Sandra Gustafson: You could probably get in under the wire at the Saint Germain des Pres, but the room will be small. I like the Hotel le Relais Medicis, which is charming. Rooms are bigger than most, and the location is super. La Bastide Odeon is consistently good and lives up to its hype. La Lozere serves cuuisine from the rugged Lozere region of France. If you are willing to go further afield, La Cerisaie, in Montparnasse, is that little bistro we all hope to find. It is run by a husband (he cooks) and wife (she serves) team. The food is wonderful and it is perpetually packed. Reservations essential. 01-43-20-98-98

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Woodbridge, Va.: My wife and I are going to Europe for the first time. Shirley is turning 50 and wants to do so in Paris. We will be there the week of Feb. 4, 2008. What is the best way for newcomers to approach Paris and environs?

Sandra Gustafson: Your wife Shirley beat you to the punch with almost the same question. Please see above. Have a great trip.

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Bethesda, Md.: Bonjour! Heading to Paris and will be there from Nov 15-20th. Looking for a small apt or cozy hotel on a budget for the four nights we are there. No more than $130 (US dollars) per night. Ideally in the St. Germain area or in close proximity to that. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Molly

Sandra Gustafson: This is a tall order. Most apartments require a minimum of 5-7 days, but Kudeta Home is one that often lets very basic, simple apartment accommodations for just a few days. Dhely's Hotel in the 6th arrondissement is a budget basic with no frills.

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Seattle, Wash.: I am taking my teens (14 and 17) for a week in Paris this July. We are trying to choose between an apartment in the 15th--but at the border of the 7th. Sevres-Lecourbe area--and one in the 5th. Any advice?

Sandra Gustafson: Stay in the fifth. There is more to see and do here. The other areas are ok, but not as much fun for you teens.

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Qualicum, B.C., Canada: My husband, 13-year-old son and I will be traveling to Paris next April 5-10th. We definitely travel in budget style and have booked a studio apt. in the second district on rue d'Aboukir. Someone thought it may be in the garment district, away from it all. Can you tell me a little about this area? I also notice on the Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf website that there is a four euro per ticket discount if booked on the internet? Is the the boat tour you would recommend? I had heard that it was close to a food market so it cannot be that bad!

Thanks in advance,

Sandy

Sandra Gustafson: Please, don't worry about the location of your apartment. Yes, rue d'Aboukir is in the garment district, but it is minutes away from the rue Montorgueil, a fabulous shopping street with everything from patisseries, fresh fruit and vegetables, three supermarkets, a horse butcher and side streets filled with up-and-coming boutiques. There are two metro lines, several buses and it is an easy walk to the Palais Royal gardens and the Louvre. This is my favorite neighborhood in Paris. Most of the Bateau Mouches are about the same...they only travel up and down the Seine. Avoid the touristy and overpriced dinner cruises.

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Shelburne Falls, Mass.: Our family of four--including two children who will be ages 9 and 13--will be spending 4 days in Paris next summer and welcome any suggestions for age-appropriate activities and reasonably-priced, conveniently-located hotels. I am overwhelmed by the size of the city and hotel choices! Thank you.

Sandra Gustafson: Don't be overwhelmed. Paris is quite negotiable if you have the Plan de Paris par Arrondissement, an easy to use map plan of Paris. You should be able to order it over the Internet, and it is sold at all the news kiosks in Paris. Take your children to the Pompideau Center which is the huge modern art museum, on a boat ride on the Seine, to the top of the Eiffel Tower, the Luxembourg Gardens and walk along the Champs Elysees. If they like music, a trip to FNAC is a must. It is a huge warehouse-like store that sells it all. Finally, I can't stress this enough: don't try to do everything. Spend some time just enjoying being in Paris. Here are several hotel suggestions: Familia Hotel and Hotel Saint-Jacques. Both are in the vibrant 5th arrondissement. Grand Hotel des Balcons in the 6th is super budget bet.

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Fayetteville, Ark.: My fiance and I will be celebrating our honeymoon in Europe in late December 2007 and will be spending 4 nights in Paris. Our last night there will be New Year's Eve. What is a great way to spend New Year's in Paris?

Thanks,

Jessica

Sandra Gustafson: Have dinner at le Jules Verne restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower. This will not be a cheap eat, but one you will never forget. 01-45-55-61-44. Reserve as far ahead as possible.

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Conway, Ariz.: Where do you consider the best people watching in Paris? Not for the youngsters only, please.

Sandra Gustafson: A sidewalk table at Les Deux Magots on boulevard St-Germain-des-Pres.

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San Francisco, Calif.: My sister and I plan to take my niece to Paris in July or August of '08 (10-14 days) to celebrate her 21st birthday. Can you offer suggestions for renting an apartment? Which month is better for getting a good rate? Also, can you provide ideas for low cost entertainment? Many thanks. --Kathy

Sandra Gustafson: July and August are tourist months, so reduced rates will be hard to find for apartments. It is not too early now to book your apartment at the price you want to pay. Haven in Paris, run by Erica Barman has wonderful apartments. So does
Guest Apartment Services Paris. Rothray never fails to please, but they usually want longer stays. However, please check with them because they are wonderful to work with.

Low cost entertainment might include concerts in one of the major churches, sitting in a cafe, shopping and finding a bargain that you would pay three times the price at home. Of course there are the big, splashy shows at the Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse. Go to the last show...not the dinner show.

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Charleston, W.Va.: My husband and I, along with our 16-year-old son, are starting to plan a trip to Paris on Dec. 20th or 21st to visit our daughter who's attending school there this year and resides in the 6th arrondissement. Are there any hotels nearby that you recommend and are we crazy for trying to visit Paris at that time of year? Do restaurants in Paris serve meals on Christmas or is it like the U.S. where there is next to nothing available? We may split up our trip that will probably be 10 days in length with a visit to another European city, possibly Barcelona, Spain.

Sandra Gustafson: No you are not crazy for going to Paris at Christmas. It is wonderful...you will love it. The 6th is one of the most popular arrondissements in Paris, and hotels reflect this. Hotel Dauphine Saint-Germain-des-Pres has well-done rooms and a wonderful breakfast buffet. Hotel de L'Odeon had an excellent location. Hotel Luxembourg Parc, a 4- star with every comfort. You won't be reduced to a Big Mac on the Champs-Elysees. Most large restaurants and brasseries will be open, but many serve only a set-priced meal. Reservations are mandatory.

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Morristown, N.J.: What happened to the original hotel at LaTour Mauberg as mentioned in Ms. Gustafson's earlier book, Cheap Sleeps in Paris? Thank you.

Sandra Gustafson: Wasn't that a wonderful hotel as described in my Cheap Sleeps in Paris. The family sold the hotel to Victor and Maria Orsenne, who redid it, keeping the spirit of the original home. Several years ago they sold it to another hotelier in Paris who completely revamped the hotel again. While on my last research trip, it was still a long work in progress, so I could not review it. Hopefully, on my next research trip to Paris, it will be completed and I will be able to include it in Great Sleeps Paris.

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Sandra Gustafson: Thank you for your great questions. If I wasn't able to get to yours, you may send me an email by going to my website, greateatsandsleeps.com. While you are on the site, be sure to click on the camera for a virtual tour of Paris restaurants and food shopping sites that appear in the eleventh edition of Great Eats Paris.