Where can i find cheap tickets and accommodation in Paris, France?

Question

I am thinking of going there in july 2008 but i need to find cheap tickets for 2 people (staying for a month), and i am thinking of renting an apartment, what is the best options i will have, and what do you recommend about the season and the places to stay??? Thank you

Answer 1

Wow - I can't begin to put everything here. I use SEVERAL sites for travel in Europe. Shermanstravel.com, travelzoo.com, kayak.com, sidestep.com and budgettravelonline.com. Arthur Frommers site is great to get info including villas to rent for a month (frommers.com and see Budget Travel above) and I love Rick Steve's site for that too. I signed up for http://www.consolidatorflightengine.com/ for cheap airfare ideas along with http://us.franceguide.com/ . I mean there are literally hundres, ne thousands of sites for this. Airfance is having a good sale along with British Airways. And depending on where you are traveling from check out the Canadian airlines - they have great offers too. Be aware that Bastille Day is July 14 and as is here it will be a big party. But things will be closed - the French also take their summer vacations around this time and are usually gone for the month so many things may not be open or have limited hours. As I have suggested in the past please check sites such as Virtualtourist.com to meet folks and get some ideas of where to stay, what to do etc. And the Department of State as well for travel safety. Check out books from Frommers, Dummies (yes there is a Paris for Dummies, I own a copy) Fordors, Rick Steves and so forth. You have a year to play with, sign up with all the airlines that go over. I do not recommend flying an American airline - it's not as comfortable. I would say look into Virgin, BA, AF and Air Canada to name a few. You might be plesantly surprised to find Swiss Air as an alternate airline as well. Sidestep and Kayak pretty much run the same, it's just a matter of preference. Good luck!

Answer 2

The best ticket prices will always be in the off season which usually is taken to begin sometime in October and end in April.

After you have selected a general period in which to make your trip use a site like Kayak ( http://www.kayak.com/ ) to monitor airfares and remember to be a bit flexible as to your travel dates.

If you are staying for a month then renting an apartment is a very good idea. The savings over a hotel can be dramatic. You'll find the Slow Travel website very useful for reviews of apartments ( http://www.slowtrav.com/ ).  You can take a look at these sites to get an idea of what is available and what you can expect to pay:

http://www.paristudios.com/

http://www.rentparis.com/home.php

http://www.paris-apartments-for-rent.com...

When seeking accomodation I suggest you look in the 1st-6th arrondissements with particular emphasis on the 5th and 6th.