Husband's 50th

I am planning a trip to Paris next summer to celebrate my DH%26#39;s 50th birthday. It has always been a dream of his to see the Tour de France on its last day. Also, he wants to see the DDay beach where his father landed, so we will have to travel to Normandy for a couple of days. We will be traveling with our 16 year old son who is nearly 6 ft and can%26#39;t be squeezed into a sofa bed. Our other parameter is time. DH%26#39;s employer doesn%26#39;t like it when he%26#39;s away, so we probably can only stay for a week.

Would you rent an apartment for a week? We would have to leave it vacant for a couple of days while we were in Normandy.

OR

Stay in a Paris hotel with two adjoining rooms (This makes me a little nervous as my son speaks not a word of French and has mild autism.) or a suite, if it were affordable, for four days, drive to Normandy and stay two days and then return to Paris for one night before flying out?

Can anyone recommend some good short term apartment agencies? I would also be interested in any hotels with suite like accommodations. Thanks so much.

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Hi --

First off - I understand your situation. My DH has trouble getting away, as well, but the fact is that the greatest difficulty is getting away in the first place. Once he gets away, it%26#39;s not such a problem to stay away. I expect it%26#39;s much the same for yours, so tell him to push for at least 3 or 4 days more than the week. A week and a half sounds so much better than two weeks does, and sometimes it works.

One of the reasons for more time is that the jet lag is going to kill you for at least the day you arrive, and if that doesn%26#39;t get you after the long flight, the time change will. These will also be pretty hard on your son, I expect. I%26#39;m sure he finds it easier to keep his balance, so to speak, when he%26#39;s well rested.

It will indeed take at least one night away from Paris for the D Day Beaches. There are two or three tour companies that have been recommended here on the forum, so do a search on this page in the upper left corner. There%26#39;s a lot of distance to be covered, so it%26#39;s a good idea to use a professional so you get to see everything that interests you.

Bayeux is a good base for the Beaches. And while you%26#39;re there, try to make time for the Tapestry Museum. If you don%26#39;t read Latin, get the audio guides. My then 6%26#39;4%26quot;, 14 yo nephew thoroughly enjoyed the tapestry, so your son may, as well. One hotel in Bayeux is the Churchill, which has gotten some great reviews here on the forum. They have some connecting rooms which might suit your family quite well.

One of the oft-cited Paris apartment rental agencies is www.vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals By Owners). Additionally, www.venere.com lists apartments along with hotels, small inns, and B%26amp;Bs. Because a friend had to cancel a trip, I rented an apartment in Paris without using an agency, so I can%26#39;t vouch for the VRBO folks. I can, however, recommend Venere. I%26#39;ve used them for several years, for hotels in several cities on each of 3 continents, and have never had any problems. The rooms were always exactly as presented.

Bonne chance et bon voyage.

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I don%26#39;t have any experience with renting an apartment, but I am going to Paris with a friend and I am staying at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe because it has regular rooms with two double beds. Its very central to lots of things. Just thought it might be a good option for you.

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at 6 feet he can certainly sleep on a sofa bed -- they generally fold out and will hold two people -- I am not a big fan but that would open up the Citadine apartment hotels -- they have one bedroom apartments with a sofa bed in the living room for two and a private bedroom

they are also available by the day -- so you wouldn%26#39;t need to pay for the time when you are in Normandy

You could also get a room for three people -- these usually have a third bed -- I think the Hotel des Grand Ecoles has tripple rooms

you might also find an apartment that would go for fewer than 7 days and charge by the day there are lots of Paris apartments that work for 4 with a bedroom and a fold out sofa in the living room

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Seems to me vacationinparis.com does 4 day apartment rentals.

Having been in Paris the last 3 summers with and without a teenager along it IS more comfortable and roomy in an apartment than a hotel.

But I agree with 1BC... do whatever you can to have more than a week. That first day is usually a lost day.

It%26#39;s good that your husband%26#39;s employer finds him so valuable but if he%26#39;s that valuable management should also see the point in treating him properly too!