I am going to PARIS!!-Need Help on Accomodation, Food & Having a Good Time

mercx5

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May 19, 2006
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I just got my leave approved and am planning a holiday in the Land of LVs .......:yahoo:PARIS in September!!! Besides a holiday, I intend to shop LV to the max.

For tpfers who has been there for a holiday or Parisian tpfers, I need your advices on:

1) which hotel to stay (my budget is Euros 100 per night). Location, convenience, modern and clean is key. I have researched online but nothing beats actual experiences from tourist/locals.

2) I like to shop designer clothings (particularly Dolce & Gabanna, D&G, DSquared, etc). Are there any hidden gems other than the regular boutiques and dept stores, like factory outlets/2nd hand stores worth visiting.

3) I like food. Where should I go for good typical French food. Where to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. I like desserts too.

4) Is there any 2nd hand LV stores worth visiting? Would like to find some discontinued items.

5) Where to visit besides Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Sienne River.

6) any other general tips on having a good time would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance. I have to start doing more homework. :smile:
 
YAY!!! post lots of pics as soon as you return :nuts: i once stayed at L'Hotel de Academie which is in the left bank on rue des Saints-Peres just accross from the Beaux-Arts University. its a rather qaint 19th century house with creaky winding stairs, very narrow corridors and real keys for your door. i love it because its not like your standard hotel chain. the location is just perfect and quite central, the street it's in leads directly to the Louvre. my fave restos are Cafe Lipp in Ave St Germain (i always order the lamb shank with lentils) and Le Relais de l'Entrecote. its nothing fancy and the restaurant doesn't have a menu. they only serve ONE dish which is the best steak and chips (french fries) i've ever had - its all in their secret sauce. its on rue Marbeuf along Champs-Elysees. i don't know of any factory outlets in Paris, but if you want second hand Burberry trench coats and vintage Hermes scarves, try the markets around Les Halles. if you want to shop for LV, i recommend the St Germain branch, you'll have the entire boutique to yourself. forget the Dior boutique in the oblique corner, but do say a little prayer at the church accross the street before you enter :P oh and definitely have some La Duree macaroons and Berthillon ice cream :drool:
 
hi,

you will lOVE Paris !

100 euros per night is a little cheap for Paris, the average price per night for a modern, well located design hotel is 150-200 euros.

About outlet, the only one factory mall is located in the Disneyland Paris area.

About restaurant, some great adresses :

- le cafe de l'homme : STUNNING vieuw on the eiffel tower & the food is excellent but quality have a price about 150 euros for 2.

- Asian : fusion food (japanese, thai, ...) avenue Georges V, the food is great and the decoration is amazing.

- Laduree is wonderfull for lunch of afternoon break.

About shopping, check the main Dior store - 30 avenue montaigne, LV champs-élysée but be ready to see a very crowded store.

Fred
 
omg! u r making me missing Paris even more!

it's perfect that ure going in September since most stores (especially Dior) close for the whole month of August and reopen on September with mostly new stuff!!

>>during my last trip to paris, i stayed in du petit moulin hotel (as suggested in bryanboy.com =p)in the Marais district (i didn't know Marais is actually the most 'celebrated' gay area in Paris, not until i was there.... =p) the hotel was designed and decorated by christian lacroix. you can get special rates if u book earlier. their official homepage offer the best rates! the location is great too. it's near to cafes, clubs and most important, the train station. and of course, there's a lot more other hotel around there for you to choose. and owh, you must visit this website http://www.parismarais.com. it helped me soo much to get used to the area. all the hidden gems in the Marais area listed in there (you must click at the shopping guide.and don't tell me you don't get all excited when you read about BHV Homme coz i was..)

>>i am a muslim so my 'food range' is kinda limited. =) but of course, nothing beats a breakfast at plaza athenee & a supper in buddha bar. u'll love it!

>>a good book will help you with finding a good vintage shops.

i suggest that you sign up for an account in virtualtourist.com. they help me with everything! plus, you can get to know a few of local people.

if ure thinking of buying a book, i suggest that u buy Time Out: Paris (coz that is what ive bought =p) map, infos, notes, shoplisting..everything is there and its very much comprehensive!

i agree with deluxeduck about the LV store in Saint Germain. you may wanna go to the Champs Elysees big store for the experience but i don't think u would wanna ended up with being restricted to buying only 2 items at a time! plus all the queue and all, i really couldnt get bothered by that.


ps: dont; forget to post pics and have a FASHIONABLE trip!! =)
 
A trip to Montmartre (N. Paris area) is a MUST for first time visitors to Paris.
Have fun and speak some french, it goes a L O N G way in France !!!!!
 
Oh, and BTW, you didn't mention when you were going, but there is an LV exhibit that is open to the public (you just need to call 1st) it's their "Espace LV" exhibit on the 7th floor of their Champs Elysees (flagship, AKA the Mecca), you can check out the details on their website.....and if you go, take pics for us !!!
 
I recommend the Cafe George V on the Champs Elysees which is on the opposite of the LV Flagship Store. They have delicious dishes with reasonable price.Plus if you sit outside, you can overlook the most famous LV store.
 
I would def recommend wotif.com and lastminute.com for hotels. I stayed in st germain in a 2 bedroom apt for something ridiculously cheap through wotif. Make sure you ane close to the centre of things though. I loved walking around paris at night, especially through the markets which lead from the city to st germain.
 
Thanks to everyone for the useful tips. Keep them coming.

I know, Euro 100/night for accomodation seems kinda low in Paris but from where I come from, I can get a Junior Suite at ShangriLa Hotel!! That is why I need help from you guys. Malaysian currency is sooo weak.

I will be going around the 4th week of September, that is when the fall stuffs drops. I can't wait. Must check out the Espace thingy and try the food mentioned. I will def be snapping pics all the way and will keep this forum in mind when I take the pics for the benefit of tpfers. :smile:
 
Is there a limit on the number of LVs a tourist can buy? I have heard there are limits but then I also heard that it depends on stores or SAs. Does it mean that the limit is for the whole of Paris? Example, can I buy 3 LVs from Champ Elysees and then another 4 more from Lafayette.
 
the limit apply only to the champs elysees store i think. but of course, everything depends on SAs and timing.

on the other end, u may get taxed by customs if u exceed some limit of amounts. but, there's always many ways to get out of that~
 
DD, do you know anything about the purchase limit? This always puzzles me.

Customs I am not too worried as I can use them bags when checking out so that they do not look like brand new. :smile:
 
You'd have to visit galleries LaFayettes, it's shopping HEAVEN. It's hard to describe what makes it so special, the selection of super trendy pieces and customization, classic brands, new designers, clothes that are closer to art than anything else, EVERYTHING your heart desires no matter how your taste is like. And the price range is for everyone too.


For LV try the StGermaine branch like DeluxeDuck mentioned, it's less crowded than the other shops.