January 2012 - Let's Go to Paris, Part 2: Departure and Arrival
Before setting off, let me first go over the homework and briefly introduce Paris...
First, I searched online for the places that interested us, located them in Google Maps with the public transport option enabled, and found the nearest Metro stations.
Then I used RATP's system to check how to transfer between each pair of points...and planning each day's route became easy.
Compared with Taipei, the Paris Metro was far too expensive. A single Zone 1–2 ticket cost EUR 1.70!! (EUR/TWD was about 1:39 at the time.)
If the trip happened to run from Monday through Sunday, a weekly NaviGo pass was the best value.
Most major attractions were in Zones 1 and 2, the little red circle known as central Paris, supposedly about the size of Taipei City...
Travelling abroad may require the nerve to stop treating money like money, but a Zone 1–2 NaviGo was enough. Do not waste money...EUR 18.85 for an adult, half price for a child.
If the trip unfortunately crossed a weekend, there was no need to be fooled by the one-day pass (EUR 9.30) or two-day pass (EUR 15.20). We could not ride that much anyway; ten single tickets bought together were discounted to EUR 12.50.
With a sensible itinerary, four rides in a day was already plenty...we did not have the stamina for more attractions. Remember, this was a holiday, not spiritual training. Do not wear yourself out XD
For this trip we deliberately stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel beside Place de la Republique in the 11th arrondissement, where five Metro lines met...super convenient ^.^
The small "8e Arr." above the Champs-Elysees on the map meant the 8th of Paris's arrondissements.
When planning, I had originally wanted to rent an apartment and enjoy the feeling of blending into local life.
But the flights were not confirmed until very late, so we obediently booked a hotel instead ~.~'"
For a guesthouse or short-term apartment, I remembered that the 3rd arrondissement (the Marais) was well located, while the 13th, 14th, and 15th were considered safe...all reasonable choices.
Here were several well-reviewed guesthouses and apartments for reference:
L.W Independent Apartment in Central Paris
Sesame Paris Stay
Mrs. Wang's Paris Guesthouse
And here was a very convenient hotel comparison system, "Backpackers.com.tw international hotel comparison"...
Enter the number of guests, dates, and budget range to list matching hotels, then sort them by prices from the major booking systems...
If that did not make sense, never mind. It was simply an excellent booking tool ^.^
Finally, we had to check the weather before departure, then adjust the itinerary according to the forecast...
Paris ten-day weather forecast
Almost every day was forecast to be sunny ^.^
The temperature was low, but the actual feel there was only about the same as a cold front in Taipei.
At last, it was time to leave...
There was no need to exchange too many euros because cards were accepted everywhere in Europe. We just needed a card with a low foreign transaction fee.
For example, Fubon Bank converted foreign purchases to New Taiwan dollars and added a 1.5% service fee.
That was relatively reasonable...
Also, remember that Citibank airport transfer cost NT$588 each way. Do not drive yourself again...
Terminal 2 at Chiang Kai-shek Airport was still much more comfortable. Terminal 1, please try harder, okay?!
After a 13-hour flight...
We finally arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 6:40 in the morning local time...
The first thing ahead was a long tunnel connected to Terminal 1...
And advertisements for Galeries Lafayette, also called the old gentleman department store in Chinese, were everywhere ~.~'"
There was not much walking required in the airport; moving walkways were everywhere ^.^
Immigration in France was very quick. We were through in less than half an hour.
Straight ahead after customs was a sign pointing right for the train...
From Terminal 1, we first had to take the Airport Shuttle to Terminal 3 for the train into the city.
Looking forward and left from the arrivals exit, we could see that little opening...
We took the lift there to the first floor for the airport shuttle...
RER line B was the fastest, about 30 minutes, and cheapest way into the city. A ticket cost EUR 9.10 ~.~'"
As we rode along, the sun did not rise until about 8:30...
I did not know whether the RER and Metro carriages had heating or air conditioning. Although it was nearly 0°C outside, the carriage felt quite warm...
But after leaving the train and walking toward the station exit, cold air poured down the stairs and immediately felt bone-chilling @.@'"
In an instant, I zipped the children's coats up and handed out the secret weapon prepared before departure: surgical masks. I thought they might block some of the freezing air from going straight into our lungs.
At that moment I thought I was extremely clever. We travelled abroad with children often, so naturally I had plenty of preparation experience ^.^
The four of us zipped our coats to our chins, pulled up the attached hoods, put on green five-dollar surgical masks,
and slowly floated up the Metro stairs with our luggage. Pedestrians stared at us in disbelief, as if aliens were drifting up from underground....
We quietly removed everyone's masks immediately and hurried into the hotel...how embarrassing ~.~'"
During those days in Paris, we never saw anyone wearing a mask on the street, and did not even hear coughing on the trains or Metro...
The dry cold air here was much more comfortable than Taipei's damp cold.
Place de la Republique
The Crowne Plaza Hotel was inside the old building on the right...
Judging by the number on the wall, it was completed in 1866 ~.~'"
The courtyard was closed in winter >.<'"
The room was clean and comfortable enough...
Because construction was restricted in central Paris, many city hotels were said to be small and cramped.
A large, attractive room in the city cost about NT$10,000 or more per night.
Otherwise, we would have to stay beyond Zone 3 ~.~'"
I had seen a Novotel and Holiday Inn in Zone 2 with nicer rooms and relatively low prices, around NT$3,500 a night...
But they were in the 18th arrondissement, which was said to be less safe...with children, we decided against it. Safety came first!!
It was said that when the area was redeveloped, the Paris city government moved many low-income households there,
and over time one street naturally became Paris's most famous flea market ~.~'"
That roughly covered the distribution of Paris attractions and transport from the airport to the city. Next, let us begin the first day's itinerary: a Bateaux-Mouches cruise on the Seine~~~
2012 Let's Go to Paris
Part 1 Itinerary Planning
Part 2 Departure and Arrival
Part 3 Seine River Cruise
Part 4 Palace of Versailles
Part 5 Gardens of Versailles
Part 6 Disneyland Paris
Part 7 Rue Mouffetard, Notre-Dame, Musee d'Orsay, and Galeries Lafayette
Part 8 Palace of Fontainebleau
Part 9 Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe
Part 10 French Cuisine
Paris departure and arrival photo gallery
Previewing up to 8 album photos. Open the gallery to browse all photos.
Originally published: 2012-01-23
Revised: 2026-06-20
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