We'll be at the Paris Hilton, which is listed as 18 Avenue de Suffren, Paris, France 75015.

We're picking up a car at Sixt, which is listed as 42, Avenue de Saxe, F-75007 Paris.

Can I infer from the closeness of the "zip codes" that these locations are relatively close? I'd like to be able to stroll over and pick up the car without messing about with taxis, etc.

Thanks.

Well, well, well. I was able to get a map from Mapquest (for some reason, Yahoo couldn't give me a map).

I seems that the Sixt office is about 200 yards from the Hotel - certainly within walking distance.

Life is good.

BigLar: The Sixt office is actually 1.7 kilometers from your hotel - about 1.05 miles.

So yes, it is within walking distance, but a bit further than 200 yards. There is no direct M�tro, but if you need directions for that, let me know.

I will be at the Hilton Paris Sep 20-29, and I finally decided to take the Eurostar to the Nord train station rather than do the fly thing to CDG. Should I drag my brand new Costco wheelie to the Hilton or should I get a taxi, Metro, Tube or truck. Does anyone have any special walking directions available? I actually need the excersize if it aint too far or too uphill.

MisterNice

Big Lar: Great language pun in the topic title - well done!

BVH/1.3.14159 miles: Yeah, but what if his room is at the far end of the hall?

MonsieurNice: Take a taxi from the station to the hotel; everything else is awkward. Keep walking around the city during your long week, and you'll have plenty of exercise. And are you taking the You're-A-Star from Bryn Mawr or from Wailea?

Indeed, I missed that!

Everyone's a comedian these days. Tr�s dr�le ...

I agree with this advice. CArrying/rolling luggage in Paris (other than a backpack) is awkward and also dangerous for the wheels of your luggage (think crottes de chien).

[This message has been edited by blairvanhorn (edited 09-10-2003).]

BigLar

Here is a link to wanadoo Paris that I just love. It is in French but can be navigated easily in English. Just put in the address for the Hilton. Enter 18 in the No field, avenue de suffren in the rue field, Paris in the Ville field, and hit rechercher. Voila!

http://www.wanadoo.fr/bin/frame.cgi?...es.wanadoo.fr/

Notice you are on the Avenue de Suffren. The green in the map is the Champs de Mars. Like the old yellow pages ad, just let your fingers do the walking. Click to the right of your location and note that the address on Suffren increases. As you "walk" down the street, eventually you will see the Segur metro. Click left and you hit Saxe.

To see your exact Saxe address, type it in. Now "walk back" to the Hilton. Have fun.

For me, this would be a fairly short stroll for the car and the metro really doesn't work. Bir Hakeim to Cambronne maybe, or Bir Hakeim to La Motte Piquet Grenelle to Segur. I think you will walk almost as far and wait for trains and transfer. Blairvanhorn and Wideman may have better ideas.

http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/Pla_q/f_pla.htm

Normally, I pack my bags then leave to get the car and have Mrs OB one and the kids bring the bags downstairs and meet me when I get back. We carry walkie-talkies to facilitate the meeting. Pulling a bag is a bit different story. It is a bit of a hike. Can't be more than a couple of dollar cab ride.

Finally because I have been helped so many time on FT, 75007 means 7th arrondisement and 75015 means 15th arrondisement. They are adjacent to one another. Click below for more Paris maps. Again, I defer to those more knowlegeable but I think Ave de Sufferen is the dividing line between the 7th and 15th.

http://www.paris.org/Maps/MM/

[This message has been edited by OB one (edited 09-11-2003).]

Driving in Paris can either be lots of fun or a colossal headache, depending on how much you like city driving (and maybe how many wheels are beneath you). I love it -- the first time around the Place Etoile circle I did another 360 just because it was so much fun.

I recognize that not everyone thinks the same way, though: finding your way can be confusing (esp at the big intersections where several streets come together), and it does take a bit of time to get used to the signage.

My advice to anyone who wants to pick up a car in Paris but who is wary of driving in the city center is to reserve a car at either Orly or CDG (depending whether you're heading south or north), then take the AF bus or a taxi to the airport. From the Hilton, a taxi to the Invalides terminal then the AF bus to Orly is easy and inexpensive.

If you can drive in Boston, you can drive anywhere. They call it offensive driving in Boston: you watch out just for yourself. You know it is really all those folks who keep hitting the brakes that cause all the accidents.

At least you are on the right side of the road in France.

[This message has been edited by OB one (edited 09-11-2003).]

Title pun? Just how clever am I?

Anyhow - I'm back. The Sixt office I had in mind is indeed about a 1 mile walk, and I walked it. They were surprised to see me, as there is another Sixt office just around the corner from the Hilton. Dunno why I couldn't find it on their site. Oh well, got the car, had a great time.

Swore I'd never drive in Paris. I still think I made a good decision, but in order to get out of the city, I had to negotiate the circle around the Arch de Triumph: Man! What a zoo!

One of the more challenging spots in Western Europe, in my experience