November weekend in Paris
It must be great to get on a bus with a tourist group and an escort and go across half of Europe to Paris . . With night crossings . . With a couple of hours of sightseeing tours in cities along the way . . Mandatory visits to shops designed for tourists . . About nothing think . . Walk with your tail for a guide who will take you to the toilet and to the restaurant . . There is certainly something in this. But once you have planned and gone on a trip on your own, the above option is no longer attractive! I want freedom of movement, communication with locals while searching for a particular attraction, etc. And then, on top of everything else, you experience double pleasure from the fact that you were able to figure out the intricate Parisian metro and that, thanks to the card received in the exchanger, you will find out that there is a wonderful observation deck on the Montparnasse tower - no queues, comfort, a lot of interesting information and no hustle in line for the Eiffelef. Therefore, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Paris for the November holidays and, of course, without the slightest participation of travel agencies))
We started with the purchase of air tickets through Vizair. Everything is simple. The only thing is that the price is minimal if you eat only with hand luggage. More expensive with luggage. We regretted a little that we had not paid at least one place back - we could have brought wine, cheese, something else. Well, they saved a lot of money anyway : )
We booked the hotel through Booking. com. We chose for a long time. The main condition is the price and proximity to the Porte Maillot (the planes of this airline arrive in Beauvais - about 80 km from Paris, so consider the cost of the transfer - there / back for two is 68 euros, however). And since back, the transfer bus departed at about 5 in the morning, when public transport was still not running, I didn’t want to spend money on a taxi - we were looking for a hotel within walking distance. Found. ibis budget hotels. To the metro about 10-15 minutes at a calm pace, to the port of Mayo with a brisk step in the morning we reached 45 minutes somewhere. I liked the hotel - simple, but excellent cleaning, good soundproofing and a view of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower from the window)) The area is wonderful, calm, next to the La Defense business district.
On the first day we went to the coast of the English Channel for 5 hours somewhere - we really liked it. Tickets Paris-Dauville-Troville-Paris were bought via the Internet, registered, no need to stamp - the controller checked, everything is ok)). We calmly walked around Deauville, that there was very little time left for Troville - after all, it was November and it gets dark early. On the contrary, we recommend starting with Troville - it is much older and located on a hill. If you climb the winding streets upstairs, you will surely see a stunning view.
Important information - high-speed direct trains in this and Rouen direction run only on weekdays. On weekends, instead of 2 hours, you will have to travel 5-6 hours, with transfers and at a high price.
Saturday and Sunday were dedicated to Paris. Our faithful companion was the "Orange Guide" - there are many interesting routes with minimal, but quite sufficient historical information and useful tips. What to see and in what sequence they thought over at home. We didn’t go to museums, where there are long lines - too - it makes no sense to waste precious daylight hours on events and places “for show”. I wanted to walk more along the streets, embankments, feel Paris, and not stand in line with the same visitors as us. I always had a metro map in my pocket - I couldn’t do without it. We moved only by this transport - we did not find places inaccessible to it))
We walked a lot, but the fatigue was pleasant and left immediately after dinner with real French wine and cheese. Products are expensive. The cafe is even more expensive. For a French breakfast (coffee, croissant, orange juice) they gave 13.7 euros for two - really very tasty! But for some it's probably not enough.
The weather was great all 3 days - about + 12-14. There was no rain. At this time there is a golden autumn - very beautiful!
We will not give advice on what to see and what not. Everyone decides for himself. The only thing - do not expect anything from the city - just come and decide for yourself whether it is "your" or not. We didn't dream of Paris (quite the contrary), but we liked everything - the architecture, the people, the infrastructure of the city, the atmosphere in general. We did not feel the language barrier despite our Russian and very broken English. By the evening of the first day, we felt that we were walking around our native Minsk, and not distant Paris. Do not be afraid! It's so interesting to travel "on your own"! If you need help - contact us!
