Going to france. what to do?

Question

in a few weeks im off to france in a week with hubby and 2 friends . we're going by channel tunnel. iv never been before. can anyone reccomend a cheap hotel to stay in calais. what kind of stuff can we do? dont mind travelling to other nearby cities in our car. we dont drink (!) or plan to go to any clubs, so what other interesting stuff is there to do? if we plan to travel to other cities, do you think its best to book hotels as we go along, or return to calais every night?

Answer 1

You and your 'hubby" should go to the Arc de Triumph.

Lots of couples go there.

I really want to go there for my first date. =)

Also, of course, it wouldn't be nessecary if you didn't go to the Eiffel tower. It's about 8 euros per person, I think.

Me and my American friends went there for my birthday.

Those are the two main places you should go.

Don't forget to bring a camera and take pictures.

Hope you have so, so much fun. :D

I moved here 2 months ago from Texas and I love it.

Phrases that are easy to learn...

Hello - Bonjour, Salut

Goodbye: Salut, Au revoir

I would like...: Je voudrais..., Je desirez...

Please: Sil vous plait

Thank you: Merci

And remember, at resturants, you have to ASK for the check. Haha. I love seeing American tourists sitting and waiting for them to bring the check. It's so fun! :D Haha.

EDIT: Oh yes. And there is a Hilton hotel in Paris...(No comment about that...)

Answer 2

Hotels in/near Calais.  You say you want cheap and, to my mind, the best way to do cheap in France is to use their equivalent of Trevelodge. There are two main chains, both of which have hotels in Britain from where you can obtain brochures/guides.  The best of the two, I find, is Ibis and there are two in Calais. One is next to the car ferry but, as you're going by the Tunnel, the one in the centre is your best bet. It's called Ibis Calais Centre and its phone number is  03 21 34 63 62 (remember to dial the code for France before this number. Campanile also has a Calais hotel, phone: [phone].

You can also book Ibis on 0870 609 0936 (a UK based call centre) or on www.ibishotel .com;  and Campanile on 0207 519 50 45 (London) and on www.campanile.fr

You may prefer to stay some way outside Calais to give closer access to places of interest and there are Ibis Hotels in le Touquet, St.Omer (I've stayed there) Arras, Lille, Amiens(stayed there) Cambrai and more.  There are Campaniles at: Bethune, Arras, Amiens, Beauvais, Lille and others. One thing you could do is to work out a circular tour taking in the sights of northern France and then move, every few days from one Ibis to another. Ibises always have restaurants so there's no problem finding a place to eat if you're worn out!!

You can book all your hotels in advance (and then you know you have a room guaranteed) or you can book from one hotel to another. They do it for you at reception and don't charge.

As to what to visit - the choice is endless but don't try to do too much. Don't drive into Paris whatever you do. If you do want to visit Paris stay in a hotel from which you can catch a train into Paris. Say at Beauvais.  Get yourself a good guide book. The best for you would be the Michelin Green Guide to Northern France and the Paris Region.  Included in it they give suggestions for round trips by car. Don't bother with Eurodisney - it's expensive and a rip-off.

Places you could visit are the World War I battlefields and cemeteries around Arras and Albert, Reims, the centre of the Champagne country (and Epernay)  Go round the champagne cellars. Amiens has a lovely cathedral as has Beauvais.

I'm sorry. I seem to have gone on at great boring length. But I love that part of France and hope we might be able to take our caravan there this year.  Enjoy!!

P.S.  Buy the Michelin Maps for the area as well or the Michelin Road Atlas France 2007/8. French road are very good and you can cover long distances very quickly.

Answer 3

What Sara said was great - note that you are not entitled to a VAT refund like US residents are, but you will find that prices are cheaper for food and much the same for most other items compared to the UK.

If you think Paris is too far to travel, Lille is a very nice town, and has excellent chocolate :-) Other than some large shopping centres, there is not so much to do in Calais, so if you're thinking of visiting another city I would recommend that you look for a hotel there too, as you'll probably want to spend more time there than in Calais.

Answer 4

Speak French & go to the Effiel Tower & Notera Dame In Paris or Euro Disney

Answer 5

www.Venere.com/Calais

www.cheaphotels.co.uk/france/calais/ho... - 15k

www.shortbreakmarket.co.uk/ - 28k

www.mytravelguide.com/attractions/ctat... - 29k

Answer 6

You probably would get the best deal by staying in one place when you can. Also there is SO much to do and see in Paris alone it's best to get guide books and search the internet before you leave so you don't miss out on anything. Most hotels will help you book tours. The French's idea of meat is NOT the American idea of meat, but their bread, cheese and wine is to DIE for.

The French (Parisians specifically) have a horrible reputation for being rude but this is a myth.  It helps to learn a few simple French phrases, Please, thank you, hello, I would like... things like that. If you try to greet them on their terms they appreciate it. In France stores aren't considered public spaces but more like a person's home. By saying hello to the shop keeper as you enter will score you some politeness points. Also the French do not eat quickly in restaurants and don't like to have a waiter hover over them like in the US. So you may think your waiter is rude when he doesn't mean to be. Don't yell, keep your voice down, that is also considered polite.

The street food is great! But watch out for pick pockets, they are EVERYWHERE! Make sure you bring a digital camera with LOTS of space, you will need it for the pictures. And learn the rules for what food and wines US customs will allow you bring back before you get to France, it will save you some heartache. Also Paris has a 17-19% sales tax, you can get some of it refunded as you are not a resident, Your hotel or travel agent can help you find out how to do it. Drivers in France are INSANE, so try to rely on public transportation as much as possible. Their tube aka subway system is very handy and I think you can buy weekly passes for it.

Parts of France, Paris to, predate Christianity so you will NEVER run out of stuff to do or see. And of course you can't miss the Louvre. They have the Mona Lisa. Notre Dame,  Bourgandy, Normandy, Nice... THE LAST THING I WOULD DO is go to Euro Disney. It's over priced and I LOVE DISNEY but if you've been to the US Disney parks, then skip it. You only see France a few times in this life.

I hope this helped!

Answer 7

Go to Disneyland Paris, they have a rollercoaster that goes from 0-60 mph in 3 seconds, and a drop ride that might make You sh*t Your pants. Get drunk in Planet Hollywood, Paris, and eat tostadas at the bar, it's great fun.

Answer 8

You have received some very good advice from the readers.  Remember that the French drive on the right-hand side of the road, but if you don't get the hang of it in the first 10 seconds, you will be in big trouble.  Their speed limit signs are in kilometres per hour not miles per hour but an approximate conversion to do in your head is to multiply them by 6 and divide by 10 so 90 km/hour is approximately 54 mph - worth knowing!  Also their distances are in km and the same conversion can be used. Visit this link: http://www.laterooms.com/en/Hotels.aspx?... for a list of hotels in the Pas-de-Calais where last minute discounts are on offer.  Do not bother with Disneyland - it is exhausting and over-priced. If you feel happy on holiday in France this year, consider a camping holiday next year (using pre-erected tent sites like EuroCamp if you just want to try the idea) and meet real down-to-earth French holiday makers - avoid hotels and tourist centres. It is a lovely country to go on holiday to - but the advice about learning a few French phrases is invaluable. Have a lovely time.

Answer 9

I always use http://cheaphotelpass.com

Answer 10

Of course, the Eiffel Tower, cant miss that. I would look up tourists sites regarding attractions and such. Thats what I did, I also checked out cheaptickets.com and their flights are very cheap. There is also the Eurorail, which is a train you can take to other cities and it also goes to other countries in Europe as well. Amsterdam is nice as well. I beleive the site is eurorail.com, but if not you could just google eurorail and it should come up