc...

for #2 you are only going to be in Paris for 7/8days I would just do Paris...but do it well (include Versailles in your trip). You will be extremely jet lagged on your first day (morning) you will want to just go to sleep. And the next morning your body will most likely want to sleep in.

Sorry...i know most people want to go everywhere when they are in Europe...i%26#39;d rather do one city and do it right...BUT that is up to you...you may not mind spending your vacations on the run

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There%26#39;s a wealth of information for first timers on this forum, and a very useful search facility. If you scroll to the top of this page you will see a search box below the green banner. Type in %26#39;first timer%26#39; or %26#39;newbie%26#39; and you should get loads of hits. Once you have done a bit of reading you can always post questions about specific areas or hotels, restaurants etc if you haven%26#39;t found the answer. An idea of your hotel budget would be useful too.

As regards the rail trips I%26#39;d forget it: there%26#39;s more than enough to keep you occupied in Paris for your 8 days. The trip to Rome is an overnight one and a long journey, London is a better option, as you can be there in under 3 hours by Eurostar train. However by doing this you%26#39;re wasting valuable Paris time - I know which I%26#39;d do.

Enjoy the planning.

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stick with Paris but plan a day trip to Versailles and one to Chartres --

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With only six full days I would suggest you limit yourself to one day trip at the outside. Your first day will be a bit of a blur because of jet-lag and you won%26#39;t have time for more than a final cup of coffee at your favourite café on your last day. The most popular day trips seem to be Versailles, Giverny and Chartres. Giverny is closed in the winter months and Versailles is so much about the grounds and gardens that I would probably skip it too in February. So thart leaves?

You will probably be happiest in the 5th (Latin Quarter) or 6th (St. Germain des Prés) arrondissements, possibly the 4th (Marais). Click on the Paris Hotels link on this page and search for hotels in those areas in your price range. If you need specifics on any you find that look appealing, start another topic to ask about them.

I wouldn%26#39;t take too much time making some decisions. Your trip is less than two weeks away and hotels, especially the more popular ones, do get booked up even in February.

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We had our first trip to Paris June/July last year. You can read my trip report. It might be helpful.

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It is half term holiday for English schools from 9 Feb so London will be even busier than usual. It also means travel costs will go up that week.

Not that I want to put you off coming here of course - come another time when you can visit more places in England!

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