Paris trip, DH nervous.

[MegCleary]

We have booked an Airbnb, two dds coming too and we go in two weeks. We were planning stuff and I linked DH to the apt and looking at the latest reviews there is a homeless encampment mentioned outside the kitchen window, the review mentioned being watched eating breakfast if you don’t close the blinds.
DH is VERY risk averse and now stressed about going.
Anyone had any issues like this? Advice appreciated.

The catacombs are great. Go in the morning and then go to Le Bistrot d'à Côté in Rue Lalande for lunch. (Have the cafe gourmand for dessert.)

I love the catacombs. Plus agree that, wherever available, always ask for the café gourmand. Effectively it’s coffee or tea with two or three mini versions of pudding. Also, the formule fixed lunches are always worth having. There’s a place on Île S Louis that does 3 courses for €15 and a glass of wine or cider (usually cheaper than having a coke). It’s very close to the Vedettes de Pont Neuf, which is my preferred boat trip operator.

And the current street art and Body in Movement (Olympics-related) exhibitions at the Petit Palais are great.

Can I ask - everyone who is enjoying going to Paris (and also those who aren't I suppose!). How do you travel there ? Are you all going by train or do you fly? If so, which airport do you use?

We used eurostar , hence staying near GDN.

We usually do ferry from Dover, drive down and put the car in secure parking while in the city. We break the trip in a favourite town (Senlis) on the journeys there abd back and pack the car with wine, food and all the assorted bits and bobs of kitchen items I've bought. We usually go to carrefour at Cite Europe on the way home and do a massive shop of Things We Can Only Buy In France.

I'm a Londoner so would always Eurostar it. You don't need a car in Paris, and indeed the TGV is awesome once in France. We go to the Alps by train as well.

Eurostar always. CdG is a horrid airport.

It does seem that Eurostar is the best way. I'll have to get over my horror at the thought of the tunnel under the sea !

It's fine! I am generally not a fan of tunnels and the tube but it is smooth and quick.

I fly now to CdeG, which I agree is a bit of a pain as airports go (though excellent Air France lounge) but when I lived in London we usually took Eurostar straight to the Gare du Nord. In fact, we lived very close to Waterloo when Eurostar operated out of there, so we could pretty much roll out of bed onto the early train and meet friends in Paris for breakfast.

Its honestly minimally noticeable when you're on the train. More of the journey is above ground than below - you're only in the tunnel for about 20 minutes and the journey doesn't noticeably change - all that happens is that the windows go dark.

Thank you - that doesn't sound too bad!

Rue Fenelon is the length of a church. It entirely overlooks a church, it's not going to be some massive encampment of thousands, a couple of tents.

Sure, not great but not worth losing £550 over. Get a cab to and from the apartment.

the host has messaged and the tents have left!

It's no different to any tunnel in the UK. They don't announce it anymore and the journey time is so quick that the only way you know you're in France is when your phone signal changes.