France Thread 2 (Paris and all other cities) *Check Pg. 1 for reference links*

[unwantedP]

where do you guys bought your Louvre tickets to skip the line? if hindi kami kukuha ng Paris pass. I saw this one kaso not sure if authentic or something.

[Noylabmay]

try mo

http://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Skip-the-Line-Louvre-Museum-Audio-Tour/d479-2050GLO

kaso naman halos doble ng Presyo. Pag me kasama kang kid me access sa baba  ng triangle

walang pila din or option kung ok na uyng metro na louvre mismo baba sa ilalim din dko sure kung anong metro station sabi lang ng friend ko sarado that time yung station due to maintenance

[bagaholic_chewy]

We got the Museum Pass (i forgot kung ilang days kinuha namin, 3-day pass yata yun), me separate entrance sa gilid/baba.

[mama squeak!]

@unwantedP, Louvre lang ba ang pupuntahan nyo sa Paris? If that's the only attraction you want to visit I guess you can try that. But if you plan to visit other attractions, it's still cost-effective to buy the Paris Museum Pass. It also has a skip-the-lines feature. Actually ang skip the line naman dyan is the ticket buying line and some attractions have special entrances for pass holders. But sa security pila ka pa rin especially for attractions that don't have special entrances for pass holders i.e. Saint-Chapelle, Notre Dame towers, etc.

[unwantedP]

^Naging 3 days na lang kasi sis Paris namin. Second day, Louvre lang. Not sure if makakapasok pa kami sa Notre Dame sa hapon (if kaya ng 9AM - 1PM lang si Louvre). Sa 3rd day, Versailles kami.

Additional questions pala:
1. What time do you recommend mag queue sa Louvre museum? Kasi walking distance lang naman siya sa hotel. Maximize sana namin yung time. I saw other entrances aside sa Pyramid (The Gallerie du Carrousel, The Passage Richelieu, The Porte des Lions entrance) but would you know if open na sila by 9? si Carousel ata 10am pa..

2. May mga nababasa kasi ako na better to get a guide sa museum since malaki siya, baka "maligaw" or hindi mahanap sina Mona Lisa, etc. What's your take on this? Kaya bang DIY inside the museum / audio guide?  Medyo praning given the time constraints.

[mama squeak!]

^If you plan to see the whole of the Louvre hindi kayo matatapos ng even a week! The best way to see the Louvre is to know ano yung gusto nyo lang makita for example Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Kung yun lang naman ang plano nyong makita wala pang isang oras pwede na kayo matapos. Best to visit their website and check what the museum has to offer, see what interests you then plan on how to see them. They provide museum maps both on their website and onsite. First time namin ni hubby nagvisit we only spent two hours since we only wanted to see a few things there namely the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo and some Masters.

1.) According to their website the entrances you mentioned all open at 9AM except for the Porte des Lions.

2.) DIY. If you're not the art fanatic no need to get a guide, extra gastos pa yan. There are maps, don't worry. As long as you know how to read one plus there are signs all over the place you won't get lost.

If you'll be there on a Wednesday or Friday, the museum closes late at 9:45PM. So you can visit even late at night.

Chateau de Versailles is included in the Paris Museum pass. The 2-day pass cost EUR42 but it will only be cost-effective if you visit 3 or more attractions.

[unwantedP]

^thank you so much sis. we won't book a guide na after reading your reply na-confuse kasi ako sa dami kong nabasa na tips hehe.

Also, we'll be getting the 2 day Paris Museum Pass na

[silveronfire]

sisses, i just want to ask,, ano ba reco ninyo na mode of transportation from CDG to Paris? Hubby and I will be arriving in CDG Terminal 1 ng 655am from an 18hr trip.. Each of us will have one big luggage and a backpack.
We'll be staying in Belleville and the apartment is exactly at the foot of Metro Pyrenees. These are our options:

OPT1: Take RER B to Chatelet then Line 11 to Pyrenees
-cost efficient
-question is, how comfortable or uncomfortable will it be for me and hubby with each of us lugging our suitcases from RER B to the Metro? Okay lang sana if normal commute na wala kami dala luggage, what are your thoughts on this sisses, mahirap ba? and for sure, si hubby magdadala pareho luggages naming 2 if we encounter stairs kasi maliit lang ako

OPT2: EASYBUS from CDG Airport to Palais Royal then Taxi from Palais Royal to Pyrenees
-bago lang yata EASY BUS sa CDG, so I have yet to get feedback

OPT3: Taxi all the way
OPT4: Door to Door shuttle - who has done this? i was going to book this kaso I read reviews na minsan the shuttles do not arrive right away or they leave you if you are not in the meeting place..

Appreciate your feedback and thoughts sisses.. thank you!

[mama squeak!]

^Same scenario here. Hubby usually ends up lugging both our bags since I have a back problem. All my trips to Paris with hubby we took the train (RER B) + metro to our rented apartment. Easy and convenient naman except for the part na hubby has to lug the bags on and off the train and metro. Malas pa if the metro station you'll be getting off has no escalator or elevator. Dusa!

I also experienced taking the cab from the airport to our apartment when I traveled with my sisters. The only reason we took the cab was because our apartment was just a 20 minute ride from the airport so the fare was not expensive plus it came out cheaper since divided by 3 kami.

Ang nakikita ko lang na downside if you take the cab all the way from the airport, expensive (medyo malayo the location of your apartment). You'll probably be paying around EUR50-70. Plus if you don't speak French minsan mahirap mag-communicate with the driver even if you give the complete address. This happened to us na nawala yung driver even with the address we gave him. Good thing my sister and I speak French so we were able to communicate with his dispatcher sabay tanong-tanong sa mga tao.

Between the two options na nabanggit ko, I'll still choose the train + metro. Cheap, easy enough to use (except for the heavy-toting bags) plus you get the feel agad of Paris. If you take this option, I would avoid changing metros at Chatelet (super busy and malayong lakaran). I would do La Chapelle direction Nation (ligne 2), transfer at Belleville (ligne 11).

Good luck!

[Missus O]

^^For us same with mamasqueek, always via the train. Its easier and economical. Plus factor, the French trains may be old but they are always on time and no traffic. UK's trains are always updated, but most of the time they are delayed, repaired yada, yada, yada. hehe.  My husband and me travels with 1 luggage and a handcarry. 

[silveronfire]

thanks for the advice mama squeak! 
im gonna ask hubby na din mismo which option he thinks is best for us laluna sha ang mapapagod ng todo hihi 

[stormy]

Nasa france na kami ngayon, nakakapagod pala mag bus tapos taxi tapos ang total nasa €50+ rin. €11 kasi ang roissy bus per passenger kaya kapag 3-4 persons mas ok na mag-taxi na lang.

[cosmochick]

^hello sis.. hows the weather there? We will be there this Thursday naman. Masyado na bang malamig?

[stormy]

^hindi naman malamig masyado, light jacket pwede pa sa maghapon. Sa gabi medyo malamig na if ginawin ka sis. Ngayon maaraw ang init pero lahat ng nasasalubong namin naka-jacket.

Edited to add: ang lamig today sis layering talaga ang kailangan. Kahapon kasi hindi malamig kahit nung early evening na.

[unwantedP]

Just got back from Euro trip, hindi ko masyado nagustuhan ang Paris compared to London and Germany. Hindi siya ganun kalinis. We enjoyed Louvre. Versailles not that much, hindi sulit yun pagpasok sa palace, masikip yun lakaran and nangtutulak mga Chinese (mainland ha). Wasn't able to see the Garden kasi ang haba ng pila. Pero ok lang, we went to an outlet instead.

We took Eurostar from london to paris - careful sa may luggages, kasi walang escalator/elev yung Gare du Nord station. And pagbaba namin sa Chatelet, medyo magulo exit niya, wala din escalator/elev paakyat. I'm not sure if iba lang nilabasan namin that time na exit, kasi nung sumakay ulit kami sa Chatelet, ok na.

We booked a cab naman from the hotel to CDG airport kasi ang hassle ng luggages, EUR70 siya from Chatelet.

[mama squeak!]

^sis correct lang kita ha. Meron both elevator and escalator sa Gare du Nord. Metro Chatelet, being a main transfer metro hub meron sila both escalators/elevators magulo lang dito since 5 metro lines go through here. Most of the big train and metro stations do have escalators/elevators. Yung mga small stations usually ang wala kaya dusa ka dito if you have big bags.

Here's a map of all stations with escalators and/or elevators for those who are planning to commute via train/metro:

http://parisbytrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/plan_pbs.pdf

Here's an updated list as well although in French (ascenseurs en libre service = self-service elevators):

http://www.ratp.fr/fr/ratp/c_23489/le-reseau-ferre/

 

[unwantedP]

^awts, akala ko wala sis, we asked kasi and wala daw escalator/elev dun sa Gare du Nord pababa. kaya one girl helped my aunt na lang sa luggages niya. Sa Chatelet din, twice ako nagtanong nung pa-exit na sa station. Ang bigat pa naman ng luggages Though nung sumakay na kami to/from Chatelet nung afternoon and the next two days, hindi na namin nakita kung san kami nag-exit the first time. And we used the escalator na.

[stormy]

^parehas tayo sis hindi ko na kinaya na mag-train or bus pa nun papunta ng CDG. Nag-uber kami €50 galing suffren area.

Kahit medyo matagal ang byahe mas nag-bus kami kaysa sa metro dahil mas madali lalo na if may kasama na bata.

Sa Bastille at St. Paul area yung napagod ako, nagpunta kami ng NIKE Lab kaya nag-explore na rin kami sa area na yun.

Kapag alam yung lugar hindi nakakapagod masyado pero dahil hindi naman namin alam kaya pasikot-sikot at maligaw-ligaw kami lagi. Kumpara nga lang before e maayos naman na ang lakad namin this time  

Yung mga input ni mama squeak atbp GTers lalo na para hindi masyadong magastos (transpo at food pati pag-stay sa apartment instead na sa hotel) nakatulong talaga ng malaki.

Mayroon navigo pass for 1 week ok rin yata ito pero hindi kami nag-avail. Bus at uber ang ginamit namin kapag hindi na kaya, puros lakad lang halos

Ang anak ko nadiscover yung Lindt chocolate bar (sa may Opera malapit sa station ng roissy bus). Pag- pasok pa lang bigyan ka na ng lindor kaya happy sya. Sa area naman nun choco blocks, pwede ka rin tumikim kaya happy place sa mga kids. Aside sa chocolates, may pastries at parfaits rin. Macaron mayroon rin, masarap yun vanilla at milk Choco.

Simpleng lakad lang this time, mas naappreciate ko ang Paris kaysa last time. Next time ibang part naman ng France

[unwantedP]

^Di ba sis. Less pagod. hehe.

May tanong pala ako mga sis, regarding sa Paris Museum Pass.

Yun Louvre, sa Pyramid lang pwede pumasok? Kasi when I showed it sa Richelieu, dun sa guard na nagaassist sa pila, pinapila kami sa Pyramid. Pati ibang pass holders na nagtanong. Then we tried asking the guard sa Pyramid if we can use other entrances, di siya masyado nakikinig sakin, he just pointed the Pyramid line. So pumila kami sa Pyramid. Then nakausap ko kalikod ko, she tried the Carousel and was turned away daw kaya di na kami nag-attempt pumunta dun. I searched the net, baka intermittent case.

Yung long line pala sa Pyramid is security, hindi yun bilihan ng tickets. So kahit Pass holder ka, pipila ka padin sa security. Nagtanong kasi yun nasa likod namin since akala niya priority pass yun tapos haba padin ng pipilahan niya pala.

But dahil sobrang haba talaga ng pila sa Pyramid, I asked a diff security sa bandang harap and this time, she pointed me to Richelieu entrance. Tapos medyo mahaba nadin ang line, may nakita kaming pass holder na nakapila sa may priority lane. naging 2 lines na siya (first time namin pumila closed yung priority lane tapos may nagbukas daw na tourist). This time, nakapasok na kami sa loob. Security lang pala yung line ulit. Kasi pagpasok sa loob, may bilihan din ng tickets.

Took us 1 hour din bago makapasok sa loob. Since paiba iba napilahan namin.

What was not clear is kung pwede yung pass holder pumasok sa other entrances kasi hindi naman pala chine-check yun tickets, sa entrance na mismo sa Wings chineck (dapat di na lang siguro ipakita sa guard sa Richelieu/Carousel na yun ang ticket mo para di ka papuntahin sa Pyramid?)

---

Yung Saint Chapelle din pala, sa priority lane kami pinapunta nung guard while yun ibang pass holder sa normal lane, di namin sure kung "priority lane" ba yung pass.

Basta good thing we bought it, saved us a lot of time (thanks sis mama squeak for convincing me)

Nagamit namin siya sa Louvre, Saint Chapelle, and Versailles (no priority access).

Yung Notre Dame free entrance pala kasi may mass? Or yun tower ang may entrance fee pero di namin nakita location niya. Paglabas ng chapel tsaka namin nakita, nasa gilid pala. 6pm na by then. Sayang I want to see the gargoyles pa naman.

Yung dulo ng Pont Neuf and sa Pont des arts, may love locks pa pala.

[mama squeak!]

OMG! Any GTs in Paris right now? Please take extra care.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/14/world/europe/paris-shooting-attacks.html