First 2 Days in Paris

If you want to stay in Paris and not the airport, you'll need to either to take a bus or the train into central Paris. Figure 10 euro or so per person. There has to be 1000 hotels in Paris, so start researching now. Get an idea of how much you want to spend on hotels and what neighborhood. You might start with booking.com to get an idea of costs and levels of service.

Thanks Sam,
I think that is my problem. There are too many options. I've researched cost and variety. Any ideas as to somewhere we could stay that is close for touring once we recover from the plane ride?

Ok great, I have that book! Thanks!

The Marais has good metro access, lots of good shops/restaurants, and nice strolls. Notre Dame area is in walking distance. Isle de la Cite is lovely, but more expensive.

Jenn, I highly recommend the Hotel Relais Bosquet for you and your daughter. It is very conveniently located and is near the metro. It is quite affordable. It is at 19 rue du Champ de Mars in a lovely pedestrian neighborhood full of chocolate shops, cheese shops, bakeries, fruit and veggie markets, flower shops, and other lovely shops and markets. Since it is so centrally located, you can walk right to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe as well as many other Parisian delights and you can get rooms with views. When you get tired, it is easy to walk right back to the hotel and rest since you are centrally located. There are plenty of cafes and places to eat also within walking district and if you want to get to other parts of the city, you can walk right to the metro station and be transported inexpensively. You will probably want to laze away over the lovely breakfast they serve- it has all the usual breakfast meats, scrambled eggs, croissants, breads, pastries, , pancakes, cereals and more. The hotel staff are very sweet and helpful.
You can call them at 011 33 1 47 05 25 45 or email them at hotel@relaisbosquet.com. You can also check them out online at www.hotel-paris-bosquet.com

Hotels in Paris proper (as opposed to those right at the airports) will not have a shuttle to the airport. If you don't want to take the RER or airport bus into Paris, you'll take a taxi. Figures posted here vary from €50 to €70 for this. If you're tired and/or uncomfortable with transit, it's worth it.

Since you're coming in the summer, you will probably want a hotel with air conditioning. If a hotel does not specify on its website that it has air conditioning, most likely it doesn't.

Lots of neighborhoods work well for sightseeing. Many here (including me) prefer the 4th, 5th, or 6th arrondissements. Others like the Rue Cler area of the 7th. Read Rick's descriptions of the various neighborhoods to help you decide, and realize there is no one "best" neighborhood for everyone. You will be walking and/or taking the Metro no matter where your hotel is, as the sights are not all in one neighborhood.

If you want more specific hotel recommendations, you will need to specify your budget in euros, and exactly what amenities you require (elevator, etc). "Nice" and "affordable" are relative terms, and your idea of "affordable" may be someone else's "splurge."

What is your hotel budget? How much are you looking to spend?

We stayed in 2 different hotels during our stay: the Hotel Cluny Sorbonne, near the Luxembourg Gardens, for about 100 euros per night for a room for 2 people; and the Hotel Londres Eiffel near the Eiffel Tower for about 200 euros per night. The HLE is more upscale and booked a shuttle to the airport for my sister at the end of her visit. I don't know if they provide a shuttle from the airport.

Are you uncomfortable with taking public transit in general? Do you think you'll be so jet-lagged that you won't be able to find your way around?

jenn,

Before deciding on a hotel, you'll first have to decide which area of Paris you want to stay in. After that, use the Guidebook to find a hotel that appeals to you. Most here have their personal preferences, but I prefer to stay in the 7th Arrondissement (Rue Cler area), as it's easily walkable to the Eiffel Tower, Rodin Museum and several other sights, and has good access to the Metro.

Bon Voyage!

I agree you should first decide where in Paris you'd like to be. Look at a good map of Paris. Notre Dame is the heart of Paris, and the area around it (the 4th, 5th and 6th arrondissements) is the most central part of Paris. I like the 4th, 5th and 6th the best, and the closer to the river the better.

Finding a good and affordable hotel this close to Aug 17 might be a bit tricky...

Don't miss spending some time in the Luxembourg Gardens... a wonderful, beautiful park.

Ken, I was looking at the Rue Cler district as it has all the different sights within or close by. I'll start there and see about the others as well. Thank you all very much for your help!

jenn .. you are misinformed.. the Rue Cler area is not close to most sights .. its close to the Eiffel Tower but you can see the Eiffel Tower from many areas in town,, no need to be close to is.. the other areas mentioned by other posters are more central to more sights( of course on one place is going to be close to all the sights!) .
Notre Dame
Ile de Cite
Arrondissements 4( Marais) 5 ( Latin Quarter) and 6th( St Germain)

I think you had better get cracking on getting a reservation. while August is not the busiest month to book ( june and September are much worse) are only a few weeks off.

Suggest you look at Hotel Le Regent on Rue Dauphine, we took a deluxe room. the standards did look tiny, .. lovely area though, shops and cafes right outside. , or Hotel Eugenie.. rooms are small. but had good a/c and is in excellent location..
Hotel Diana is also a favorite.. but I dont' think you will find a vacancy there.. if you do , take it! Good price for good location, and good ac.. and good comfy beds.. but as usual., small rooms.

Do get a hotel with ac, We just returned from our trip and this summer we hit some truly miserable hot weather.. would have died without a cool place to retreat at night.

Thank you everyone for all the advice!
I found a charming little apartment in the Marais area.
Merci!
Jenn

So glad you found a perfect place, Jenn. I was worried when I saw your time frame, needing to find a place in only 2 weeks. You'll LOVE the Marais!
Happy travels!

Wow, looks like you got some great advice. Take the RER from Charles de Gaulle into Paris and change out to the metro. If in doubt try out a little French and ask for help with routing at the ticket window. The Paris metro is one of the best and easiest to use in the world. Anywhere you stay is close to a metro stop and just about any of the lower 14 arrondisments will have some sights in them. The major sights are mostly clustered around the Seine. Avoid Montmartre late at night, it can get a little rough around the edges, though Sacre Coeur boast wonderful views of Paris at sunset, fyi. Don't forget to speak as much French as you can. The French are very encouraging and helpful to those who are trying to learn the language. Bonne Chance et Bon Voyage!

Sara, funny you should mention transportation...
The apartment says it is close to these metro lines:
Oberkampf
Re'publique
Fille Du Calvaire
Do any of these travel from the Charles De Gaul Airport?

Jenn, Check out the website ParisbyTrain.com and also the RS book you said you have for helpful info on how to get from CDG (Charles de Gaulle) to your apt. ParisbyTrain will also be good info for getting around while you're there.

You'll take RER B to Gare de l'Est, transfer there to the Metro, then just two stops to Republique or three stops to Oberkampf.

Another good website for people not familiar with Paris Is tomsguidetoparis.com.

Hi Jenn,

When I was planning our trip to Paris I found this Paris Planner website invaluable. You just enter the From and To sections and it will give you all kinds of options.

http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/en/ratp/recherche-avancee