Neuilly sur Seine

[Lori]

Is anyone familiar with this area by Paris?  I've been to Paris many times, but not to this particular area.  I may need to go there to visit a Consulate, located at 29 Rue des Graviers, Neuilly sur Seine 92200.  This would be a rather rushed visit.  I have looked up the address on mappy, etc. and can get an overall map.  It just doesn't seem to give much detail with it.  I will try the ratp website to find out how to get from the TGV station to that particular address.  Just thought if any of you know the area, you could help me out here.  I believe the Avignon TGV goes to the Gare de Lyon, so I will be starting from there. 

Also, if you DO know the area, can you tell me if you know of any inexpensive hotels nearby.

Thanks !

 

 

[Spongebob]

I googled the address you gave, and came up with WHO the consulate is.

Go onto www.pagesjaunes.fr, then click on pages blanches, and enter the embassy name, and town and dept 92.

Once it gives the details, click on plan.

The one it gave me was via "Mappy" which allows you to zoom in or out. There appear to be Metro statios, and an RER station within easy walking distance.

As for hotels, I've always found that an online booking at a chain in Paris, Climat, Ibis, etc is easy and the standard is reliable. Price is OK too.  I've been in three different ones, and all were within a spit of the metro.You can eat out cheap in Paris, go to Boulevard St Michel and walk away from the Seine for a HUGE choice of food and prices.

I DID note that the address you want is close to the Bois de Boulogne. To be avoided after dark[;-)]

Spongebob

[Christine Animal]

It might be a lot less hassle just to take a taxi Lori (though I don't know the cost).   [:)]

 

[Lori]

Thanks to you both.  I did manage to pull up all the routing on the ratp website.  I would arrive at Gare de Lyon from Avignon and would then walk to the Gare de Lyon Metro and take Line 1 towards La Defense.  I would get off at the Pont Neuilly stop. 

Sorry Spongebob.  I did note which Consulate it was on the La Poste thread.  Didn't think to note it here.  Its the Saudi Consulate.

Tried several of the hotel search sites (including the one on this site) and have come up with a couple of hotels.  None of the ones in Neuilly seem to be available.  Most of them got some pretty bad reviews anyway.  Though I would rather stay as close to the Consulate as I can as it is the ONLY reason I am going up there.

Since the train I am probably going to have to take arrives into Gare de Lyon at 22:41, I am considering the taxi idea.  I'm not afraid to move about in Paris on my own, but that is pretty late.  And yes, the location is not far from the Bois and I will avoid it after dark.

I'm still waiting to hear from my husband as to whether my VISA fiasco can be remedied.  If not, the trip is doomed.

Are there any Paris residents on this forum?  Just curious.

[RonB]

There is an Ibis http://www.hotels-europe.com/ibishotels/france/ParisLaDefense/LaDefense.htm and a Novotel http://www.novotel.com/novotel/fichehotel/gb/nov/0747/fiche_hotel.shtml just across the bridge from Pont Neuilly (easily walkable) at La Defense. I have stayed in the Ibis and it's perfectly satisfactory though not plush. The Novotel is next door and looked to have a bit more pzazz but as I was booked in by my company it was Hobson's choice. If you're arriving by Metro just stay on one more stop to La Defense instead of  Pont Neuilly and follow the ramp down to the hotels.

[Lori]

Still waiting for the VISA number.  It did not appear on their website this morning, so I am hoping for tomorrow morning.  Their computers update during the night.

Thanks for the hotel info RonB.  I had searched that area for available rooms and there were none available, but I will give the Ibis and Novotel a phone call once I have the VISA number.  Both chains are fine with me.  It is hard to get a booking at the last minute though.

This is a real pain !

 

[Loiseau]

Lori, why do you need a hotel *in* Neuilly? 
If you are arriving that late at night, maybe it's better to stay near the Gare de Lyon, and then go to Neuilly first thing the next morning?  Presumably the consultat wouldn't be open at midnight, or whenever you would havebeen likely to get there anyway?

My recollections of Neuilly (admittedly from the 1960s...) are that it was a smart residential neighbourhood.  Though comments here re the Bois de Boulogne after dark are well founded...

Good luck.

Angela

[Lori]

Loiseau - yes that is my secondary plan.  I wanted to stay at Neuilly as I can get up and walk to the Consulate.  Time is of the essence for me.  The Consualte is open from 9 am to 12 noon.  They will be closed the last 3 days of next week and my VISA number did not come up again on this mornings check of the Ministry's website.  That means I am looking at tomorrow now - Friday.  If the VISA number comes up tomorrow (Friday), I cannot go up to Paris until Sunday evening as the Consulate is closed on the weekends (this being a required trip, not a holiday).  And, with the hours being 9 - 12, even if the number comes up on the website tomorrow morning, that does not allow me enough time to get there on the same day - when the Consulate is actually open.   At this point, being so last minute in trying to get this all sorted out, I wanted to be as close to the source as possible. 

However, actually finding a room in Neuilly that is available for the next few nights is proving to be very tough, so staying closer to the Gare de Lyon may end up what I have to do anyway.

This is all giving me such a headache. 

 

[Lori]

Okay, finally got the new VISA number.  Am heading to Paris on the 6:05 am train tomorrow morning.  I am planning to return on a 5 pm train, same day.  While up there, I will be buying a Mobilis Carte for the Metro for zones 1 & 2.  It is 5.50 euros and will allow me to move around if I have to drop off the passport and return a few hours later.  The card is good for the entire day in the zones noted.

I have never bought zone cartes before in Paris.  How does it work?  If I don't have a ticket to pass through the turnstile (assuming they still use those), what do I do?  Is the carte the same size as the regular ticket, so I pass it through??

Sorry for such a dumb question, but prefer to know before I go...

Thanks.

[Spongebob]

The Mobilis cartes come with a small ticket-sized pass, that fits into a small part on the front of the plastic wallet holding the carte, IIRC. You then use that bit as you would a metro ticket.

So pleased for you that you're sorted.

Spongebob

[Lori]

Thanks spongebob.  I appreciate that.

Now, lets hope the Consulate comes through on their promise to process my VISA the same day I show up.  They will close at the end of this week for the EID, so I have no time to waste - hence the going up there in person.

Now I'm off for a lovely train ride..

 

[Gardian]

Lori ............

How did it go?

[Lori]

It was a very long day.  Got up at 3:55 am to get showered and off to Avignon TGV for my 6 am train.  All went well there.  Funny how you can park right next to the station entry (free) at 5:45 am.  Got off the train at Gare de Lyon and called daughter (8:45 am) to make sure she was ready to be picked up for school.  She is nearly 13 and starts school at 9:30 am on Mondays.  I had arranged for a classmates mother to pick her up at 9:10 am.  When I called, she had not gotten up til she heard the phone.  I was furious as the reason I left before dawn (and not the night before) and arranged to take an evening train back was so that she would be safely in school while I was gone.  So, I had to call her Dad in the Middle East to make sure he called her periodically during the day to make sure she was fine, otherwise I would worry all the day long !

Anyway, I had printed out the directions from Gare de Lyon to the Consulate and they were perfect.  Walked to the Metro Gare de Lyon from the main line station, took the La Defense line to Pont Neuilly and walked directly to the Consulate.  Got there five minutes before they opened at 10 am.  Waited in line and was told that the Consulate does not accept cash or checks.  You have to go to Credit Lyonnais and pay the VISA fee into the Embassy's bank account.  They told me I could do that at any Credit Lyonnais, however, they could not tell me where the closest one was !  They gave me a form with their main branch address on it.  I walked up to the centre area of Neuilly (which is quite nice) and walked into a TABAC to ask where the closest Credit Lyonnais is.  Got the answer and went there.  There, I was told only the main branch where the Embassy has their account can accept the payment.  Good grief !   So, I headed back to the Metro to find the line I needed to get to Courcelles in the 8th Arron. where their branch is located.  Not a difficult thing as I just switched lines once to the Nation line and took it to Courcelles.  Lucky for me, the bank was not far from  the exit of the Courcelles Metro.  Got there at 11:15 - good thing as they close at noon and paid.

Consulate told me once I had paid, to bring my receipt of payment back to them and they would process my VISA.  So, I did that.  Waited in line again and was told "oh you didn't have to come back until 2 pm - then your VISA will be ready."  They had kept my passport from my morning visit there.  Good grief !  By this time it was after noon.  I had made the mistake of wearing a dress and heels, what an idiot.  My feet were KILLING ME.  I had been walking for hours now and the day was only half way through.  I decided to walk back to the METRO and head to the shopping district and buy some soft flat shoes.  Did that and then took the METRO back to the Consulate area.  I did have a brief thought of stopping somehwere to have a lovely Paris lunch, but decided against it as I was alone and would not have been able to resist having a glass of wine with lunch and figured it wouldn't be a good idea to show up to the Consulate with the smell of wine on my breath (okay, so I am a bit paranoid).  So, instead, I picked up a sandwich and ate it on a park bench while gazing at the Arc de Triomphe at one end and La Defense at the other.  Not so bad.

I walked back to the Consulate and arrived at 2:15 pm.  I walked out at 3 pm with my VISA stamped in my passport.  Whew !  My trip need not be cancelled (so glad as we had planned it back in April and we don't get to see enough of each other).  Took the METRO back down to Gare de Lyon, got on my train and arrived at Avignon TGV at 7 pm.  Feet killing me as I had walked for 7 hours in Paris, I headed to my car and drove home where daughter sat awaiting punishment..

It was a long day .......   Sorry, but you did ask .....   and thanks for that.

 

[Lori]

Spongebob - I am so glad I got the Mobilis carte. I didn't expect to run all around Paris using the METRO, but since I had to, it was the perfect choice and so easy.  Love that METRO and love Paris.  Can't believe I haven't been more often.  Plan to change that.

[Gardian]

Lori .........

Glad it's all sorted. It could have been a lot worse - as in some bureaucrat not stamping your visa.

Enjoy the trip.

[Lori]

So true.  I was really pleased that it went pretty smoothly overall.  Thanks Ian for the well wishes.  I intend to thoroughly enjoy myself, as much as one can in Saudi Arabia. ..

[PossumGirl]

Great news, Lori!  Although sorry that the whole thing turned out to be such a headache.

When do you leave for your trip?

PG

[Lori]

Thanks PG.  I leave on Tuesday evening on the TGV.  My daughter's flight leaves at noon on Wed. and I really wasn't too keen on taking the 6 am train up there again.  I HATE getting up at 3:30 in the morning.  So, opted to go up the night before.  Couldn't find a hotel at CDG !!  And I booked this a month ago.  Only thing available was the Sheraton at 300 per night or some other equally outrageous hotel.  So, we are about 10 minutes from CDG at Hotel Les Relais Bleus.  They have a navette to CDG, so will take Nina on Wed. a.m. and then I leave the next day.  My flight leaves in the morning and I could not leave without getting Nina on her plane and in the air, hence another night.  It does get rather complicated. 

We also have friends coming down from Holland to house / dog sit for us (too bad you couldn't have come down PG for a break and just to keep an eye on the house and dog).  It wasn't easy to plan and we put a lot of time and effort in making sure everything was covered.

I think I will take the RER into the city after I drop Nina off.  If not, I have nothing to do. 

This time, I plan to wear soft flat shoes !

Happy Toussaint tout le monde !

 

 

[PossumGirl]

I'm sure that Diva Maggie would have loved meeting your dog, Lori!  Yes, it's too bad we live far enough away from each other that exchanging petsitting services is out of the question.

Have an absolutely wonderful time.

PG

[Lori]

Yes, our collie would have loved a play mate.  He's a male, so a female would be all that much better.

I'll be needing a house sitter again round Easter next year.  If you are of a mind for a holiday down here, keep it in mind.  The garden is fully closed 3000 m2 and there is a separate section of around 200 m2 that is fenced off.  We keep our dog in the smaller area sometimes when we have workers here, etc.  Would work if Maggie and Toutou got on each other's nerves - though Toutou loves every animal in the world (sometimes to his detrement).

We have a 2 bedroom "home" in the lower part of our house where folks stay when they visit us.  It has a fully equipped kitchen, large double vanity, corner tub for 2 bathroom, separate WC, large round living room (filled with windows and sunshine) and a large dining room.  It is completely self-sufficient.

Anyway, just a thought if you are feeling like a visit to Provence next Easter.