· April to June : Mild (60 to 70 degrees), light rain

· July to August: Warm (75 degrees). Summer rains with thunderstorms

· Sept and Oct: Extended autumn with crisp mornings and usually bright, clear skies by midday. Temperatures dropping from Sept (68 degrees) to October (59 degrees)

· November to March : Cold and rainy with a chance of frost and snow

· I would recommend taking a cab from the airport to your hotel. It’s a little more expensive than the bus or train, but after a long international flight it’s the easiest and fastest way to get where you are going.

· I would recommend a hotel chain so you do not have to worry about speaking the language to much at all.

· Hilton Eiffel Tower is nice (not too pricey)

· Westin (formerly Intercontinental) near the Louvre ( pricey but very worth it)

· Hotel Rue Keppler ( economically priced but nice, very homey, nothing fancy)

· There are tons of Holiday Inns ( good buys, nice and clean)

· Shopping is very good in Paris. You can either shop at the high end stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Chanel or also nice little souvenir shopping on the Rue de Rivoli. Here you can find nice Paris prints, Limoges trinkets, perfume, scarves and lots of other gifts to take back home.

· The weather really depends on when you go. I think the best time to go is after the summer prices drop in mid-October and the weather at this time of year is perfect. Not too cold or hot. It’s really nice to walk around during this time of year with just a sweater or light jacket. Spring obviously is the nicest time to go but also the most expensive.

· Le Train Bleu – This is a restaurant in a train station. I know you would think ok why would she recommend a place to eat instead a train station, but it is wonderful. I would highly recommend going for lunch when the prices are a bit lower, but it is so worth. You step inside and the dining room has wonderful frescoes all over and the food and service are wonderful. Definitely need a reservation even for lunch.

· Angelina – I stop here twice if not three times a trip. This is just your typical French lunch stop. All the business men and ladies stop here for lunch. It’s a bit crowded but very worth it to get a true French lunch experience and not expensive at all. Besides lunch, they have the best coffee, teas and desserts. Their famous dessert called the Mont Blanc is to die for. No reservations needed. Side Note: Cool bookstore next store called Gagliani’s that has a nice English book section.

· Café de Flore – This is just your typical French café. If it’s nice outside and even if it’s not too warm (they have outside heaters0 it is so nice to sit outside and have your coffee and pastry while you watch the world go by. This is one of the famous cafes that all the American writers (Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, etc.) visited back in the day.

· Vesuvius – Cool little pasta and pizza place right on Champs Elysee and block away from Arc de Trimophe. Very inexpensive, great food, cool café type atmosphere. I eat here each time I am in Paris.

· I would highly recommend getting a museum pass before you go. It will save you money and lots of time buying tickets in long lines.

· Time of year to go – if you are watching your money a bit I would recommend going anytime between October 15^th through March 15^th when the prices are much cheaper. Last November I got a ticket from Philly for $386 roundtrip. I looked to go in August this year and the ticket was $1,200.

· I would highly recommend buying a Metro (subway) pass before you go. It will save you from having to ask for tickets in a foreign language and save you aggravation of trying to figure out what you need. Metro is the best way to travel around the city. It’s fast and clean and always people around so you never need to worry. Cabs are ok if you are dressed up going somewhere or it’s raining, but for the most part too expensive.

· I would recommend staying a hotel chain if you have never been to Paris before just because they will have a concierge and hotel staff that will help you in English. If you say hello (bonjour) or thank you (merci) in French and at least try to make an attempt the French will love you for it and not be rude. The rudeness comes from Americans who go there thinking the French should just speak English. Just be nice and they will be nice to you.

· I would recommend either CityRama or ParisVision bus tours if you are interested in planned tours instead of doing stuff on your own. There are some very inexpensive trips and you do not have to worry about lines or having to figure out how to get someplace.

· Eiffel Tower – go early in the morning as the lines get huge.

· Louvre – buy your tickets ahead as lines can be huge or go late in the day as the crowds thin out.

· Musee D’Orsay – French Impressionist Museum, awesome if you like Monet, Degas, etc.

· Bateaux Moche Seine River Boat Ride – This is a barge cruise that takes you up and down the Seine to see the monuments from the water, very cool at night with all the lights on.

· Notre Dame Cathedral – Stain glass is beautiful.

· Sainte Chappelle – This is a church near Notre Dame, the second floor has floor to ceiling stain glass that you just can not believe.

· Sacre Couer – Cool church in the artisty section of town. Not real great neighborhood at night but tons of tourists in the day time.

· Half day trip out to Versailles – the palace is just unreal. There are tons of bus trips to take you out there for a ½ day tour and it’s worth it.

· Musee Carnavalet – This is the history of Paris museum and has the most wonderful art in several old mansions in a quaint section of the city.