If I'm arriving at the Austerlitz station (coming from the south of
France by train) in the afternoon and flying out of Charles De Gaulle the next
morning, where is a decent, reasonable place to stay that is well
located for my purposes?  I will probably have neither the time nor
the ambition to try to go anywhere in Paris during that little block
of time unless the hotel is actually in the city.  Even so, I may want
to do nothing but roll in, eat, sleep, and head out in the morning.

I would prefer a hotel with a restaurant in it, and not an especially
fancy one, but would be okay with a hotel in an area where there are
restaurants close by that I can walk to easily and safely.

The main thing is to make the transfers from Austerlitz to the hotel
and from the hotel to the airport no more of an expense and hassle
than they have to be.

Time of year:  end of July.

Thank you,
Apteryx

---

Request for Question Clarification by leader-ga on 04 Apr 2004 08:17 PDT

Hello apteryx-ga:

I may provide you with a reasonable solution. Just wanted to clarify
if you will use the public transportation for your transport
needs...and if Yes, what type? (metro RATP, bus, taxi, airport shuttle
etc).

Thanks.

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 04 Apr 2004 11:41 PDT

Hi, leader, and thanks for taking my question.

I would use a taxi unless there is a convenient, low-hassle,
language-light alternative that you can tell me about.  For instance,
if there were an airport shuttle right from the hotel to the Air
France terminal at CDG for significantly less than a taxi, I would
take it.

For bonus points, can you estimate what my taxi budget might be for
these connections?

Thank you,
Apteryx

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 06 Apr 2004 11:46 PDT

How do I know if leader isn't interested in pursuing this question?  I
thought someone who knows the area could just answer it off the top of
his or her head.  I would like to open this up to other researchers
unless leader is still working on it.

Thanks,
Apteryx

---

Request for Question Clarification by leader-ga on 06 Apr 2004 15:50 PDT

I apologize for the delay. This questio is open to all the other
researchers. Let me post my advice as a comment and if you like it, I
can post it as an answer. Thanks.

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 06 Apr 2004 23:32 PDT

Thanks, leader.  I didn't mind waiting, but I was afraid you'd
deserted me.  Yes, please, you may post your response as the answer.

I do have to ask clarification on several points:

1.  What's RER?

2.  Does your comment "this area is not the best" apply to both hotel
recommendations or just the second one, and what does "not the best"
mean?  If it means this is not prime tourist territory, that's not a
problem.  If it means this area is a bit seedy and run down or a bit
industrial or a bit hold-onto-your-purse low-life or risky, that's
different.  Is the area ok for a woman traveling alone to be walking
around in, looking at menus in windows and trying to figure out where
to have dinner?  Would you send your mother there?

3.  Have you actually been in the area?  Have you stayed in either hotel?

4.  Do you speak French?

Thank you,
Apteryx

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 09 Apr 2004 11:31 PDT

<nok nok>  Leader?  You there?  I'd like to make my bookings, but not
before we've completed our business here.

---

Request for Question Clarification by leader-ga on 10 Apr 2004 09:43 PDT

Sorry for the delay. Because of the inconvenience, I will not post my
comments as an answer. Here are the answers to your questions.

1. RER operates just like the Paris Metro but it mainly serves the
Paris suburbs. For Example, RER serves destinations like Charles De
Gaulle and Orly Airport as well as the Paris Disneyland. It is mostly
an underground railway network and is connected to the Paris Metro and
TGV. Here is a good description of the RER Network:
http://www.trainweb.org/subwaymark/transit/France/paris_cr.htm
You may also access the different types of Paris commuter network maps here:
http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/Pla_q/f_pla.htm

2. By ?not best?, I only meant that this might not be a very good spot
for a visitor who will like to visit the attractions of the city and
enjoy the typical Paris lifestyle. Basically, it is a suburb and is
known to be the commuter hub to and fro from the Paris downtown and
suburb. The area otherwise is as safe as any other Paris community and
there are no particular problems concerning crime against women. Yes,
the area is a little bit on industrial side but it is a clean and a
safe district.

3. Although, I haven?t stayed at either of these hotels but I have
been to this area three times during my travel to Paris and Europe.
One of the people whom I knew stayed at the Comfort Hotel for two days
and was pretty satisfied with the service and rooms.

4. No, I don?t speak French. The information that I provided was based
on my own experience as a travel consultant.

Please inquire, if you have further questions. 

Sincerely,
Leader-ga

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 10 Apr 2004 18:17 PDT

Thank you, Leader.  I hesitate to ask now because you are not charging
me for this, and yet I do still want to know:

1.  What does RER *stand for*?

2.  Does your comment "this area is not the best" apply to both hotel
recommendations or just the second one (i.e., are they in the same area?)?

I feel confident that your information is good, but if you guessed
that I'd be unhappy about taking 6 days or more to close the question,
you'd be right.

Apteryx

---

Request for Question Clarification by leader-ga on 11 Apr 2004 06:58 PDT

Hello apteryx-ga:

1. RER stands for the Reigonal Express Network. Here is an excerpt
from the RATP website (RATP is the transportation authority in
France):

"Since it was first launched in 1969, the RER (Regional Express
Network) has extended to the entire Greater Paris Area, thereby
ensuring high levels of mobility for its population. It comprises 5
lines, including lines A and B, which are operated by RATP (except for
the north-west section of line A and the north section of line B), and
lines C, D, E, operated by SNCF.

There are approximately one million and a half passengers every day on
lines A and B. These lines run through Paris and provide links to all
the departments of the Ile-de-France region, while ensuring service to
the two main airports, Orly and Roissy-Charles de Gaulle.

The Ile-de-France region is changing, and so are its residents?
habits. We are thus adjusting our offer to our customers? real
travelling needs, whether in terms of traffic, timetables or train
frequency.

Measures have also been taken in order to ensure greater railroad
safety, such as train speed control, communication improvement, etc.

We are pursuing our efforts in order to fight against vandalism and
ensure cleanliness on all our trains, as well as to protect parking
areas and create ?graffiti-removal? areas.

On line A:


    * commissioning new dual-level trains, which are more comfortable
and equipped with a cooled-air system
    * improving service on weekends, working days and during the summer.


On line B:


    * increasing regularity, frequency and comfort during non-peak times
    * increasing the number of stops in the nearby suburbs."

Excerpt taken from RATP official website at http://www.ratp.fr/

2. My comments, "this area is not the best", only applies to a visitor
who wants  to tour the city. The comment imply that the visitor will
not be in close proximity to the Paris attractions. Otherwise, the
area and the hotels in the area are just as good as any other
neighbourhood or Hotels in Paris.

Please don't worry about asking further questions.

Sincerely,
leader-ga.

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 11 Apr 2004 13:34 PDT

Thank you, Leader.  I think we have it on question 1 (although I did
expect the expansion of the name to begin with the letters R, E, and
R).  Thank you for the additional information on transportation
services.

On question 2, I am not sure you have understood the question.  I am
still asking:  did your comment apply to *both* hotels or only the
*second* one named?

You named two hotels.  The second one named was Tim Hotel Gare Du
Nord.  Then you made the comment below it:  "Although this area is not
the best . . ."  I am trying to find out if that comment pertains just
to the Tim Hotel or if it is also about the Comfort Hotel Gare Du
Nord.  Are both hotels in the same neighborhood?  The question is not
about the character of the neighborhood.  (You have already answered
that.)  It is about the application of your comment.

Thank you,
Apteryx

---

Request for Question Clarification by leader-ga on 11 Apr 2004 18:50 PDT

Thanks for the clarification. I am sorry for the misinterpretation.
Both hotels are located in the same neighbourhood. Tim Hotel is just
across the Gare Du Nord train station while Comfort hotel is 2 blocks
away from the station.

Sincerely,
leader-ga.

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 11 Apr 2004 22:06 PDT

Thanks very much, Leader.  That is everything I wanted to know.  If
you want to go ahead and post an answer ("see below" would suffice, if
you ask me), you can take the credit.  You've given me so much useful
information here that I won't take points off for waiting.

Apteryx

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 11 Apr 2004 22:15 PDT

Wait a moment, please.  Are you *sure* it's not the other way
around--the Comfort just across from Gare du Nord and the Tim two
blocks away?  That's the way it looks to me on their maps, but I am
not sure I am interpreting them correctly.

Apteryx

---

Request for Question Clarification by leader-ga on 12 Apr 2004 18:39 PDT

You got me this time. Actually, Comfort Hotel is closer to Gare Du
Nord than the Tim Hotel. I used http://www.maporama.com to find the
exact locations. Infect, Comfort is just across the main entrance.

Now, you have provided me another reason not to post this as an
answer. Please clarify, if you have further questions. I will be
obliged to answer them.

THANKS.

---

Clarification of Question by apteryx-ga on 12 Apr 2004 23:59 PDT

Thanks, Leader, and I do believe that does it.  If you're really not
going to post the answer, then I will just go ahead and close the
question, and I'm sorry not to be able to compensate you for your
efforts.  (I chose an especially French price for the question.)  I
did learn what I wanted to know.

Apteryx

Aw, Apteryx, please don't rush back home without first coming to the
UK for a few days.

With regard to your question, Novotel might fill the bill but I don't
know how their tariff stacks up against your budget.

Try this ...

http://www.freehotelsearch.com/international/France-hotels/Paris-hotels.html

Hi, Bryan--

Was planning to pop in to see you, old thing, give Daisy a scratch
behind the ears & say "hey" to the daughters.   See if my case of
champagne arrived.  However, as fate would have it, right after this
mission, I have urgent business in the West.  So--next time, what?

(How's my accent?  I'm working on it.)

Thanks for the link.  I did find sources like this, but I have no way
of discriminating among offerings.  Things like "decent, reasonable,
well
located for my purposes" and "restaurants close by that I can walk to
easily and safely" are matters of direct and indirect personal
experience and not the sort of thing that you can judge from a
website, so that is why I brought my question to GA.  I am hoping that
leader or someone who knows the area will be able to give me
information like that.

Cheerio--
Apteryx

Hello apteryx-ga:

First of all, I want to apologize for the delay. Please accept my
apologies. Instead of providing you a detailed answer, I will try to
keep it short and  precise.

Judging by your needs, I think that there are three ways that you can
get to your destination. These include the Taxi, the Airport Shuttle
and the Metro. All of these have their own advantages. A Taxi can get
you to your destination without much hassles but it is considered
expensive. Also, a Taxi might take up to three passengers at a time.
Fares range from Euro 20 to Euro 45 from city to airport. Here are
some good websites that will answer your questions.

TAXI in PARIS

Francekeys.com
http://www.francekeys.com/english/general/taxi.shtml

Parisby.com
http://www.parisby.com/transpor/taxi.htm

It is always better to take the Taxi form the Taxi stand. Here is a
partial list of Paris Taxi stands:

Perso
http://perso.club-internet.fr/podvin/sitegb/taxis/taxiarrt.htm

SHUTTLES

Another method of transportation is taking the shuttle. The shuttle is
usually cheaper than Taxi and can be booked in advance. The shuttle
will also take passengers. It usually costs around Euro 23 on average
from Paris city hotels to the Charles De Gaulle Airport.

Here is the website address of some of the major shuttle operators in Paris:

Parisshuttle.com
http://www.parishuttle.com/

Paris airport shuttle
http://www.paris-airport-shuttle.com/

METRO

This is by far the cheapest method. It should cost you around 7 Euros
from the hotel to airport. There is a regular Metro (subway) service
and a RER service. RER service serves the Charles de Gaulle Airport
Terminal B.

I will advise you to stay at a hotel near Gare Du Nord in Paris. The
reason is that you can get a RER from across the street straight to
the Terminal B of Charles de Gaulle Airport. The good thing is that
you cannot miss your stop because second and the third terminals are
the last stop. Take a look at the Metro and RER map on the Paris
Tourism website. You might want to take the Metro from Austerlitz
train station to Gare Du Nord and when its time, you may take the RER
straight to the airport. Please take a look at the maps.

Here is the Metro Map.
http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/Pla_q/f_pla.htm
Line 5 serves (Orange color) the Austerlitz and Gare Du Nord.

Here is the RER Map. (RER map is also visible in the Metro Map)
http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/Pla_q/f_pla.htm
RER B serves the Charles De Gaulle Terminals 2 and 3. (Blue Line)

I will highly recommend two hotels in Gare Du Nord that are adjacent
to the railway station and are not only reasonably prices but are good
quality. You will find plenty of small ethnic restaurants all around
this area. The hotels also have their own small eating establishments.

Comfort Hotel Gare Du Nord 
33, rue de Saint Quentin , Paris, FR, 75 010
Phone: (33) 1 4878 0292
Fax: (33) 1 4526 8831
http://www1.choicehotels.com/ires/en-us/html/Search
(Type in Paris and France in their respective fields. The hotel should
be 13th from top).

Tim Hotel Gare Du Nord
http://www.timhotel.com/hotels/us/g-nord.html

Although this area is not the best when it comes to attractions and
restaurants but it is the perfect place for a one day stay.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more questions.

Sincerely,
Leader-ga.