my mistake with priceline

Hi, Sally. It is very nice of you to post this so others can benefit from your experience. I have never tried priceline, but have considered it. Location is really important to me, so if I could afford it, I would probably book another hotel if I could get a reasonable rate. However, I feel sure you can have a great time in Paris wherever you stay.

With the Metro so close and buses running everywhere, almost no where in Paris is too far out. If it is a 4* and you got a great price, then just go with it. Remember, nothing opens before 9 to 10 AM anyway, so just get up, eat breakfast and leave by 9. You will be anywhere you wish before they open, using either the Metro or Bus 80. If you really want to splurge, then take a bus/Metro out and take a cab back to the hotel in the evening with the money you have saved on the rental. Also, there is really nothing around the Eifel Tower that is reasonable. We ate lunch there last year, and paid 1/3 more for lunch in that area than we would have if we had eaten in our favorite area of Saint Ouen.

I don't think this is more than 15 or 20 mins to Eiffel Tower area. Anyone have a timetable? I am not sure this qualifies as a "commute."

You may enjoy being out of the tourist zone.

I don't think this is a cautionary tale in not using Priceline, however it is highly advisable to use a site like betterbidding.com for assistance.

Speaking from personal experience...once you make a mistake on priceline and the deal is done there is NO getting out of it. I put in the wrong dates for a plane trip to the Bahamas and of course needed my passport which was in the bank lockbox. I meant to put in the day after tomorrow, but I actually put in tomorrow. My bid was accepted and my plane left out the following early morning before my bank opened for me to get my passport. I called priceline, I even went to the airport counter for USAirways and nobody would even budge. Priceline flat out said too bad. USAirways employees scoffed a bit with each other saying "you can help him if you but I'm not going to". It was a very frustrating experience that taught me to limit my dealings with priceline.

It was my mistake, and I paid the price. Ultimately Priceline paid a price, too because I will not use them again.

I've just tried to do Priceline for my trip in the states this year, and found other deals online that cost the same as what they were telling me I should bid. For the same price (or just a little more), I'd rather know exactly where I'm staying.

But, then again, I'm an over-researcher. I'll drive myself nuts trying to find the best place at the best price!

The Balard Metro stop is at the end of line 8. This line goes to the Eiffel Tower area in 5 or 6 stops. The sixth stop is near rue Cler. It also will take you to Concorde, Opera, Republique, and Bastille without changing trains. Trains run every few minutes. On Sundays it is more like every 5 minutes. No need for a schedule.

You will be in a real neighborhood in the area of your hotel. I took the Metro to Balard last year just to see what was there. It is a nice neighborhood with a park, restaurants, bars, etc. Since you have paid for it, "make lemonade." Next time you will have a better idea where you want to stay.

Pay no attention to what Priceline says you should bid. I use it in the USA and usually end up paying about 50% of the rack rate.

You have to research the bidding zones that Priceline uses. If you have your heart set on a specific hotel, Priceline isn't for you.

Also, the following website is very helpful in deciding what to bid:

http://biddingfortravel.com.

When you bid on priceline if you hit Detailed map it will show you the whole area you are bidding on. Always make sure to do that! I have made the same mistake as you the first time I used their site.

Looks like Eiffle Tower was included with these:

Port De Versailles - Montparnasse

Not using Priceline because a person did not read the fine print or did not research their areas where one is bidding, is like cutting off you nose to spite your face. Believe this "older fellow", if every time I screwed something up in life, I refused to participate in it again, I would have very few things left to do. Life is full of experiences, both good and "learning".

I have been to Paris numerous times and always like to stay in different areas, but one of my criteria is to stay within close walking distance to a metro stop preferably away from the train stations. It sounds like a responder knows the area and you will be in a city neighborhood versus a more congested urban block. Stay and ride the metro as it is very easy and efficient and connects to any tourist spot. If the Eiffel tower is your view of choice ask at check in for a room with a view. Keep the booking and if you are extremely disappointed you can use the business center and make a switch.