Hilton HHonors - Help! hilton Paris for stopover after intnl flligt?

wow. after much difficulty I managed to book 4 tix atl-PRG in a couple of weeks and wound up with a one night stopover in Paris...flying into CDG. Having never been to Paris Id like any and all advice on place to stay where I can get a sense of Paris life while keeping in mind Im traveling with 2 kids - teen and a todler.
It will be a Thursday night if that matters.

any and all advice welcome!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g187147-Paris_Ile_de_France-Hotel-Deals

If you want a sense of Paris there's no sense in staying out by CDG.

The Hilton Arc de Triomphe is well placed for a quick loop encompassing the Arc, les Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower. There is an ample master thread on the ADT.

It depends. If you think you (or the toddler) might be tired, I would book the Hilton Charles de Gaulle. That way, whoever is tired can go to sleep, and whoever is not tired can go into Paris, see some sights, have dinner, and take the train back out to the airport. If you are confident that nobody will be tired, then the Hilton ADT.

I would would suggest the Hilton ADT. There is a metro stop less than two blocks away and the property is very nice (as compared to other Paris Hiltons). It is conveniently located and within walking distance of many of the sites. Also, the concierge lounge is one of the best I've been to.

I would stay at CDG, Unless you are packing extreamly light, its not worth dragging all your stuff into town and then back to the airport.
I think the airport hotel you can place your bags, take a qick shower, and then decide if you want to trek into paris with the family or just rest at the hotel and adjust to the time change.

wow. after much difficulty I managed to book 4 tix atl-PRG in a couple of weeks and wound up with a one night stopover in Paris...flying into CDG. Having never been to Paris Id like any and all advice on place to stay where I can get a sense of Paris life while keeping in mind Im traveling with 2 kids - teen and a todler.
It will be a Thursday night if that matters.

any and all advice welcome!

What time do you arrive and depart?

If you can travel lightly by checking bags through to PRG or left luggage at CDG then I'd consider heading into town, but if you'll have all your bags I'd probably head to an airport hotel so your onward journey starts easily. The RER train service to town can be a bit of a hassle if you aren't used to it with piles of luggage. Better to focus on keeping the family group together than moving bags :eek:.

Taxis can be expensive, a hassle to find, and slow. Plan to use the Metro underground service to see a few spots like Louvre, Pompideu Centre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, river trip on Bateaux Mouche, and I'll try to find the name of the bistro that we really enjoyed a family evening meal at. My main tip to get a feel for typical French dining would be to find a handwritten blackboard offering 'Menu Fixe' or simply Menu. It'll be the offering of the day. Do you know enough French to distinguish chicken from snail?

I've stayed at the CDG and at the ADT.
After a long flight, and with bags, I'd say to go for the CDG. It's also more family friendly IMHO.
As some of the others here have said, you also have the choice whether you feel like going into town after all...and you might be surprised by how you feel.

We wound up in NYC on 4/7 a few years ago after a long flight and decided we were so tired that the fireworks weren't for us, so we just watched them on TV from the W=A. You may find the same once you get to Paris. But if you do want to get into town, the TGV or the RER or the bus will get you there quickly.

If you want a sense of Paris there's no sense in staying out by CDG.

The Hilton Arc de Triomphe is well placed for a quick loop encompassing the Arc, les Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower. There is an ample master thread on the ADT.

You know your family best, but with the kids and uneven sleep and diets, the CDG Hilton might be great, especially if you are a Diamond and have lounge access. We stayed at the Arc de Triomphe two weeks ago and it was fine, but not special. It is well located. I did not find the staff very friendly and the breakfast was just OK with little service. Yes, it was a nice buffet but there was no omlet stand so we just had the pre-made scrambled eggs.

Nice room but it took an hour and three phone calls, the last to the manager, for someone to bring a new TV remote so we could watch something.

We will not be staying there again.

Airport for me, every time I have a flight out next day.

Nothing worse IMO than arriving at the airport already frazzled just from getting there. Or, worst case as happened once, being stranded downtown by a strike (this is France!).

Paris is best experienced by walking around the city, especially at night after dinner when you can get a sense of being in Paris state of mind.

I was in Paris for a week on a conference near the Airport and stayed at the Sheraton CDG. Each night we'd go into the city by train and then the train would stop at least by 11 PM going back to CDG. So it was a terrible idea to have to deal with trying to get back to CDG late at night when the trains stop running ot work on the tracks. I ended up having to take the taxi back to CDG a couple of times and found a way to take train and bus back one other night.

I would recommend taking a taxi into the city and then taxi back to CDG the next morning for your flight. Yes, taxi is not cheap, but then train into the city for 3-1/2 persons may not be any cheaper.

This your first time in Paris, make the most of it.