Family Vacation 2021 Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France?

[caribbeanqueen]

I am going to be booking a family trip for myself, my husband, my daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren who will be 14 and 10 next year.
We discussed Aruba at Surf Club for their April vacation but now my daughter and son-in-law say if we are up for it, they are thinking France would be really fun, especially in July where the kids could swim in the pool.
I know someone on here had mentioned taking their family to Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France and said they really enjoyed it.
For anyone who has been, I have a few questions and would love some feedback!

How close is the resort to Disney? Is it easy to get to?
Can you get to the Paris easily and is July a good time to go? I realize it is probably the busiest time of year.
I looked at weather temps for April vacation and I do not think it would be warm enough for the kids to swim.

Is there a lot to see and do for kids that age?

Our last two trips were Hawaii and St. Kitts so both were beach themed vacations. I am trying to decide between France and Surf Club. In Aruba they have the beautiful beach and pools. I have been so I know what to expect. Having never been to France I have no idea how the resort is or what there is close by or within a couple hours that would be enjoyable for all of us.

Ideas, advise, suggestions welcome! TIA

 

[b2bailey]

I am going to be booking a family trip for myself, my husband, my daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren who will be 14 and 10 next year.
We discussed Aruba at Surf Club for their April vacation but now my daughter and son-in-law say if we are up for it, they are thinking France would be really fun, especially in July where the kids could swim in the pool.
I know someone on here had mentioned taking their family to Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France and said they really enjoyed it.
For anyone who has been, I have a few questions and would love some feedback!

How close is the resort to Disney? Is it easy to get to?
Can you get to the Paris easily and is July a good time to go? I realize it is probably the busiest time of year.
I looked at weather temps for April vacation and I do not think it would be warm enough for the kids to swim.

Is there a lot to see and do for kids that age?

Our last two trips were Hawaii and St. Kitts so both were beach themed vacations. I am trying to decide between France and Surf Club. In Aruba they have the beautiful beach and pools. I have been so I know what to expect. Having never been to France I have no idea how the resort is or what there is close by or within a couple hours that would be enjoyable for all of us.

Ideas, advise, suggestions welcome! TIA

Yes
To Paris resort.

 

[stslc]

I am going to be booking a family trip for myself, my husband, my daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren who will be 14 and 10 next year.
We discussed Aruba at Surf Club for their April vacation but now my daughter and son-in-law say if we are up for it, they are thinking France would be really fun, especially in July where the kids could swim in the pool.
I know someone on here had mentioned taking their family to Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France and said they really enjoyed it.
For anyone who has been, I have a few questions and would love some feedback!

How close is the resort to Disney? Is it easy to get to?
Can you get to the Paris easily and is July a good time to go? I realize it is probably the busiest time of year.
I looked at weather temps for April vacation and I do not think it would be warm enough for the kids to swim.

Is there a lot to see and do for kids that age?

Our last two trips were Hawaii and St. Kitts so both were beach themed vacations. I am trying to decide between France and Surf Club. In Aruba they have the beautiful beach and pools. I have been so I know what to expect. Having never been to France I have no idea how the resort is or what there is close by or within a couple hours that would be enjoyable for all of us.

Ideas, advise, suggestions welcome! TIA

We took our family to Paris a couple of years ago for spring break. End of March. The weather wasn't outdoor pool weather but they do have a nice indoor pool. Swimming was not our priority. We also are not Disney fans and did not do that, although, it is very close to Marriott. We wanted to experience as much of Paris and the surrounding area as possible with our kids (1 17 year old and 14 year old triplets). We started off with a couple of days skiing at Chamonix, then drove to the Marriott. We had a wonderful 3br unit with tons of space for everyone to spread out. We bought Navigo Decouverte rail passes for an almost daily trip into Paris and over to Versailles was very easy.
We had also rented a car and did an overnighter out to Mt. St Michel and Normandy. We loved using the Marriott as our home base. Not really close to anything other than Disney but a relaxing home to return to after long days of seeing everything we could cram into our long days. The kids still remember it as one of the most epic trips we have taken.

 

[aandmrun]

The resort is very close to Disney. I believe there is even a shuttle that will take you there. We did not go into the park, but the restaurants outside the park are fun to go to for dinner. All of our trips into Paris, Versailles, and the surrounding areas were by rail. The railway is within walking distance. We did quite a few daily trips to Paris while we were there. I think you and your family will enjoy it, if you go.

 

[Pamplemousse]

I am going to be booking a family trip for myself, my husband, my daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren who will be 14 and 10 next year.
We discussed Aruba at Surf Club for their April vacation but now my daughter and son-in-law say if we are up for it, they are thinking France would be really fun, especially in July where the kids could swim in the pool.
I know someone on here had mentioned taking their family to Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France and said they really enjoyed it.
For anyone who has been, I have a few questions and would love some feedback!

How close is the resort to Disney? Is it easy to get to?
Can you get to the Paris easily and is July a good time to go? I realize it is probably the busiest time of year.
I looked at weather temps for April vacation and I do not think it would be warm enough for the kids to swim.

Is there a lot to see and do for kids that age?

Our last two trips were Hawaii and St. Kitts so both were beach themed vacations. I am trying to decide between France and Surf Club. In Aruba they have the beautiful beach and pools. I have been so I know what to expect. Having never been to France I have no idea how the resort is or what there is close by or within a couple hours that would be enjoyable for all of us.

Ideas, advise, suggestions welcome! TIA

We were there in June ‘17.
It was hot!- upper 90’s the whole week.
Transportation was easy and inexpensive- 10-15 minutes on the resort shuttle or local bus gets you to the train station right outside of Paris Disney. 45 min on the train puts you right in the heart of Paris.
The on site concierges speak English and can direct you. 10-15 minute walk or a few minute ride on the local bus gets you into the nearest small village with grocery store, bakery, restaurants.
I will send you a DM with my trip review.

 

[Woj]

We have been to this property 4 times and are going back again this September as my wife fell in love with this location! I left very lengthy reviews on TripAdvisor under our name (Rich and Dr. Linda W). The property is minutes away from Disney via the Marriott Shuttle or the local bus, which we used extensively, both to the Val D'Europa (huge supermarket and shopping center) and in the opposite direction to the Marne Valle Chessy (Disney) as well as the rail center to Paris, or in the opposite direction to Charles De Gaulle airport via high speed train. I am more than happy to assist if needed. My wife and I usually arrive at the CDG airport and take the Marriott shuttle to the CDG Marriott, located at the aiport, and spend the night at the CDG Marriott. We then take the Marriott shuttle back to the airport, the next day, and take the high speed train, located at the bottom floor of the airport, to the first stop, Marne Valle Chessy (Disney). The train ride is approx 9/10 minutes. From there we either wait for the Marriott Shuttle or cross the bus centre (across the street) and take the local transportation to the Marriott. The local bus will let you off at the property entrance which is a short walk inside the Marriot gate whereas the Marriott Shuttle will take you to the front door. Before you leave contact your loc
al bank in order to exchange USD to Euros! The really only negative that usually is reviewed that it is approx a 25 minute rail ride into the heart of Paris! We are ok with that as the property is located in the very quiet countryside. We also visited Normandy and other overnight locations.

 

[alwysonvac]

We have been to this property 4 times and are going back again this September as my wife fell in love with this location! I left very lengthy reviews on TripAdvisor under our name (Rich and Dr. Linda W).

Found Woj’s TripAdvisor reviews

2014 Review of Marriott's Village D'lle-de-France - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUse...y_Romainvilliers_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_F.html

2014 Review of Paris Marriott Charles de Gaulle Airport Hotel - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUse...Hotel-Roissy_en_France_Val_d_Oise_Ile_de.html

 

[Woj]

Thanks Alwysonvac for digging up those reviews! They are lengthy but in hopes to answer a few questions.

 

[Swice]

As others have noted, the trip into Paris is not bad-- BUT you probably do not want to do this on back to back days. You walk from your unit to the front entrance of the Marriott property. Stand on the street and wait for the bus (which could be anywhere from one to 15 minutes). Take the bus to the train station (less than ten minutes if I recall). Wait for the train, ride the train. You get the idea. The point is, it's not hard but it's not quick. You would buy the transportation pass that covers buses, subways and trains. Fairly easy to learn and after one day, it will be a breeze.

The pool was nice, but we didn't spend much time in it. We were there to experience France! Our kids were around ten and 12 so we did Disney one day. It was a great mental break for them because it was familiar but also different (much smaller than Orlando). We also went over to the Disney property one night for a dinner show (Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show-- which was also different than U-S parks) without going into the parks.

We rented a car for a few days (Hertz place near the Disney Cheesy station) and went to Provins a UNESCO village. The boys enjoyed that because they had jousting, horse races etc from the middle ages. They had a good time at Versailles (we went on a Sunday when the garden fountain are turned on) where we rented a canoe for them to row on the lake after we toured the main house. Being boys they also liked hearing stories about Napoleon -- so they liked touring Fountainbleau. We also booked a bike tour of downtown Paris and they enjoyed zooming around. So we tried to make it as kid friendly and fun as possible. We booked entrance tickets to the Eiffel Tower early evening to get both daylight and night views. A summer rain storm came up while we on the tower. To pass the time, we ended up eating dinner in a restaurant on the mid-level (the rain meant there were reservation no shows). It was expensive but surprisingly not outrageous (thankful for kid menus!).

We have been to Aruba on a cruise but not the Marriott timeshare. At some point, a beach is still a beach. Try something new.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you everyone for your tips and advice as well as all the information! Pamplemousse thank you for the DM. I appreciate the time you took to write it all out and explain so much. I admit after reading it all and WOJ's two reviews on Tripadvisor (thanks you so much Alwaysonvac!) my head is overloaded.
Because I have never been trying to understand all there is to transport it seems like overwhelming information. Hoping as I learn and gather more information it will become clearer (do you notice as you age information doesn't seem to stay in your brain nor is the brain grasping information as quick?).
On a side note, Germany is on my bucket list as my grandparents came over from there and I really want to visit. I was looking up flights just for fun and one way from Paris to Munich is under $100.00 on Lufthansa (I looked up this June just to see).
My daughter and the kids would only have a week in April. My husband and I could take longer to go to Germany. My daughter would probably love to go as well. Too bad MVC does not have a place to stay in Germany.

When would be the best time to go, last week of April or July? From what everyone is saying I am guessing the kids are not really going to have a lot of time to swim anyway with the site seeing so that will not enter into the equation.

 

[Woj]

Download the Paris bus metro train app and plot out your day and you will find out that it is super simple! The Paris metro alone carry's over 4.5 million people daily. On the map you will be on the Red Line (notice on the lower right side of the map with the brown Mickey Mouse ears) and it branches out from there. We usually purchase a Visite Paris weekly pass that is good in all zones and any kind of transit vehicle. This takes the guess work out of how much do I owe. Just slip the pass in and out it comes and no worry's!

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you Woj I will.
My DH is asking why we are wanting to go to France and says he'd probably rather go to Spain but he will "consider it.
I may have to make another post asking which people prefer Spain or France. He always has to throw a wrench into things lol

 

[Woj]

No problem at all but in Spain we really loved the Marbella Marriott rather than the Andalusia Marriott. You can rent a car in Malaga (airport) and easy drive to Marbella property. But you will need to drive to almost anything. However there is a small beachfront there!

 

[Bill4728]

No problem at all but in Spain we really loved the Marbella Marriott rather than the Andalusia Marriott. You can rent a car in Malaga (airport) and easy drive to Marbella property. But you will need to drive to almost anything. However there is a small beachfront there!

Why one vs the other. Both are near Marbella but not in Marbella. Aren't both on the beach?

 

[Bill4728]

RE Ville de France
The key thing to know is the big train station is right at Disney and both are a 3-5 mile bus/shuttle ride to the resort.

The resort is just a few block outside of a cute town center with places to eat and shop.

Don't get euro in the US Get them at the ATM in France. You'll get a much better exchange rate than in the US.

 

[ocdb8r]

A couple of good recent threads here:

Marriott's Village d'ile-de-France - condo questions

Appreciated all the help in picking a location at this lovely sounding resort. A few more questions as I start packing: Are the electric plugs standard European or US type (we have found in Mexico that many resorts have US style plugs). Are there enough of them, i.e. most Marriotts have bedside...

tugbbs.com

Questions about Marriott's Village d'Ile-de-France

My wife and I are booking a visit to this timeshare for next year and a friend of ours has expressed an interest in coming along. I have the impression from other comments that the village itself is within easy walking distance, what I'm wondering is if there is a likelihood that we could find a...

tugbbs.com

I have posts in the above threads that voice many of my thoughts, but I'll add a few things here:

1) As everyone has pointed out, there is quite robust public transport options (both to and from the resort and within the city of Paris) but it does require a bit of a mindset change. Many of us Americans are used to straghtforward point A to point B travel in our cars. Getting around on public transport in Europe is quite easy, but does require noting the various steps and changes required. MVC's d'ile-de-France is connected to the local train station by public bus or hotel shuttle, from which you can go to the center of Paris or the train station at Charles De Gaulle Airport. As others have noted, this train station is also a 5 minute walk to the Disney parks (it was built specifically to service the Disney Resort).

2) Do consider renting a car as MVC offers free parking and it permits you to easily get groceries for the (fairly large) units and gives you another transport option.

3) I think Germany is a great idea, and as mentioned above, it's quite easy to get to the airport from the resort area. Also consider Brussles, Antwerp or Amsterdam as all three can be reached via the Thalys high speed train service that now offers two trains a day from the same local (Disney Resort) train station (additional Thalys trains, including services to Cologne and Frankfurt, depart from the central Paris train station, Gare du Nord, which is just 30-40 minutes by RER - Regional Rail from the Disney Resort train station).

4) Pace yourself and don't try to do it ALL. 7 days may seem like a lots, but between the Disney Parks, central Paris sites and surrounding attractions (Versailles, Normandy...etc) you could really overwhelm yourself trying to pack too much in. Schedule at least one full day of down time to enjoy the resort and relax a bit. Aside from the indoor and outdoor pools, they offer quite a few activities.

Personally, I would prefer April to July. July will be VERY busy and could be VERY hot. April won't be "slow" but offers pleasant day time temps and cool evenings (which makes for less exhaustion and a more enjoyable pace of the day).

 

[Woj]

RE Ville de France
The key thing to know is the big train station is right at Disney and both are a 3-5 mile bus/shuttle ride to the resort.

The resort is just a few block outside of a cute town center with places to eat and shop.

Don't get euro in the US Get them at the ATM in France. You'll get a much better exchange rate than in the US.

What is the current exchange rate at a atm in France?

 

[Dean]

What is the current exchange rate at a atm in France?

You'll get whatever the bank exchange rate is plus any fees that are added on. There may be an ATM transaction fee which can be either a set fee or a %, a bank/CU may charge you an additional fee and a CC will count it as a cash advance. I'd suggest notifying the companies for all cards you expect to use then use a debit card or ATM card (like Travelex) for ATM's then a CC that does not charge a fee for international purchases of larger items and at the resort. Make sure your card will work there as they can be different but if you have a chip card (which most are now in the US), you should be fine. I'd also suggest being very careful as the ATM is often a way cards are compromised. I have a separate account with NO connection to my other accounts at our CU just for this. I only keep the amount of funds I need when I travel and it does not have overdraft protection so it can't run over. I can load additional funds from my other accounts online if I need to. For places where US dollars are easily accepted I just pay cash except for the hotels and such but for Europe this isn't a good plan since dollars are not widely accepted though I would carry some just in case. I'd check with your bank/CU & CC companies to see what other charges are added.

 

[Woj]

I asked that as it is not wise to carry large sums of cash and atm's can be very easily compromised. I shop the rates at our local bank and it is far better than using atm's in a foreign country. Plus, when landing and need cash you have to go searching for an atm as you already have a ton on your mind. It is wise to take a few hundred Euros and use a credit card that has the lowest exchange rate charge. Today our currency is very strong and almost at an all time high at 92 Euros per 100 USD.

 

[caribbeanqueen]

Thank you do much for all the helpful posts of information! I appreciate all the replies.
My daughter is arriving here Thursday so we can look at everything together and make a decision or make a list of several and in what order.

 

[Steve Fatula]

Great info all! Am going to have to put this MVCI on my list of ones in the next few years. Sounds wonderful. Always forget there is one in France!

 

[Pompey Family]

Personally, I would prefer April to July. July will be VERY busy and could be VERY hot. April won't be "slow" but offers pleasant day time temps and cool evenings (which makes for less exhaustion and a more enjoyable pace of the day).

Paris is highly unlikely to be VERY hot. July offers the possibility of a heatwave but it is, in general, a very temperate climate. Depending on when in April it could fall during the Easter break in which case the resort is likely to fill up with families visiting Disney during the school holidays.

I really like the resort, love the townhouses. Provins is a fantastic town to visit. Paris was a long day and I wouldn't want to undertake the journey several days in a row.

Personally I prefer the Spanish resorts. In order of preference.....Son Antem, Playa Andaluza and Marbella Beach Resort. There's not a great difference between the last two, MBR has a larger footprint which means a longer walk between places. PA has more amenities and better pools. Both have those awful new barbecues that are completely useless and one can only assume that someone received a backhander! Both are on the beach with MBR having the slightly better beach but does attract more pestering 'vendors'. Personally we spend no time on the beaches, the pools are better, the bars and restaurants close by and you don't get pestered by people trying to sell you knocked off handbags.

Ultimately it all comes down to what you want to do. I find Paris to be a bit "meh". I have zero interest in Disney but I do love driving around the French countryside. Spain, for me, offers far more of interest, the weather is better, the people friendlier and the food and wine beats that of France.

 

[ocdb8r]

Paris is highly unlikely to be VERY hot. July offers the possibility of a heatwave but it is, in general, a very temperate climate. Depending on when in April it could fall during the Easter break in which case the resort is likely to fill up with families visiting Disney during the school holidays.

It was 42C (108F) on 25 July last year and every day of the month saw highs above 26C (80F). That's not excruciating, but it's VERY hot to me for traipsing around the city and theme parks by foot.

 

[Pompey Family]

It was 42C (108F) on 25 July last year and every day of the month saw highs above 26C (80F). That's not excruciating, but it's VERY hot to me for traipsing around the city and theme parks by foot.

Yes but that was a heatwave, as I said it can be hot during a heatwave but those temperatures are an exception rather than the norm. I've been to the resort in August and experienced average temperatures and a couple of days of rain.

 

[bmul2]

We were there in late May 2019 and had a great time. In July, most European schools are off so the compounded effect on tourism is ramped up. If you can go in May or June as soon as school lets out, then you may get more of the Disney activities with fewer visitors. With the Eurostar coming directly to Eurodisney from London, that is even a possibility anymore for something different.

Check out weeks for rental on RedWeek as you may not find any on Interval. That is where i found mine before I bought there.

If any questions, feel free to drop me a note. We love going there and now have an annual visit possible with a floating GOLD week.

Bill