<p>AM77 - I just scanned some of the posts - someone asked about hostels and was told to look for MIJE - hotels for young people:</p>
<p>I second the Mije. I said in a Mije when I was in Paris and had a GREAT experience in it. I would recommend the Mije to anyone and everyone that is on the younger side (because it is a youth hotel).</p>
<p>MIJE, absolutely! My S stayed there 2 years ago and it was quiet, clean, safe and they have a nightly curfew. He loved it and the kids he met there.</p>
<p>Thank you. We would not have known about this. It does not come up when googling hostels in Paris. We sent an email to inquire aout availability.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the private rooms lock? Or do you have to have keep everything in a backpack and keep it with you?</p>
<p>The private rooms lock at the one I stayed in, AND it had doors that only opened to people staying there and you weren't allowed in otherwise.</p>
<p>Lilygraces, Do you remember which one you stayed in? Do you know why they lock the place up to guests in the afternoon for several hours each day?</p>
<p>Hi applicantmum77,</p>
<p>I am 22 and I just spent a month backpacking in Europe (Pisa, Rome, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen (swiss alps), Zurich, Vienna, Krakow, Prague, Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, London) with a buddy from school after graduation, so I will try to offer what advice I can.</p>
<p>If the kids have some street smarts, and you are confident they won't go crazy with the alcohol... I would let them go. (someone mentioned the tripadvisor website... there is lots of good info on there if you can poke around in the threads for awhile) There is probably not any reason for them to be out after dark, as IMO that would be asking for trouble. Sightseeing from 8am until 9pm should be plenty. They should be able to figure out public transportation (metro) and be able to read a map! They MUST be able to read a map.</p>
<p>Carry a second form of identification (international student ID card, driver's license) and make copies of the passport and credit cards to leave at home, and carry at least a copy of the passport with you (in a different place than the passport!!!). That will help you a lot at an embassy should yours get stolen (which shouldn't happen with a money belt at all).</p>
<p>Can they figure out the Metro? You must know the end destination of the train (not just the stop you want) so you can get it in the right direction. You can buy metro tickets from machines, which do have an English language function. Some of the machines are touch screen, and some have a roller in the front that lets you scroll up and down. Tickets cost 1.50 (euro) per trip. Once you go through, DO NOT THROW YOUR TICKET AWAY!!! Sometimes you need it on the other end to exit the metro! Sometimes you do not. If you buy multiple tickets at a time, keep them separate. Throw away the ticket that you just used after exiting the station, when you are back on the street. I would suggest buying a few at a time. DO NOT LET SOMEONE ELSE BUY THEM FOR YOU! I have heard of people "helping" tourists buy a week metro pass (or something similar), and then giving the people a 1 trip pass, and pocketing the rest of the money.</p>
<p>Many hostels close their rooms during the day, sometimes like 10-4 or 11-3, or whatever. They do this so they can clean the rooms. Almost every hostel that I stayed at had a "lockout period" where you were not allowed to be in the rooms. The hostel will issue some type of key (either a standard key, like a house key, or something like a hotel keycard) to each person in the room. You might have to pay a key deposit, which you would get back upon checkout and returning the key. Some hostels have lockers in the rooms. Some hostels have lockers at another location in the hostel. Sometimes they charge. Sometimes they need a deposit. Sometimes they just open with your key[card]. Many hostels have a "only people staying in the hostel are allowed in" policy. But, you would be hard pressed to figure out how it is enforced (likely, it's not, unless complaints are made by other guests).</p>
<p>That hostel looks pretty quiet, which is good. I would try to read things about it if you can. I stayed in a couple that could easily be confused for frat houses (beer gardens, underground bars and dance floors, happy hours, etc). We tried to stay away from those, as that wasn't the type of trip we were on. In the last hostel I was at, there were these 2 kids from California who were quite the sketchy ones. One kid was 19, but he told people he was 20 to make him sound older, encouraged girls to drink (wine is huge in europe... and you can drink outside in public) "you better drink more" "you go to <em>specific college</em> and you've only had that much?!?!?!" etc, and explained that he already had a psychology degree and was waiting to get his engineering certification in california so he could go into business. So, watch out for the americans too =P
Hotel</a> des Jeunes (MIJE) - Fauconnier (Paris, Ile-de-France) - Hostel Reviews - TripAdvisor
MIJE</a> Hostel - Fauconnier - Paris, France
MIJE</a> Hostel - Fourcy - Paris, France - Hostel Review</p>
<p>I would encourage the girls to pay $20-$30 for a good guide book. Read it, and become familiar with it. KNOW what is in it. Rick Steve's would be worth it. I read Europe Through the Backdoor before my trip, but he has a France one (or even Paris specifically) that would be more applicable for you. He knows his stuff, and has a huge collection of books (and TV shows), and 30 years of travel experience. Lonely Planet is also well respected. Rick</a> Steves Europe Through the Back Door</p>
<p>SCAMS
- Is this your ring? I encountered this one in Paris, but have heard reports from other places as well. Someone "picks up" a ring from the ground (that they tossed there a few seconds earlier) and starts showing it to you, "it's gold, blah blah blah" and they offer it to you. You accept it, and as you start to leave, the person demands money. And if you take the ring... you are not going to leave without paying money. Good luck trying to give it back. It happened to me, and the lady was like "sir, sir! misseur! (sorry I can't spell french!) senor!" in all these languages, and I just kept walking. When she stopped, I turned around, and watched her try the same thing to 2 men in suits who were 25 yards behind me. This was outside the Louvre. Best advice - do not acknowledge them, and keep walking.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>do you speak English. This one is popular, as I encountered in it Paris, Berlin, and Rome. These women are walking around, full length dresses and head scarves, sometimes with little girls (maybe... 5-7 yrs old?). They come up to you and say "Do you speak English?" If you respond "yes", they proceed to show you a piece of paper that says "my husband died in Bosnia, and I am here alone with my daughter and have no place to live etc etc, can you help us?" Then, you have to say "no, sorry" and walk away. The correct thing to do is say "no", preferably with an accent. =P Sometimes, the little kids are by themselves, and walk around and ask people if they speak English. It is sad to see this, but it is not your problem as a traveler to get involved in. Just b/c they are a kid does not mean you should give them money!!</p></li>
<li><p>cheap tourist tickets. Sometimes these might be legit, but I have heard of people selling fake tickets (especially to things like plays), and then you are out $50. Buy from the official location.</p></li>
<li><p>roses. This one is usually targeted at couples from my observation, but younger women might also be a target. A guy comes up with a bunch or roses in his hand, and offers the female 1/2/3 roses and tells her how nice she looks. As the female turns to leave, the man with the roses demands money, usually from the male companion! Countless ones of these in Rome.</p></li>
<li><p>street vendors who make you feel uncomfortable. They walk up to you and show you what they have to offer. If you are standing, so "no", do not make eye contact, and walk away. If you are sitting, say "no" firmly, and no eye contact. Eventually they will move on. Encountered these especially in Rome around the Colosseum at night.</p></li>
<li><p>someone starts drawing you. There are people who sit down with their paper, and start to sketch random people standing nearby. If you notice, walk away! If they request that you stay, do not act like you heard, and continue away! If they grab you, say "no" firmly, and get away. If they complete their picture, they will show it to you, and it is much harder to walk away then as you start to feel guilty. Sometimes, they run to you as you are walking and exclaim about "your style, it is unique! I must draw it!" which may or may not include touching your face. Continue walking, and say "no". Saw these in Paris and Prague.</p></li>
<li><p>street performers. Some street performers (or homeless people) use the metro to do their gig, as they have a captive audience. They perform, and then ask for money. Do not feel obligated to give. At the next station, they will move to another car (as a homeless person will walk through with a sign, and like the performer, move from car to car). Encountered these on the Paris metro.</p></li>
<li><p>african 'artists'. These guys are everywhere. They approach you asking if they can do art, or show you art, or something along those lines. If you stop, they ask to see your finger or arm (there are different variations). Then, they proceed to use string, and make you a bracelet. (See where this is going?) So when they finish, you are wearing a bracelet that you have to CUT to get off, and the person wants money. They are very persistent. I walked through approximately 15 of them as I was leaving Sacre Couer as they were under a tree, and it was raining. I knew it was coming. One approached, me "hey, I am african, not french, be happy! Not a tourist scam, I am an artist!" I kept walking the whole time, and it ended with him grabbing my wrist from behind (not with much force, but definitely grabbed it) and I kinda twisted away and kept walking.</p></li>
<li><p>I won't mention in detail the one I encountered in Amsterdam, but the gist of it is, if someone offers to show you around, know that at the end, they are going to ask for money. I have heard of people getting an hour tour of a cemetery by some random guy who just appeared, and the guy was not at all happy with the offer of 5 euros at the end of it.</p></li>
<li><p>pickpockets. They exist, and they are plentiful. I would advise carrying a very small purse, or possibly a backpack that can be worn on your front! This is not at all rare Paris or Rome. As a male, I traveled without a wallet. I had my credit cards, passport, driver's license, and cash in a money belt, and enough cash for the day (40 euros... but I was budget traveling... if you are eating fancy for lunch and dinner, that won't be enough). 40 euros, while bad to lose, is an acceptable loss, rather than a wallet with 2-300 euros, 2-3 credit cards, ATM card, ID etc) If there is a commotion, the first thing you do, is put a hand on your valuables.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>My aunt and uncle had an entire backpack stolen on the Paris metro that was sitting between them. If you have something like that, make sure it is attached to you. Never, for instance, set a purse on the seat next to you. If you have a backpack, run an arm or leg through one of the straps.</p>
<p>I say these not to worry you, but to let you know that they exist. Most of these scams, I had read about prior to my trip, so I was ready for them. If you have it in the back of your mind that someone might randomly show you a ring on the street and offer it to you, but you should keep walking, hopefully the information will come back to you in crunch time.</p>
<p>I am by no means an expert on foreign travel... it was my second trip to Europe, the first was after high school with a huge group, and professionally arranged tour. However, I am considerably more well traveled than I was 2 months ago though, and my experiences are fresh. Everywhere that I went, we got by with only English, including Prague and Krakow (my buddy studied Latin, and I speak fairly solid Spanish, but we didn't go to Spain).</p>
<p>If I can be of any help, please ask... I will try to follow this thread... sorry my post is so long.</p>
<p>Wow, soccerguy... that was very good and helpful. Thanks. I am going to copy and send your post to several people.</p>
<p>All I know is that I stayed in the one that I had to walk across a bridge over the Seine to get to Notre Dame and it was on La Rue de Fourcy.</p>
<p>They lock up the place for several hours to (mildly... and I do mean mildly) clean the rooms. However, in order to get IN to the Mije that I stayed in (you had to go through a gate that was locked and you enter into one of the two quart yards) you either had to be staying there (and prove it) or enter with someone who was staying there. They don't let any outsiders in because the Mije is a youth hotel filled with groups of teenagers, young to old, and people in their early 20's. </p>
<p>Another plus to that particular Mije is, if memory serves me correct, that it has a computer in the hotel, and there is an internet cafe and laundromat right across the street and right next to each other.</p>
<p>My 18 year old daughter has been in Europe almost two weeks now, alone with a girlfriend who has grandparents in The Netherlands. It has been quite a learning experience and included a tearful call from Paris where she was totally overwhelmed and homesick. They were supremely confident that they could plan and execute their trip without help from their parents and what they found was that it was harder than they ever imagined. Trying to add an overnight trip to Spain was beyond their abilities and they finally gave up on that. So my advice is make sure they have train reservations and hotels booked before they leave home, and a fairly firm itinerary. Many hostels were already booked by the time they got around to it. Read about the metro before they go, and make sure they know the layout of the city. Our last phone call was great--they finally had their perfect Paris day. But I think this trip will have mostly bittersweet memories. However, she certainly appreciates her parents more!</p>
<p>Soccerguy315: Thank you for such an informative post with lots of helpful tips. I'm bookmarking this for future reference.</p>
<p>Soccorguy, Thank you soooo much for your very informative post. I have shown it to my daughter who, by the way, is going to Paris. The 3 MIJE hostels are fully booked....so they are staying at a 4 star hotel!!! We decided that the available hostels were not the best and we got a good rate at the hotel. I feel better that they will have a concierge to help with information. We took out everybook we could find at the library so they can study up on the metro and possible day trips. I'm still nervous but we are concentrating on reading up to make everything as smooth as possible. </p>
<p>Soccorguy, we love Rick Steves books. Thanks for suggesting them. I was a frommer person myself, but Steves books are better.</p>
<p>Anyone know which areas of Paris one should stay away from?</p>
<p>Also we are searching for an international phone. Any reasonable suggestions?</p>
<p>Just sent younger D on a orchestra trip to Australia/New Zealand. One week into the trip, her ATM card was eaten by a machine and couldn't be retrieved. I had to call the bank and cancel the card. Luckily, the organization has emergency money to lend her.</p>
<p>In your situation, I'd have a backup way for kids to get money (or have $$) just in case something like this happened. Sent older D on numerous trips with ATM and she never had a problem. But there is always a first time...</p>
<p>The books by Rick Steves are amazing (I used them all the time during my semester abroad). But don't trust the maps in them. They're awful. Only use them to get a general idea of what's in the area. Do not use them to navigate. In fact, one of my pieces of advice is to either buy a map before they leave, or instruct them to buy a map almost first thing when they get there. For a city as large as Paris, you can probably get a book with different areas of the city on each page. I cannot emphasize enough how much time they will save by having a good map.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also we are searching for an international phone. Any reasonable suggestions?
[/quote]
What service do you have now? If you have GSM (ATT or T-Mobile) then the phones will work in Europe -- I think that all the newer model phones have international bands. You just have to make sure that international calling is activated on the plan -- for ATT it doesn't cost any more to activate it, and you can pay about $5/more a month to get an international call plan that means calls from Europe are about 99 cents/minute.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'd have a backup way for kids to get money (or have $$) just in case something like this happened.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Agreed. Despite every reasonable caution in the world, my ATM info was stolen while I was abroad, but used back in the US. Card had to be canceled, a new one could only be sent to my home address (with a rush fee for 3-5 day service + overnight shipping from my mom to me), couldn't receive wire transfers without a foreign account...blah. Things worked out just fine (bank let me call them from an ATM, momentarily unfreeze the account, withdraw my max in cash for a few days in a row, but time zones and toll-free numbers complicated the process), but it was a hassle.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The books by Rick Steves are amazing (I used them all the time during my semester abroad). But don't trust the maps in them. They're awful.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If I didn't already sing praises in this thread, I'll join the chorus. For individual city guides, I prefer Lonely Planet b/c they have some really nice purse-sized guides, and their maps have always worked excellently for me. For a good getting-in-the-mindset pre-Europe read, Rick Steves' Europe through the Back Door is fantastic. Nice overview of safety, money-saving, sightseeing, etc. tactics, good at instilling a reasonable balance of confidence and precaution, and a very enjoyable read. As I recall, his wife also contributes a chapter about females traveling alone.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also we are searching for an international phone. Any reasonable suggestions?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Because I was going to be in lots of countries, I just put my US phone on a global plan, like calmom said. People in the US call/text me at normal rates, and my calls from abroad (within the country or back to the US) are $0.99/min and $0.50/text. Only using the phone for brief check-ins ("Hey, I'm outside, are you ready?") and emergencies, it's been fine. That's with AT&T. Otherwise, getting a phone may be best done once abroad...they seem to be cheaper + easier to figure out. If a US phone is 'unlocked' (and I don't know exactly what that entails, but you should be able to ask at a mobile phone shop), you can also just remove the SIM card and replace it with a foreign SIM when abroad, rather than bothering with an entirely new phone.</p>
<p>
[quote]
One week into the trip, her ATM card was eaten by a machine and couldn't be retrieved. I had to call the bank and cancel the card. Luckily, the organization has emergency money to lend her.
[/quote]
You just reminded me - my D went off to Scotland only to find out her ATM card didn't work despite the ATMs supporting the network. She pretty much ran out of money but I was able to get it straightened out after some calls to the credit union. It turned out she needed some different type of account. I was able to open that account for her and then the card worked.</p>
<p>It's a good idea to check if the ATM card will work out of the country - especially if it's not from a major bank (like my D's credit union). The problem is that the average teller really doesn't know much about it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also we are searching for an international phone. Any reasonable suggestions?
[/quote]
In addition to Calmom's advice, if they plan to talk quite a bit, they can buy a cheap phone once they're there or before they leave. Alternatively, if you can get the (AT&T or T-Mobile) phone 'unlocked', then a new SIM card can be purchased once there or beforehand which will make the cost per minute much less. Also, text messages are cheaper than phone calls and work well for "I'm here" type of reassurance messages. </p>
<p>Here's one place to buy international phones or SIM cards for the country beforehand -
International</a> Cell Phones, World Phones, SIM Cards, Satellite Phones</p>
<p>My daughter is abroad all summer, and I had an old unlocked cell phone - so she has both the current phone and the unlocked phone with the SIM chip. But its not particularly useful to have a local (foreign) SIM chip and number if you don't have anyone to call -- d. says it was a waste of money when she was in Geneva. She's in India now, and there her SIM chip has proved invaluable, because she did not have internet access so that cell phone was our only contact -- plus, phone calls on the ATT global plan from India are $2.29 a minute. </p>
<p>So, that's a yes on the SIM chip for long stays, but not much use for a week or two. </p>
<p>Also - for long stays, its a real good idea to check the expiration date on the ATM card and any credit cards before leaving the country. Something my daughter forgot to do before going to New Delhi.</p>
<p>When my daughter traveled to London to visit a friend by herself. I just got her an internationall calling card. It was $.05/min. She used pay phone or her friend's cell phone to call us. I also took her to Geneva on a business trip a week ago. She took a blackberry with her. We communicated during the day via BB, the cost was minimal. It's almost as fast as text messaging. T-mobile has the best service worldwide, and it's only $30/month.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So, that's a yes on the SIM chip for long stays, but not much use for a week or two.
[/quote]
I agree. When my D went to Scotland she just used her normal cell phone (GSM). Since we knew that calls would be .99/minute, we just limited the lenght of the calls and it really wasn't very expensive. A lot can be said in 3 minutes if one's aware of the time and cost.</p>