Paris bridge
Destination: France
(continued from Trip Planning: France)
RESOURCES
After my initial reading, I still was confused about exactly what our route should be and how we would get around. So I sat down with a friend who had been to France last year on a road trip out of Paris. She gave us hints on cafes in Paris and driving times. She loaned us:
- the International Travel Map for France
- a lovely old book about Normandy that she had received from a French friend years ago
- her Michelin green guide to France.
- I had loaned her Flaubert’s Normandy, and she gave that back for my planning.
ITINERARY
We will rent an apartment for six nights in Paris. While there we will take a day trip to tour Versailles a setting in this novel about Louis XIV, and perhaps other day trips. Originally I thought we would do a day trip to Giverney as described in this children’s book review, but Monet’s home and garden will be on our route north.
On the seventh day we will rent a car and take off for a driving loop north through Normandy, to Brittany and travel back to Paris on the 6th or 7th day. There we return the car and take a train to Bruges where we will book a hotel for two nights, then travel by train to Amsterdam for two nights. And fly home. The itinerary is beginning to take shape.
I bought some more books and maps:
- The Top 10 Normandy by Eyewitness Travel (recommended on Twitter by a hotelier in Normandy),
- Drive Around Brittany & Normandy by Thomas Cook, which I can already tell is going to be an invaluable guide!
- a laminated pocket-metro map of Paris (ordered now to help with apartment choices)
- Streetwise Paris. We have used the Streetwise Paris maps in other cities and found them to be very handy.
TRIP INSURANCE
We purchased Access America Travel Insurance through American Airlines when we purchased Ken’s ticket,and I called and added myself to the policy for an additional premium. I did not do a lot of research, because I’ve researched insurance before, and because I had a claim against them once which I thought was handled fairly well.
RENTING AN APARTMENT ISN’T THAT HARD…
It’s DECIDING that takes time. Seems the more choices you have, the worse choice you make. I asked on Twitter and got suggestions for several fairly pricey sites. Surprised to learn that some are already full in early September.
Then I started searching VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner), my tried and true standby. It turns out that many of the apartments listed on VRBO in Paris are not a single owner renting a single apartment, but either agents or people who own a dozen or so apartments. That’s not a bad thing–just different than what “Owner” implies to me. I listed 20 or so that met my criteria of location–close to Seine and Louvre; floor level–not above 2nd (3rd American style) without an elevator; and studio or 1-bedroom.
While I was going through this exercise, I heard a segment on Public Radio about decision making. So I finally consciously forced myself not to look at one more web site about apartments for rent.
SEVERAL turned out to be owned by Residence in Paris, and checking with Slow Travel, I found that company was highly recommended. Back and forth with e-mails, as I crossed off ones not available, fell in love with the decor of a studio in Marais, despite its miniscule 225 sq ft. size, then decided it was not within walking distance of enough things we would want to walk to. Fell in love with the idea of staying on Ile St. Louis, but everything was either closet-sized or way too pricey.
Et voila! Finally settled on a 1-bedroom in St. Germain-des-Pres, that cost more than I had originally budgeted (what else is new?) but is only 2 blocks from the Seine and has a personal recommendation on Slow Travel.
Next I’ll talk about Fodor’s web site bulletin board and narrowing down itineraries and learning more about Brittany, Normandy and day trips from Paris.
Photograph from Flickr through Creative Commons. Click on photo to learn more.
Questions? Suggestions? Anybody want to say what bridge is in the foreground and what bridge in the background in the picture above?
PDF Tags: Brittany, France, Normandy, Paris, trip planning, trip plans
Twitter: WanderingEds
says:
great details – i love following you on this trip!
.-= jessiev hopes you will read blog ..Sand, Sea and Super Shopping in Southport =-.
Twitter: travelnwrite
says:
One ‘must do’ for you is to eat at L’Entrecote, a restaurant recommended to us last fall when told a Parisian couple that we said we wanted to eat at a ‘good place that locals go to that won’t break the budget.’ It was such an incredible experience — and good food — that I did an entire blog post on it. I also did one on getting around Paris and some of the ways we saved money. Both were posted in early November 2009 if you check them on our blog.
We will enjoy your trip right along with you!
.-= Jackie Smith hopes you will read blog .."Adriana’s" Symi =-.
How exciting! One thing to say.. pictures, pictures when you return!
Twitter: chezsven
says:
What can I say? I’m jealous. I would love to be planning a trip like this. Your location in the Latin Quarter sounds good. And my husband is always saying how nice Bruges is …
.-= Alexandra hopes you will read blog ..Family Makes the World Go Round =-.
really great details- I especially liked your mentioning the Access america travel insurance- we are always looking for great travel insurance when we travel.
Twitter: travelwonders
says:
You are in a great area of Paris – a city with so much much to see, experience and enjoy. If you are keen on museums in Paris, there is a multipass ticket that lets you buy a ticket for a number of days and it gives you access to a large list of museums (incl all the big ones such as Orsay, Pompidou, Louvre, …), churches etc without having to queue for tickets but it would rely on wanting to visit two or more per day of the ticket. I have used one a couple of times that I have visited this fantastic city. Oh, and you’ll love Monet’s garden.
.-= Mark H hopes you will read blog ..Inspired by Iceland =-.
Thanks for sharing this! Last summer we rented apts in London and Edinburgh and the decision making almost killed me. It’s SO hard to decide. It sounds like you will have a lovely trip!
Twitter: pen4hire
says:
I’m glad so many people are enjoying my trip planning. And MarthaandMe, nice to know I’m not the only one that agonizes. We really probably need to just get over it. Thanks, Mark for the museum pass tip, and confirming I’m in a good area. Alexandra–I’m sure that you could give me a lot of tips (and certainly your nephew could!). Laura B asked for pictures when I return, and you can be assured, you won’t be able to avoid them!Jackie: Making notes of the restaurants. Obviously, I love this conversation, so welcome everybody’s comments.
Twitter: colleeninca
says:
So glad you found an apartment you like and made the Big Decision! I know how hard it can be when there are so many wonderful sounding choices.
In September 2007 a friend and I had a delicious dinner at Le Petit Prince restaurant in the 5th. Its decor is rather quirky (but perfectly comfortable), and the food was excellent, as well as the service. Reasonably priced. http://www.lepetitprincedeparis.fr
While in Paris be on the lookout for posters for concerts in churches … if you’re interested in that sort of thing! I heard an incredible classical music concert at Ste. Chapelle that brought tears to my eyes. I believe there are organ concerts at the church of Saint-Eustache (near Les Halles), but I don’t remember what day(s).
Planning is so much fun!
Twitter: colleeninca
says:
oops – I meant to mention that I saw the marvelous “Birth of Impressionism” exhibit at the de Young Museum today. (Impressionist paintings on loan from Musee d’Orsay – while it’s being renovated.) If you’re in San Francisco between now and September 6th, try to catch it! http://orsay.famsf.org
Twitter: colleeninca
says:
Recommended view bars in Paris. (You don’t have to order alcohol to enjoy the view.
)
http://slowtalk.com/groupee/fo.....9081071253
Twitter: pen4hire
says:
Colleen. These view bars are a great suggestion. I spent an hour wandering through Paris looking at that bunch of pictures from the Tour Montparnasse, which looks like it would be easy to get to from our apartment. But several of the others are enticing as well.
Twitter: easyhiker101
says:
Some tips from someone living in Paris
: When going around Paris, considering the number of days you will be there and the proximity of your flat to the major sites, get yourself a carnet of 10 tickets instead of buying these expensive 1-,2-, 3- or 5-day passes RATP seems to want to force on to tourists. When going to Versailles, remember that the train ticket (that you can buy from any metro station ticket counter) is also valid for use in the metro to get to the RER C you are to take to get there. If you want to visit ALL the chateaux in Versailles, buy your ticket from any Tourism Bureau the day before to avoid lining up when you get to Versailles, costs around 18-19 euros.
Michael would like you to read..Easy Hiking in Granier – Chambery- France
Twitter: pen4hire
says:
Michael: Those are great tips and ones I’m definitely going to follow. Do they tell you when you buy the train ticket to Versailles that the metro is included? And I would not have thought to buy it at a metro station. Can you buy other train tickets there as well? An boy, I LOVE tips that save me standing in line. These are such gems–and so simple.