vacationinparis.com

anybody used this agent.have already paid deposit for apartment but find the idea of recieving keys in the post a bit daunting.thanks for any help,

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We used them and were very happy with the experience. We liked having a key when we arrived, and not having to worry about meeting someone to be let in.

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They are great! I was a also a bit worried about the key situation esp since I was leaving home to travel a month before I was arriving in Paris.

I got the keys and detailed instructions, and there were no probs at all...and they happily sent them to me in Australia.

I%26#39;m not sure what other companies od re: keys, but having them in your hand means you can arrive whenever you like, so no need to stress about meeting someone.

Mez

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Used them in Oct. Reserved a different apt for Aug. Having the key when you arrive is great. Our apt. had extra key waiting inside so our party of 4 could come and go at different times

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Btw, the keys are delivered with a packet of information specific to the apartment you%26#39;ve rented. You%26#39;ll have no problem.

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I just received my keys for my March vacation. Like others have said before, it came with a packet specific for the apartment and local contact numbers in case of any trouble.

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Removed on: 3:17 am, September 21, 2009

i want to travel to lloret in spain from perpignan

Hi. i want to visit some friends who are staying in Lloret de mar spain. Whilst staying in Perpignan France.

is there any form of bus or train service from Perpignan to Lloret...

if any one has done this trip could they please post details for me.

i want to go early in the morning returning as late as possible on the same day

it would cost £120 to rent a car.. is there public transport i could use

Thanks in advance

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You would have to take a train or a bus from Perpignan to Girona or Barcelona and ask on the Spanish board if there are buses to Lloret de Mar.

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Removed on: 3:17 am, September 21, 2009

3 days...3 teenagers...Loire Valley or Dordogne Valley?

I only have 3 days left to plan for our France trip in August...which area would you suggest? We will have a rental car.

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We much preferred the Dordogne. Great cliff top villages, Sarlat has a superb market, and river canoeing and rope climbing parks nearby for the more active. We have holidayed there twice with our teenagers and had great holidays.

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Are you starting from Paris?

If your three empty days start in Paris (and you are flying from Paris, as I%26#39;m guessing), then go to the Loire.

The Dordogne is gorgeous, but it%26#39;s 6 hours%26#39; driving time -- way too far for only 3 days.

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Yes, depends om where you are coming from, but I still also vote for Dordogne ,, so much more fun for kids and teens, canoeing ,the prehistoric caves, medieval castles ( as opposed to more %26quot;palace%26quot; like Chateaus of the Loire Valley) , I do love the Loire Valley.

PS Book now as August is busy.

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Hi,

Ditto on the distance from Paris, but my kids (son 15, daughter, 17) really enjoyed the Dordogne more than the Loire, I%26#39;d say. The chateaux I oohed and ahhed over were a big yawn to them. You can see what we did in our 3 nights in the Dordogne on my trip report - sorry, it%26#39;s too long, but just read the Dordogne parts...

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187070-i12-k15375…

If you want to see authentic polychrome (colored)cave paintings, call soon and book an English tour in the Grotte de Font du Gaume. My kids also liked Roque St. Christophe - a whole village built into the side of a rock, with lots of areas recreated to look as they did in medieval times. My son liked Castelnaud, with the siege weapons and arms displays. We all loved the canoe trip.

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Spent 2 weeks in the Loire Valley last June/July in Parc de Fierbois (camping). Rained for 13 days of the 14.

I was told on my return home by a veteran French holidaymaker that it %26#39;always rains in the Loire Valley%26#39;.

This year we%26#39;re off to Nice where hopefully the sun will shine!!!

On that note - any good campsites near Nice that anyone can recommend?

OF5

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Removed on: 3:20 am, September 21, 2009

Christmas/New Year in London or Paris

Hi,

Looking for some advise. We are an Aussie couple living in London and we have family friends wishing to visit us in London over the Christmas period.

Our friends have 2 children 13 and 11.

What would be better.... Christmas in London and New Year in Paris OR Christmas in Paris and New Year in London??

We have expereinced New Year in London and are aware how good the fireworks are off the London Eye. What Fireworks happen in Paris?? And what do you think a family would enjoy more London or Paris??

thanks so much

Lisa

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Christmas in London is a lot more Christmassy than in Paris. We used to travel to Paris to escape the Christmas cr@p.

New years even i cant comment on because it isnt something I do -dcertainly not in public. (having said that, I did one do new years even in london and it was rubbish)

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Generally, you%26#39;ll find more of the Anglo-saxon idea of %26quot;Christmas and New Year%26quot; in London than in Paris, where you may be disappointed.

Christmas in France is primarily a family affair, with no tradition of outdoor events like caroll singing, bell ringing, etc lots. Lots of people move in and out.

New Years is generally spent indoors with friends. Outside the ambience is so-so - unruly crowds on the Champs Elysees, some bottle-throwing, NO FIREWORKS...

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We%26#39;ve been to Trafalger Square and Big Ben for New Year%26#39;s Eve, and we%26#39;ve been to the Arc De Truimphe for the holiday as well. Both were crazy fun. Paris was a little %26#39;safer%26#39; though. While at Big Ben the crowds were HUGE and pushing back and forth, and if you got knocked to the ground, there was a good chance you%26#39;de be trampled. When we were in Paris, we had a late dinner then went to the Arc around 11:00 or 11:30 with a small bottle of champagne to toast the new year. And it was a ton of fun. There wasn%26#39;t as much pushing and everyone was gathered to welcome in the new year together. There was traffic around the arc, and it was fun to see the car loads of people yelling and screaming and waiving flags and stopping to kiss girls in the crowd as they circled the arc. We stood at a point in front of the arc where we could see the Eiffel Tower in the background. What%26#39;s better than that? And from where we were, we did see some fireworks. Nothing great but... welcomging the new year while looking at the Arc and the Tower was just perfect. IMHO.

If I had to chose one to do again, I would chose Paris. And I think my wife would agree with me.

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Removed on: 4:22 am, September 21, 2009

Security at Train Station

I will be taking the Thalys from Gare Nord. Is there a security check at the station? How early before my train leaves should I arrive at the station? Thanks.

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No, there is no security check.

You can arrive within minutes of the train leaving (not that I would recommend this). Most often your train isn%26#39;t even at its quai until just before departure anyway.

I usually arrive about one hour before departure, so I can familiarize myself with where the train will be, and where my seat is in that train.

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The track for each train is posted 20 minutes before the scheduled departure. If you%26#39;re there 30 min before, you can find the Thalys area and have time to buy a magazine or a bottle of water for the trip.

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Removed on: 6:17 am, September 21, 2009

Rue Cler or St Germain- des -Pres

My wife and I intend to walk all over Paris and are tossing up between Hotels in either of these both very recommended locations. I don%26#39;t suppose anyone has stayed in both these areas to compare. Anyone prepared to tip the scales?

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Hi BeHappy,

I vote for St. Germain-des-Prés, it is much more central to all you will want to see and do, and you will be able to walk all over Paris from there.

I am puzzled by the attraction to rue Cler, it is a nice shopping street, but just one of many such streets in Paris, and we find the 6th to be much more vibrant, especially at night, than the 7th.

The last time I was in the 7th most of the people I passed on the streets were speaking English. The 6th is full of tourists also, but you will hear many languages being spoken, not just English.

Slowpoke

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The attraction to Rue Cler is due (alas) to Rick Steeves.

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The 7th gets dissed because of Rick Steves and %26quot;lots of Americans stay there%26quot; but it is a quiet ,convenient place to stay. We had an apt. 2 blocks off Rue Cler . Ate at few places on r.cler-French owner,Greek owner,Asian takeout. The Metro is handy-line 8 plus if you are walkers nothing is that far. We even walked to Louvre because of strike

If you want Nightlife this is probably not the area

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The 7th is fine, BUT, it is NOT particularily central, the 6th is much more so, and , it is quiet at night, as in dead ( except for RS road)

I stayed in serveral arrondissmonts and the 6th ( St Germain ) is definately a favorite of mine.

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Removed on: 6:20 am, September 21, 2009

Euros or ATM'S

Hi

We are spending a couple of days in Paris than 10 more days in the Provence, everyone says don%26#39;t carry alot of euro%26#39;s but get what you need at the atm%26#39;s located all over Paris, Are there lots of atm machines located in Provence, and the southern region of France? I want to make sure I have $$$ and not caught short.

Thanks in advanced

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ATMs are easy to find in bigger cities. In tiny little hamlets along tertiary roads, you%26#39;re probably out of luck.

Why not use a credit card, whenever you can, so that you%26#39;re not so dependent on cash? Just make arrangements with the bank so that the card gets paid off automatically on time, so that if you%26#39;re out-of-town when the bill is due, you%26#39;ll have no worries about balances and charges. If you have time, you%26#39;ll want to find a good credit card, with a low foreign transaction fee of about 1% or less. Credit Unions usually have these. Most other cards charge 3+%.

Maybe a debit card works, but I%26#39;m not sure. I%26#39;ve used a debit card only once in my life but don%26#39;t know anything else about them.

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ATM%26#39;s are the most convenient way to get cash since even in the smaller villages tthroughout Provence there is almost always at least one bank with an ATM - and, if you use banks within your home bank%26#39;s network there will probably be no fee for the transaction. Let your bank know that you will be in France so they do not think that your card has been stolen and check with them as to whether there is a maximum withdrawal amount allowed per 24 hours.

Of course you can use you credit cards for purchases, but be advised that many shops and restaurants do not accept AMEX. Also, you should keep in mind that there is sometimes a rather hefty charge by some US banks for these types of charges.

Hope this input is useful.

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Most large supermarkets have ATMs. Best advice os to find out what the maximum withdrawal is and do it when necessary.

This will keep the fees as low as possible

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Hi

Just a word of warning. If you are staying in chambre d%26#39;hotes, many of us do not accept credit cards.

The others are quite right. There are ATM machines everywhere here, even in the villages so you can always draw out money if you need it Just make sure you check your daily limits with your bank before you leave, usually they are around 300 - 350 euros/ day.

Have a great trip

ESCARGOT

Les Carmes

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Hello

Thanks to everyone who answered this question, there are 6 of us traveling together, so with your imput it really helped us. We leave March 12 for our trip and we are sooo excited.

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Removed on: 6:21 am, September 21, 2009