La Maison Hostel

My Paris Homepage!

by freddie18

"Welcome to Paris - France"

A lot has been said about Paris and what I am sharing about this beautiful place is the good feeling soon after I land at the international airport via Sterling Airlines from Copenhagen. Although I am not new to travelling when I visited Paris, I thought that coming here is an accomplishment. It was the longest stay in a city (next to Rome) on my 17-day tour of Europe. Understandably, I made sure that I am not missing any of those well-publicized and most famous attractions of the city. Right at the airport, I already had a good impression of France. The humble taxi driver who was very polite and patient enough to take us to our Harvey Hotel where I checked in. The Front Desk staff who were so helpful. I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights and 3 days, and no matter how early in the morning or late in the evening that we had to approach the staff, they were so customer-oriented and they did not leave us behind unattended. To think that I have made all my reservations and arrangement to this hotel in the internet, I really did not have the slightest idea if they have excellent service as they claim to be.

The rest is history. From day 1 to the end of our tour, I did not feel like leaving Paris. I thought my stay was too short and not enough. But I had to leave. I was at the Front Desk at 3:30AM getting ready to the airport bound for my next journey to Italy.

It was short, but Paris already made a good impression. And I cannot help but share the good side of this city. I have to go into detail my experiences. If you are interested to know more, you are requested to see my tips and deals about Paris. I am sure you will get something good about it!

Come and join me on my next trip to Paris!

Buy Some Euro Before Arriving in Paris

by CALSF

Some people advise against buying euro before arriving in Paris. They cite that it's too expensive due to the fees.

I, on the other hand, being on the conservative side, advise to buy approximately 200 euro. To me the small fee I pay to buy the currency is small in relation to the unforseen hassles if the ATM machines CDG are busy. I want to have on hand upon arrival some cash to pay the taxi and to buy some snacks or whatever incidentals that are needed. You don't want to use your credit card 100% and sometimes it is not possible to do so.

The French are Tolerant/Sane!

by HooptheWorld

This is just to say, we were there in November and although I am not a smoker, I noticed smoking everywhere and it is no big deal. Not like here where so many are judgmental. It is refreshing to find tolerance. In fact, my friends did not in any way deter their friends from smoking in their apartments...even though they themselves were nonsmokers. I was impressed with their tolerance...their sense of putting friends before judgment! Very, very refreshing. People smoked on the streets, etc. So, relax and enjoy this wonderful city.

Parisians have a reputation to...

by Sjalen

Parisians have a reputation to be snotty. I don't find this true at all with the exception of the taxi drivers, but then they have one of the worst jobs in town (quickly realised when you see the traffic). The problem is that many English speakers don't even TRY a little bit of French. Just say 'bonjour' when you go into a shop and 'Parlez-vous anglais?' when you want to talk to someone and you will find that they are just as nice as the rest of us and often switch to English these days. Promise.

Last Vineyard in Paris

by Patrick3581

Montmartre is the home of the last remaining vineyard in Paris. (Rue St. Vincent). From here a small batch of wine is produced each year and auctioned off in October. I have to say from personal experience, the wine is more of a curiosity to have than to drink. All the proceeds go to a good cause, though. Some say the arts, some say the aged of Montmartre