30th Birthday - Ideas????

Hi, I am trying to look at planning my 30th birthday which is at the beginning of December 2010 and would love some ideas from anyone who knows this area well.

The reason why I%26#39;m trying to plan ahead is that I now live in NZ (originally from the UK) and due to exchange rates etc I am having to save like crazy to come back to the UK for my birthday next year %26amp; to catch up with family and friends!!

Looking at getting back to the UK mid December and then having a belated birthday in mid-December 2010 or early January 2011.

I am Champagne Crazy and I just thought that a few days in the Champagne-Ardenne region would be spot-on for my 30th! I%26#39;ve never been there; in fact having only ever been to France on a day trip I%26#39;m very excited about the idea.

I know the weather wont be great at this time of year (thanks Mum %26amp; Dad!) but I wonder if it would still be possible ie due to being outside tourist season etc.....

Would really love to have friends and family there; staying in one spot if possible and having a wee minibus to take us around the area........well that would be my ideal!! Sooo depends on money aye??!!!

If anyone has any ideas or could help me in any way; I would be SO appreciative.

In anticipation of a positive reply,

Lou x

Campervans

I am a considering a two week vacation starting and finishing in Paris, that would also include a visit to Spain. Mid/late-September through early October

I am thinking that camper van/mobile home might an option.

What advice would you offer in terms of 1) campervan companies; 2) overnight parking?

|||

This company rents camper vans:

http://www.ideamerge.com/

As to where specifically you might want to spend the night, I recommend an on-line search for camping site guides which could a wide range of options.

Public transport from CDG to Courtyard by Marriott Coulmbes

We are couple who need to get to the Courtyard by Marriott at Coulmbes near La Defense from CDG on Thursday. We land at 5.30PM.

Which is the best public transport that I can avail?

No heavy luggage with us so we can take bus/metro.

Thank you

|||

marriott.com/hotels/…

%26quot;... If you are taking public transportation from Paris France CDG airport to the Colombes Paris Hotel, France, take the rapid rail trail %26quot;RER B%26quot; downtown station called %26quot;Chatelet - Les Halles%26quot;, then change to take rapid rail train line %26quot;RER A%26quot; to %26quot;La Defense%26quot; station in the West of Paris, France. From here there are buses (lines 161, 262 or 272) that all stop right across the street from the Courtyard by Marriott Paris Defense West - Colombes at the %26quot;Buffon%26quot; bus stop ...%26quot;

... or spring for a taxi at least for the inbound trip...

Luxembourg Gardens - Any events happening there in August ?

We are in Paris at the moment (till 28 August) and want to go to the gardens one day for a picnic. We seem to recall reading that there are often free concerts in the park. If anything is happening there during the time, we would like to hear from you. If not, we will go there today.

|||

I don%26#39;t know about this.. maybe b/c we don%26#39;t travel in the summer. I have mostly heard of open concerts in Parc de la Villette and Parc Floral, closer to the outskirts of Paris...

Picnic-ing is going to be %26#39;bench style%26#39; for 95% of J. Luxembourg, as grass lounging isn%26#39;t allowed. If you head for the southward %26#39;spit%26#39; of the garden, actually a separately named garden (Jardin de l%26#39;Observatoire), you can probably have a spread there. Be discreet with any open alcohol as it isn%26#39;t legal but is generally tolerated.

iphone apps in Paris without internet

I have been reading on availability of free wifi in Paris in certain places.

I have iphone but wont have 3G with it, so when I come to Paris, are there any apps relevant to Paris tour that I can run on iphone without internet?

|||

Read up on the Metro apps. I don%26#39;t recall the exact name of it, but I downloaded one to my iPod touch that looks like it let%26#39;s me plan out specific journeys even when I%26#39;m not using wifi.

|||

The MetrO app is what you%26#39;re looking for:

http://nanika.net/Metro/

It%26#39;s available for a variety of smartphones. I%26#39;ve downloaded it for my BlackBerry and plan on making good use of it in both Paris and London.

You also won%26#39;t need an internet connection to use it on your phone - it downloads all the data to your phone.

|||

Thank you all.

Overnight layover in Paris

My husband and I will have an overnight layover in Paris. We arrive at CDG at 530 pm on a Tuesday and leave the next morning at 1030 am. We were wondering if it%26#39;d be worth to make the trip into town and try to get in some sights to take advantage of our layover (Eiffel Tower, etc.) I%26#39;d like to do some kind of boat tour to make sure we can see as many sights as possible.

Can anyone provide some insight if this is doable? If so, what are our best options to get into town? What would be the best part of town to spend the night? Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

jpavants

RER St Michel

Does anyone know if this station has a working escalator or elevator for those with rolling suitcases? Can%26#39;t manage stairs. Thanks for your help!

|||

It depends on whether you are arriving or departing.

We transferred at that station from RER C to RER B and a double staircase was involved. There were three changes of level to get to the tracks. The other two had escalators.

|||

I will be coming and going from my hotel nearby to CDG. It sounds like escalators. Yeh!

|||

At the north end of the platform (I mean the very end of the platform, %26quot;Sortie 5%26quot;), you have escalators all the way to street level. You%26#39;ll come out in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. All other exits (sorties) involve stairs.

|||

OOPS, I was referring to RER-B from the airports.

|||

Metromole, that sounds good to me since I will take RER B but I hope exit 5 won%26#39;t take me to Ile de la Cite! Thanks for your help.

|||

Well, Notre Dame is on Ile de Cite, and the RER stop is called %26quot;St Michel/Notre Dame%26quot;, so guess what?

|||

Wilbar, the walk from the Notre Dame end of the RER station platform to the left bank is literally just the length of an RER train. We%26#39;re not talking about a long walk here.

|||

I am very interested in this post because we will be arriving at the St-michel station with suitcases.

There is another VERY confusing post running about exiting the St Michel/Notre Dame metro by escalator so can we get this clear (sorry!)

As I understand it.

You get on the RER B train at CDG in the end carraige and alight at St-Michel Notre Dame station. You then follow the signs for Notre Dame and this will take you up three levels by escalator to the entrance outside Notre Dame cathedral on the Ile de la Cite.

You can then walk across Rue de la Cite towards the left bank, to the Quai St-Michel. (As we are staying on Rue Git-le-Coeur we can then walk along the Quai de Grands-Augustins to our street or walk across Place St-Michel and through a little alleyway to Rue Git-le-Coeur.)

Sorry to appear so dim! is this right?

|||

Sorry I just read the other post again.

Is the exit with escalators signed Parvis de Notre Dame/Hopital Hotel Dieu, sortie 5? and on my map it%26#39;s less than 50 metres to the Quai St- Michel.

|||

Yes. Sortie 5 is correct.