Paris Forum: Place to stay outside of the City

commuting from outside Paris will add a big cost for 6 people

there are plenty of peripheral areas within the city with good metro access where lodging might be cheaper -- if it is a first trip, consider what you lose by not being there from convenience of being able to drop things at your lodging, change clothes etc as well as unwillingness to come back into town in the evening and thus missing the beauty of the city at night

Thank you for the advice, some of the family has not enjoyed the big cities in America on previous family vacations, maybe Paris isn't like that, I will have to do more research. If anyone knows an apartment in a quiet area, let me know.

Without leaving the city, you can save a lot of money by staying in the outer arrondissements.

Much more information would be helpful...why you would want to stay outside the city and commute into the city, along wth specific reasons why you have not enjoyed staying in citites.

Typically speaking, world wde, it's almost always more pleasurable and economcal to "wake up" in your city destination.

So addtional details would be most helpful.

If city vacations aren't for you, then you may want to skip Paris and visit another part of France instead. Normandy, the Loire Valley, etcetcetc.

This family member may hate commuting 45 minutes or more each way everyday on busy commuter lines too! Personally I would just stay in the city, but in a quieter more residental area. I will leave to others to suggest those places as they don't attract me personally.

I do feel that if a person doesn't really enjoy big cities then a trip to Paris may be a bit of a waste for them , they may be predisposed to not enjoy the whole trip. Even if you stay outside city , I assume you would come in to sightsee, which does mean crowds and traffic.

If I was going to stay outside Paris myself, I would stay in Versailles, with the assumption I would not commute in each day,, not do much other then enjoy a smaller city ,, visit the Chateau,, etc. But, as noted, its 45 minutes commute, and about 6 euros. So , for a group of 6 , thats 36 euros everyday,, and an hour an a half of commuting.

I think the poster is saying that some family members find large towns intimidating to stay in and would prefer somewhere quieter. When you come from a town of five and a half thousand you might well feel like you need a quiet retreat at the end of a day sight seeing in a place like Paris.

Just think, most would never have taken a train, certainly not a metro. The crowds would be huge, the shops and the streets and just finding your way quite exhausting. I can understand the need to return to somewhere quiet. Surely a zone 5 Paris Visite ticket will get them somewhere suitable.

Hey lynn, I understand what you are saying, but I am saying the commute outside the city could be a bit much too.. it eats alot of time , and you would be coming in and going out at about rush hours too,, yech .

So where is a nice quiet area of the town where they could stay. I'm no good here, I like the busy bits.