Paris Travel Advise needed..

[trekker6]

http://www.enjoy-europe.com/
This is an online guide with lots of info. Going to Italy next year, staying with a friend for a week, then driving around for a week or two. Usually when I go, I stay at a hotel with meals for a week, then just drive around stopping at tourist bureaus and getting a room for the night, always asking locals for things to do and places to eat, worked out well so far, this'll be my girlfriends first time in Europe and she's very excited, I'm a little nervous cause this is the first time with an sci. I always find people helpful and friendly and it's so refreshing to be someplace where they don't tear everything down after fifty years. You might want to sign up for a few tours, you'll be with a group and learn a lot more than just ambling around on your own. Have fun.

[trekker6]

How about renting a car? get a hatchback and let your husband drive, don't have to worry about taxis and you can go anywhere you want, I don't know about parking in Paris though, I used my insurance from here in the states and had no problems.

[sherocksandsherolls]

Originally Posted by trekker6

How about renting a car? get a hatchback and let your husband drive, don't have to worry about taxis and you can go anywhere you want, I don't know about parking in Paris though, I used my insurance from here in the states and had no problems.

Hi Trekker! Nice to "meet" you

We will actualy have a car once we GET to the home we are staying. But neither I nor my daughter can drive it..only hubby and he won't be in till that night.

So my challenge right now is the first day. here is what I need now.. a driver who can do this for a reasonable price lol! I am writing places now and even a few on craiglist..would love a recommnedation:

10:00am pick up at CDG myself and daughter 19yrs (I need to transfer into a front seat)
11:00 arrive at home we are staying, help us bring in luggage and get settled.
12:00 take us to city where we can sightsee for the afternoon alone.
5:30 come pick us back up and drive us back to airport to meet my husband who arrives at 6opm
8:00 drop us back to the home.
Total of approximently 5 hours duty time.

[trekker6]

Sherocksandsherolls,
I don't know if someone posted this list, but it has a list of accessible transport in Paris, http://goparis.about.com/od/gettinga..._accesible.htm
It's nice to 'meet' you also, you'll have lots of fun, slowing down and smelling the roses, spending hours eating and drinking wine, I didn't like the coffee or beer in france, wine was wonderful, cotes du rhone wine is affordable and good, it's just a region like we would call napa wines, cotes du rhone would translate to rhone coast. I stayed in Chamonix skiing and had multi course meals every night, the cheese courses were amazing, had a bottle of wine a night, met lots of nice people. I had a French exchange student stay with us for a year, and yes she said Parisians can be rude, but I met a Parisian couple who were sailing abroad and they wonderful, I think that people who live in big cities tend to be more guarded, just a product of big city life.

[trekker6]

http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/a...aris-taxis.htm
here's some info on taxis, plus the site has more info for your reading pleasure

[peterf]

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[eversonsail]

I have heard most rental cars in Europe are manual shift.

[sherocksandsherolls]

cool.re: hand controls..though I will have a car..except for first day..

I now have the first day down! whew! I had from 300 -1000 euros quoted! I am using a cab and train combo and ended up less than $200!

Now, I need to rent a shower bench..and no one is responding yet ..to emails. Oh well. may have to wait until I get there..I am hesitiant to bring mine..but it is very portable and maybe I should..save money time and worry

Planning this is becoming a full time job..but I am not complaining

Thanks for all the great suggestions..I am compiling them all into a word doc and will try to incorporate most of them!

[sherocksandsherolls]

Leaving Paris tomorrow am for Amsterdam. I will share some of the photos we took..that are on my PhotoAbility image gallery of France.(My favorites pose is my back to camera! lol)

http://www.photoability.net/gallery/46-0.html


I will give more of an update later, suffice it to say for now..food is way better here..even the frozen foods lol...the sidewalks/streets are really dirty and I was covered in dirt at end of each day..my nails and cloths are ruined lol. And frankly, they are so far behind on accessibility advances..that..they basically give a big "F U" to wheeling tourists. Apparently, many in the inclusive tourism world both in and outside of Paris have been working hard to change this but the term used is they do not feel it is a priority and they are somewhat stubborn and arrogant about it, and it is obvious..everywhere.

Beautiful yes, dangerously and uncomfortably inaccessible to the average wheeler in most areas-even main tourist attractions, Yes (and I can document this over 100 times a day), would I come back..no. And this is the first time I have felt this way about a city.

Looking forward to Amsterdam and Berlin...where they take inclusion far more seriously.

[trekker6]

Nice pictures, looks fun, at least the food is good, we're going to Trieste next year, may take a sailboat to the greek islands, can't wait. I want to take my sailboat across the atlantic and cruise the canals one day if I get enough strength back. Amsterdam should be better for you, in Germany the beer is wonderful, go to a guesthouse order wienerschnitzel and drink a couple of beers, makes for a great night. The big beerhouses are great, the waitresses walk aroun with armloads of liter steins on their arms and all the beer is good except for the wheat beer, not my cup of tea.