Is anyone concerned about going to Paris to get to Normandy. with the unrest in Paris

Is anyone concerned about going to Paris to get to Normandy

No nothing to worry about. To me that is like asking are you concerned about getting to the airport from Chicago with all the shooting and crime that happens here

Karen, what have you been reading about the demonstrations in Paris and where have you found those readings?

I think you should take advantage of your brief time in Paris to check out any manif that happens to be taking place,
and do the same in the towns in Normandy inbetween touring.

Note also that 'outskirts' means something different in Paris than in Chicago -- the outlying districts of Paris are where the people with most to complain about live.

"Secondly, if I go to Paris, what would be a good area to stay - near the airport or on outskirts of the city?" Neither, stay in the city itself if you are visiting Paris. Staying at the airport means a 45-minute train ride into the city every day.

I just returned from Paris on Monday and was all over the city. I did not see any demonstrations nor did I hear about any on the TV. As far as where to stay, stay within the city and have a great time!

If you are just staying the night before heading to Normandy, then pick a hotel close to Gare Saint Lazare, it is a nice part of town too.

Agree with the others. Being afraid to stay in Paris for a couple of nights is like being afraid of staying in NYC or LA. Except the odds of violence are much greater in the US.

Do NOT stay near the airport; it's too far out of town, and a long commute to the train station. Do NOT stay in the outskirts of Paris- that's where some of the most crime ridden areas are !ocated. Stay in the center of the city, near a metro station and/ or near the train station ( Gare Saint Lazare serves the Normandy region). Also Look in the Latin Quarter, St Germaine, or le Marais- plenty of good hotels and lots of nearby eateries, plus good transportation options.

LOL. We have been here for a month traveling all over the city; we have yet to see the slightest signs of unrest. It is a big city. If you see something scary, walk the other way. There is almost no violent crime in Paris -- we often walk after midnight in the district we stay in on the edge of the city and last night were walking at midnight in the center across Pont Alexandre.

I live in Chicago and last year while we were enjoying a friend's apartment in Paris, a car jacker shot a couple of people and ended up menacing the doorman in the lobby of the apartment our friends live in a couple of blocks from our home.. We live in the safest (statistically) part of Chicago and this was unusual but I have never worried about anything like that in Paris and I have seen many demonstrations in Paris.

Karen,

Lots can change between now and August. I doubt that you'll have any problems, especially as the yellow vest demonstrations seem to be losing steam. The previous suggestion to spend your one night in Paris close to Gare St. Lazare would be worth considering. You'll be jet lagged anyway, so probably won't have the energy for much touring on arrival day.

I just woke up in Paris this morning on my way to Normandy. No hassles or worries. If you spend your life worrying about things that might happen several months from now, you'll miss out on seeing most of the world.

As far as where to stay, near Gare Saint Lazare is good advice. That's where I woke up, and where I usually stay en route to Normandy. Also, this area is easy to get to from CDG via either the RoissyBus, or a cab—both most preferable to schlepping bags on the metro, changing trains, stairs/escalators, etc. This trip I stayed between the Madeleine Church and the train station. It is a nice neighborhood, and there are very nice areas to walk to that are more off the beaten path than the Marais or the Left Banke. Plus it is a 8-minute walk from either Gare Saint Lazare, or the RoissyBus stop by Opera Garnier, and yesterday I walked to the Louvre in 22 minutes through the Toileries Garden. Enjoy your trip!

Thank you very much for all your input. You have been very reassuring and have put my mind at ease. I am looking forward to our trip. Part of my hesitation is that this is the first trip I am planning without a travel agent but I am doing more research than before and I like the planning. I also like this forum.

Karen, our grandson just finished a year of college in Paris. He lived in the heart of the protest areas and had no problems. You’ll be fine.

Congrats on your first independent trip! You’ll soon get the hang of it. The internet has made independent travel much easier to plan. For us, half the fun is researching and making our own decisions. We just got back from Loches. We found a charming apartment and booked online. It was even better than we hoped! It was two bedrooms and had a full kitchen and a lovely courtyard. 5 nights cost us $450, half of what I’ll spend next week to stay at a Hilton Home2 Suites when I go to Charleston on business.

I just finished watching Les Mis and it seems like there's always been unrest in Paris! Seriously, I think transportation strikes are more of a problem.

We’ve stayed in the Gare St. Lazare area twice at the end of August. There is still the relaxed August holiday vibe going on and a few of the smaller shops were closed, but there are lots of restaurants,etc... open. They seem to stagger who leaves when. We love this area and it has gotten livelier over the years. If you stay near the airport or outskirts, there isn’t much to see or do. I looked at the airport hotel area when we were there last month just to double-check my memory. Staying near the train station means you have plenty of places to walk, which helps get over jet lag.

We arrived in Paris May 1st and the only way we knew there were demonstrations was because it was on the television. No sign of it in person.