Hi Everyone,
Just came back from a self drive trip to France and Spain. I%26#39;ll review Paris here and do a separate review for the rest of France, and then Spain.
We flew into Paris and arrived at 6am. Took an hour and a half to get through customs because there were only 2 officers but once we got through everything was fine. We booked shuttle service with Paris Shuttle and they were there waiting for us. It cost us 31 euros to go from CDG to our apartment in the 7th. We booked our apartment through Vacations in Paris and were very pleased with their service. The apartment was just as described and shown on the website. I also liked that we had the keys before we left home so we didn%26#39;t have to meet anyone to let us in. We had contacted them before we left because our flight was changed and we arrived in Paris earlier than we were supposed to, and they had the apartment ready for 8am (this was possible because the people in it before us left late the night before). Communication with them before we left was always good and we always received a quick response to all of our questions. I would recommend them.
Once we got up from a bit of a sleep we got acquainted with our neighbourhood and walked to the Eiffel Tower which was only about 10 minutes away. Found the 7th to be a good area to be in as it was close to a lot of attractions and convenient for markets and restaurants. We seemed to find ourselves on Rue Cler (a small market street with bakeries, cheese, produce and restaurants) for pastries, baguettes and cheese, which quickly became breakfast and lunch staples.
This was my first time renting an apartment while on vacation and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was great having a place to make breakfast and our apartment was right over a busier side street. We had the windows open at night and while it was a bit loud I loved listening to the sounds of the Paris streets (I admit I am not a light sleeper and once asleep the street noise didn%26#39;t bother me). I think if you are comfortable enough with the idea of being on your own in the city then an apartment is the way to go. The place we rented was cheaper than a lot of hotels and we certainly saved by having breakfast and lunch at %26quot;home%26quot;. Staying in an apartment made us feel like we were a part of the city.
On day 2 we kept walking past the velib%26#39; bike stations and eventually gave in to the temptation. I know these bikes aren%26#39;t really designed for tourists but it was too hard to resist riding a bike through the streets of Paris. While we were at the station trying to figure out how to subscribe, we had some help from a local who showed us what to do and told us how everything worked. He was extremely helpful and stayed chatting with us for a bit, even though I am sure he had somewhere he had to be. It was much appreciated. So now we had these bikes and we were ready to see Paris! The city is actually set up for bikes really well, with most roads having bike lanes and it was a great way to get around. There are the occasional times when traffic is crazy and you wonder what you have gotten yourself into but it really only added to the experience. We rode to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Notre Dame and all the main tourist areas. Yes it was extremely busy and there were large crowds at the attractions but it is a big city that was in prime tourist season so it was certainly expected, it%26#39;s what makes it a big city. Yes we also came across the gold ring scam and the %26quot;do you speak english?%26quot; people but we either ignored them completely or said no and had no problems whatsoever. We had such a great time riding around and while at a station checking out a bike I even had someone ask me for directions! I thought that in itself was pretty good but what made me happier was that I could tell them where they needed to go!
When you subscribe to the velib%26#39; system you use your credit card to give them a 150 euro deposit on the bike. They don%26#39;t actually charge your card that amount unless you don%26#39;t return the bike. What they do charge you is 1 euro/day to use the bike, and then if you have it out for more than 30 minutes you pay based on how much time you are over. We went over a couple of times but for 4 days of transport it cost us under 20 euros for 2 people. We loved having the bikes as we were able to see a lot more of Paris than we would have if we had walked. There was also only one time that a station was full and we had to go to the next one to return the bike. If you are up for a bit of an adventure I recommend trying this out. After visiting the main tourist attractions we ventured into neighbourhoods I am sure we would never have seen if we were walking. It is great fun and good exercise. After a day on a bike you don%26#39;t feel guilty eating more of the irresistible pastries!
We went out for dinner one night at a place called %26quot;La Grille%26quot; on Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière. It was an old school french restaurant that was terrific. We didn%26#39;t have a reservation (we wanted to make one but our internet was down and we didn%26#39;t have a phone book - I recommend making one if you want to go) but we took our chances on being able to get in on a weeknight. The %26quot;madame%26quot; at the door was not amused at our lack of a reservation and hemmed and hawed about giving us a table. We kind of played along and she stretched the game on a little longer, eventually relenting and giving us the worst table in the restaurant. After making 2 tables worth of people move so we could get to our table, then having the waiter pass everything over their heads to us (menus, water, wine, our meals etc) we had the best dinner we had in Paris. I am really not complaining about the table at all, and honestly, the service was great, the food fantastic and the atmosphere was good. It is not a touristy restaurant, we were the only non Parisians there. The waiter, an older gentlemen, was a lot of fun. My french is ok, but not fantastic, his english was non existent, but everything was fine. We tried the beef bourgignon (which they are known for) and the tete de veau which was amazing. It is the first time we have tried it and after I got past the guilty feeling I have to admit it was delicious. Placing that order seemed to score us some points as well and soon madame was leaning over the other people to get to our table and ask us how everything was. By the end of the night she was asking about our vacation and if we were enjoying ourselves, so we must have gotten into her good graces. Dinner cost about 80 euros for 2 entrees, 2 main plates, 2 desserts, a bottle of wine and an after dinner drink.
We really enjoyed our trip to Paris and found the people there to be extremely friendly and helpful. You shouldn%26#39;t expect them to speak english of course because after all, you did come to France for a vacation. Don%26#39;t be surprised when people speak french. That being said, there were times when our attempts with french failed and many people were happy to help us out in english, which saved a lot of time and charades. We did try and speak french as much as possible and even my husband who knew no french when we left home was able to navigate the bakeries and come back with breakfast in the morning after being there only a couple of days.
So our time in Paris came to an end and then it was time to pick up our rental car and begin our %26quot;road trip%26quot;. We decided to pick up the car right in Paris, near our apartment and we were going to drive out of Paris and be on our way. I am still not sure if this was a good idea. If you don%26#39;t like driving in traffic and get frustrated easily don%26#39;t do it. If you realize what you are getting into and are in no rush, then give it a shot, it%26#39;s not terrible, but it isn%26#39;t the most fun you will have on your trip either. It took us about an hour and a dozen or so wrong turns to get out of Paris but we were still speaking to each other as we finally got on the A13 so that was a good sign!
We had a great time in Paris, love the city and the people (and the pastries and bread!) and can%26#39;t wait to go back again. When we left Paris we visited Normandy (Juno Beach), the Loire Valley and the Dordogne which I will post a separate trip report for since this is getting long!
Thanks to everyone who posted information that helped me plan our trip, and I would be happy to answer any questions I can for people planning on going to France.
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Nice report -sounds like a really relaxing time.
What VIP apt. did you have?
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Dear agaraphobic1,
Thanks for your trip report and you enthusiasm for the velibs.
I just got the confidence to get one out and ride them this last trip because my feet were hurting and I was late! There are instructions in English and it is easy as you say.
I rode from St Germain to the Hotel George V and discovered that there is a safe cycle lane all along the pavement of the champs Elysees. I wish they were so cycle friendly in England as I cycle regularly at home.
Once I had done this there was no stopping me and I cycled for miles, this is certainly the way to see the city.
Lots of love
Denise
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Thanks for the trip report. My wife and I leave next week for our first trip to Paris and will also be staying in and apartment within the 7th. I%26#39;m pleased that you found this a good area to stay within.
As you recently returned, please let me know what the weather was like (high and low temperatures) on average.
thanks in advance
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We had Vacation in Paris apartment ID120. It was on Rue St. Dominique and it was right above a cafe (not one that was open past 9pm though it seemed). The apartment was great, recently remodeled and modern. If you get this one don%26#39;t be put off by the entrance way up to the apartment, it isn%26#39;t much to look at, but once inside we were happy with our choice. One other thing, the ad says the apartment sleeps 4, which is true, but I think more than 2 would seem crowded.
The weather was actually very comfortable when we were there. We caught the last day of a heat wave people were talking about, but other than that, I think it was around 22-25 degrees in the day, and it dropped to around 15 at night which was great for sleeping (no AC in apt.) We were very comfortable, although I hear August gets hotter.
Enjoy your trip!
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nice report ,thank you . what credit card allowed access to velib please?
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nice report ,thank you . what credit card allowed access to velib please? i have heard amex will work,
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Thanks for sharing your trip report. It seemed as though you had a nice visit. As for La Grille restaurant I believe it was part of a Paris feature in National Geographic Traveler magazine last year I think.
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Thanks for the fantastic report. I especially appreciate the details on the velib bikes - you%26#39;ve given me the confidence to try to use them!
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Nice report. One thing to know about the Vélib stations is that when they are full, if you check into the machine, it will give you an extra 15 minutes free to get to another station -- and also show you on the electronic map where the available stations are.
And if you are athletic, you can always make a point of returning bikes to a %26quot;Vélib+%26quot; station -- these are stations at higher elevations, like in Montmartre and upper Belleville. The system will credit your account with 15 free minutes every time you return a bike to one of the indicated stations. You can build your total of free time to 23h45min (maximum allowed) if you are a fanatic.
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I used a Lloyds TSB credit card with a chip and a capitol one credit card with a chip. The 150 euros deposit is not shown on the account.
I think any credit card with chip will work. Debit cards with chips also work but I an told but the 150euros is taken out of the account and is refunded later sometimes up to 14 days.
Just a tip...when you approach the machine the is a picture of a keypad on the display. For English it says touch 2 and V (for validate). A first I tried to touch the keypad on the display (DUH!) It was not until a lady showed me to touch the letters and numbers on the metal keypad lower down under where you insert the credit card that I got it work!!!!
Denise
love from England
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