I am now the proud owner of a passport. My husband, one of our friends, and I will be in Paris April 2 - 7, 2008. We%26#39;re all in our early 20%26#39;s. This is the first time 2 of us have ever flown. I%26#39;ve been reading about every article I can find about Paris, and hubby and I are using an audio course to refresh us on what little French we know.
We are only bringing enough clothing to fill our backpacks and plan to do laundry while we are there. Is this a mistake? Would it be easier to use a suitcase? We will also be going to London and Rome, so our total trip is 16 days.
Here%26#39;s what we have planned to see/do so far: the catacombes, the %26quot;I love you%26quot; wall, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Seine River Cruise with Bateaux Vedettes, Notre Dame, and of course, the Eiffel Tower.
We%26#39;re having a hard time deciding on where to stay and would really love some advice. We would like to spend under $150/night. But should we stay in a hostel to spend our hard earned money on other things, or splurge for a cute little apartment with more privacy? We would like to be able to prepare some of our own food, so for that an apartment would really be best. Also, having internet access near where we stay would be fabulous.
-The hostel we were looking at is Perfect Hotel %26amp; Hostel.
* http://www.paris-hostel.biz/budget.html
-These are the apartments we are considering:
* http://www.vrbo.com/56791
* http://vacationinparis.com/apts/id_152.htm
* http://vacationinparis.com/apts/id_153.htm
* http://www.vrbo.com/128270
And another thing.. we have a HP ipaq with GPS. We are going to purchase the European maps and use the GPS to help us get around. Good idea?
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Hi!
Washing might be easier if you get a apartment? I usually do some washing on trips, saves room for other stuff.
Why not go for the backpack, you could always buy a sportbag later if needed and you get another souvenier in the process. Clothes can be bought if no washing opportunity emerges.
I%26#39;m a maplover myself, but a gps can stop you from going 3 turns round the same block. But do use it the correct way, take a bearing and go in that general direction, let it help you the last bit if needed.
Some ppl walks/drives looking at their gps all the time and completly misses to take in the view.
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If you%26#39;re considering a one BR, why not consider vacationinparis.com #50 in the Marais. If you%26#39;re very good friends with the third traveling companion, it will be less expensive and it has a washing machine. Montmartre is lovely and a great place to stay, but for your first trip, you might like to be more centrally located.
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Muffin - you%26#39;re off to a good start! Here%26#39;s my advice:
First - take as few clothes as you can. There are plenty of laundromats in Paris. Don%26#39;t weigh yourself down with heavy luggage. If you%26#39;re really good, you don%26#39;t even need to check your bags on the airplane. Lots of advice about packing on this site.
Second - Do look for apartment rentals. There are many recommendations here. But if you don%26#39;t find something you like Paris has hundreds of hotels for under $150/night. Just search here.
You%26#39;ve given yourself ample lead time to plan. I think that between now and December you have plenty of time to explore your options.
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I agree with the %26quot;pack light%26quot; approach (and as noted above, you can always purchase a duffel or whatever along the way, to use on the return trip for anything you acquire while traveling).
I also agree that the GPS is a good idea if you%26#39;re going to be driving, but don%26#39;t become totally dependent on it - they don%26#39;t always make sense in the US (in terms of what they instruct you to do) and I%26#39;m sure the same is true in Europe, LOL!
Do get an apartment (with washing machine) where possible (much more convenient and generally cost effective because among other things, you can do a bit of your own cooking instead of eating out the entire trip). But be aware that washing machines are VERY slow in Europe (partly because they are all cold-water fill so it takes time for them to heat the water if you are not doing a cold wash). So, best is to start it before you go out for the day, and if you return around noon you can then hang things (it%26#39;s unusual to have a dryer, in part because there is no way to vent them in apartments that are in really old buildings). If the weather is cold/damp, figure it%26#39;s going to take a day for anything heavy to dry enough to wear!
Have a really great time - it sounds like you%26#39;re off to a good start.
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for about 150 a night you could have an apartment with two rooms (the third wheel could sleep on a pullout in the living room and the couple take the bedroom) and probably have a washing machine as well as the money saving kitchen
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Just a quick comment about slow washing machines. The machines and washing powders in Europe are designed to be used at 30 degrees to help the environment.
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I wish I%26#39;d known about the slow washing machine thing before my first trip to Italy about ten years ago. My friend and I were sure the machine was broken and unplugged it. We still laugh at ourselves about it. Muffin, fwiw, I find that I actually wear about one third of the clothes I pack. Every single trip. You%26#39;d think I%26#39;d learn, right? Do pack light. You%26#39;ll be so glad you did.
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