Hi,
I am travelling to Paris over Christmas this year. We are staying in the Marais and was wondering how hard it is to get around Paris and if you really need the metro. I understand the 10 ticket booklet is the best option for using the metro - where does one find these? We are both happy to walk, but am not really sure what weather is like at this time of year, and whether the metro would be more pleasant.
Also, we are there for Christmas Day - to restaraunts do Christmas lunches etc and where can you get mass times?
Thanks from sunny Australia
Sarah
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Hi Sarah,
Paris is not a big city. About 10km x 10km. And walking is the best way to see the hidden beauty all around Paris that most tourists miss.
If you%26#39;re planning on walking a lot, the carnet will work for you. You can buy the carnets from ticket vending machines within metro/RER/train stations (picture here: http://parisbytrain.com/paris-metro-photo-tour/) if you have a smart-chip credit card or lots of Euro coins. Also you can buy the carnet from any manned ticket window at various stations.
The only concern is that Christmas in Paris will likely be quite cold, usually hovering between 5C and -5C.
But if you%26#39;re used to that, it can be quite beautiful, if grey, around Paris.
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Once you get a little closer to your dates, email your hotel about restaurants in the area that will be open for Christmas lunch. If your hotel has a restaurant/dining room, they will probably accept a reservation from you. Otherwise, discuss the hotel%26#39;s recommendations and ask them to make your reservation.
Every hotel I%26#39;ve ever stayed in almost anywhere in the world has the times of local services in all the various religious locations.
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There is also an extensive surface transit system (buses). They take the same ticket as the Metro so you can easily intermix your transportation mode.
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We%26#39;re in the Marais, and the first couple of weeks we were here, we used our Navigo Decouvert, but now I%26#39;m buying carnets de billets. You have to basically make 2 - 3 trips per day to get the value out of the Navigo, at 16.8 euro (2 zones), versus a carnet of 10 tickets for 11.40 as of 1st July 08. We%26#39;re in the Marais, and a lot of places are in easy walking distance, and it%26#39;s a beautiful place to walk, weather aside.
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The metro can also save you precious time. Rather than walking 45 minutes to get somewhere you can be there in minutes
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Hi,
I just got back from an week in Paris yesterday,and also stayed in the Marais (a great place, by the way). The only metro ride I took was from the train station to St. Paul, near my hotel, when I arrived. I walked everywhere and it was great -- although I guess it took me longer, I wasn%26#39;t in any hurry, either -- and walking allowed me to wander anywhere that struck my fancy between the hotel and where I was going. Sometimes I found things that were more interesting to do than my original plan, and I didn%26#39;t hesitate to do something different
I guess it just depends on what%26#39;s important to you this trip -- the destination or the journey....
-newyorkwalk
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We stay neat Tulleries (in the 1st) and walk everywhere we can. BatoBus is great if it%26#39;s running. I think in the last 5 trips we used Metro once, to go to Monmartre.
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Well, at the start of our 9-day trip, we walked and we walked and we walked (had good shoes so it was fine), mainly because we had %26quot;metro-phobia%26quot; or fear of not quite sure how to use it. By later in the week, my kids had really caught on how change lines once we decided where to go. The weather was great so walking allowed us to see so much, but after a while you can only walk so much. Or maybe get out a metro stop earlier than you need and walk a little to your destination. Or I heard the bus is great, but we didn%26#39;t try that. If you want to go from Notre Dame to Eiffel Tower, then you will want to take the Metro or it will take you a few hours.
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Sarah I think the big issue for you in December will be the temperature. My family were in Paris in August and September 2004 and we walked everywhere. We bought a couple of carnets and only used the Metro for longer trips.
However on our most recent trip in January this year it was so cold (for us!) that we avoided walking and caught the Metro as much as possible. We used the Carte Orange for our first week and shared carnets for our last 3 days.
The big thing I noticed is that the rain is COLD! It%26#39;s not very heavy (more like a fine mist than rain) but if your clothes get damp you may feel like you will never be warm again. Have you always lived in Cairns? A REAL winter is a fabulous experience but I just can%26#39;t stand the cold. You may really love it and start thinking about moving to Hobart!! LOL!!
Are you staying in an apartment or a hotel? If you are in an apartment I would choose the church I wanted to attend and then just check the mass times the day before. Otherwise your hotel will be able to help you.
For your Christmas day restaurant again your hotel can help otherwise I would choose something with a web site that allows you to book online. You will definitely need to book for Christmas day.
Have a wonderful time!
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HarleyB is right – December in Paris will be really cold. Especially for a Cairns girl. So while you will be able to walk pretty much everywhere from the Marais, you will need the right gear to keep warm and dry.
How long are you in Paris?
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