THE SPRING TRIP TO PARIS, VENICE, AND FLORENCE
ARRANGED BY KENT PORTER
Medical Release Form--click here to download and print
Quelle heure est-il à Paris?
Che ora è a Venezia ea Firenze?
INDEX AND QUICK LINKS FOR TRIP INFORMATION--SEE DETAILED EXPLANATIONS IN THE NEXT SECTION ON THIS WEB PAGE
**Cell Phones
http://www.acetelecom.com/equipment.cfm
**Currency Converter (for ATM and other money information, scroll down to the next section)
**Food
**Hotels
Paris--Hôtel Claude Bernard
Hôtel Claude Bernard Saint Germain--43, rue des Ecoles
75005 Paris
Tel : 33(0)1 43 26 32 52
Fax : 33(0)1 43 26 80 56--- hotelclaudebernard@yahoo.frVenice--Hotel Messner
Hotel Messner --Sestiere Dorsoduro, 216 30123 Venezia, Italy
Tel:. 041 522 7443---- messnerinfo@tin.itFlorence--Hotel Albani
Hotel Albani--Via Fiume, 12 - 50123 Firenze
+ 39 055 26030
+ 39 055 211045
concierge.flo@albanihotels.com
**Insurance
**Itinerary
**Laundromats
**Markets (les marchés)
Information (days open, etc.) on markets
**Metro--How to use it, maps, tickets, etc.
**Museums
**Paris Map--Easy monument locations
**Pedestrian/Bicycle/Skating Only Zones in Paris
**Photographs of Paris
**Swimming Pools
**Tourist Sites--"Must Sees"
**Travel Tips
**Trip Payments
**Weather Forecast
DETAILS OF ABOVE ITEMS
**Cell Phones
I will have a French cell phone number which parents and participants can use to contact me in case of emergency. I will know that number sometime in late February. If you want to have a phone yourself, there are several companies that do global cell phones. Some use French telephone numbers and others have American numbers. You can choose to order a rental phone or use your own if it is the right kind. If you have a GSM phone that is unlocked, you may replace your phone's SIM card with a French SIM card which will give you a French telephone number. If you want to know that number in advance of your trip, you must order the SIM card and have it shipped to you before you leave. If you choose to take a smart phone (iPhone, etc.), be very careful about roaming charges for data--it can be quite expensive. Go to these web sites for comparisons and information:
http://www.acetelecom.com/equipment.cfm
**Currency Converter and Money Matters
If you want to use ATM machines while overseas (which I strongly recommend), you must have a check card that has the logos PLUS, INTERLINK, STAR, and or CIRRUS on it. Most savings account ATM cards do not have the logos and can not be used at foreign teller machines. You must have a check card that is linked to a checking account in order to use ATM machines Savings account cards sometimes do not work overseas. With certain banks, underage minors are not allowed to have checking accounts with one of these check cards attached. Some banks--Wells Fargo, for example--offer teen checking accounts that are linked to parents' accounts. Check with your bank. The only other alternative for underage minors is to get travelers cheques, however, travelers cheques are not as convenient as ATM machines.
In France and Italy, they now use Euros.To convert from Dollars to Euros or vice versa, go to http://www.xe.com/ucc/.
**Hotels
In Paris, we will be staying at the Hotel Claude Bernard. It is ideally situated right in the heart of the 5th arrondissement near the Latin Quarter.
In Venice and Florence....
Venice--Hotel Messner --Located in the Dorsoduro neighborhood. See the Venice page for more information.
Florence--Hotel Albani --Located for easy access to the train station. See the Florence page for more information.
Here is the room assignment list for all hotels. You will also see the compartment/berth assignments for the Paris-Venice train trip on the same list.
**Insurance
If you are interested in purchasing travel insurance, there are many firms that advertise on the web. One of them with comparison quotes for various companies is Insuremytrip.
**Itinerary
The Travel Itinerary for this year is as follows:
***San Francisco to Paris, Saturday, March 31 via Air France
***Nights of April 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th(Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)---Paris
***Overnight sleeper-train trip to Venice, Friday, April 6th
***Nights of April 7th and 8th (Saturday and Sunday)---Venice
***Leave Venice by train late-afternoon on April 9th (Monday), arrive in Florence in early evening on April 9th (Monday)
***Nights of April 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)---Florence
***Day-trip by train on April 11th (Wednesday) to Siena
***Return Home, April 13th (Friday), early-morning flight from Florence (Air France) to Paris, then return flight from Paris to San Francisco
For a sample itinerary to help you get going on your planning while in Paris, you may go to this page.
**Laundromats (5th and 6th arrondissements)
You should plan on doing laundry at least once during the trip, because you should not bring with you more than one small to medium-sized bag. You will have to walk a certain distance to any of the laundromats. To save money, buy a small box of detergeant to share with your friends in one of the many small markets in the 5th and 6th. You might want to bring a small, lightweight net bag in which to keep your dirty clothes and to use as your transporter for laundry when you are walking to a laundromat.
Remember, temperatures are in celsius---100 degrees equals boiling
Laverie Cent Seize
116 RUE D'ASSAS 75006 PARISBlan Press (Sté)
4 RUE D'ARRAS 75005 PARISLaverie Self-Service Monge (Sté)
113 RUE MONGE 75005 PARISLa Pince à Linge
3 PLACE MONGE 75005 PARIS**Luggage
Remember the adage to "pack lightly". You should expect to go to the laundromat at least once during the trip. Mix and match is the way to go as far as clothing--you don't need to change your entire outfit each day. Use vacuum plastic clothing bags to compress your clothes into a smaller space. Bring a small carryon rolling suitcase that you will check on the plane, and one carry-on. That's it--no other suitcases. You are going to be transporting your things from airport to hotel, from hotel to metro, from metro to train station, and onto and off of the vaporetto boat in Venice. It will be necessary for you to be on your toes for those moments, and lugging enormous suitcases will not work! Please adhere to the guidelines, and be sure to visit the TSA link and the Air France luggage link, all found on the" luggage requirements and guidelines" page:
**Metro
When we arrive on Sunday, I will give you a Carte Orange Navigo Metro/Bus pass good until we leave by train for Venice on Friday.
The link below (Neighborhood maps) is an interactive map and transportation site run by the RATP (metro and bus system). It allows you to see a detailed map of the neighborhood in which you are interested. It will also tell you what transportation method you should use to get to another area of Paris. To see how it works, try the instructions that follow the link once you have clicked on it:
Following is a sample of how to use the interactive map:
Under "adresse du départ", type "place st. michel, paris". That is not far from our hotel. Under "adresse d'arrivée", type "place du parvis, paris". That is the square in front of Notre Dame. Scroll down and click on "rechercher". You will then see the public transportation that you can use to get to Notre Dame.
You can also practice using the Metro, RER and bus sytems by downloading pdf interactive maps. Go to http://www.citefutee.com/orienter/plans.php. Under Réseaux, click on métro to download (with Adobe Acrobat or Preview--it should do it automatically for you), RER for the suburban lines, Bus Paris for the bus map, or Bus soirées for the nighttime bus sytem.
Here is the site that I prepared with additional information about using the metro including practice inineraries.
**Museums
To find out where to purchase a discount card for museums, click the fee chart below:
**Passports
If you already have a passport, check to see its expiration date. If you need to apply for a new passport, please do so immediately.Here is the link for the US Passport OfficeVerify the status of your passport applicationare with additional information about using the metro including practice inineraries.
PASSPORTS-verify the status of your passport application--find the link in the yellow box on the right side of the Passport Agency's web page when it opens The nearest U.S. Passport Office is in San Francisco.
**Packing List
Trip participants are expected to bring the smallest suitcase possible. A large carry-on bag with the following dimensions is strongly recommended--22"x12"x14"--along with a smaller carryon (briefcase or small backpack sized). Please remember that there are plenty of laundromats in the three cities we are visiting. Most particpants do their laundry at least once during the trip. Go to this page and print it for a sample packing list for your trip.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)--What you can take, and what you cannot take.
**Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Skating Only Zones
**Photos
See some pictures that I took at Christmas, 2001
Type any address at this site and see a photo of the facade of the building located at that address.
**Restaurants
Go to the Restaurant Page for a collection of recommended restaurants, many of which are in the 5th and 6th arrondissements.
Another restaurant site---RestoàParis site.
Also, check out les pages de Paris.
**Swimming Pools and Basketball Courts
Go to Piscine Saint Germain for the location of a swimming pool in the area of the hotel. The Piscine Saint Germain is in a refurbished covered market that has a new Gap store and several other youth oriented clothing boutiques. It is open Tuesday through Sunday and the hours vary. For other pools, go to http://www.parisiana.com/public_pools.html
**Tourist Sites--Some things to see
Below represents the beginning of a list of things that you should definitely consider seeing on your trip. Some of the items have sites linked to them. You should start getting information about these places right now so that you can appreciate your trip that much more. Buy a tourist guide of things to see in Paris that includes a list of restaurants. Check the various spots out on the Internet. Remember, part of the fun of the trip will be in its planning and your anticipation. Amusez-vous bien!
Interactive map of monuments and museums
For the official Paris tourist site, go to: http://www.paris-touristoffice.com
For the Michelin Green guide of star-rated things to see, go to http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/tourismPoiList;jsessionid=JLWEIIZKQQ2CUDOI3DJCASI?from=216
For an interactive map of monuments in Paris, go to http://www.paris.org/Maps/MM/
For a list of some cafés and their websites, go to http://www.paris.org/Cafes/
The following are major tourist places to visit:
Le Musée National du Moyen Âge (Hôtel de Cluny)
Le Marais
Le Quartier de Saint Germain des Près
L'Arc de Triomphe et les Champs Elysées
Le Palais et le jardin de Versailles
La Place des Vosges et la maison de Victor Hugo
Les Marchés sur la rue Mouffetard et la rue de Buci
**Travel Tips
For additional useful tips about Paris and environs, go to http://www.bparis.com.
**Trip Payments
You may pay by check, credit card, or cash. Checks should be made payable to "Bernard Kent Porter". The following are payment deadlines:
$500 (1st Payment) Deposit ($350 not refundable) when you enroll as a participant
$1000 (2nd Payment) due October 1, 2011
$1000 (3rd Payment) due November 1, 2011
$1000 (4th Payment) due December 1, 2011
**Weather In Paris
For a ten day weather forecast, go to the French Weather Site.
E-mail me if you have questions about the trip.
