Headin' off to Paris

[Ed S]

I checked out some of the other threads about recommendations for restaurants and entertainment. Just wondering about a couple of other "climate" related issues.

Should I be worried about the student/labor demonstratons disrupting my trip? Things still seem fairly heated. I'm staying - as luck or poor planning would have it - in the Latin Quarter area.

As a frequet traveler in French speaking areas - mostly Montreal and Quebec but also including Paris in the early 90s - I'm fairly good at making my way through restaurant, museum, directions sort of interactions. I know that a smile and respect and some basic French go a long way in breaking down the "ugly American" vs "rude Frenchmen" barriers that exist in the mindset of some. Just wondering, though, how the current political climate with Bush/Iraq influence the view towards Americans.

Now - a real climate question.

I'm expecting temps in the high 50s/low 60s F (what's that like 10-15 C?) with evenings still somewhat chilly.

Perhaps a little rainy.

That said, I love springtime and am looking forward to spending a week of "April in Paris"

[J.A.W.]

I checked out some of the other threads about recommendations for restaurants and entertainment. Just wondering about a couple of other "climate" related issues.

Should I be worried about the student/labor demonstratons disrupting my trip? Things still seem fairly heated. I'm staying - as luck or poor planning would have it - in the Latin Quarter area.

As a frequet traveler in French speaking areas - mostly Montreal and Quebec but also including Paris in the early 90s - I'm fairly good at making my way through restaurant, museum, directions sort of interactions. I know that a smile and respect and some basic French go a long way in breaking down the "ugly American" vs "rude Frenchmen" barriers that exist in the mindset of some. Just wondering, though, how the current political climate with Bush/Iraq influence the view towards Americans.

Now - a real climate question.

I'm expecting temps in the high 50s/low 60s F (what's that like 10-15 C?) with evenings still somewhat chilly.

Perhaps a little rainy.

That said, I love springtime and am looking forward to spending a week of "April in Paris"

Can't say anything about the current political climate in Paris, I'll leave that up to Brownie.

As for the "real" climate, in my experience spring is an excellent time to visit Paris, though early April might still be a little too early. Temperatures average about 10-15C/50-60F, though we (in NW Europe) have had a long winter this year, which only ended last week.

Anyway, have fun!

[Ed S]

Well Hans, I live in a very cold area of the US as well - Buffalo, NY. Snow is in the forecast for Tuesday and they are still skiing in the ski country just south of where I live.

The 10-15/50-60 degree range sounds perfect! I think that because I live in a traditional cold area, spring temps in that range are really something to look forward to.

Edited April 2, 2006 by Ed Swinnich

[tjobbe]

Ed,

although not brownie, would want to let you know that public transport/service will be on strike on Tuesday (at least than, the start can be properly determined but the end ).

I already re-scheduled my planned business trip already on local advise.... so don't be to surprised about the "un-usual chaos" there...the "usual chaos" normally has its charme.

Cheers, Tjobbe

Edited April 2, 2006 by tjobbe

[Ed S]

Ed,

although not brownie, would want to let you know that public transport/service will be on strike on Tuesday (at least than, the start can be properly determined but the end ).

I already re-scheduled my planned business trip already on local advise.... so don't be to surprised about the "un-usual chaos" there...the "usual chaos" normally has its charme.

Cheers, Tjobbe

Thanks T - I'm hoping that things settle down by the time I arrive - April 23. I planned on doing a LOT of walking. Perhaps a little more that I had first anticipated

[brownie]

Ed, I live on the edge of the Latin Quarter and have yet to be seriously disturbed by the recent occurances. Most of the serious incidents take part in specific areas late in the evening.

By the time you arrive (April 23), the Easter holidays will be on and things should have fallen into places by then.

The main serious occurance scheduled for the time being is on Tuesday when there is a call for a general strike.

You can PM me with the adress of your hotel. I can let you know if it is safely located.

My take of all this is that by the time you get in, things will have calmed and people will go back to enjoy the lovely Spring weather!

I always do a lot of walking around the city and continue to love it!

[Claude]

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

This information is current as of today, Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:37:36 GMT+0200.

France and Monaco

March 27, 2006

This Public Announcement is issued to alert Americans to ongoing security concerns in France. Demonstrations, sometimes involving violence, have occurred and continue to occur in Paris and other large cities in France in opposition to a new law concerning employment contracts for young workers. This Public Announcement will expire on April 30, 2006.

Recent demonstrations have occurred at times in areas frequented by tourists. Some of the demonstrations may be announced, while others may be spontaneous. Police have responded by using tear gas. U.S. Embassy personnel have been advised to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings.

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in France to avoid areas where crowds are expected to gather, to exercise caution, particularly during evening and nighttime hours, and to closely follow media reports.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_2743.html

Edited April 2, 2006 by Claude

[tjobbe]

@Claude: what does the entry for Luxemberg say ?

Cheers, Tjobbe

[Claude]

Luxembourg is kind of dangerous too:

Terrorist incidents are rare in Luxembourg. However, like other countries in the Schengen area, Luxembourg’s open borders with its Western European neighbors could allow the possibility of terrorist groups to enter/exit the country unnoticed.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_953.html

A civil war was recently avoided in Luxembourg when the government denied reports on plans to cut the civil servant's Christmas bonus.

[brownie]

From SkyNews yesterday.

BIG APPLE PIPPED BY PARIS

Forget the riots - Paris is still the top short-break city destination for UK holidaymakers, although it is coming under strong pressure from Prague and New York. Paris stayed top in a survey of the most popular city breaks from American Express Travel.

But the company said New York and Prague, in second and third spots, were pushing the French capital hard.

With the pound still strong against the dollar, other American cities such as Boston and Washington DC were also proving popular. Nice in southern France entered the top 10, while Amsterdam slipped from third to seventh.

American Express said short-break holidaymakers now tend to book their own accommodation and flights rather than going for a full package.

A spokesman said: "The big demand now is for quality advice on hotels with the best city centre locations.

"Customers on a two- or three-day break do not want to find themselves in a hotel miles from the centre.

"We are also seeing a boom in demand for boutique hotels or historic properties with genuine character."

The top destinations, with last year's positions in brackets were:

1. Paris (1)

2. New York (2)

3. Prague (6)

4. Rome (4)

5. Barcelona (5)

6. Venice (10)

7. Amsterdam (3)

8. Dubai (9)

9. Dublin (7)

10. Nice (-)

[Ed S]

Thanks for the input!

Seems like my hotel is in a good locations - a stone's throw from the Paris Jazz Corner.

[Chuck Nessa]

Try their fries. I hear they are the best - even better than McDonalds.

[tonym]

Try their fries. I hear they are the best - even better than McDonalds.

:pulpfictionvoiceover: "Royale with cheese....."