Non-motoring > Travel to Paris next week, would you?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Hard Cheese	Replies: 38

New Mon 18 Oct 10 23:00   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Hard Cheese

We have flights and a hotel booked for a 5 night family trip to Paris over half term however strikes, fuel shortages, riots and hightened terrorist alerts are making me concerned about traveling. Any thoughts? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 18 Oct 10 23:08   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Bellboy

just take your own cornflakes in case your stay turns out longer than intended Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 18 Oct 10 23:22   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Zero

Dont worry about the hightened terroroist alerts, that is an insignificant threat. French strikers and rioters scare the bejesus out of me tho. Watch the news and be prepared to be traped there for a week or two, Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 18 Oct 10 23:49   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Bromptonaut

Was about to post but RF said it for me!! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 18 Oct 10 23:50   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

Depends on whether you've paid, the terms of you travel insurance - may be worth entering discussions with them.. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 03:46   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Iffy

...Dont worry about the hightened terroroist alerts, that is an insignificant threat... It's a bit like winning the lottery, the chances of doing so are tiny, but if you do, the impact will be great. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 08:11   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - sherlock47

>>>French strikers and rioters scare the bejesus out of me tho. Watch the news and be prepared to be trapped there for a week or two<<< It is not the strikers you want to fear it is the CRS - they do not appear to take prisoners. The riot police (CRS or 'Chevaliers Républicains de Sécurité') Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 08:43   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - CGNorwich

I would just go ahead. Strikes are just a way of life to the French and seldom get in the way of making money from tourists or a decent lunch. At the very worse you might get stuck in Paris for an extra day or two but that's not too bad! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 08:57   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Old Navy

If you see truckloads of kitted up CRS parked in side streets, vacate the area fast. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 09:08   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

Eurotunnel just spammed me offering a crossing for £20.00 ! Fill up this side and the bike would make it to the Swiss border ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 09:14   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Zero

>> the bike would make it to the Swiss border ! The way you hammer it? it wouldnt make the Belgium border. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 09:17   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 12:32   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Roger.

Why would anyone wish to go to Paris - it's full of foreigners - some are even Grenouilles! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 12:41   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - RattleandSmoke

There is always a risk but I would still go, Paris despite its many flaws (e.g no cheap beer) is a lovely city. I nearly cancelled my Cornwall/Devon/Avon/Summerset trip because the forcast was snow and the trains were on strike. I decided to still go, the train strikes never went ahead and it was 20c and sunny most days. So just go you will regret it otherwise. Even if the Tour de Eiffel does get blown up at least you have something to tell the grand kids! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 14:19   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Mike Hannon

>>be prepared to be traped there for a week or two<< Is that something they get up to in them there Montmartre clubs? ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 14:55   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Zero

stop taking the p Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 15:02   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Tooslow

Some idiot built it on a load of hills. John Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 15:52   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Armel Coussine

In the highly political early seventies I can remember the police themselves in Paris holding a (quite genteel though) 'day of action' and handing out leaflets to passers-by... 'Les policiers vous parlent!' I agree that the CRS are much more frightening than rioters. If you see them coming, flee or at least roll yourself up into a small ball in some protective corner or doorway. But riots are well worth avoiding. I've been close to a couple and they are very dangerous. Those volleys of bricks and bottles may be aimed at the police lines, but any one of the missiles could kill or maim you if you were out of luck, and riots are fluid: it's difficult to find a safe place that stays safe. Personally I think it's absurd to destroy property and endanger protoplasm over a proposal to raise the retirement age by two years, but what do I know? The French undoubtedly see it as the thin end of some awful wedge. But I wouldn't stay away from Paris for any trivial reason of that sort. I love the place. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 17:07   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Mapmaker

I wouldn't worry. Provided you can walk to your hotel the eurostar will probably still be running. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 17:40   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Zero

It wasnt earlier this week. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 21:59   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Hard Cheese

Thanks all, yes hotel and flights paid so I might open dialogue with the insurer just in case. Flying into CDG so ideally need a taxi though staying central so everything is walkable once we are there. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 23:10   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Armel Coussine

The airport buses are sure to be running. And taxi drivers can usually get fuel when others can't. I bet you won't see anything more exciting than the odd inflamed headline. Have a great time. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 23:33   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - FocalPoint

The Paris métro seems to be quite badly affected. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 02:10   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - lancara

Supposed to be driving up through France starting Thursday. Chickened out and booked the ferry from Santander to Plymouth. Money-wise not a great deal in it taking account of fuel, hotels, tolls, meals, etc. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:40   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - NeilS

Off to Normandy next week, friends living there tell us all the petrol stations are sold out. We usually take Le Tunnel but changed to Portsmouth - Caen so a full tank of diesel UK side should do us for the week. It's about £40 more expensive each way but I don't fancy running out of fuel or falling victim to lorry driver blocks on the motorways. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:47   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

Lady GaGa has canceled her trip to Paris according to the Times - what the hell has the world come to ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:51   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Zero

The world has not changed. The French have been rioting for centuries. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:13   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

I was rather more wondering why the Times saw fit to report it - mind you they had a photo of the Potato Faced Nipper on the front page of yesterday's edition - makes you wonder. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 19:27   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Bellboy

was he a chip off the old block? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 19:31   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Harleyman

You'll know it's got really serious when the French come over on the ferries and fill their cars up on our side! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 25 Oct 10 16:28   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - NeilS

Friends in France say that fuel has today got through to several garages in the local town. This is in a rural part of lower Normandy so would assume its finding its way to most places. My dilemma is do I arrive over there with an almost empty tank and fill up at €1.14 paying with the prepaid card (before the FX company goes bust) I loaded at €1.20 to the £1 a few months ago or bottle it? I suspect SWMBO will have some input! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 25 Oct 10 17:25   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Perky Penguin

www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/ Petrol on auroroutes is 1.58 euros per litre and pricey elsewhere else. Fill up in UK before you cross the Channel Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 25 Oct 10 17:13   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - BobbyG

>>Lady GaGa has canceled her trip to Paris according to the Times Have we just discovered Cheddar's real identity.........? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 25 Oct 10 17:42   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Hard Cheese

>> >> Have we just discovered Cheddar's real identity.........? >> No we're still going, reckon Gaga might be the one with some sense though! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 25 Oct 10 17:44   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

I posted it in shock that the Thunderer would report such a thing. I hope you enjoy your trip Cheddar. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Nov 10 08:20   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Hard Cheese

Well we did and all was fine, just a few piles of rubbish that may have been larger than usual and some good natured protesters under Tour Eiffel that were much more acceptable than the swarm of tat sellers, at least the latter dispersed temporarily when the gendar.. , er police, arrived. Expensive though, food not too bad though drink of any sort, juice, coffee, soft drinks, wine beer ... how can a can of coke cost at least five times as much in Paris as in London? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Nov 10 09:23   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

I found that last summer as well - 5 euros for a 500ml bottle of water in Grand Rue shop in a seaside town, the exact same brand of water 1 euro in a garage on the outskirts of town - market forces - lesson learnt I will carry a small bottle stashed somewhere on the bike next time. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Nov 10 09:42   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - Hard Cheese

Yep, 6 x 500ml = €1.40 in a Carrefour Express, 1 x 500ml = €6 in a Pizzeria. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 3 Nov 10 10:02   Travel to Paris next week, would you? - R.P.

I needed the first drink, the second bottle was for the journey - lack of space on the bike precludes buying in bulk, although s'pose I could flog the spare ones for a couple of Euros... Reply to this message | Report message