# Which Marriott in Paris should I book



## vacationlover2 (Jan 21, 2013)

Hey all,

My family of 2 adults and 2 children are headed for 5 nights in the Paris area.  Right now I have a cat 1-5 travel certificate.  I can upgrade that for 15,000 more points and stay at Marriott's Village I'le De France timeshare in a 2BR townhouse.

Or, I can spend 35,000 more points to stay at Marriott's Rive Gauche hotel in Paris, but it doesn't seem to be centrally located.

For 65,000 more points, I can stay at a more centrally located hotel, but that is a LOT more points.

What are your thoughts?


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## Pompey Family (Jan 21, 2013)

For a family of four I would opt for the MVC.  Will you be getting a hire car?  Do you intend to spend all 5 days in the city of Paris or will you be exploring the wider area?  Without a hire car you can easily catch the train to Paris from Val D'Europe or Marne La Vallee both of which can be reached by the Marriott shuttle bus or the local bus from outside the resort.  You can be in central Paris within an hour and a half although it will feel like a long day particularly if you do that journey for five days.  With a hire car you can drive to the outskirts of Paris (or go the whole hog if you feel particularly brave) and then catch a bus or the metro / taxi.  Also with a hire car you can explore the wider area particularly the fantastic medieval town of Provins.


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## vacationlover2 (Jan 21, 2013)

We presently have a car booked.  Provins sounds awesome.  How far is it from Bailly-Romainvilliers?


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## Pompey Family (Jan 22, 2013)

Provins is just under an hours drive from Bailly Romainvilliers.  It's a very easy and attractive drive through countryside with hardly any traffic.  You park right outside the town walls and walk through.  There's lots to do and see there, plenty of choices to eat (we filled up on some very delicious and cheap savoury crepes) and you can easily spend a day there.  Five days would be too much for me in Paris so with the benefit of the hire car you can do some exploring of the region.  Enjoy, I love the Ile de France.


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## radmoo (Jan 22, 2013)

Five days in Paris is nothing.  So much to see but I would bag the car.  Paris Metro/RER system is wonderful.  You can always rent one for day trip if needed. I would not recommend staying at MVC as it is schlepping getting to centre ville. Two things to consider, how old ate your children and is TJ's your/their first visit to Paris?


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## vacationlover2 (Jan 22, 2013)

This is our first visit to paris but we do like to explore.  WE are going to germany belgium and the netherlands after france so we will be renting a car for that part of the trip anyway.  Any other cool places to go like provins?


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## Carol C (Jan 22, 2013)

vacationlover2 said:


> This is our first visit to paris but we do like to explore.  WE are going to germany belgium and the netherlands after france so we will be renting a car for that part of the trip anyway.  Any other cool places to go like provins?



Tours, France is a wonderful base for exploring chateaux in the Loire Valley. It is about an hr train ride from Paris.


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## Pompey Family (Jan 22, 2013)

How old are your kids?  Are they/you into art, history etc?  The length of time you will want to spend in Paris depends on what interests you all have.  Paris has a lot of museums and a lot of art but not a lot else in my opinion.  There are the obvious must see's such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame however once you've arrived, had a look for a bit it's time to move on.  There's a fraction of things to do and see compared to London for example.  Two days is the most I could spend in Paris, yes it's a beautiful city and if you want to walk around all day admiring the architecture then that's fine but considering you've got several other countries to visit on your trip there are a lot of places vying for your attention.

The number of chateaux in the region is huge (look on Wikipedia) and there are some very worthwhile ones to visit.  Again, it all depends on your interests.  You may even want to visit the D-Day landing sites in Normandy which should only be a couple of hours drive from MVC or even take the Fastcat from Cherbourg to Portsmouth (wahey!).

It seems like you have a lot to pack in visiting four countries so good luck.


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## PStreet1 (Jan 22, 2013)

We've had no problem going back to Paris again and again, so if it were me and the first trip, I'd stay in Paris and explore; we still haven't done it all by any means.

One recomendation you won't see in every guide book:  the Holocaust Memorial on the tip of the island with Notre Dame.  There really aren't any signs, and most people don't know it exists.  You walk past Notre Dame, right to the tip of the island, and you'll see some stairs going down.  There may/may not be a guard there.  You walk down the stairs and experience the monument.  For me, it's breathtakingly moving.  It doesn't take long to go there, and it will have an impact.

After you've seen Notre Dame and the Holocaust Memorial, you can stroll down for ice cream.  Berthillon is wonderful, and their primary store is on the Ile Saint Louis, not far from Notre Dame.


I also recommend The Musee Jacquemart-Andre'  It is at 158 Boulevard Haussmann, near the Saint-Augustin, Miromesnil, and Saint-Philippe du Roule metro stations.  In Paris, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the museums, and this one, for me, is a wonderful way to really experience Paris without being overwhelmed.  The owners were very wealthy and traveled extensively and bought art.  Some years their art budget was more than the Louve's budget; sometimes they told their buyers to "Let the Louve have ______; they need it."  The museum is their home, and it is truly a home one could live in (quite well).  It is relaxing and there is a tour with headphones in English included in the purchase price.  We listened to the entire thing--not one number missed--and felt we'd had a fine look at life at the turn of the century, seen a magnificient home, and understood Paris a little better.  http://barclay.steven.pagesperso-orange.fr/museums.html

I love the impressionist museum, Musee d' Orsey, and the Rodin.  I feel like both of them are "manageable," and I love visiting.  I particularly enjoy the outdoor sculpture garden at the Rodin.  The Louvre, in my opinion, is best done in "short bursts" where you see something important to you, savor it, and leave--but the admission price makes that difficult to do.  For a first time visit and to avoid being completely overwhelmed, I really recommend Rick Steves quick "most important sights in the most direct way" guide.  He recommends getting there when the doors open, and going directly to the Mona Lisa (and gives you the route); from there to ________ (and gives you the route), etc.  There's no question that it is a highlights/quick tour, but it does get you the major things everyone knows about in the Louvre and you aren't completely "museumed out" after taking his shotgun tour.

For me, the Paris pass which includes museum admissions isn't worth the money because I can only do so many in a limited time period before they all start blurring together (I feel the same way about cathedrals and palaces).

You'll want to see Versailles, I'm sure, and that will take a day.

And then, of course, there's time to be spent just walking through neighborhoods, eating crepes, finding a lovely restaurant for dinner, hopefully without taking every last Euro you have (we've found Zygat Paris to be essential).

So, as you can tell, we love Paris and could spend 5 days in the city (with a trip to Versailles) with no problem.

Additional thoughts:  parking a car probably won't be inexpensive or easy, and for me, as long as I'm not far from the metro, it doesn't matter where we stay.  We like being somewhere in the city, not on the outskirts because it takes so long to get into the city on the metro, but other than that, each area we've been in has its own charm.


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## pwrshift (Jan 23, 2013)

For a first trip, 5 days is too short if you're not right downtown.  No car.  No timeshare.  Take busses or walk everywhere.  You'll love it.  JMHO.

Marriott Champs Elysses might have problems with 4 in a room though, but it's well worth the extra points...the only hotel on the CE and right in the middle.

Brian


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## pipet (Jan 24, 2013)

pwrshift said:


> might have problems with 4 in a room



I actually think this will be your hardest problem. Only a few of the Marriott hotels in *all* of France even have rooms that will accommodate 4, and when I checked last year, there was a quite hefty $$$ surcharge to upgrade to the bigger room from points at the Paris locations.

Can you use your points while in Belgium or Germany? Many of the German hotels accommodate 4. The Marriott in Ghent, Belgium is also fabulous (great location & service) & accommodates 4.

You could have a taste of Paris for a couple of days & day trip Provins/Versailles/etc if staying at the TS. If you want to *really* see Paris, I'd stay in Paris (at least in the metro zone 1-2 area).  

Also, to add to the recommendations, children seem to do really well at the Pompidou as some of the funky modern stuff is fun for them.  Another parent recommended that we definitely hit it up on our trip last year, and I think it was my kid's favorite museum. I actually liked the Paris Museum Pass (not the Visite pass) for the getting "museumed out" issue; you can take an hour or two at a time at the Louvre, and punctuate your visits with food, parks, other sights, etc, and feel like you get your money's worth that way.


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## MaryH (Jan 31, 2013)

When are you going?  I have stayed at Mariott Rive Gauche before and was fine with it since it was about 10-15 min walk from where I used to live in Paris at Place Denfert Rochereau and my favourite market street rue Daguerre in the 14th.  

Very few hotel rooms would allow 4 people in it.  You can check on Marriott by looking for room for 4 to see which would allow them.  I would not recommend the TS since that is quite a bit outside town.  If I am in Paris, I want to be inside the city lines.


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## Picker57 (Mar 18, 2013)

*Outlook for timeshare in central Paris?*

We're hoping to spend a week (or more?) in Paris next spring. SFX doesn't have anything there, and I.I. (via Shell Vacations Club) shows properties in their catalogue but no availability....even a year out (something about that smells fishy).  My question: How realistic is it to try for a 1BR timeshare in central Paris?  Would VRBO/Trip Advisor rentals have better odds? Thanks for any input. 

 --------Zach


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## Bill4728 (Mar 18, 2013)

Picker57 said:


> We're hoping to spend a week (or more?) in Paris next spring. SFX doesn't have anything there, and I.I. (via Shell Vacations Club) shows properties in their catalogue but no availability....even a year out (something about that smells fishy).  My question: How realistic is it to try for a 1BR timeshare in central Paris?  Would VRBO/Trip Advisor rentals have better odds? Thanks for any input.
> 
> --------Zach


There are lots of apartments for short term rent in the central paris area. I've heard that getting a trade into central paris is very tough.  IMHO, if you want to stay in Paris look into a rental.


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## pwrshift (Mar 18, 2013)

Take a look at this France forum:   http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/3956056284

For rentals try Vacation Rentals By Owner at www,VRBO.com

Again, I would hate staying 30+ miles outside of Paris.  if your kids are old enough to appreciate (and remember) Paris, it is an incredible place to be.

Brian


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## MaryH (Mar 19, 2013)

Picker57,

There are very few TS in central Paris.  I think the II and RCI ones are mostly on the outskirts of town.

SFX would not have much at all.  I was persuaded to deposit a studio Citadines Bastille Gare de Lyon (in 12th) last year when I was trying to get some expired weeks reinstated plus some bonus weeks during the offer in March but they said it took so long to get the week verified that SFX did not give me the bonus weeks so will not do it again since it is not cost effective for me since it cost a bit but I only get a studio deposit.   Also via SFX I think they charge 298 European fee addition like they do for London.


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## Chrisky (Mar 20, 2013)

Picker57 said:


> We're hoping to spend a week (or more?) in Paris next spring. SFX doesn't have anything there, and I.I. (via Shell Vacations Club) shows properties in their catalogue but no availability....even a year out (something about that smells fishy).  My question: How realistic is it to try for a 1BR timeshare in central Paris?  Would VRBO/Trip Advisor rentals have better odds? Thanks for any input.
> 
> --------Zach


Apartments book up very quickly in Paris.  Here are a few recommended agencies you could check.

http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/
http://www.parisbestlodge.com/
http://www.vacationinparis.com/
We have rented apartments from Paris Vacation  Apartments.  Reliable company, answer enquiries quickly, with good service.


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## Picker57 (Mar 20, 2013)

Chrisky --- Wow....thank you VERY much for those websites. They're delightful to browse, with some great possibilities.  My "Paris juices" are flowing already. 

          --------Zach


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## Chrisky (Mar 24, 2013)

Your welcome Picker57.  Hope you will find something that suits you.


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## Bill4728 (Mar 24, 2013)

There are several TS which generally don't trade up are available for II get-a-ways

You should look there too.


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## Picker57 (Mar 25, 2013)

Thanks Bill - Will start browsing. 

               ---------ZK


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## oldseed (Mar 25, 2013)

Great thread.  Tons to do in Paris.  The shopping, the markets, the 10+ different kinds of foie gras, the numerous bakeries, the food, etc.  Just walking around is pure pleasure.  

As mentioned above Versailles is a must-see.  

I second much of the above: ditch the car, travel by subway/bus, and walking.  And Paris is way more than just museums.  There's insane music and art, food, romance, etc.


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## Picker57 (Mar 25, 2013)

Our affection for Paris started 12 years ago with a Rick Steves 1-week tour of Paris.  Great tour, but just enough time to whet the appetite. I'd love to know more about the music scene (I know about the food and the romance....crazy about both).  If anyone has tips about the music (classical or folk....it's a geezer thing....you wouldn't understand), please let me know. 

Travelers tip:  For anyone with ANY sense of history, plan to spend some time in the Normandy area. Bayeaux is great, as is the Caen museum and the tour of the invasion beaches.   

           Thanks to all,
                           ------------------Zach


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## MaryH (Mar 26, 2013)

If you like the music scene I would suggest you to try and go one year in 2nd half of June for Fete de la music on June 21.  Lots of bands in a lot of the restaurants and even on street corners.  

I used to go to le petit journal and petit journal montparnasse when I used to live in Paris but it was a while back.

http://claude.philips.pagesperso-orange.fr/

http://petitjournalmontparnasse.com/concert-jazz-paris-club-jazz-montparnasse


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## oldseed (Mar 26, 2013)

Picker57 said:


> I'd love to know more about the music scene (I know about the food and the romance....crazy about both).  If anyone has tips about the music (classical or folk....it's a geezer thing....you wouldn't understand), please let me know.



it does depend on when you're in Paris.

we saw a vivaldi four seasons concert at the Saint Chapelle, a beautiful church, during the summer a couple years ago.   looks like they're still going:

http://www.classictic.com/en/sainte_chapelle__vivaldi_s_four_seasons/16075/163739/

in late September and throughout the fall, the classical concert season begins.  so there's tons of opera, classical, probably ballet, etc. around that time.  

in the summer it's break-time in Paris so there is the vivaldi and concerts here and there.  there are also tons of outdoor concerts.  we found that it was easier to find out what was going on when we got there...


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## Picker57 (Jun 7, 2013)

We're now looking at September of NEXT year (2014) for a 10-day visit to Paris. We've located an apparently nice, roomy apartment in the Montmarte area.  We were in the Rue Cler area on our first trip, and loved it.  We know the views are wonderful from the Montmarte area, but any observations/thoughts about STAYING there?  Any other favorite regions of the city?  Thanks for any information you can provide. 

         ------------Zach


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## pedro47 (Jun 7, 2013)

Suggestion..please do a river lunch cruise in Paris and do some shopping.


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## Picker57 (Jun 7, 2013)

We did an evening river cruise on our first trip and it was awesome.  But my question relates more to lodging - is Montmarte (can't remember the arrondissment number) a good neighborhood? 

           ZK


pedro47 said:


> Suggestion..please do a river lunch cruise in Paris and do some shopping.


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## MaryH (Jun 9, 2013)

Montmatre is usually 18th and some areas there might be a little seedy.  you should mention which metro street


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## Picker57 (Jun 9, 2013)

Thanks for the tip; will check further. We also have a line on an apartment in the 7th (a block away from Rue Cler) that sounded pretty sweet (though somewhat smaller).  Thanks again. 

       -----Zach


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