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[tickmike]

My daughter has suggested we take my wife on a weekend break for her birthday treat  (Mine 20 days later  ) the end of February/March next year, I was thinking of using the train than driving .
We would get the train/trains to 'London st. Pancras' station then get the 'EuroStar' train to Paris.

Has anyone done this or have any useful advice please.

Other idea's are to get a flight from EMA  to somewhere warm  but it would only be 2/3 nights.

[HPsauce]

Paris is great at this time of year. Just stay in the centre (if you can) and walk around or get the Metro.
Fixed price menus in local back-street restaurants are good.

[Scottiesmum]

Mike,   

Oo la la   quelle bonne idée       I love Paris ANY time of year (but I AM biased  !!)   -August is always a good month because the Parisians leave   'en masse' and head down here !      However, as I say any time ....

DO NOT think of Driving  !! 

My brother has been over to see us several times by train, and the first part of the journey is, naturally, London to Paris.   The ticket office/check in is on the lower level at St.Pancras.   I'm sure if you book early you will get a 'good price' .     You'll arrive at the Gare du Nord, Paris   (2 and a 1/4 hours) .   Have you given any thought to a 'package'   ?   It may be worth a 'google'  !

I suggest you have a look at a good map of Central Paris -  also a map of the RER (overground metro) and a Metro Map  -there are lots on-line and some you can download  as a PDF.  You can then get your bearings of where the Gare du Nord is  (10th arrondissement on the Right Bank)  distance from centre etc.      Although, like a lot cities  the best way to see it is on foot.     This site might help with accommodation  http://www.eurocheapo.com/paris/

Things not to miss  ...  Notre Dame - the South Rose Window.  Musée   (museum) d'Orsay which was originally a railway station, (a lot of people don't see this preferring to visit the Louvre)   The Louvre ( the glass pyramid is worth seeing if no time to visit the gallery, and the Mona Lisa) the walk from the Louvre through the beautiful (Les Tuileries) designed by Le Notre  -   Tuileries Gardens to the Place du Concorde where you'll see  the Obelisk  (from Luxor and over 3000 years old). There is a plaque to mark the place where King Louis XVI was executed in 1793.   From there you can then walk up the Champs Elysées to the Arc du Triomphe where TEN lanes of traffic meet at the roundabout !!  Montartre  and the Sacré-Cœur -  you can spend a good part of the day here, lots of artists and good eating places - don't go for the tourist menus  !!! down to the Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge (but not at night !!).  Galleries Lafayette  (huge department store on the boulevard Haussmann)  do not miss  the beautiful Cupola entrance ..wonderful - )

I could go on but there's quite a lot for you to consider.  If you want any more help - just ask.  The things above are all the things I've done several times, plus many others.   I want to go again now !!

   Kate

[geep]

Book early as 22 Feb - 2 Mar is the Salon de l'Agriculture, which is in fact well worth a visit (lots of regional foods and wines as well as animals): http://en.salon-agriculture.com/

And the sewers near the Pont de l'Alma: http://www.parismuseumpass.com/musee-musee-des-egouts-de-paris-23.htm

Also, just down the river from the Eiffel Tower is a captive balloon trip - goes up to about Eiffel Tower height: http://www.ballondeparis.com/fr/

Cheers,
Peter

PS And I forgot - for something completely different there's the "Counterfeits Museum" - all about fake luxury goods, and basics too: http://musee-contrefacon.com/

[guest]

Do some research on where to eat and IMHO don't use restaurants on or near the main "tourist-route" boulevards as they're massively overpriced and the service is absymal. Its almost (but not quite) as bad as Venice in that respect. In both instances the staff don't care as there is a constant supply of idiots.

Either go very early to the Louvre or very late. Don't go mid-morning as its heaving.

Eiffel Tower isn't worth the wait on a weekend trip.

Edit - and if you do find a nice restaurant out of the way (like we did) then do check the opening times of that metro station  Not sure if its like this now but some of the stations close at midnight.

[tickmike]

Thanks all, some good advice. 
Do they take £ or shall I get some Euro's ?.(it was the French franc last time I was there [Dover>Calais>Paris>Italy.] ).
Also I noted on the 'Eurostar' there are different pricing for the seating ' Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier '
any advice on those please.   

[Scottiesmum]

It's the Euro all the way Mike  !        It's a personal choice whether you buy your Euros before leaving or use a card at an ATM or simply to pay for goods.   I think you will get a slightly better rate at an ATM once in Paris, rather than a bank or travel agent in the UK.  It depends which card you have, and it may be an idea to find out if you are going to be charged for transactions  plus the exchange rate.  ( ATM's recognise your language on your card and the instructions will appear in that language - so no worries there for you )

The seating is pretty much the same throughout the train, the Standard Premier is First Class and Business Premier -obviously  Business class.   You'll get a slightly wider seat and slightly more leg room, (you'll pay extra of course) and to be honest for the length of journey the Standard will be OK. (Depending on  time of travel, if it were me I'd also buy a sandwich and bottle of water before boarding - buy it before check in as there are a lot of outlets - once inside the Eurostar bit there's only one ! )

 

[tickmike]

We normally take food with us 
Guess who's passport runs out soon    I have started the renewal process so I expect to get it back in Three/four weeks.(I hope).