Paris Accommodations

We have returned from our trip to Paris and while I am organizing my photos into a few posts, I wanted to let you know where we stayed.  

This was a dual trip for me - I was away for 10 days, with the first four days spent with my girlfriends, and then Dave and the boys joined me for the second part of the trip and the girls went home.   For the first part of the trip, the girls and I stayed at the Hotel Des Academies et Des Arts in the 6th Arrondissement.  We chose this hotel because it had an option of a family suite with three separate beds, but when we checked in, they did not have that type of suite available and we only had a suite with two beds.  So that was too bad since, as I said, it was the reason we picked the hotel, but it was still a nice place to stay.   As is typical for a European hotel, space is tight, especially for three people but we were able to find enough space for our things.  We had two bathrooms, and actually the toilets were in separate WCs, with sink and showers separated.  That works well so you don't feel like you're tying up the bathroom for other people. 

Breakfast was included, which was another reason to stay here.  It was a lovely spread each day - boiled or scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, cheese, meat, fresh pastries and bread, fruit, granola, fresh juice, yoghurt, and of course coffee, made to order.  It was the perfect start to each day. 

The neighbourhood was fantastic. There were several good restaurants and shops within easy walking distance, along Montparnasse.  There was a Metro stop at the corner, and the Jardin de Luxembourg and Saint Germain area close enough to walk to as well.  

The view from one of our two rooms.

Breakfast :)

When Dave and the boys joined me, we stayed at an Airbnb in the 5th Arr. just down the street from our hotel. We had two bedrooms, bathroom with laundry, balcony, and large living/dining/kitchen area. The kids' bedroom had bunkbeds, and we had lots of closet space to unpack our suitcases. There was a Metro stop outside our door, along with a bakery, grocery store, and McDonalds! 

We were on the 5th floor, and no elevator so a fun climb at the end of our days! No air conditioning, but the weather had cooled down and we were quite comfortable.  We bought some groceries for breakfast at home, and enjoyed beer, wine and chips in the late afternoons before dinner.  There was a Smart TV so we could sign into our Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney+ accounts to watch whatever we wanted.  Star Wars seemed to be a constant this trip, not sure why.

View from our balcony.

Hotels vs. AirBnbs is a debate, but I think both have their pros and cons. I like a hotel because of the housekeeping and breakfast buffet, and the certainty of checking in/out and having a front desk staff for any issues.  I like an AirBnb for the space, Smart TV, and flexibility of eating and snacking.  Especially when you're with your family, having the space to lounge about comfortably is a plus!

A few other practicalities of our trip:

- We travelled by Metro many times, but did not buy a Day Pass, and I think that was the right choice.  I would recommend downloading the Ile de Paris Metro App for your phones and topping up as needed, and if you have kids, getting them a pass, and you can even top those up from the App without needing to visit a machine.

- We took the train from the airport into the city when we arrived, but took an XL Uber on the way back to the airport.  

- We all had e-Sims on our phones meaning we could access the internet just like at home (but cannot receive an SMS text to our phone number).  I remember going to Europe and leaving my phone on Airplane mode just accessing the wifi when available. How times have changed!  Now directions and restaurant options are so easy to access on the go.

- If you have children, or just want a fun side activity, download the Flash Invaders App.  It is a little game where you scan these little tiled creatures throughout the city that appear on buildings and bridges. They are fun to find and kept our kids moving!

- People smoke in Paris, I forgot about that. Not a big deal but I was surprised when we sat on our first patio. 

- Tap water is fine to drink and there are water fountains throughout the city with drinkable water.