Sleep in Paris and travel out or vice versa? - 4 nights

If you want to see Paris then stay in Paris. You have four nights or only three full days. Don't waste time travelling to and from the city, and there is more than than enough in Paris to occupy you for three days. Travelling to and from Orly or CDG will already eat up a chunk of your time.

The districts of Paris gave their own personalities and many have an area with a village-like feel. Really, you can be as busy or not as it suits you.

Look for accommodation on booking websites and aim to find something close to a metro stop.

Use the metro and buses to get around Paris. You don't need a car.

Learn a few simple phrases to be polite, but you won't be equipped to converse with anyone. Which is fine, because you will want to focus all your attention on your wife, surely.

I agree with much mentioned in #1.
Yes, stay in Paris and do a day trip if you must. There is just so much to do in that city. Travel in the city is quick and inexpensive with the Metro. For one day you might want to use the BatoBus and get around the city on a boat, relax a little, save you feet some. It is an on/off boat you can use for the day. http://www.batobus.com/en.html
A day trip could be Versailles or a city I really liked was Angers that is about a two hour train ride on the TGV from Paris. Leave early in the morning and return to Paris on the last train in the day. There is the Chateau d'Angers, old part of the city, some exceptional gardens and all are with in walking distance of the train station. This is some of what can be seen in Angers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOQ91naAX-U
I don't know where you heard that about the language. I never saw it that way in six trips to France. In small country villages maybe a little but in Paris English is spoken almost everywhere and most young French people speak some English. But do get a phrase book and learn a few. Always say bonjour when in a store or you might be ignored. It is just a custom and when leaving say merci. Just don't worry about the language and if you do have a little problem I have found it a long remembered experience in France.
I have only flown into CDG and recommend doing the same. There are a lot of options to get into the city and the RER is probably the least expensive. A taxi would most likely be the most expensive, but not really that expensive for the two of you and it will take you directly to the door of your hotel.
Here is a video on Paris that may be of some help to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6ooG1ebQGg&t=377s

You use the term, villages, and France has many all over the country, but with only four days I would recommend staying in Paris.

On the last point...I didn't understand what you mean by 'villages' outside Paris.Are you talking about some specific places?

Its not a rural area.The city is surrounded by suburbs,none of which I would describe as a 'village'.If you want very small and rural,then I'd head a long way out of Paris ;-)

If on the other hand you want a great city,then that is what Paris is.....

As above -- there are neighbourhoods in Paris that are quiet and relaxed, as long as you are away from the central core with the most tourists and well-known attractions. The advantage of being in Paris itself is that you can either be in a busy area or else go sit in a park, even in the large green areas of Bois de Boulogne or Bois de Vincennes, or else find a quiet café (or a busy one) and sit down and people watch. You won't find that in a village, and you won't find a village anywhere near Paris that is worth spending more than a few hours in.

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your feedback and guidance - Appreciated.

Pretty clear re: sleeping in Paris then and if I had to day-travel, travel-outwards. I like the Batoboat idea and also the travelling around by Metro mainly, therefore finding a hotel at reasonable distance from a station. Makes sense.

When I mentioned villages, I had in mind those old small medieval villages (something similar to what I've seen in Italy - Tuscany, Siena, San Gimignagno style?) - from some previous research I did, I was referring to Moret-sur-Loing and some places such as Fontainebleau.. but I might have got them wrong with regards to what these villages would offer? Thus my original question if I had to sleep in one of them and then travel up to Paris, yet that is clear now. Possibly if there remains time I would just do a day trip to see the Fontainebleau residence.

Valid point too regarding running away from the tourists within Paris - I'm sure that we'll manage to find quite spots too.

Here in Malta life has become extremely hectic for both of us with very long-hours... thus looking at a possible retreat (at least for just a day or so) out of the trip :)

Cheers everyone

If you want to visit a place with a "villagey" feel near Paris, go to Senlis. You can also visit Chantilly on the same trip. Other places you might enjoy include Auvers-sur-Oise, Pierrefonds, the Ile des Impressionistes, and as you've mentioned Fontainebleau and Moret-su-Loing. And right IN Paris is the Château de Vincennes and the village of Montmartre (NOT the Place du Tertre, but the actual old village, with its vineyards). If you're looking for some relaxation, steer clear of Versailles.

It would be practically impossible to find a hotel in Paris that wasn't close to at least one, and probably several, métro stops.

Not sure where you got the idea that the French won't speak to you if you speak no French. That's one of those old myths like "all French waiters are rude." Absolute rubbish. What you DO need to do, though, as mentioned above, is say Bonjour Madame/Monsieur every single time you walk into a store or café or market, or anywhere. And when you leave (every single time), say Merci Monsieur/Madame and Au revoir. You WILL be ignored (or possibly lectured) if you don't get that drill down.

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.