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		Posted by Camen April 20 Ok, another frequent Paris traveler here at work told me that you can take the RER (the train) from Terminal 2 at the airport (we should be coming into terminal 2) and would only have to transfer once. It should be about 8 Euros per person. You take the B line 12 stops to Chatelet–Les Halles and then transfer to the A line and take it 2 stops further to Nation. The hotel website indicates this is the closest stop to the hotel. It should take about 45 minutes in total. The only thing we don’t know is how to get a transfer. You should be able to go to the RER ticket counter at the airport and tell them what you want to do and they should be able to give you everything you need upfront. I just mapped the Nation station and the hotel and it looks like it is still a good ways – about a mile apart. So you would have to take a cab or hike it. Depends on how heavy your luggage is I guess. Feeling adventurous?
			April 20 This from the Frommer's Web page posted by LD Transportation Paris By Metro & RERThe Métro (tel. 08-92-68-77-14) is the most efficient and fastest means of transportation in Paris. All lines are numbered, and the final destination of each line is clearly marked on subway maps, in the underground passageways, and on the train cars. The Métro runs daily from 5:30am to 1:15am. It's reasonably safe at any hour, but beware of pickpockets. Transfer stations are correspondances -- some require long walks; Châtelet is the most difficult -- but most trips require only one transfer. When transferring, follow the orange CORRESPONDANCE signs to the proper platform. Don't follow a SORTIE (exit) sign, or you'll have to pay again to get back on the train. Many of the larger stations have maps with push-button indicators that light up your route when you press the button for your destination. On the urban lines, one ticket for 1.40€ ($1.80) lets you travel to any point. On the Sceaux, Boissy-St-Léger, and St-Germain-en-Laye lines to the suburbs, fares are based on distance. A carnet (book of coupons) is the best buy -- 10 tickets for 11€ ($14). At the turnstile entrances to the station, insert your ticket and pass through. At some exits, tickets are also checked, so hold onto yours. There are occasional ticket checks on trains and platforms and in passageways, too. Discount Transit Passes--The Paris-Visite (tel. 08-92-68-77-44) is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days on public transport, including the Métro, buses, the funicular ride to Montmartre, and RER trains. For access to Zones 1-3, which includes central Paris and its nearby suburbs, its cost ranges from 8.35€ ($11) for 1 day to 27€ ($35) for 5 days. Get it at RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) offices, the tourist office, and Métro stations. Another discount pass is Carte Mobilis, which allows unlimited travel on all bus, subway, and RER lines during a 1-day period for 5.30€ to 18 eu] ($6.90-$24), depending on the zone. Ask for it at any Métro station. Most economical, for anyone who arrives in Paris early in the week, is a Carte Orange. Sold at large Métro stations, it allows 1 week of unlimited Métro or bus transit within central Paris and its immediate outskirts for 15€ ($20). The pass is valid from any Monday to the following Sunday, and it's sold only on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You'll have to submit a passport-sized photo. By BusBuses are much slower than the Métro. The majority run from 7am to 8:30pm (a few operate until 12:30am, and 10 operate during early-morning hours). Service is limited on Sundays and holidays. Bus and Métro fares are the same; you can use the same tickets on both. Most bus rides require one ticket, but some destinations require two (never more than two within the city limits). If you intend to use the buses a lot, pick up an RATP bus map at the office on place de la Madeleine, 8e, or at the tourist offices at RATP headquarters, 54 Quai de La Rapée, 12e. For detailed recorded information (in English) on bus and Métro routes, call tel. 01-58-76-16-16. The same organization that runs the Métro and the buses, the RATP (tel. 08-92-68-77-14), also operates the Balabus, big-windowed orange-and-white motor coaches that run only during limited hours: Sunday and national holidays from noon to 9pm, from April 15 to the end of September only. Itineraries run in both directions between Gare de Lyon and the Grande Arche de La Défense, encompassing some of the city's most beautiful vistas. It's a great deal -- two Métro tickets for 1.40€ ($1.80) each will carry you the entire route. You'll recognize the bus and the route it follows by the Bb symbol emblazoned on each bus's side and on signs posted beside the route it follows. By CarDon't even think about driving in Paris. The streets are narrow, with confusing one-way designations, and parking is next to impossible. Besides, most visitors don't have the ruthlessness required to survive in Parisian traffic. Think about renting a car only if you plan to explore the Ile de France and beyond.To rent a car, you'll need to present a passport, a driver's license, and a credit card. You'll also have to meet the company's minimum age requirement. (For the least expensive cars, this is 21 at Hertz, 23 at Avis, and 25 at Budget. More expensive cars might require that you be at least 25.)Note: The best deal is usually a weekly rental with unlimited mileage. All car-rental bills in France are subject to a 19.6% government tax. Though the rental company won't usually mind if you drive your car into, say, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, or Spain, it's often forbidden to transport your car by ferry, including across the Channel to England.In France, collision damage waiver (CDW) is usually factored into the overall rate quoted, but you should always verify this, of course, before taking a car on the road. At most companies, the CDW waiver provision won't protect you against theft, so if this is the case, ask about purchasing extra theft protection.Automatic transmission is a luxury in Europe, so if you want it, you'll pay dearly.Budget (tel. 800/472-3325 in the U.S.; in Canada tel. 800/268-8900; www.budget.com) has about 30 locations in Paris and at Orly (tel. 01-49-75-56-00) and Charles de Gaulle (tel. 01-48-62-70-21). For rentals of more than 7 days, you can usually pick up a car in one French city and drop it off in another, but there are extra charges. Drop-offs in cities within an easy drive of the French border (including Geneva and Frankfurt) incur no extra charge; you can arrange drop-offs in other non-French cities for a reasonable surcharge.Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 in the U.S. and Canada; www.hertz.com) maintains about 15 locations in Paris, including offices at the city's airports. The main office is at 27 place St-Ferdinand, 17e (tel. 01-45-74-97-39; Métro: Argentine). Be sure to ask about promotional discounts.Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 in the U.S. and Canada; www.avis.com) has offices at both Paris airports and an inner-city headquarters at 5 rue Bixio, 7e (tel. 01-44-18-10-50; Métro: Ecole Militaire), near the Eiffel Tower.National (tel. 800/CAR-RENT in the U.S. and Canada; www.nationalcar.com) is represented in Paris by Europcar, whose largest office is at 165 bis rue de Vaugirard, 15e (tel. 01-44-38-61-61; Métro: Pasteur). It has offices at both Paris airports and at about a dozen other locations. For the lowest rates, reserve in advance from North America.Two U.S.-based agencies that don't have Paris offices but act as booking agents for Paris-based agencies are Kemwel Holiday Auto (tel. 800/678-0678; www.kemwel.com) and Auto Europe (tel. 800/223-5555; www.autoeurope.com). They can make bookings in the United States only, so call before your trip. By TaxiIt's virtually impossible to get one at rush hour, so don't even try. Taxi drivers are organized into a lobby that limits their number to 15,000. Watch out for common rip-offs: Always check the meter to make sure you're not paying the previous passenger's fare; beware of cabs without meters, which often wait outside nightclubs for tipsy patrons; or settle the tab in advance. You can hail regular cabs on the street when their signs read LIBRE. Taxis are easier to find at the many stands near Métro stations. The flag drops at 4.24€ ($5.50), and from 7am to 7pm you pay 1€ ($1.30) per kilometer. From 7pm to 7am, you pay 1.20€ ($1.55) per kilometer. On airport trips, you're not required to pay for the driver's empty return ride. You're allowed several pieces of luggage free if they're transported inside and are less than 5 kilograms (11 lb.). Heavier suitcases carried in the trunk cost 1€ to 1.50€ ($1.30-$1.95) apiece. Tip 12% to 15% -- the latter usually elicits a merci. For radio cabs, call Les Taxis Bleus (tel. 08-25-16-10-10) or Taxi G7 (tel. 01-47-39-47-39) -- but note that you'll be charged from the point where the taxi begins the drive to pick you up. By BicycleTo bike through the streets and parks of Paris, perhaps with a baguette tucked under your arm, might've been a fantasy of yours since you saw your first Maurice Chevalier film. In recent years, the city has added many miles of right-hand lanes designated for cyclists as well as hundreds of bike racks. (When these aren't available, many Parisians simply chain their bikes to fences or lampposts.) Cycling is especially popular in the larger parks and gardens. Fat Tire Bike Tours, 24 rue Edgar Faure, 75015 Paris (tel. 01-56-58-10-54; www.fattirebiketours.com/bikes/services/bike-rental.shtml; Métro: Blvd. de Grenelle), rents bicycles hourly, by the day, week, or month, charging 2€ ($2.60) per hour; 15€ ($20) per day/24 hours; 25€ ($33) 2 consecutive days/48 hours; 50€ ($65) weekly; and 65€ ($85) monthly. You must leave a 200€ ($260) deposit. This company (formerly Mike's Bike Tours) also provides bike tours, as well as Segway tours. By BoatThe Batobus (tel. 01-44-11-33-99) is a 150-passenger ferry with big windows. Every day between April and December, the boats operate along the Seine, stopping at points of interest: the Eiffel Tower, Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and the Hôtel de Ville. Unlike the Bâteaux-Mouche, it does not provide recorded commentary. Although it originated in the mid-1990s as a service to move Parisians from one part of the city to another, it has evolved since then into something of a sightseeing attraction in its own right, often hauling passengers who remain in place for an hour or more, merely soaking up the sights of riverfront Paris. The only option available is a day pass valid for either 1 or 2 days, each allowing as many entrances and exits as you want. A 1-day pass costs 11€ ($14) for adults, 5€ ($6.50) for students and children under 16; a 2-day pass costs 13€ ($17) for adults, 6€ ($7.80) for students and persons under 16. Boats operate daily from 10am to 7pm (in June, July, and Aug they operate daily from 10am to 9pm).
	Posted by Deborah April 7, 1006 Paul Signac, a French neo-impressionist painter, was so wowed when he sailed into Saint Tropez, he painted the port with explosive dots of color, in his pointillist style. The Invasion of Saint Tropez International Living Postcards--your daily escape http://www.internationalliving.com Thursday, April 6, 2006 Saint Tropez, France Dear International Living Reader, Matisse's pal, Signac, was so wowed when he sailed into Saint Tropez on a sunny day back in the 1880s, he depicted the port with explosive dots of color. More than a century later I cruise into this legendary bay (aboard Laetitia) and wish I invented pointillism myself. Hedged by lavender hills and hemmed by golden beaches, the resort adored by French post-impressionists rises out of the turquoise Mediterranean like a rainbow. Entering the old harbor we sail straight into a Signac tableau. Slipping on picturesque cobbles, we disembark. Midday in the south of France, and the terrace of celebrated brasserie Le Gorille seethes with blonde babes and muscled hunks who sup on steaming crocks of fishy bouillabaisse. An independent republic for centuries, Saint Tropez had never been invaded. Then Brigitte Bardot shot to fame in And God Created Woman in 1956, and fans flocked here, transforming a sleepy port into the Côte d'Azur's most fashionable resort. Resisting Vuitton's and Gucci's siren songs I head past chic boutiques and make for the old town. Gambetta street, where wealthy merchants in the 17th century built their lavish mansions, leads me to the Place des Lices. This plaza speckled with the vaulted shade of plane trees is a slice of "real France." Café terraces are reserved for old guys with black berets who sip milky pastis, serenaded by the rhythmic clunk of boules. Saturday is market day, the square a mottled fresco of ripe tomatoes, blistered peppers, and purple egg plants. The air is a vibrant tapestry of bitter lemon, sickly jasmine, and astringent thyme. A hundred crickets trilling, I quit searing heat for the gloom of the Annonciade art museum. Housed in an ancient chapel, rapture is the only possible response to canvases signed Matisse, Van Dongen, Derain, Dufy…and Signac. I stagger out at sunset and buy a calin from the Senéquier tea house. Yachts bob at anchor, the quay bustles with life. I bite into the pastry. Tart almond, sweet honey, and perfumed cinnamon scatter onto my tongue. I have to grin. This pointillism of savors is the flavor of Saint Tropez. Heidi Fuller-love For International Living Posted by Camen April 7, 2006 Thought you would get a kick out of this communication. Audrey is my counterpart in the Paris office and great fun. Camen, Don’t hesitate to ask. No question is silly.  It’s nice having picnics in Paris if you can avoid to sit on a dog pooh. Don’t laugh, dirt and pooh in the streets are Paris city hall’s main concern. Strikes are #2 concern ?. As for drinking wine, nobody won’t ever say something about this: we are the country of wine!  If drinking wine was forbidden in some place, quite a long time I’d be in jail! All sins are permitted in Paris ? During summer, many people go with two glasses and a bottle of wine along the Seine next to Ile Saint Louis watching the boats…. Can you remind me the exact date of your trip?   Cause I’m taking some vacation at the end of the month but would really like to see you (if you’d have some time of course). Will you still be around the 27-28?  Thanks! Audrey De : Camen M. Hinkle Envoyé : vendredi 7 avril 2006 15:07 À : Audrey Wenner Objet : Paris trip Hi Audrey, I hope all is well with you. My trip to Paris is coming up soon and I wanted to ask a silly question. If the weather is nice while we are there I was hoping to make a practice of having picnics in some of your beautiful parks. Is there a rule against drinking wine in public parks? I once received a ticket from a policeman for drinking a beer in a park here in New York. I thought it was very silly but though I do plan on exploring in depth all the nooks and crannies in Paris, the police station is not one I had on my itinerary. Thanks for your advice and I’ll see you soon! Camen Hinkle Posted by Camen April 5, 2006 The Paris Hotel indicated that they are happy to hold the bags at reception for a day (so this will work if we can’t check in first thing on the day we arrive) but for the whole time we are in Provence that wouldn’t really be feasible since they do not have a storage room. But she did say to ask again when we are there and if the hotel is not full they would put them in a spare bedroom for us. I think the best bet would be to just pack small and light since we will be able to do laundry. I can’t wait to see what a French laundry mat is like. The woman answering the emails seems really friendly. From: Hotel de la Porte Doree [mailto:hotel-porte-doree@wanadoo.fr] Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 8:09 AM To: Camen M. Hinkle Subject: Re: Information regarding laundry service Hello, Yes there is a place where you may wash your clothes about 5min by foot from the hotel.   Have a wonderful trip and we will see you soon! Christina ----- Original Message ----- From: Camen M. Hinkle To: hotel-porte-doree@wanadoo.fr Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 11:50 PM Subject: Information regarding laundry service Bonjour Monsieur ou Madame, My family is arriving at your hotel on 23 April. May I inquire as to the availability of a laundry service or a coin operated laundry near the hotel? Thank you very much. Camen Hinkle Posted by Camen April 4, 2006 Getting to hotel in Paris from airport: Cabs on Sunday – estimates range from 40 Euros to 60 Euros plus 1 Euro per bag because Sunday is a premium. I am told that you frequently get station wagon type cabs in which we could all fit reasonably well.  After spending many hours looking at all the options I think this is going to be the best one. Veneet and I would take a cab anyway so we don’t mind footing the fare. At worst case I think it would come to about $20 per person. Posted by Camen April 4, 2006 Paris Shuttle: http://www.parishuttle.com/navettes.php?code_partenaire= This is a shared 8 passenger minivan that drops you door to door like SuperShuttle in the U.S. It would meet us at Gate 8 in the airport and take us directly to the hotel. They guarantee stopping at no more than 2 other destinations.  It’s 19 Euros per person and you can pay with credit card on board. The only advantage to this is that they take credit cards. Air France Bus: Leaves every 30 minutes from every terminal at CDG and cost 12 Euros per person each way, 18 Euros for a round trip fare. 4 or more traveling together get a 15% discount. Line 4 Stops at Gare de Lyon. Still have to figure out how to get to the hotel from Gare de Lyon. http://discoverfrance.tourpackagers.com/detail1.aspx?ID=2 OR www.airfrance.com Cheaper Route: You can take the Roissybus for 8.40 Euros per person but it drops you at the Opera – quite far from our hotel – we’d then have to figure out a subway or take a cab from there. I don’t think this option is really worth it unless we were staying near the drop off point. We’d have to take the Pink 7 line and transfer to the green 6 line to the Daumesnil stop. Even Cheaper Route: City Bus #351 apparently goes from the airport to the Nation stop, rather near our hotel. I had difficulty figuring out the bus route maps but here it is if you want to have a look yourself. http://www.ratp.info/orienter/cv/cartebus.php Most of these options can also be found in one place at http://en.parisinfo.com/en/ There is also a train but didn’t seem to suit our needs. Camen Hinkle Home Complete Site Index France Pages larrydill@newhopejournal.com