Help: Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France / First visit to Paris

[hajjah]

Greetings:
I just found a 2 bedroom unit in Paris for me to take my daughter, who will be turning 25 while we are there. We are traveling from the South USA and never been to France. This will be my daughter's first trip overseas. I would like to find a flight with a connection in London for a few hours of layover, but how much time would we need just to see a few places? My daughter is a Harry Potter fan. Are we allowed to leave the airport with a connecting flight to CDG? Do you advise us to rent a car for the week at the resort? I'm pretty terrified of driving on the opposite side and also with the steering wheel being different from the US. I had that experience in Barbados a few years ago and would never return if I had to drive.

There will be three of us at the timeshare. The original plan was to stay in London for two days before we check in at the resort, but the flights are too expensive. My daughter wants to do Disney for at least a day.

We do not know the language and only speak English. Is this a major problem? I recall a trip to Malaga, Spain back in the 80's and we did not speak Spanish. It was very difficult getting around and is a major reason why I haven't been back to Europe since then.

As for the resort and sight seeing, please advise us of some things to do. Do you recommend not getting a rental car, which we always book? Can a 60+ get around ok via public transportation? I appreciate your help.

 

[dioxide45]

You would need a lot more than a few hours layover in London to see anything. I wouldn't do anything there without at least two nights. Traffic is horrid and the airport isn't close to many of the sights.

Renting a car generally isn't a problem in France since they drive on the right just like us. You probably would want to take the train in to Paris instead of trying to drive it. I certainly wouldn't drive in to Paris. But do rent a car to drive the French countryside.

 

[stslc]

Greetings:
I just found a 2 bedroom unit in Paris for me to take my daughter, who will be turning 25 while we are there. We are traveling from the South USA and never been to France. This will be my daughter's first trip overseas. I would like to find a flight with a connection in London for a few hours of layover, but how much time would we need just to see a few places? My daughter is a Harry Potter fan. Are we allowed to leave the airport with a connecting flight to CDG? Do you advise us to rent a car for the week at the resort? I'm pretty terrified of driving on the opposite side and also with the steering wheel being different from the US. I had that experience in Barbados a few years ago and would never return if I had to drive.

There will be three of us at the timeshare. The original plan was to stay in London for two days before we check in at the resort, but the flights are too expensive. My daughter wants to do Disney for at least a day.

We do not know the language and only speak English. Is this a major problem? I recall a trip to Malaga, Spain back in the 80's and we did not speak Spanish. It was very difficult getting around and is a major reason why I haven't been back to Europe since then.

As for the resort and sighting, please advise us of some things to do. Do you recommend not getting a rental car, which we always book? Can a 60+ get around ok via public transportation? I appreciate your help.

When is your trip planned? We are going at the end of March and I could respond with our experience after we return. We plan to rent a car. We are starting in Geneva, skiing at Chamonix then driving to the Marriott. We will also use the car to head to Normandy, Mont St. Michel, etc. For transport to/from/in Paris we will purchase the Navigo Decouverte pass (see parisbytrain.com for info) which allows for a week of unlimited use of all public transport in all 5 Paris zones. There are two train stations close to Marriott. We will also purchase a Museum pass for 2 or 4 days which allows entrance without waiting in a ticket line for nearly all the Paris museums. If you want to go up the Eifel Tower you should by tix directly from their website. I'll gladly post more after our trip if it will be helpful/timely.

 

[dgf15215]

Give up the idea of seeing anything except the airport in London, it is a totally impractical idea. What you could do is stop in London for two nights and see a few things that will warm you up for a future trip and then take the Eurostar train through the chunnel to London. We did that some years ago with our early-adolescent kids and still remember getting off the train, getting on a subway and eventually coming up to ground level in the center of Paris. Memorable. London however, is a big place with a lot to see and by the time you get into a hotel and fight the time difference you'll find that you don't really have much time or energy for it. English is almost universal in tourist areas of France, you shouldn't have a problem. Perhaps the less costly option is to fly directly to France and skip London altogether. The advice about the transport passes and museum passes is absolutely important, there are lots of great smartphone apps to help you with transportation but you'll need an unlocked phone with a sim card to make use of them without spending a king's ransom in overseas charges; everyone sells local sim cards in Europe but safest bet is at the airport where they're used to working with tourists. Also, be forewarned that Charles de Gaulle Airport is fairly sprawling and hard to navigate, plan to spend a lot of time there whether coming or going.

Good luck!

 

[hajjah]

When is your trip planned? We are going at the end of March and I could respond with our experience after we return. We plan to rent a car. We are starting in Geneva, skiing at Chamonix then driving to the Marriott. We will also use the car to head to Normandy, Mont St. Michel, etc. For transport to/from/in Paris we will purchase the Navigo Decouverte pass (see parisbytrain.com for info) which allows for a week of unlimited use of all public transport in all 5 Paris zones. There are two train stations close to Marriott. We will also purchase a Museum pass for 2 or 4 days which allows entrance without waiting in a tic

When is your trip planned? We are going at the end of March and I could respond with our experience after we return. We plan to rent a car. We are starting in Geneva, skiing at Chamonix then driving to the Marriott. We will also use the car to head to Normandy, Mont St. Michel, etc. For transport to/from/in Paris we will purchase the Navigo Decouverte pass (see parisbytrain.com for info) which allows for a week of unlimited use of all public transport in all 5 Paris zones. There are two train stations close to Marriott. We will also purchase a Museum pass for 2 or 4 days which allows entrance without waiting in a ticket line for nearly all the Paris museums. If you want to go up the Eifel Tower you should by tix directly from their website. I'll gladly post more after our trip if it will be helpful/timely.

ket line for nearly all the Paris museums. If you want to go up the Eifel Tower you should by tix directly from their website. I'll gladly post more after our trip if it will be helpful/timely.

Our trip is scheduled for the 3rd week in March. Now, I'm trying to decide if we should take a direct flight from the South, or get a connection since my daughter has never flown longer than to Mexico. I've had some negative experiences flying overseas on connections and having luggage lost and hours added to the connection. My first choice is to fly non-stop. I flew to Dubai last year this time for 14 hours. It's very draining, but if you are on a great airline, it helps. I'd better book our flights before the airfare increases. I'm seeing $720 non-stop via Orbitz.

Oh, thanks for the advice about skipping London all together unless we can stay at least two nights.

 

[BigMac]

Greetings:
I just found a 2 bedroom unit in Paris for me to take my daughter, who will be turning 25 while we are there. We are traveling from the South USA and never been to France. This will be my daughter's first trip overseas. I would like to find a flight with a connection in London for a few hours of layover, but how much time would we need just to see a few places? My daughter is a Harry Potter fan. Are we allowed to leave the airport with a connecting flight to CDG? Do you advise us to rent a car for the week at the resort? I'm pretty terrified of driving on the opposite side and also with the steering wheel being different from the US. I had that experience in Barbados a few years ago and would never return if I had to drive.

There will be three of us at the timeshare. The original plan was to stay in London for two days before we check in at the resort, but the flights are too expensive. My daughter wants to do Disney for at least a day.

We do not know the language and only speak English. Is this a major problem? I recall a trip to Malaga, Spain back in the 80's and we did not speak Spanish. It was very difficult getting around and is a major reason why I haven't been back to Europe since then.

As for the resort and sight seeing, please advise us of some things to do. Do you recommend not getting a rental car, which we always book? Can a 60+ get around ok via public transportation? I appreciate your help.

Just to be clear are you renting at Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France? You know it's a ways out of central Paris - but there is train service from CDG to the village and from the village to Paris. I would not rent a car unless you plan to tour the French countryside.

 

[hajjah]

Just to be clear are you renting at Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France? You know it's a ways out of central Paris - but there is train service from CDG to the village and from the village to Paris. I would not rent a car unless you plan to tour the French countryside.

We will be flying into CDG. I did not check to see how far the Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France is from the airport. You don't recommend renting a car and touring the countryside for first time visitors? If driving is crazy, and since we do not speak the language, should we only take public transportation? I don't mind driving as long as its similar to how we drive in the US and the steering wheel is also the same.

 

[BigMac]

We will be flying into CDG. I did not check to see how far the Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France is from the airport. You don't recommend renting a car and touring the countryside for first time visitors? If driving is crazy, and since we do not speak the language, should we only take public transportation? I don't mind driving as long as its similar to how we drive in the US and the steering wheel is also the same.

I would not recommend renting a car from the airport. There are better transport options to Disney including the TGV trains and shuttles. Also if you want to go in to central Paris, and you should, then take a train. Yes you could rent a car from the hotel for a day or two to see the French countryside. Below are a couple of options for you to get to Disney.

http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk/guest-services/transfer-from-paris-airports/
http://parisbytrain.com/tgv-train-cdg-to-eurodisney/

 

[ACP]

Hi We live in the UK and are owners at Marriott Village d'ille-de-France. I can't see from reading the various posts how long your trip is planned for but here is some information that may help.
London is a great place to visit, if you have time, there is an Express train from Heathrow to the centre of London and there are lots and lots of Marriott Hotels in centre of London and loads of tours (open tour bus and many others), it really is worth a visit.
Also as others are mentioned, there is a Eurostar express train going direct to the Euro Disney resort and is very comfortable. There is then a shuttle too and from the Marriott resort to the station, if you check with the resort before hand they will give you further details, e.g timings and location. This shuttle runs throughout the day and you can catch the train to Paris if you want. You are only about 10 minutes drive from the resort to Disney/Train station. Depending if you plan to go to Disney, you are limited to what else you can do close to the resort, there is a small village, which you can cycle or walk too, (Marriott provide the bikes) and the village has supermarkets, restaurants and bars. You can hire a car if you would like at the Railway station, so suggest if you want to do that, on perhaps a day to day basis as and when needed, catch the shuttle to the station and then hire the car. It is well worth travelling around the country side, there are some wonderful Chateau and villages within 1 hour drive of the resort and of course the food is exquisite.
Any other questions happy to help

 

[hajjah]

We've decided not to plan for London during this trip. Our stay at the resort is for 7 nights, but I've added two additional nights to our flight before the week begins. I'm now wondering if we should stay near the airport for those two days, or go directly to the resort and stay for 9 nights since there is availability in a king unit, or the two bedroom. If we should stay near the airport, what can we see in that area, or can we get transportation to some sites? How should we get from the airport to the resort if renting a car is not advisable? We're planning to do one day at Disney so far. Would we be better off using public transportation the entire stay? I don't want to have a problem getting around since our only language is English. Your help is greatly appreciated. I finally booked our flights on Air France this morning.

 

[GrayFal]

If you are flying into CDG, why not book a hotel in Paris for 2-3 nights before you go to the timeshare?
The airport is far from the city center so it is best to stay closer in. This way you can comfortably see the Paris sights and get around easily on public transit/trains.
When you are ready to go to the Disney area, you can take the train.
6 days out in the countryside is more then enough.
You would just notify the timeshare that your arriving one day late. This is some all the time.

I have been to Paris 4-5 times, enjoy the people, the culture, the sightseeing and no, I do not speak French.

 

[hajjah]

If you are flying into CDG, why not book a hotel in Paris for 2-3 nights before you go to the timeshare?
The airport is far from the city center so it is best to stay closer in. This way you can comfortably see the Paris sights and get around easily on public transit/trains.
When you are ready to go to the Disney area, you can take the train.
6 days out in the countryside is more then enough.
You would just notify the timeshare that your arriving one day late. This is some all the time.

I have been to Paris 4-5 times, enjoy the people, the culture, the sightseeing and no, I do not speak French.

Ok, so I decided to go directly to the resort instead of staying near the airport. I was able to book a two bedroom at Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France using a special code for a great discount. They may even allow us to stay in the same unit for the 9 nights. What is the best advice to get from the airport to the resort? We're arriving on a Tuesday around 1:00 PM. Where do we get the train to the resort? After resting a few days, we'd like to do Paris, then Disneyland on a different day. I did read that there's a shuttle from the resort to the train? I need to make a note of all of these suggestions to take with me. By the way, if a friend wanted to join us who uses a cane for walking, would it be a problem for her getting to/from the train? We normally rent cars for all of our vacations. I'm trying to finalize as much as possible in advance of the trip.

 

[elaine]

take magic shuttle from cdg to disney paris (which is also the train station) and then take a taxi to the marriott for under 20 euros. you can prepay for the magic shuttle online and then take whatever time you want. with 3 persons, you might want a private transfer from the airport--100 euros or so. it's not that much more than 20pp for shuttle + 20 for taxi. there are many online places to book private transfers.
you can see how you like it without a car. there are country/suburban roads around the marriott and several good places to visit, such at the wwi museum in meaux and fountainebleu. there is a good sixt rental at the magic circus hotel (54 bus from dlp) and a avis at dlp train station.
however, you can also do fine with the marriott shuttle or the bus which stops right out side of the property-ask the front desk for a schedule. you will take the bus/shuttle to disney train station and then a train into paris. get a day pass which lets you also use all public transportation in paris. get a copy of rick steves book. we really like provins, which you can get to on the bus from disney-here is an old posts of mine.
we were there july 2016 and loved it. We rented a car in July, but have also done a strictly public transport trip. It's a great base to explore France. We went to Provins (also easy day trip via bus from Chessy station), the newish WWI museum in Meaux, and Fountainebleu. There is a small, but fully stocked grocier at Bailey Romainvillers, a very small town near the M (10 minute, very nice walk) and also a fruit stand, a butcher, and lovely patisserie. We walked or took the car several times to the above. M also has a small store onsite, with basic necessities. M rents bikes, which I didn't get a chance to do.We ask for a unit at the front backing to the Giverny gardens. The local bus picks up right at the M for DLP or Val d'Europe (upscale shopping mall), so you might not need a car for the entire week. M also has a shuttle, 4 euros RT to DLP train station.
I would not take the train into Paris and then out to resort upon arrival. If you are from the US, you likely took an overnight flight. That, plus being in a foreign country with luggage just puts a damper on the whole beginning of your trip. (Note-Chessy and Marne la vallee are the same place--at DLP gates).
An all day Moblis pass for our zone was 15 euros, which was also good on all buses, metro in Paris for the day.
without a car-The local bus works great to both DLP and Val d-Europe where our teen loved the big shopping mall.
as long as friend can walk and go up stairs, that would be fine, just at a slower pace. train stations might or might not have a convenient elevator. Paris is A LOT of walking. you might want a private tour into and around paris--that would likely be 300+ euros for the day. DO NOT try to drive a car into Paris.

 

[hajjah]

take magic shuttle from cdg to disney paris (which is also the train station) and then take a taxi to the marriott for under 20 euros. you can prepay for the magic shuttle online and then take whatever time you want. with 3 persons, you might want a private transfer from the airport--100 euros or so. it's not that much more than 20pp for shuttle + 20 for taxi. there are many online places to book private transfers.
you can see how you like it without a car. there are country/suburban roads around the marriott and several good places to visit, such at the wwi museum in meaux and fountainebleu. there is a good sixt rental at the magic circus hotel (54 bus from dlp) and a avis at dlp train station.
however, you can also do fine with the marriott shuttle or the bus which stops right out side of the property-ask the front desk for a schedule. you will take the bus/shuttle to disney train station and then a train into paris. get a day pass which lets you also use all public transportation in paris. get a copy of rick steves book. we really like provins, which you can get to on the bus from disney-here is an old posts of mine.
we were there july 2016 and loved it. We rented a car in July, but have also done a strictly public transport trip. It's a great base to explore France. We went to Provins (also easy day trip via bus from Chessy station), the newish WWI museum in Meaux, and Fountainebleu. There is a small, but fully stocked grocier at Bailey Romainvillers, a very small town near the M (10 minute, very nice walk) and also a fruit stand, a butcher, and lovely patisserie. We walked or took the car several times to the above. M also has a small store onsite, with basic necessities. M rents bikes, which I didn't get a chance to do.We ask for a unit at the front backing to the Giverny gardens. The local bus picks up right at the M for DLP or Val d'Europe (upscale shopping mall), so you might not need a car for the entire week. M also has a shuttle, 4 euros RT to DLP train station.
I would not take the train into Paris and then out to resort upon arrival. If you are from the US, you likely took an overnight flight. That, plus being in a foreign country with luggage just puts a damper on the whole beginning of your trip. (Note-Chessy and Marne la vallee are the same place--at DLP gates).
An all day Moblis pass for our zone was 15 euros, which was also good on all buses, metro in Paris for the day.
without a car-The local bus works great to both DLP and Val d-Europe where our teen loved the big shopping mall.
as long as friend can walk and go up stairs, that would be fine, just at a slower pace. train stations might or might not have a convenient elevator. Paris is A LOT of walking. you might want a private tour into and around paris--that would likely be 300+ euros for the day. DO NOT try to drive a car into Paris.

As per the suggestions here on TUG, we will not rent a car at the airport, so should we get the Magic Shuttle to Disney Paris train station, then a taxi to the resort? About how much time is involved getting to the resort? The flight will be around 8 hours, so it will be best for us to travel the easiest way possible to the resort. I'm re reading everything so that I can put it all together to bring with me.

 

[elaine]

easiest, fastest way is to prebook a private transfer. will cost about 100-120 euros. you can look on magicshuttle's website to get schedule. personally, with 3 persons, i would spend the extra and just get a private car transfer from cdg to Marriott. taxi from dlp train station to the M takes 10 minutes. about 45 minutes from airport to dlp.

 

[hajjah]

I forgot to ask if there are any tours sponsored by the resort? My daughter has been reading about the crimes against tourist while traveling on the trains and at Disney. Do we need any specific advice or is it basically the same reminders we would be aware of while traveling anywhere? We did have a camera stolen while on our way to the airport in Spain back in 1988.

 

[elaine]

The resort sponsors a few tours. But you are offseason So they might not be running. There is a bus tour from Dlp to Paris. Free time and then bus home for about 80 euros. Google to find it. Take normal precautions. I have never been pickpocketed etc in 10+ years of travel in Europe. Keep aware of your possessions. Wallet in front pocket. Purse over shoulder held with elbow close to body, etc. the train into Paris is safe imho. There are armed patrols at dlp train station, as well as other stations. They are there to keep you safe.
We had a fabulous time in July. Also there are sections of Paris safer than others. Most of the tourist areas are fine. Just use common street sense. We walked from louvre to opera to st Lazard train station. All of those areas were just fine, as is the area around notre dame and over the bridge to Latin quarter.
I was alone with dd and did not go to Montmartre as I read it was not as safe. No comment on actuality, but plenty to do with dd without venturing to that area.

 

[elaine]

Also make sure to walk into little town by the m and go to grocery store fruit market and patisserie to get a real French experience, plus making your own French dinner. My kids enjoyed doing that. It's a lovely safe walk down a beautiful tree lined street with sidewalk.

 

[Kim R]

I have stayed at this resort twice. It is a beautiful property. Our family may be a little more adventuresome than most, but we found it was no problem to rent a car at CDG and drive to the resort saving quite a bit of expense in transfers. Also the train takes significantly more time. I believe we made it from the airport to the resort in 45 minutes or less.
My suggestion for your extra 2-3 days differs from others. I would rent a car at CDG and drive to Normandy and Mont St Michel. You could spend a couple of nights in that area, leaving early the final morning to drive to the Marriott. We stopped in Giverny on the way to see the Monet gardens and that was very enjoyable.
I believe a week at the resort is plenty. We found that taking the train into Paris every other day was a good pace. We explored the area around the resort the other days - traveling to Reims, and taking a champagne cellars tour at Taittinger. We also enjoyed shopping at the outlets nearby, especially the large Auchan grocery.
As for not speaking French, memorize how to say "I'm sorry, I don't speak French, do you speak English?" in French. As long as you approach everyone by speaking French first, most know English and are happy to help you. Put an app on your phone (that doesn't require a wifi connection) that has some of the key phrases and words and you will be set!

 

[hajjah]

I've been reading some reviews on TUG and Trip Advisor about many cats being on the property. I have a very serious allergy/phobia of cats and hope this will not be a deal breaker for me. Airfare has been purchased, so backing out now is not an option. Is there any area of the property where the cats frequent less? I need to email the resort and request to be as far away as possible from the animals. This is a serious problem for me. When we stayed in St Thomas back in 2011, the place was a cat haven. It was a very difficult week being on the property. I could not wait for the week to end. Also, we decided to rent a car for our entire stay even if it stays parked some of the days. My daughter has concerns now for our safety while using public transportation. She has been watching some videos on You Tube about pick pocketing and other crimes against tourists. We'll try to do as much research as possible about places we can drive to that are considered to be safer for tourists. I have advised her that TUG is one of the best sources of do's and don'ts while traveling.

 

[Pompey Family]

There were no cats, or certainly none that I saw that could be considered numerous, on the occasions that I've been there. Son Antem is the resort where there is a cat problem.

As for safety France is as safe as any other major Western city. It's probably safer than many major US cities. I've travelled extensively and I can say that those few occasions when I've felt unsafe have been in the US. Why is your daughter watching YouTube videos about crimes against tourists? Reading through your posts it appears to me that you're thinking too much and worrying about every potential problem. That is not what travelling is about, it should be fun, enjoyable and relaxing.

I've just returned from a long weekend in Barcelona, you would think from reading some blogs and reviews that the place is a seething mass of pick pockets, it isn't. Do they exist? Yes, of course but the place isn't overrun with them. Did I take sensible precautions about my belongings? Yes, but no different than any other place I visit. It's the same with Paris, common sense will keep you out of trouble. You don't need to worry about wandering off the tourist track into some dangerous part of the city, you'll know before you get there that you're approaching it but there will be no reason for you to be in that position.

Don't plan your trip down to the finest detail, there's no fun in that and it all results in is rush to try and fit it in. Have a few 'goals' in mind and take the rest as you find it, you'll enjoy it much more.

 

[hajjah]

There were no cats, or certainly none that I saw that could be considered numerous, on the occasions that I've been there. Son Antem is the resort where there is a cat problem.

As for safety France is as safe as any other major Western city. It's probably safer than many major US cities. I've travelled extensively and I can say that those few occasions when I've felt unsafe have been in the US. Why is your daughter watching YouTube videos about crimes against tourists? Reading through your posts it appears to me that you're thinking too much and worrying about every potential problem. That is not what travelling is about, it should be fun, enjoyable and relaxing.

I've just returned from a long weekend in Barcelona, you would think from reading some blogs and reviews that the place is a seething mass of pick pockets, it isn't. Do they exist? Yes, of course but the place isn't overrun with them. Did I take sensible precautions about my belongings? Yes, but no different than any other place I visit. It's the same with Paris, common sense will keep you out of trouble. You don't need to worry about wandering off the tourist track into some dangerous part of the city, you'll know before you get there that you're approaching it but there will be no reason for you to be in that position.

Don't plan your trip down to the finest detail, there's no fun in that and it all results in is rush to try and fit it in. Have a few 'goals' in mind and take the rest as you find it, you'll enjoy it much more.

I cannot thank you enough for your comments. We need to focus more on having an enjoyable vacation, especially since this will be my daughter's first trip to Europe. And, you are correct about the US. There are many places that I would not think of traveling to across this country. We'll stay off You Tube and the other sites and focus on the positives while still keeping up our guards just like we do everyday.

 

[elleny76]

Ok, so I decided to go directly to the resort instead of staying near the airport. I was able to book a two bedroom at Marriott's Village d'lle-de-France using a special code for a great discount. They may even allow us to stay in the same unit for the 9 nights. What is the best advice to get from the airport to the resort? We're arriving on a Tuesday around 1:00 PM. Where do we get the train to the resort? After resting a few days, we'd like to do Paris, then Disneyland on a different day. I did read that there's a shuttle from the resort to the train? I need to make a note of all of these suggestions to take with me. By the way, if a friend wanted to join us who uses a cane for walking, would it be a problem for her getting to/from the train? We normally rent cars for all of our vacations. I'm trying to finalize as much as possible in advance of the trip.

ACP comment is good: ".......
" there is a Eurostar express train going direct to the Euro Disney resort and is very comfortable. There is then a shuttle too and from the Marriott resort to the station, if you check with the resort before hand they will give you further details, e.g timings and location. This shuttle runs throughout the day and you can catch the train to Paris if you want. You are only about 10 minutes drive from the resort to Disney/Train station. Depending if you plan to go to Disney, you are limited to what else you can do close to the resort, there is a small village, which you can cycle or walk too, (Marriott provide the bikes) and the village has supermarkets, restaurants and bars. You can hire a car if you would like at the Railway station, so suggest if you want to do that, on perhaps a day to day basis as and when needed, catch the shuttle to the station and then hire the car. It is well worth travelling around the country side, there are some wonderful Chateau and villages within 1 hour drive of the resort and of course the food is exquisite. "

 

[elaine]

There are a few cats. If you sit out on your patio they might walk by for scraps. Just shoo them away with a harsh word or two. You might see one walking around the property but you will not be accosted by swarms of cats. They are friendly well behaved cats. And again only likely to come up to you if you have food on patio.
The bus from m to dlp is a local Bus full of dlp tourists-very safe. Train from dlp to Paris is a commuter train. Use common sense. Keep. Safer areas in Paris, no flashy jewelry, wallet in front pocket and purse clutched with elbow. I had no issues taking a family into Paris.
The m is a lovely property. One of our favorites places.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I've been reading some reviews on TUG and Trip Advisor about many cats being on the property. I have a very serious allergy/phobia of cats and hope this will not be a deal breaker for me. Airfare has been purchased, so backing out now is not an option. Is there any area of the property where the cats frequent less? I need to email the resort and request to be as far away as possible from the animals. This is a serious problem for me. When we stayed in St Thomas back in 2011, the place was a cat haven. It was a very difficult week being on the property. I could not wait for the week to end. Also, we decided to rent a car for our entire stay even if it stays parked some of the days. My daughter has concerns now for our safety while using public transportation. She has been watching some videos on You Tube about pick pocketing and other crimes against tourists. We'll try to do as much research as possible about places we can drive to that are considered to be safer for tourists. I have advised her that TUG is one of the best sources of do's and don'ts while traveling.

Carry a purse with a strap and loop it over your head. That way it will be more difficult to be slid off. Bring along a copy of your passport and carry it somewhere separately in case your PP is stolen. If you are in a crowd, carry your purse in front of you (strap over your head). A couple of classic rip off schemes is where a man wants to shake your hand and someone strips off your purse. Another classic is when you have your purse open (e.g., at a restaurant) and some street urchin comes up and wants to sell you a map that is placed over your purse (meanwhile another urchin is taking stuff from your purse).

Learn some phrases in French: thank you, where is the train, where is the taxi, and learn the names for the foods that you will see on a menu. Learn the numbers so when the taxi driver asks for $, you'll know how much. I found Duolingo application that works well with a smart phone to be helpful in learning the basics. Know what the exchange rate is.

For cash, I have gone to ATMs. My bank doesn't charge me a fee for using the ATMs so that works well. If you have any substantial coin change when you are preparing to leave France, get it converted to paper as some of the conversion places don't work with coinage.

General question - - what do people do in France for cell phones?