Family fly drive to france and a few nights in Paris.

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PadraigL

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Hi

Doing a family fly drive to a gite in western france. We plan to spend 2 days in paris at the end.
I am planning to drive the car into paris for the 2 nights. Most hotels say that public parking is available close by.
I was looking around the Gare Du Norde, as I was going to give the car back to the rental company who have an office here, but decided now that I have paid for the car and might as well use it to get to Beauvais.

Anyone stayed around this area?
Should I choose another area?
Or am I mad to bring the car into Paris. I am looking forward to it really. Maybe take it around at night when its quiter.

Any thoughts or anyone done anything like this.
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Regards
PadraigL
 
We're taking the car to France in September & staying in La Baule. Halfway through we plan to head to Paris for a few nights, but will most definitely be taking le SNCF instead of driving - it leaves us 2 mins from where we're staying and parking can be a PITA unless you're staying in the suburbs. However if you're planning to EuroDisney it, it would be a great idea
 
PadraigL said:
I was looking around the Gare Du Norde.
Anyone stayed around this area?
Should I choose another area?
Or am I mad to bring the car into Paris.
Click to expand...
Personally I wouldn't stay around Gare du Nord, I wouldn't stay near a train station in any city - it would be like getting a hotel around Connolly Station. You'd be better off staying in St Michel or somewhere, there are small cheap quaint hotels in Paris but you'd want to book now assuming you're going in summer. You pay per room, expect about 90 per room. As for driving...well my hubbie is from Paris and I cringe every time we go there. He has the patience of a saint, he could drive around for a good 20 minutes just waiting to park and then squeeeeeze into the tiniest weeniest little place - cos that's all you're going to get! If you really want to keep the car, then you'll probably end up parking it and leaving it for the duration of your stay and use the Metro. Weigh up the cost of the price of the Ryanair bus to Beauvais for the lot of you and the cost of keeping the car for the few days (or is it the same price anyway?). I wouldn't drive in gay Paris anyway...
 
Paris tends to empty in the summer as the Parisiens go on holiday. Parking is tight but we've always found a place. 20 minutes looking wouldn't be considered a long time. But you take your life in your own hands at the Arc de Triomphe etc and make sure you bring a map with you as the Peripherique is jam packed (worse than the M50) and taking the wrong exit can lead to heated arguments !! Office de Tourisme on the Champs Elysee is where we went to get a hotel but with kids it's best to book in advance.
 
Thanks for replies..
We plan to stay from 12th/14th july. I think I would like to keep the car to drive to Beauvais. I would plan to park it up for the 2 days and use the metro. So I suppose a hotel close to the subway, a little way out so parking is easier.
 
Mr Wishbone advises that Paris will be 'mad busy' about that time, it being Bastille Day on the 14th - so make sure you book your accommodation!
 
I think you'd be mad to attempt driving in Paris on that weekend. It'll be mobbed with tourists, and probably a lot of the main traffic arteries will be restricted to allow for the various festivities.

If you have an option to return the car a couple of days early without losing the money, and book a hotel somewhere within easy reach of Porte Maillot (where the Ryanair bus terminal is), you'll save yourself a world of pain. One such solution I can recommend for convenience (and reasonable value) is the Campanile Berthier, located in a fairly nondescript part of the city but very well connected by metro, RER and bus — the PC (Petite Ceinture) bus runs from straight outside its front door to the Porte Maillot in about 10-15 mins.

If you really want to hold onto the car to drive to Beauvais, I'd recommend you look for a hotel with parking, perhaps slightly outside Paris, but on an RER line. Have a look at the websites of Ibis, Etap, , etc. and you'll find quite a few of these.
 
PadraigL said:
T Don't know what the area is like though.
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[FONT=&quot]I’ve never stayed in the areas in your post, but I do know the area to the south, which is rather like Ballymun except all the women wear chadors, if you get my drift. I think you are crazy to drive in Paris, but if you want to, you could try the Ibis hotel in Bercy http://www.ibishotel.com/ibis/fichehotel/gb/ibi/1743/fiche_hotel.shtml. It should be easy to navigate to. The area’s cool, really nice. The hotel says there’s paid parking nearby, but I suggest you check the prices before you book.[/FONT]
 
Timhotel have a hotel ( http://www.timhotel.com/ ) right beside Louvre metro stop. (Louvre is lovely area and very central)

Now be warned it is cheap and basic BUT is great value, clean and very convenient location. Staff are great. (Breakfast only available)

They are a small chain and great if only staying for a couple of days. If you are very fussy it might not suit, but for anyone on a budget it is fantastic.
 
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Mr Wishbone of Paris has said....Saint Denis near the Stade de France is between Charles de Gaulle airport and Paris and is definitely not a nice area. If you're looking at spending 90e a night there are plenty of hotels in Paris city centre, min 2 stars, which is better than our 2 stars...you'd be much better off there. St Michel, St Germain, immediately south of the Seine (Rive Gauche) would be very nice. If you want cheap(er) accommodation, you could contact Cite Internationale in the 14th arrondisement, it's near the RER B and is two stations from the centre of Paris. [broken link removed] It is upmarket international student accommodation which they rent out when free ie summer... anyway maybe not 1st choice, but if you're stuck it's central and decent enough.
 
:eek: hmmmmm
I have driven in smaller cities in france but never in Paris. The stop on a roundabout rule is a weird one and takes a while getting used to.

What's in Beauvais to see for 2 days!!:D
 
Just back and stayed in this hotel
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/la-...86830574;ws=&gclid=CJSe-YCQxpQCFQuH1Qod5hCLlQ

The hotel was basic. All we cared about was a bed for the night. We left the hotel after breakfast and did not arrive back until 11:30 each night. This wouldn’t be suitable for smaller children though. The metro was a 6mins walk away and took 10mins to center of Paris. The area had a huge shopping centre if you’re into that.
Parking was €10 a day. Actually cost us nothing as the hotel made a mistake and kept us a free parking place on the street outside the hotel. It took us 1.5hrs to get to Beauvais airport on the Monday evening.
[SIZE=+0]So all in all it worked out really well.[/SIZE]
 
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