Travel
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Paris - General Questions
We are considering a trip to Paris this year. We wanted to go for our anniversary (August 31) however the flights are double the price at that time then they are for April. Does anyone have any feedback on weather, crowds, etc. regarding each of these times of year and which may be best in terms of traveling to Paris?
Also, does anyone have any great recommendations on where to stay? We have never been and want to be near (walking distance preferably) to many of the big sites.
Thank you for your help, greatly appreciate it!
Married 
8.31.2008<br>
8.31.2008<br>
Re: Paris - General Questions
I've never been in the summer so I can't compare, but my first trip to Paris was in early April and we went last year in late April. Early April was cooler than I thought it would be and a bit rainy, but the flowers were all blooming and it was gorgeous. Late April was nicely warm without being hot.
The Metro is very easy to use and super convenient for sightseeing, so don't worry about being close to "everything." We've stayed in the Rue Cler neighborhood twice and liked it a lot.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
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April would be far superior to August IMO. In August many things will be closed and it may be quite hot. There will also be more tourists in August in all likelihood.
And if plane tickets are 2x for August, definitely go in April.
I found taxis to be fairly reasonable in Paris as well. It was perhaps 10 euro to go from one end of the tourist stuff to the other. Much is also walkable for the average person, especially by Euro standards.
Compared to other metros in many cities (Athens, London, Barcelona, Glasgow, Madrid, Rome, etc), I thought the metro was less useful, but I was also travelling for business so perhaps I wasn't going the 'usual' routes.
FWIW, I stayed near Gare de Lyon in the Bastille neighborhood at a Holiday Inn for ?99 ($165-170ish). It was a clean, nice place to stay and a bit upgraded compared to the usual Holiday Inns I've seen in the UK. It was great for business--100 yards from the train station--but I'd probably recommend something a bit more Parisian for pleasure.
Oh, allow me to tell a funny Paris taxi story!
The first time I was in Paris was with DH who was on a business trip (trade show). A bunch of colleagues went to dinner and we had to split up in taxis. I went with 2 other women. The taxi driver spoke English very well and gave us a wonderful guided tour on the way to the restaurant; he drove on the Champs-?lys?es, pointing out a lot of non-touristy, little known facts such as the home of Dodi Fayed. It passed the time nicely while on the way.
When we arrived at the restaurant, our fare was $75US! We all looked at each other and laughed. One woman paid the bill with a shrug and an "Oh well, OPM!"
Dinner was lovely and we left to return to the hotel. My husband was in our cab this time (the previous ride had not been discussed, although everyone wondered what had taken us so long) and when we arrived at the hotel 5 minutes later, the fare was something like $5US! That's right, we were right around the corner!
L'isle Sur la Sorgue, Provence
Most everyone that live in Paris leave Paris for the month of August for vacation. It can be unbearably hot and many local places are closed. If you want to see the city that the locals see do not travel in August. There are a million tourists at that time and as you have seen by the airfares, the prices can go up as well for rooms. I would choose mid to late September as a great time to visit. April is nice but can be a bit chilly. May is also a good month.
My favorite areas are the 6th and the 4th but the 1st and 5th are great as well. Try to stay as close to the Seine as possible. I used to live between Bastille and Gare de Lyon and I like that area very much as well but for a great central location choose the first ones I told you. There is a post from the last week where one girl had quite a few good hotel recommendations all in those areas if you search for it. I believe that Hotel Henri IV in the 5th was one of them. Here is the link. It is located in a great area and you can walk right up the street to Notre Dame and the Seine. http://www.henri-paris-hotel.com/en/
We spent the last week of May in Paris. I think that is the best time to visit weather wise hoping it doesn't rain. We were there for 7 days it rained 3 of the days we were there and was in the low 70's and high 80s the rest of the days.
We never too a taxi while there as the train system is really easy to use and pretty much goes to all tourist locations. We did stay at the Hotel de la Porte Doree and spent the last day at a Marriott hotel cant remember where.
August, even the end of August, is the most expensive time of year to travel and the crowds in Paris are horrific. I understand wanting to be there on your actual anniversary but would really recommend waiting until September to go.
I'd recommend staying in the 5th, 6th or 7th Arrondisements.
I definitely, definitely don't think it's worth paying double to go in August. It's absolutely the worst time to go. Save the money and spend it on a nicer hotel or some lovely meals out!
As long as you're near a metro stop, you'll be fine so I'd go for a hotel with some character. I've only been to Paris once and stayed in an apartment so I can't help but I think there have been a few posts lately with similar questions.
Have fun!
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
Ditto this. There are many wonderful neighborhoods to choose from. Also, we did an apartment through vacationsinparis.com and had a great experience.
We also loved the Paris Museum Pass.
I would, however, add the caveat that you should still stay within the 20 Arondissements.
Places like Montrouge may be on the Metro, but if you're only going to be in town for a week or two, I wouldn't want to waste that much time commuting to/from the suburbs. (Especially since the suburban lines like that can get a bit crowded during rush hour.)
My family stayed in the Latin Qtr last April and rec'd we stay there when we're there this April. Also, the weather for them seemed unseasonably warm for early April; it was in the 70s most days.
OP- I'd consider renting an apt. We originally looked at hotels for our 4 nights there in April hoping to be in the 150E/nt range. I did find several hotels in the range and the reviews were good, but almost every hotel said how small the rooms are (compared to US standards); so I looked at vrbo.com and homeaway.com and now we have several apts (all over location wise of: Arr 7 and Latin Qtr).
You can find quite a variety in price range for rental apts; however, for les than the price of the hotels; we'll be getting alot more space and a fridge/kitchen so that we could make our own meals if we desire to do so.
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BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks