Dirty old town, dirty old town... (Paris)

Member Name: katyboo123

Product:	Paris
Date:	14/10/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Culture, food

Disadvantages: Dangerous, dirty, expensive

Paris the capital city of France, with 2.2 million inhabitants (11 million in the entire Paris region), welcomes 45 million tourists each year. It is often referred to as the most romantic city in the world. It's sister city is Rome, you may have heard the famous quote 'Only Paris is worthy of Rome, Only Rome is worthy of Paris'. It is situated in the North of France on the River Seine, in the Ile de France area.

My opinion?

Paris, the city of romance? Not so much. I have been to Paris 6 times now, and my most recent trip was very disappointing. When I first went I was 11/12 in the first year of secondary school. We had activities week at the end of the year, for those children who showed signs of having a flair for languages, we were invited to spend a week in Paris. Luckily my Grandfather paid the £300 fee (yes, 14 years ago that's how much my subsidised school trip cost) because otherwise my parents would not have been able to send me. I fell in love. I remember walking down tree-lined streets, with the sun streaming through the leaves, looking at the unusual Art Deco buildings, eating rich pastries and drinking Coca-cola from glass bottles. Paradise. I felt so very grown up and sophisticated. We visited the Eiffel Tower, went to the Musee D'Orsey, went shopping on the Champs Elysees. I had a street busker paint my name on a grain of rice and make it in to a necklace, I was in complete awe.

I went back year on year, on French Exchanges with school. Each time I ventured a little farther afield, sampling different parts of the city. My language skills naturally improved. And as an adult I really wanted to return and reignite my love affair with this incredible place.

I returned 2 years ago, at 23 years old:

Flights

Jet2.com, from Leeds/Bradford (awful airport) to Charles de Gaulle (awful airport). Flight time about 1 hour 30 min I recall. Smooth flight, we went in February, was very cold in the air I would definitely recommend wearing warm clothing and socks. There were no delays, but I find Leeds/Bradford really small and only a few eateries which are all very expensive, and Charles de Gaulle is a bit scary in my opinion, I never know where I am going! And when you are waiting in the basement for check in, its cold and uncomfortable.

Transfers

We got a little shuttle bus for about £50 return, it was comfortable, spacious and quick. It was on time, and I really rate this service. I would definitely recommend using it if visiting Paris or any areas served by the bus.

Hotel

Through Expedia we found Hotel De L'Orchidee, a 3* boutique hotel in the Montparnasse region of Paris. Our room rate was £60 per night, for bed and breakfast for 2 persons - you can still stay here for around £75-£80 per room per night. At the time, this was a little more expensive than some others in the region, but based on the location and the reviews we found, we chose it. It is a small hotel, with 5 floors and 40 rooms. We were on the 2nd floor. Breakfast was included, and consisted of 1 Croissant and 1 Pain Au Chocolat with Coffee. It wasn't really satisfying, but we have big appetites, I'm sure it would more than suffice for someone who didn't eat much (or was just normal!). You needed to be down at breakfast at the start (served from 7am) because as the time elapses the fresh baked goodies go stale as they are just left out on the tables. The hotel was comfortable and very clean but basic and not what I really anticipated a boutique hotel to be like. I would say it was comparable to a Holiday Inn, or something like that. It has a Sauna, which was turned off when we were there, perhaps due to the time of year? There was a restaurant, but based on the breakfast we chose not to eat there.

Location of Hotel

This is was a big bonus - it was about ten minutes walk to Metro Montparnasse Bienvenue, the metro station which linked to most other areas of Paris. You followed Rue De L'Ouest, turned left on to Avenue du Maine, then right on to Boulevard du Montparnasse. The metro is so simple to use, especially if you know a little French (even very basic) or you have used the English underground. From here we took to Metro to the Eiffel Tour for a really small fee. There was also a tour bus stand about 5 minutes walk from where we stayed. We went on this tour of the city, which I will cover later. Nearby the hotel was a lovely restaurant, which again, I shall tell you about soon.

Things to do in Paris

The Eiffel Tower, is one of the main attractions in Paris. We got the Metro line to the station Champs de Mars, which is 2 minutes walk to the Tower gardens (very dangerous in the dark, beware). As a child I had been and I had loved eating Crepes high on the tower, watching the sunset, buying Euro 96 merchandise from the little gift shops up there. I found it fascinating. However, now it's different. Perhaps its because as a child you are not aware of danger, but you had to be so safety conscious, there are theives everywhere trying to pick pocket you where ever you go. There are street vendors who are pushy, and try grabbing you to make you look at their 'wares', there are beggars too, lots of them. Pigeons? I have never seen so many, all over you everytime you open a sandwich or bag of crisps! It smelt vulgar in this part of the city, nothing like the childhood connotations I had savoured for so long. There was no romance in queuing for 2 hours to go in to the Tower, pay £5 each to go half way up, then not being able to eat because there were pigeons pecking round my feet up there! The grafitti was awful too, even inside the shops and café on the tower. It brought a whole new meaning to the term 'French Shabby Chic'. Eating in the area of the Eiffel Tower is very expensive, with eateries cashing in on the tourists. We paid about £20 each for steak; it was on a side plate, with a handful of chips. Drinks are extortionate in this area we went in to a shop and asked for Vodka and Lemonade, twice, and it was 28 Euros at the time this equated to about £21! I nearly had to be scraped up off the floor in shock!

There are so many other things to do and see, I couldn't possibly list them all here. However, I really recommend the Open Top Tour Bus excursion. It cost about £10 each and included headphones which you plugged in to the portal on the bus to listen to the tour guide. You can get off and back on at any of the stops along the way, we got off at the Louvre Gallery and Notre Dame. As we had already visited the Eiffel Tower. We saw all of the main Parisian attractions, but sadly the Louvre was shut on the day we went. So plan your trip in advance. When we stopped at the Louvre, obviously we couldn't go in and we had an hour to kill before the next bus, so we went to the neighbouring café and had a light lunch, followed by a short walk around the gardens. Unfortunately we got a lot of hassle of a French man, who followed us and actually flashed us. It was quite awful, so I would recommend being very safety conscious and possibly taking a personal attack alarm if you do decide to visit and explore the city.

Sights not to miss: Place de la Concorde, located at the end of the Champs Elysees, site of the Egyptian Obelisk which is Paris' oldest monument; L'Arc de Triomphe, situated at the other end of the Champs Elysees, Notre Dame (light a candle for a loved one), Basilique du Sacre-Couer (sacred heart) and the Montmarte region for sampling cuisine and buying art, the Moulin Rouge is situated in this area, so take some time to have a picture outside - don't forget this now hosts Theatrical Shows and Productions - if you have time, go see one! Take a mini cruise down the River Seine too. It's a good way of seeing some of the sights you will miss on the bus. There are no end of Museums, Art Galleries, etc, so if you want to take in some culture, dont miss them. But be prepared to pay high entrance fees.

Eating out

Like I have said, Paris is very expensive, much more expensive than visiting London, Prague, Amsterdam and other similar European Capital Cities. Having said that, we found a lush restaurant actually diagonally opposite our hotel. There was only us in the place, it had creeping ivy entwined with fairy lights all over, really intimate and romantic. We ate starters, steak, I had a fish course, cheese board, chocolate cake, a bottle of wine, and the bill was less than £80. This seems expensive, but for the amount and rich, indulgant quality of food, it was fantastic. We actually left a £20 tip as the service was incredible, possibly owing to us being the only customers!

There are lots of little bistros and cafes and they all have a menu outside. So just make sure you look at it and get an idea of prices and choice before you get seated and feel obliged to order.

Summary

Paris is a dirty, dangerous place now in my opinion. Whilst there are some delicious eateries and historical monuments / sights not to be missed, it is scruffy and dilapidated. I have visited London, Prague, Amsterdam and I think all of these cities are cheaper, brimming with history and culture, cleaner and a little safer to explore.

If you do decide to go to Paris, my top tips are:

* Search for a hotel, and consider it's location. If you get a cheap hotel which is way out of the city, you will have to pay for taxis at night as public transport / walking is too dangerous
* Use the Shuttle Bus transfers from the Airport, they are comfortable and good value
* Take a personal attack alarm
* Plan walking / metro routes in advance
* Plan sightseeing tours, etc in advance, know what you want to see, research it on the internet. Don't get stuck at the closed Louvre to have to fill an hour up with being followed and flashed!
* Take plenty of money, we spent £600 in 3 days, and we were mostly on a budget, with the exception of a nice meal
* Be prepared - take warm clothing - very similar ever changing climate to England
* Don't pay to go up the Eiffel Tower, it is dirty and disgusting, and very expensive. Best admired from a distance
* Keep your bags close, and money in a safety deposit box in the hotel. Do not take all of your money and cards out with you. Crime rates are high with Pickpocketing and Bag Snatching being common occurences
* Sample the different types of food - French cuisine is by far my favourite!

Summary: My recollections of this City have turned in to a distant dream of the place it used to be