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Travel Shopping MallPlanning an enjoyable and successful international trip requires taking many steps such as those described at the Paris Travel Checklist page of this site. Occasionally, at this site, where appropriate to the context, products and services to enhance your trip or help you save money are briefly described together with links to a merchant website with more details and an order form. To facilitate your shopping for products and services that can be useful in planning and enjoying your trip, a number of ideas are assembled from other pages of this site and other sites and are described on this page together with links for further details and ordering information. Discounted Air Fares Air travel consolidators enable travelers to compare flight prices for a number of airlines simultaneously to find the lowest-cost fare for any given date. Check air fares with Expedia, one of the major consolidators, by clicking on Everything Europe: Deals, Maps and More! For airline fares and schedules, and to order tickets, click on "flights" at the upper left of the Expedia.com page. Priority Pass is the world's largest independent airport VIP lounge access program with over 500 lounges in more than 275 cities worldwide. Priority Pass membership provides airport lounge access irrespective of the class of travel or choice of airline. Ideally suited to frequent travellers, members of this unique global product enjoy VIP treatment at airport lounges worldwide, including: Complimentary drinks and refreshments, access to business facilities, newspapers, TV, phone, fax and interent access - all in a relaxed and comfortable environment away from busy airport terminals. Priority Pass is ideally suited to frequent business and leisure travelers - and at a time of increased airport delays, VIP lounge access is in high demand. Click on Priority Pass for more details. Comfortable Walking Shoes Expect to walk extensively in Paris. Getting to and from the Metro, getting to the attractions and getting to restaurants will require walking unless you hail a taxi. Exploring and appreciating wide boulevards and many fascinating side streets can be done best by walking. You will need excellent walking shoes to ensure that you enjoy rather than suffer while walking. I have worn Rockport shoes for over 25 years including on our visit to Paris in May 2006. I have tried many brands, and no other make of shoe even comes close to Rockport for comfort for walking. You may consider ordering Rockport shoes to ensure that walking in Paris will be a pleasure. Click on Rockport Shoes to find and order shoes that are right for you. Latest in Cell Phones If you are going to Paris with your spouse or other companion, you should have two cell phones so you will be able to communicate with each other and avoid becoming lost. If you want the latest in cell phones to take with you to Paris for convenience in all of your phone communications, click the "Click Here" button in the following banner and enter your zip code for the best cell phone offer in your area. Cell phones will be selected from T-Mobile, Cingular, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Nextel, Alltel Wireless ad Amp'd Mobile.
Electronics A hand-held recorder can be very useful for recording information about each photograph you take or your impressions of any Paris attraction, restaurant or event. Such a record can make your memories of Paris come to life after your trip. Click on Radio Shack for a valuable resource for electronics to enhance your trip. A handy tool at the home page is the Battery Finder which helps you find the right battery for your product. Paris Airport Shuttles Upon arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport, my wife and I took a Paris airport shuttle to our Paris hotel and then in returning, we were picked up at our hotel and driven to the airport. I recommend Paris Airport Shuttles as the most convenient and hassle-free mode of getting from and to the airport in Paris. It is necessary to make reservations for a Paris airport shuttle, and it is advisable to make your reservations early, and certainly before arrival, to ensure having the necessary seats for you and others in your party when you arrive. Your Paris shuttle transfers must be booked at at least 48 hours in advance of your travel date. Each traveler is allowed one (1) piece of luggage and one (1) piece of hand luggage free of charge. Oversized or excessive luggage (e.g., golf clubs) may have restrictions. If you will have excess luggage, please provide details in the Special Requirements Box at time of booking. To make your reservations for a Paris shuttle from or to Charles de Gaulle airport, click on Paris Airport Shuttles, then click on Paris, then click on Page 6 and scroll to the 6th and 7th offerings for information on Paris Shuttle Arrival Transfer and Departure Transfer - Charles de Gaulle Airport. Click "Book Now" to make your reservations. If you need transfers for Orley Airport, click on page 9 and scroll to the 8th and 9th offerings and follow the same process. The price for per person for arrival or departure shuttles currently is $22.55. Infants aged 3 years and under travel free of charge, providing they do not occupy a seat. When you click on one of the four names for Paris airport shuttles, you will see a page with detailed information including answers to Frequently Asked Questions. The shuttle service is available for flights arriving from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and for flights departing from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Your transfer will be confirmed online immediately and you will be provided with instructions and a travel voucher to present to the driver. It's that easy! Your shuttle will be an air-conditioned minivan driven by an English and French speaking chauffeur. Gratuities are not required. Accommodations One of the important steps that you need to take early (up to three months before your trip) is to make reservations for your accomodations. Click on Accommodations my recommended resource for Paris hotels, residences and apartments. The following steps will lead you through the process of finding a hotel. The process for residences and apartments is the same. Choose how you wish to sort the listings, i.e., by name of hotel, rating, area (arrondissement number), user rating or price, and click on the appropriate heading to sort. You may also select hotels in any of five ratings categories and unclassified to narrow your search. To do this, click on the category you choose opposite the word Select. (a) To bring up information about a hotel, click on the hotel’s name. (b) To see a map of the area (arrondissement) in which the hotel is located, and the hotel’s location, click on the small map, under Area, for an enlargement. (c) One of the most important parts of this recommended resource are user ratings and reviews. Users are individuals who have stayed in the hotel. To see user ratings and read user reviews, click on X Reviews where X is the number of reviews. User average ratings appear for Property Characteristics, Correspondence Between (with) Web Page, General Review and Quality vs. Price. Click on view details on the same web page to see user ratings for 15 factors and to read detailed user reviews. The user name, type of user and date of the review are given. Click on view details under user name to read even more of the review. (d) The next important step is to click on the green Details button on the right side for the hotel you are interested in learning more about. You will see the Overview page with a photograph and brief description of the hotel. Click on the Location button at the top of the page to see the hotel name and location on the map of its arrondissement. Click on the Rooms button to see a featured photo of a room. Click on the Facilities button for a list of the hotel features. Click on the Photo gallery button for a number of small interior and exterior photos which are enlarged by clicking. Click on the Users Rating button for the user ratings and comments if you have not already viewed this information. (e) The steps given above are not in a mandatory order. Experiment and search for what you what with the buttons and underlined links. (f) To search for apartments or residences, click the corresponding tab at the top of the listings. (g) To make a reservation, click the Booking button and then enter the check in and check out dates, number of persons, and number of rooms. When finished, click on the Search button. The availability and rates appear. If acceptable, and if you wish to make reservations, click the green Book button for the room type and price you choose and proceed to make your credit card transaction. Learn Some French The most effective way to learn French, or any foreign language, is total immersion. Living in France with a French family for several months would be ideal for learning French, but it is seldom practical. So what are the best practical ways of learning some French? There are myriad French classroom, packaged and online courses. Learn French You will notice that my emphasis is on learning “some” French. There are two main reasons for this emphasis. First, generally it is not realistic to expect you to learn to speak French fluently for a short visit to Paris of a few days to a few weeks. Second, you can learn enough basic French to enable you to enjoy Paris and establish some relationships with Parisiansin a reasonable time if you are diligent and passionate about learning French. It should also be made clear that of the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing), my recommendation is that your first priority in learning some French should be on speaking and listening with a secondary priority of learning to read some French. Being able to read signs, newspapers and maps would be of value. You may check on classroom courses offered in your area by adult education programs associated with colleges and universities, high schools and libraries. Of course, enrollment in a French course as a part-time or full-time student in a college or university may be an option for you. Packaged courses on CDs, CD-ROMs or tapes, usually with a guide book, offer flexibility and convenience but vary greatly in format and quality. Online courses offer the advantage of being accessible anywhere by computer. At the present, I have two recommendations, each with a totally different teaching method: Recommendation No. 1: “French With Michael Thomas: The Fastest Way to Learn a Language” (Deluxe Edition-8 audio CDs) Often called “the world’s greatest language teacher,” Michael Thomas has taught Hollywood stars and other celebrities, corporate leaders and schoolchildren with amazing results. There are no books, no drills and no homework with his course. His program provides an accelerated method for learning French that is revolutionary and really works. Michael’s system for learning is natural, stimulating and exciting. You are invited to join his class of two students as he turns words into short sentences and builds them into longer, more complex sentences. With helpful comments, he prompts his students to formulate sentences and then provides his own pronunciation of words and sentences. He provides much reiteration which reinforces learning. Two testimonials are significant: "As the newly nominated—and subsequently appointed—U.S. ambassador to France in 1989 I had to brush up my French in a hurry. Michel Thomas performed a minor miracle with his innovative, no-pain learning system. Merci beaucoup, Michel!" -- W. J. P. Curley, former U.S. Ambassador to France and Ireland "Michel Thomas has developed a truly revolutionary method of language instruction. All you have to do is follow his lead: no memorization, homework, or stress. I was amazed by my success using Michel's method." -- Warren Keegan, Professor of Business at Pace University in New York To learn more about "French With Michel Thomas: The Fastest Way to Learn a Language” (Deluxe Edition-8 audio CDs) and to order, click on French with Michel Thomas. Recommendation No. 2: Rocket French Rocket French is one of the easiest-to-follow system for learning to speak French available today. This software package, which has a download version and a shipped version, has 90 hours of lessons, over 700 activities and exercises, over 3,000 separate sound files, three software games and step-by-step instructions. It is impossible to learn to converse in French by reading French courses. It is essential to learn to pronounce the language first. Rocket French enables you to learn sounds spoken in French by listening to a French-speaking person pronounce words and phrases. Rocket French provides extensive and effective lessons with strong emphasis on learning pronunciation of French words and phases. Games add enjoyment to the learning process. The lesson plans have been designed to help you reach the following learning outcomes:
To learn more about Rocket French and to order the program, click on Rocket French. Paris Rental Cars Paris Art Museum Guided Tours Paris Guided Walking Tours To learn about a guided paris muse group walking tour of the Da Vinci Code Trail and private walking tours of The Marais: A History of Paris, Montmartre: Last Village in Paris and Passy: Neighborhood of Invention, click on paris muse Guided Walking Tours and then click on The Da Vinci Code and Paris Walking Tours in the upper right of the page. Paris Bus Tours To learn about a number of Paris bus tours, click on Paris Bus Tours, then click on Paris. You then see the heading "Our recommendations for Paris" with ten pages you can explore by clicking. The first tour on page 1 is "City Sightseeing/L-Hop On Hop Off Tour of Paris" by bus. The first tour on page 2 is "Paris City Tour" by bus. You may explore the other eight pages to find all available Viator Paris Bus Tours. For each tour, click the link at the bottom for more information and booking details. Cruises and Water Tours To learn about a number of Paris cruises and water tours, click on Paris Cruises and Water Tours, then click on Paris. You then see the heading "Our recommendations for Paris" with ten pages you can explore by clicking. The 7th tour on page 1 is "Seine Cruise and Illuminations" by boat. The 8th tour on page 1 is "Seine River Dinner Cruise with Transfers" by boat. You may explore the other nine pages to find all available Viator Paris cuises and water Tours. For each tour, click the link at the bottom for more information and booking details. Paris One-Day Excursions To learn about a number of Paris One-Day Excursions, click on Paris One-Day Excursions, then click on Paris. You then see the heading "Our recommendations for Paris" with ten pages you can explore by clicking. Versailles excursions are the 4th, 6th and 7th tours on page 5. Disneyland is the 2nd tour on page 6. Mont-Saint-Michel is the 4th tour on page 5. Two more Versailles tours are numbers 5 and 7 on page 6. Fontainebleau is the 8th tour on page 7. D-Day and Normandy is the 4th tour on page 8. For each tour, click the link at the bottom for more information and booking details. Bicycle and Hiking/Walking Tours Throughout France Travel by Rail in Europe Art Prints and Framed Art You may wonder why art is offered at a travel website. If you have seen some of the old masters’ paintings in the Louvre or some of the Impressionists’ works in the Orsay Museum in Paris, you may have been enthralled by the beauty and magnificence of the art. You may have seen great art in your local museum or in an oversize art book from the library. Regardless of the way you have admired great art, an excellent way of continuing your pleasure of viewing it is to enhance your home with prints or reproductions of your favorite works.
Click on Art Website for a stunning array of art by famous artists organized by artists’ names or favorite collections and available for ordering online as either framed prints or framed canvases. At the home page, you may view art by favorite collections, artists, subjects, art styles or color by clicking on the appropriate links and/or tabs. Mirrors and photography are also available. You may search with the following search box for art by name of artist, subjects (floral, fashion, still life, etc.), art styles (Impressionism, Old Masters, Baroque, etc.), color (deep blue, yellow ochre, primary colors, etc.), art on canvas and "on sale" items. You may also search for mirrors and types of photography. Personally, I prefer searching at the Art Website where all the options are presented.Build Your Own Website Although it is not related to travel, if you have ever wanted to build your own website, I would like you to view a video about arguably the best system available today to create a high-quality, profitable site that visitors will love. Click on SBI! for a video tour of the Site Build It! (SBI!) system. I used SBI! to build this website. To read case studies of websites built wtih SBI! that are in the top 1% of all websites, click on case studies. You may read more details of the SBI! system by clicking SBI! Details.
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