Travel Tips: Paris

Hello everyone and welcome to the blog which will help in making your trip to Paris more enjoyable.

Ah yes, Paris. So much to see in such a short time can be a bit overwhelming, so let's start at the beginning.

Getting to the city from the airport:

• At Charles de Gaulle go to door 22 and when you are outside you will see shuttle buses. Take bus 2 which will take you to the RER station.
  
• At the station you will see the tourist information center on your left. Go in and get your RER to the city, and a Carte Orange to use on any bus or subway in the city.
  
• The prices are as follows:

RER to the city Euro 8.20



The Carte Orange for zones 1 and 2



Euro16.00 for a week

Euro52.50 for a month

• OK, you have your tickets and are ready to get to the city, but you do not know where to get off, change, or anything else. Well, don't fret because RATP has a very good site to help you get where you need to go, plus an interactive subway and RER map.
  
• French: http://www.ratp.info/
  

  English: http://www.ratp.info/informer/anglais/
  

  
  

What to see in the city:

• You got to your hotel or vacation apartment and are ready to go. Instead of just hitting the museums, you should use the first day to discover you neighborhood by just taking a walk and seeing what there is as far as shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, and so on.
  
• If you feel comfortable take a bus or subway to another part of the city and do the same thing.
  
• OK, you've taken you walk, discovered some things, and had a good night sleep and are ready to see some museums. Whichever museum you go to first, you should have a Paris Museum Pass.
  

• Having the Paris Museum Pass allows you access to over 60 museums and having it also means not waiting in line to buy tickets because you already have your ticket.
  
• The prices of the pass are Euros 30, 45, 60 for 2, 4, 6 consecutive days and can be bought at any participating museum or monument.
  

  English Site: http://www.parismuseumpass.fr/flash/hp_en.html
  

  
  

Where to stay:

• So, you have been looking on the net for places to stay and have not found anything, well you should consider a vacation apartment.
  
• Why a vacation apartment? Well, it's better than a hotel for stays of a week or longer because you are in an apartment and can do all the things that that entails; cooking your own meals which is cheaper than a restaurant; living like a Parisian; many other benefits.
  
• If you still like hotels, but want the freedom of an apartment you can look into apart hotels which are an apartments being run like a hotel; room service, front desk, and all the other things associated with a hotel.
  
• If you decide to go the apartment route, it is better to deal with the owner and save on the agency fees. This is one of the better ones.
  
• Another option is to post an ad on Paris Craigs List stating your length of stay, budget, and contact information. Trust me; you will get many emails from apartment owners wanting to work with you on the best deal possible.
  
• Personally, my wife and I stayed at a great 1 bedroom apartment in the Bastille and we would recommend it to anyone. You can contact the owner by email, who will be happy to work with you.