Pensiones, french style?

I lucked up in Rome just walking down a street to find %26quot;Lucy%26quot;...a fast talking go getter that has rooms to rent all over the center of town....at a very nice price...just haggle a bit.

Any luck in the Big City of Paris to do this? The city have a list of mom and pop lodgings?

Best part of town to just pound the streets for this?

Thanks!

PS...Rome was great. Warnings of crime and filth were bs....but Naples was a bit dicey. A great city and no problem if you use NY street smarts.

|||

Pensiones exist, but you won%26#39;t be negotiation prices and you wont be approached randomly at the street. Les Maronniers is the one I know of.

|||

pensiones are called in French %26quot;pensions de famille%26quot; google that but the sites I look at don%26#39;t give much info. How about %26quot;chambres d%26#39; hotes%26quot;? i.e a bed and breakfast room in a private home. see http://www.hotesqualiteparis.fr/en/ bargaining is definitely NOT done in France, except for second hand shops at the flea market and a few other places.

|||

We stayed at a pension in Paris a few years ago, Au Palais Gourmand (I wrote a TA review). That had to be booked in advance and haggling was out of the question!

The chambres d%26#39;hotes (B%26amp;B) suggestion is a good one (see discussions elsewhere on the forum for this, though) but again, you%26#39;ll probably need to book ahead. I would think that hotels would be the main places where you could turn up and see what they have available, or you could use one of those last minute hotel deal websites.

|||

What? The French do not love the fine art of zee haggle? Mon dieu!

As a true Roman, Lucia would have no respect for me if I dont get the price knocked down for a full weeks stay. Of course, I grew up in the biz and know that an empty room is money down the drain.

Travel is the first two weeks in May. Warm, cool and rainy, or what then? I%26#39;m a one bag and backpack traveler so clothers to take is a factor. Shorts in zee poor taste there?

|||

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;As a true Roman, Lucia would have no respect for me if I dont get the price knocked%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

%26quot;..When in Rome; do as the Romans..%26quot;....but Paris ain%26#39;t Rome...nor do most Parisians have an especially high opinion of Romans (the differences date back to rude behavior by Roman %26#39;tourists%26#39; in B.C...rape, pillage, plunder, speeding chariots, cruxifictions, orgies, etc) More times than not, %26#39;haggle%26#39; with a Parisian pensionier and the price is more likely to go UP...or vacancies will suddenly have reservations.

|||

Rome is not the most touristed city in the world. Paris is. They%26#39;ve no need to haggle here.

|||

And, contrary to the stereotypes, French people are reserved and they would rather die of thousands pin pricks than haggle. French people aren%26#39;t good as greeting total strangers as if they were long time buddies (after 30 years in North America I still cringe when a total stranger shout %26quot;hey buddy are ya doing?%26quot;) they do a little hesitant dance first: Good morning lady/ sir..please excuse me for bothering you but ..what look like rudeness is often due to shyness. Shy people are anything but smooth talker!

One year I phoned a hotel from CDG. I had reserved a room (by snail mail in the days before internet!!!) for the following week but wanted to stay overnight rather than taking the night train to... At the hotel the owner, an older lady, was a bit cold and asked me to pay for the night at once. When I came back the following week I volunteered to pay the 5 nights then and there. She gave me a huge smile.. mais non Monsieur..I know you!

|||

Sorry, englis is my second language...I was born in Tennessee. Haggle(to bargain in a prtty quibbling manner) is the wrong word.

I ment to say: engager dans des négociations constructives!

|||

%26quot;Sorry, englis is my second language...I was born in Tennessee. Haggle(to bargain in a prtty quibbling manner) is the wrong word.

I ment to say: engager dans des négociations constructives!%26quot;

I am afraid all you%26#39;ll achieve will be a break of diplomatic relations..... :-)

It is simpley not done in France to bargain for hotel rooms.

|||

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;I was born in Tennessee%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Ah....well that explains it. Paris is filled with foreign city-folk who%26#39;ve taken on the modes and manners of civilized society....as examples, Parisians wear shoes...and prefer %26#39;sissified%26#39; wine out of a glass rather than a swig of honest, corn whiskey from the jug.