Paris recommendations

[ted]

I am finally going to take a vacation in France this year, ending with 5 days in Paris. Although I am certainly not a novice at travel, domestic or international, I've never spent any time in Paris.

First issue is where to stay. What area? What's convenient to the tourist things? Is there a gay area? I'm not super rich, so am looking for 3 or 4 star recommendations in the 150Euro neighborhood or a bit less. There seem to be literally hundreds advertised on various websites but really don't know what I should be looking for, or perhaps more important, avoiding. I know European rooms tend to be small, and I'm a bit claustrophobic, so cleanliness and size take precedence over decor, although stylish is certainly appreciated. Also Priceline-a good option?

What about nightlife. The famous and probably tourist overun clubs certainly cater to the straight crowd, any shows slanted our way that a very rusty French speaker, but I am studying, would understand and of course I hope to find some help from a hot guy while there.

Any and all suggestions and comments welcome:-)

[Flower]

I don't have a specific hotel in mind to recommend since some of the ones I've been to I wouldn't go back to; but I would definitely recommend one with A/C in the rooms, if you will be there in the summer--gets very hot and humid and most of the local (non-international chains) didn't have A/C last time I checked. So the next time I go, I will pass on the local color and quaintness and go for comfort--The Big chains whose names you'll recognize usually are international and seem to also have bigger rooms, compared to the local more traditional Parisian hotels.

 

Have fun

[BgMstr4u]

No doubt you have discovered the Marais and the various gay businesses in that area. It is certainly one of the gayest areas in Paris, and also one of the oldest and most interesting. It is one of the few parts of Paris which retains its ancient street pattern, for some reason having escaped Baron Haussman's city planning devatations.

 

I would recommend that you stay in the Marais, in the Quartier Latin, or near the Louvre. There are some very good hotels at great prices on the outskirts of Paris, but for a real feel, you should stay close in. Avoid hotels in the areas near the Gare du Nord/Gare St. Lazare.

 

One place which is special to me is Le Vagabond, a tiny bar/restaurant on the Rue Thérese near the Opéra. It is a good place to meet young men open to opportunities with older men, and the food is quite good.

[BgMstr4u]

Correction: I meant to recommend that you avoid hotels in the areas around the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l'Est, NOT Gare St. Lazare. Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est are very close together.

[Guest rizzuto]

The Marais is the gay area, but the whole city is open and gay-friendly. I really prefer to stay in the St Germain area -- very lively, lots of shopping and restaurants, easy to get around.

 

You should have no trouble finding a place for 150 euro. Hotel Reservation Service, http://www.hrs.com, usually has a good selection at all price levels.

 

One reasonably-priced place in St Germain is the Holiday Inn St Germain des Pres -- don't worry, it is nothing like a Holiday Inn in the States. It's just off a main street (rue de Rennes), and the rooms are decent-sized, for Paris at least. You can see the Eiffel Tower from some of the rooms on the 5th and 6th floors.

[Guest footguy]

I have stayed several times at the Paris Hilton. It's a very nice, air conditioned hotel one block from the Eiffel Tower. It's also about three blocks from the Metro (Bir-Hakiem station). You can get good deals at the Hilton at the Hotel Reservations Network (http://www.1800hotel.com). Hope you have a fabulous time!

[topcat]

I've stayed at the Hotel Bel Ami in St Germain a few times. The hotel is only about 200yards from Les Deux Magots cafe. It's smart, modish & not very expensive; check their website for rates depending on when you will be visiting. There's free internet access on 2 computers in the public area on the ground floor.

 

The Paris Metro system is extensive and safe, with stations very close together, so you can get around easily. And as the centre is small, you can walk readily to the Marais (where I would NOT stay as it can be noisy at night)

[Guest ManhattanMan]

I've also stayed at the Hotel Bel Ami, and liked it. If you're wanting Marais, look into Little Palace Tulip Inn. the Fifth floor rooms have small balconies with table/2chairs overlooking a cute park and face the direction of the Seine. We sat several evenings there just to listen to the bells of Notre Dame. The hotel is just north of the Marais off Rue Sebastopol, a quick 10 minute walk and quieter for sleeping. I paid $430 for three nights last November.

 

The bars are interesting and profuse. Had some nice conversations with other visitors and American expatriots. The French are shits, but they have a lovely capital.

[Guest supermekgk]

The french are shit ????

Not anymore than any redneck american who thinks he can control the world by throwing bomb on the countries he doesn't approve the style of life...

The french have qualities and defaults, but so have the arrogant suspicious hypocrit american; and I am still looking for a qualitie.

get the the point?

[Guest Love Bubble Butt]

You smell! x(

[+ Axiom2001]

On another forum in the MC of M4M, many of us tacitly agreed to ignore caustic remarks which were not pertinent to the topic.

The second comment up from my "hit" certainly fits this category.

The respondent vents venom and fails to answer the serious questions proposed by the writer.

 

P.S. I have found a lot of venom in this forum today, Saturday, 1 February 2003. At first I'd considered responding, but then again, I remember I was one of the proponents for our skipping over rude, disrespectful, shameful attacks on anyone, a culture, or a situation which warranted another approach as well as tact.

[BgMstr4u]

The French are different. They are not American. They do not speak English. They have a different values system, different assumptions about government, the law, justice. They love their history, language and culture. They were the center of the civilized world for centuries, and would like to be again. They care about food almost more than sex, and anyone who has had a memorable dinner in Paris might be inclined to agree.

 

I have visited Paris many times, seeing it through the eyes of friends (both French and American) rather than as a tourist. The French can be rude, or be perceived as rude. But they think that Americans on the whole are naive to the point of public danger.

 

One example: They believe that people should listen to each other and understand what is said on the first try without the ping-pong of American counter questions and statements to verify what was said. Sample: American- "I'm leaving." "You're leaving?" "Yes, I'm leaving." French: "Je m'en vais." This difference drives the French crazy. They already told you!

 

A second example: The French have a highly efficient state apparatus which regulates virtually everything in life and creates superb medical, educational, transport, and cultural institutions. Their system works well, is on the whole as fair to the poor as to the rich, and makes France one of the least litigious societies in the developed world. On the whole, they do not admire our rough and tumble, wealth-based, underfunded public systems.

 

A third example: the French admire beauty, good engineering, and grandiosity in public projects. They believe that Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, and are willing to spend almost anything to keep it that way and make it better. When they visit the United States, they admire the vitality of our people, music, and popular culture, especially in minority communities. But they do not admire our cities and public spaces, and in particular they do not admire the poor design and niggardly maintenance they encounter everywhere. They wonder why such a rich nation, filled with such creative people, can spend its money so poorly.

 

A final example: The French believe in food. They generally will not cook with meat, fish, cheese, vegetables or fruit that are bought any earlier than the day before. Their bakeries post the times when the bread emerges from the oven so that they can walk the block or two (rarely more) to the bakery just on time to get the bread at its peak of perfection. They wonder why Americans do not love their food enough to make it fresh and interesting.

 

Most of all, the French cannot understand a people which does not drink a glass of wine with every lunch and dinner. They virtually boycotted Disneyland until decent wine was made available at all its food outlets, a cultural mis-step which took the Eisner crew more than a year to figure out and correct, and which contributed (along with capitalization problems) to the near collapse of Euro-Disney in its first year.

 

I love the French, obviously. I also love America and our culture, which is so NOT French. I have found the best way to visit France, and Paris in particular, is to stop comparing them to America, learn enough of their culture to pass while you're there, and live into another style of life and sense of values. I have always found this enriching.

[+ glutes]

You should travel to see, and admire, the differences of other cultures/countries. I've been to Paris and seen jean clad American youths squaking about where to find a McDonalds on the Champs E'lysee (sp.) .

I'm simply embarrassed in my travels from CapeTown to Cairo, and can spot an American 2 blocks away!