How much does a trip to Paris cost?

[melodymedley]

@sis garei: If I may add, Thalys' website does not accept non-EU issued credit cards (tried this one in September 2011) so you cannot book online if you have a PH-issued CC. I had to buy mine when I was in Amsterdam already. Not sure if travel agencies here can book it.

[mama squeak!]

For TGV and Thalys trains I use the SNCF website. It comes out cheaper and I can use my PH issued credit card. Here's the link:

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train?rfrr=Basket_body_votrebilletdetrain

What's nice na now is they improved their services, one can now print their e-tickets as soon as you purchase them. Unlike the time we bought our tickets na they had to send them to us via mail pa.

 

[garei]

thanks mama squeak and melodymedley for the infos.mama squeak, i have another question. I hope you dont mind..we booked an apartment in Paris through airbnb....
http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/78183
is this a good area? safe kaya? we might be arriving late at night and the owner said he lives in the area too so it isnt a problem for him and safe naman daw dun.but problem is yung papunta dun from the airport, safe din kaya.thanks again.

[mama squeak!]

^It's at the Latin Quarter! I like very much!  This area has always been my favorite among the other areas in central Paris. Yes, the area is very safe even at night. Lots of activities happening here even at night. Your apartment is actually near the hotel where we stayed at long ago. Pretty convenient as the RER B line from CDG drops you off directly at the Luxembourg stop. You are also near the Jardin des Luxembourg where you can have picnic lunches.

The landlord seems to have good reviews plus he does not require a security deposit. That's a good sign 

As to getting there from the airport, my first Q is are you travelling with someone? It can be a bit scary kasi if you're alone travelling at night on the train. Plus depends on your arrival time baka the trains have stopped running then you'll be stuck with taking a cab (yikes! expensive). I believe the last train out of CDG is at midnight. What time will you be arriving?

[garei]

thanks again mamasqueak! youre a big help:)  im travelling with my friend,we're both girls. i just called up our t. agent and asked her to get me a flight that arrives in the morning para we wont be worrying about travelling at night and we' ll save one night na rin.sayang naman if we' ll be paying for an additional one night sa apartment e late naman na kami darating.

[karlagabriel21]

oh wow! Paris is one of my dream destinations. Actually the first on my list. I wish I could go there. Definitely the suggestions here will help us especially those on tight budget but loves to travel :-)

[m_lim]

garei, buti ka pa nakabook ka na sa Airbnb. thrice na ako na cancellan ng reservation!

april29 pa kasi alis namin so medyo malayo pa. wala na tuloy ako mahanap na maganda na pasok sa budget!

[m_lim]

if we only have 4 whole days para sa pasyal, ano ano magandang puntahan?

Versailles
The Louvre
Eiffel Tower
Aix En Provence (maganda ba dito? suggestion lang ng SIL ko)

[melodymedley]

^What I did:
Day 1: AM: Ile de la Cite + Latin Quarter PM: Cluny Museum, Pantheon, Jardin du Luxembourg
           Night : Grands Boulevard + Opera Garnier
Day 2: AM-PM The Louvre + Champ Elysees + Arc de Triomphe + Tuileries Gardens
           Night: Eiffel Tower
Day 3: AM-PM Versailles, Night: Eiffel Tower Trocadero view
Day 4: AM- Seine River Cruise (could be at night), Sacré-Cœur, Tuileries (again, because naaliw ako sa autumn), I skipped Musee D'Orsay and Rodin Museum, pero that was the plan.

Seine River Cruise could be done on day 2 din since yun yung magkaka-area.

[m_lim]

mama squeak- pano ba yung security deposit sa Airbnb? i-charge nila card mo then pag wala naman nasira sa gamit, rerefund nila ulit?

[m_lim]

^thanks sis melodymedley!

for you ba tama na yung 4 days sa Paris? iniisip ko kasi kung tanggalin ko nalang ang Florence then mag add ako ng 2 days sa Paris. (less pagod din pag commute)

what do you think sis?

[mama squeak!]

@m_lim, 4 whole days in Paris? For me bitin-bitin yun, that's why I keep coming back!    Seriously, for a first time visitor to the City of Lights okay na rin yung 4 days to visit the city's must-sees. Now as I've always said depende na lang yan sa gusto nyong makita or gawin.

Melodymedley gave a good IT as the sights are more or less within the same area lang. What you need to do is get a good map of Paris and check the sights/monuments you and your hubby want to see. Then try to group them together per area para hindi ka rin natataranta at di mo alam anong uunahin mo    It can be overwhelming once you're there! Ideally, you want to concentrate in one or two areas only per day para hindi din nakapagod. You will definitely be doing a lot of walking!

Re security deposits, basically it is for damages incurred while you were renting the place or in case of last minute cancellations. As much as possible I stay clear of landlords asking for security deposits as I'm not comfortable with that kind of arrangement. But that's just me.

For a first time visitor I would give up Rome and Venice before I pass up Florence! Save the two for another visit in the future maybe. Again, that's just me. It's what I want 

[baliya15]

hi po. how much po ang difference ng pag travel sa paris compared sa japan? lets say 1 week. plan kasi namin mag honeymoon sa japan nextyear, pero kung konti lang difference, paris na syempre.

[foxymom]

pwede ako sumingit?

for me 4 days is medyo bitin. we stayed for 7 days and still bitin! LOL you can't mix kasi shopping and sight seeing, otherwise you need more time. shops open at 10-11am and close at 7pm. and budget around 2hrs per site and maybe 30mins to get from 1 sight to the next.

and tip --- you will be doing a looooooooot of walking! i was telling my hubby, if i had known i would do this much walk i would have started training/ working out.

i love paris though, and i will spend 1 whole trip just staying in paris. i love that city, the surroundings, the architecture, the food, and of course the shopping!

this christmas hubby and i plan to spend new year in london (we spent last new year in paris) but i'm trying to convince him to go back to paris. i'm willing to give up other cities just to go back here. im that crazy. hahahahaha
 

[mama squeak!]

^You said it, sis! There's something about Paris that just calls to you.    Sabi ko nga kay hubby it must be the water!  Kaya nga kami every time we go to Europe we have to drop by Paris no matter what. Of course, the shopping doesn't help the cause 

@baliya15, Paris will always be more expensive than Japan. Sa airfare na lang talo ka na. Having said that, Paris can be affordable too. You just have to know when to travel (low season) and where to stay (hostels/apartments). Try to backread on this thread to get tips and ideas what the expected expenses will be.

[m_lim]

thanks girls!

prob is hindi pwede give up si Rome kasi magkikita kita kami ng in laws ko dun ng May08.

oh well, siguro si Florence nalang give ko this trip. habaan ko nalang si Paris. sabi ni hubby mag Disneyland nalang kami.

recommended ba mag overnight sa Disneyland or day trip nalang?

parang nakakapagod rin kasi kung 2 days Florence , 2 days Venice. ang aga pa ng alis ng train!

[mama squeak!]

^sis, don't do Disneyland! Nakarating ka naman sa ibang Disneyland di ba? They're all the same, trust me.  Mag Versailles na lang kayo instead of Disneyland. Paris has so much to offer! Yung 4 days nga bitin-bitin yun for central Paris. Don't worry hindi ka mabo-bored when you get there. You'll even wish you could stay longer.

Now if you insist to go to Disneyland, go to the US na lang. Iba pa rin yung original sa Anaheim or  DisneyWorld in Orlando.

 

[m_lim]

^ha ha! sabagay may point ka sis.

Yung Versailles ba kaya ng day trip lang?

magbobook na ako now ng apartment. sa 4th arr yun. sana madaming kainan at pasyalan sa gabi.


http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/169157

[garei]

garei, buti ka pa nakabook ka na sa Airbnb. thrice na ako na cancellan ng reservation!

april29 pa kasi alis namin so medyo malayo pa. wala na tuloy ako mahanap na maganda na pasok sa budget!

We havent booked it yet, we're still waiting for our flight bookings.but the renter prebooked us na, he was very nice

[m_lim]

^ingat ka nalang sis kasi ako tatlong beses na akong pre booked but they canceled once may mag confirm sa kanila.

nagbook na ako kanina. our cruise and plane tickets are paid narin naman eh. so bahala na talaga. will wait for March28 for our visas.