<p>I have been invited to travel with a girlfriend when she visits her D in London. Her D will be studying at the London School of Economics for a semester abroad. We will be visiting in October and have the London portion of the trip arranged. I want to go to Paris and have 2 nights to do that. So excited! Looking for ideas of where to stay that will be easy access to touristy sites. Would love to hear recommendations you might have for hotels/apts or places not to miss. Thanks!</p>
<p>I like to stay in St. Germain de Pres, on the left bank just across from the Louvre and near Ile de la Cite, or the Marais (right bank) when in Paris. Both give you a great neighborhood feel and walking proximity to many major sites. October is usually a good time to see Paris, and it can also be busy, so you are wise to book accommodations now. There have been a few threads here recently about Parisian sightseeing, so check them out for lots of ideas. Hotel prices vary widely, so it may help to include some parameters so those in the know can respond with possibilities.</p>
<p>NMinn, full trip report when you get back!</p>
<p>We stayed at Hotel </p>
<p>I recommend the DK Eyewitness Travel Paris Top 10 book for fun facts about major attractions. It can help you decide how you want to spend your time. If you want to visit the Louvre, check on discounted entrance hours and see if they will work with your schedule. A couple of places I really liked were the Parc Monceau and the Stravinsky fountain by the Pompidou center. We ate dinner at a cafe by the fountain and it was very relaxing. I also recommend TripAdvisor - they have great information and their forums are almost as addictive as CC!</p>
<p>Deborah…I will! :)</p>
<p>travelnut…of course I want something nice,comfortable and Parisian! 
Don’t have my currency exchange app on my phone yet so I think if we could find something in the $200-$250 USD a night range that would be fabulous! Is that even possible???</p>
<p>You’ll want to do some reading and some thinking about which sites you want to hit with your limited time before targeting a neighborhood in which to stay. In my limited experience traveling to Paris (mostly on business), it’s possible to find something charming and in a decent neighborhood for around EUR200 per night, as long as you prioritize location over room size and don’t mind doing a bit of digging. </p>
<p>For tourists, the Left Bank is probably a nicer place to walk around and go to cafes, and that’s where I’ve stayed on family trips.</p>
<p>Hoosiermom mentioned a place in the 8th, and that’s also a nice location but tends to have more expensive hotels, lots of high-end shopping, and not quite as much night life. However, being over there also puts you nearer to Metro line #1, which is the most convenient one for many of the major two-days-in-Paris sightseeing stops. My little favorite over there is the Hotel West-End, which is two blocks off the Avenue Montaigne behind the Plaza Athenee and about four blocks away from the Bateaux Mouches dock along the Seine.</p>
<p>I was in Paris this summer and stayed at the Hotel Brighton on Rue de Rivoli across from the gardens. The hotel is a block from a metro station and walking distance to the louvre, the musee d’orsay, and the opera house. We basically walked to everything except the effiel tower (even walked to notre dame and arc de triumphe from there). However, all the rooms with a view - have a view of the effiel tower and overlook the park (probably worth the extra money to have the balcony and view).</p>
<p>Do check out the earlier thread about visiting Paris for a short stay - it had lots of good tips. I highly recommend getting the museum pass for the two days so you can skip the line at the museums.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1524218-3-days-paris.html?highlight=paris[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1524218-3-days-paris.html?highlight=paris</a></p>
<p>Bon Jour, we just returned from Paris! </p>
<p>We stayed in Montparnasse, also on the Left Bank, at the lovely little hotel, Hotel Delambre, a favorite on TripAdvisor. </p>
<p>It’s on Rue Delambre and is situated in a great neighborhood, around the corner from the fabulous and affordable Le Creperie de Josselin, the wonderful gelato chain, Amorino, a pharmacy, and many great restaurants. </p>
<p>You can reach just about any site on the Metro. There are two close stations: Eduard Quinet and Montparnasse. The hotel has air conditioning and a lift. Breakfast is an additional 11 euros but comes with eggs!</p>
<p>Thanks for the link kiddie!</p>
<p>If you’re taking the metro, buy a carnet of 10 tickets instead of buying tickets one at a time. 10 tickets bought on an individual basis will come to 17,10. A carnet gives you 10 tickets for about 13. If you are taking the metro a ton, a Mobilis ticket will get you infinite rides for a day for under 6. Also be sure to check which zone your ticket is for. Unless you are going to Versailles, you are unlikely to leave Zone 1, but make sure you get a ticket that will go all the way to Zone 5 if you do go out to Versailles.</p>
<p>If you go to the Louvre, don’t go in through the entrance where the pyramids are. It’s beautiful, sure, but you’ll probably wait for at least an hour and lately it’s been horribly hot in Paris. If you go into the Carrousel du Louvre - the mall - there’s an entrance by the Apple store where there’s usually no line at all.</p>
<p>If you choose to go to the Orsay, go there first & buy a museum pass. When you’re ready to tour the Louvre, you can go through the pyramid and bypass the line.</p>
<p>Friends of ours (he went to the Culinary Institute and was a chef but changed careers and is now a teacher) just came back from a 25th anniversary trip to France. Asked them which restaurant was their favorite. It was Guy Savoy. This chef has a restaurant in Las Vegas (I’ve been to it and it was very good–I imagine it’s even better in Paris) Restaurant has three Michelin stars: [Restaurant</a> Guy Savoy Paris](<a href=“http://www.guysavoy.com%5DRestaurant”>http://www.guysavoy.com).</p>
<p>I am planning a trip right down to Paris for 10 days in late Sept.-early Oct. We rented an apartment on Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame is. I have been to Paris once before.</p>
<p>Here is my short list of what I think you should see in two days in Paris:
Notre Dame
Ste. Chapelle (behind Notre Dame)
Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower
Louvre (highlights only due to time restraint)
Musee d’Orsay
Pont Alexandre (bridge)</p>
<p>We stayed a few summers ago at Hotel Abbatial St Germain on the advice of family who have stayed there several times. Small, close to attractions, cafes and metro. No idea how much it would cost in October though.</p>
<p>I just went and looked at their website. The lobby looks like it was completely redone since we were there. I put in a couple of random weeknights in October, looks like 200 euros or less.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions! Looks like we will now try to stay three nights in Paris. Yay! :)</p>
<p>Oh, also concerning the metro, it’s probably good to know what lines are closed and when. You can find that information here: [url=<a href=“http://www.ratp.fr/fr/ratp/r_89294/metro-rer-tramway-consultez-le-guide-des-travaux-de-l-ete/]M”>http://www.ratp.fr/fr/ratp/r_89294/metro-rer-tramway-consultez-le-guide-des-travaux-de-l-ete/]M</a></p>
<p>The last time we were in Paris we stayed near [url=<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arènes_de_Lutèce]Ar”>Arènes de Lutèce - Wikipedia]Ar</a></p>
<p>NM, you’ve likely done this already, but after you make your list of things you would like to see, check to see if they are open…seems like museums are closed on Mondays. My favorite things in Paris are the Musee d’Orsay and Notre Dame.</p>
<p>Have you had a chat with your friend about your respective priorities? Do you need to balance museums, churches, landmarks, shopping and dining, or are some of those of little interest to both of you?</p>
<p>Please remind me - have you been to Paris before? Your friend?</p>
<p>The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.</p>
<p>Have a back up plan ready to go as we never were able to visit the Mus</p>