So after almost five months, we have had five different sets of guests. There are a few things that I learned with each visitor that I will keep repeating so the next guests are sure to hear...
MAKE A PLAN
The first suggestion I have is to do your homework. And frankly, it is a big help to me if you know what you want to see when you get here. I am happy to help you accomplish that, and I am getting pretty good at it, too! But the worst is showing up and saying, "We don't have any plans, whatever you want to do..." Or "We thought you could just show us around." That's like when your partner says, "Oh you decide and I will do whatever." We all know that pressure and it is too much responsibility. This is your vacation - I don't want to be responsible for the success or failure of that, and you know me, I will feel responsible, even if you don't think I am! Suzanne & Gretchen came packed with their Rick Steve's Paris 2006 books and pointed out fun things to do that I didn't know about and will go read about now! Colleen & Andy were packing clippings from the New York Times Travel magazine, and a variety of great ideas that they had asked around, searched around and brought with them. If all else fails, have a theme, i.e. churches, or artists or wine or bicycles...We can work something out from there. Do some research ahead of time. Know what things cost and be willing to pay for them. You have already paid $600 just to get here - spend another $100 to do the things you most are interested in.
SPEAKING OF MONEY
There are several tips to save money and time in Paris and those who have heeded these tips have had a more pleasurable experience than those who didn't. Why? Because the system here is set up such that you can't do much for free, but if you spend a little, you can save a lot.
For example, the museum pass. You can buy a Paris Museum Pass when you get here for as little as 60€ for 6 straight days. There is also a two (€30) or four day (€45) pass, but it means you don't have to wait in the general public line for the museum or exhibit that it covers. You also can go for a few hours and return the next day for a few more hours - a great perk in the Louvre, for instance. Last week, with the Museum Pass my friends were able to visit the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee D'Orsay, Versailles and St.Chapelle, plus discounts on some others, and they didn't have to wait in any lines...That's golden here. You can get that pass at the Metro station, and any of the institutions that honor it. Pay for it early and get all the perks!
Another tip is about money getting cash. The easiest, safest thing to do is to get money from the ATM. It is easily accessible, so far everywhere where we have gone, it is cheap, the exchange rate is excellent, and you can get up to €300 per day. You will be charged 1.50 or so on both ends, but it is a lot safer than carrying a lot of cash. You can use your VISA/MC for almost everything, but the purchase has to be over €15 usually. I have been told you can cash a personal check at American Express if you have an account there, but there is an office in central Paris, and you have to stand in line...and see ATM! Here is a tip ~ tell your bank and credit card company you are leaving the country so they don't shut your cards down while you are here because of the location of the charges.
Another perk is the Carte Orange. It is the transportation pass for Paris and surrounding locales and it ensures you can ride any train, Metro, bus or the finiculaire to Sacre Couer without buying separate tickets. It also gaurantees you will have the right ticket if there are any questions. It's easy, relatively cheap - less than €20 for a week, and you can buy it at any Metro or train station. You want a ticket for zones 1 & 2 at a minimum, and if you are staying with me, zones 1-3. The down side is it is only good from Monday through Sunday - but you can get tickets for the first few days, say if you arrive on a Thursday. It is so darn convenient though, I think it is worth getting even if are only going to be here a few days. Like if you arrive on a Wednesday and are staying through the w/e - get one. The other plus is that you get a great souvenir of your trip. You have to get your photo taken, and laminated to your pass and you keep that along with your ticket.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE the States
You might want to buy say 50 to 100€ in the states before you come, so you have some pocket change. If you do that, buy 20s, 10s, 5s and if you can get some coins. You can always break those bills in the airport. You will need to always carry change for a euro(coins). Why? on the off chance that you need the bathroom, and it costs between 30 and 50 centimes to use. That is getting less frequent, but if you need it...
TELEPHONES
Few people have cell phones that will work in Europe and the charges will be really expensive anyway. So I recommend that you do one of three things. One - no calls, just use email. Get an universal account (Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, etc.) Or Two - set up an internet phone system before you leave home so that you can call home or anywhere from any internet connection. There are several vendors now. I use two of them SKYPE and Yahoo has one, too. Set one of these up, practice with it at home. Put some money on your account, and when you get here, you can go to an internet cafe and use their equiptment to call home.
The third option is to buy an international phone card. You can get them at any tabac or magazine stand, they work in the hotels, and the pay phones and they cost at a minimum €7. I don't know how much time you get with them, but you will have enough.
Okay, that's enough for one blog entry...look for the next installment later.
