We arrive in Paris the morning of Sept 14, depart to spain September 24. My boyfriend threw out idea of staying in 2 different locations... are we gaining much by staying in Champs Elysees spot and then moving to latin quarter (or vice versa)? Noting: we are not light packers. Generally I would prefer not to repack/unpack unless we really gain a much better perspective or something on the new area...... THANKS!
Posted by
San Francisco, Ca
59 posts
Why not give packing light a try? Most people on this forum can pack the same for one week as for four weeks. Don't just label yourselves as heavy packers and not do something about it. Once you learn to pack light, you'll thank yourselves for learning it!
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
If you book the second hotel with a decent cancellation policy, you could check into the first one and then have a look at the other neighbourhood and the actual hotel. If you like the ambiance, etc., keep your reservation. If not, cancel and stay in the first one for the duration of your time in Paris.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Generally I would say--no, you won't gain much. The Metro makes everything close.
However, with ten days (good for you!), you might enjoy renting an apartment for a week. This is often cheaper than a hotel, and you get a kitchen and (maybe) more space. It might be worth shifting your bunk for that.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
689 posts
I wouldn't move in Paris, where the Metro is so good and sights are spread out all over the city anyway. But I'd make sure whichever neighhborhood you pick really suits your needs--for me, that would be close to a Metro stop but on a quiet street with "neighborhood" type businesses that cater mostly to locals.
Posted by
Toronto, ON, Canada
38 posts
I would suggest staying in one hotel for the duration of your trip. Paris is a very easy city to negotiate, and you will waste precious hours moving from one hotel to the other. :-)
Posted by
maplewood, new jersey, usa
818 posts
With all that time why don't you get out of Paris for a few days? Take the train to Bayeaux and rent a car, go see the beaches or something like that. We did two days in Paris, 2 in Bayeaux and then back to Paris for 2. We are very light packers and like to be on the move.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
313 posts
Repacking and moving is definitely the downside; spreading your risk would be the upside (in case you ended up somewhere you didn't like).
In addition to the hotel photos, TripAdvisor usually has more photos (and more candid). For a big city, I like to go to Google maps and use the street view to see what the neighborhood area looks like.
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
We spent 10 days in Paris in May, 2009, and broke up that stay with 3-one day side trips. We had been to Paris once before and certainly could have spent the whole 10 days just seeing Paris, but the one day side trips made the stay much more enjoyable.
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA, USA
2 posts
Thanks All! one hotel it is, possibly a side trip (although our next stop is a few days in a relaxing winery...), we will be prepared for metro-ing around, and possibly we'll give lighter packing a try !
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10548 posts
Laura, for a 10 day trip to Paris I highly recommend staying in an apartment. We spent 10 days there over the holidays and it was so nice to have the extra space you get with an apartment. Hotel rooms tend to be small in Paris. We had a kitchen, so it was fun to go to the neighborhood market and have some meals at home. The one bedroom apartment also had a washer and dryer, which helps a lot when packing lightly. It is in the Latin Quarter, on a small street with a metro stop on each end. We loved staying in that area. We stayed in a hotel by Rue Cler our first trip and it was too quiet for me. If you would like more details please feel free to PM me. I wish I was going back to Paris... :-)