Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Subject Topic: Places to stay in Paris and Rome Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Erica Sanchez
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Posted: July 20 2015 at 3:33pm | IP Logged Quote Erica Sanchez
Our two oldest daughters will do a pilgrimage to Paris/Lisieux and Rome in October thanks mostly to a generious graduation gift and hard work on their part. Grace has discerned that she wishes to be a Carmelite (still working on where to enter) and to give the girls a chance to do something memorable together Emily will go with her. An older friend is also going a a guide/chaperone.

The friend who has been to both of these cities was hoping that they could stay in convents and places like that, but they are finding many full.

We hope to keep costs low (if that is even possible). Do any of you have ideas or suggestions?

They found one place right in Vatican City (something religious) for 50euro each per night. This includes breakfast, but it still seems a bit high. I have never been to Europe so maybe this is a great deal?

Thanks!

P.S. I am waiting to hear from the doctor today about the tests I had done last week. I am assuming if anything was bad I would have heard back by now. Hopefully, it is nothing. I feel normal. :)

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(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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guitarnan
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Posted: July 20 2015 at 6:46pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan
Have they considered staying outside of Rome and taking the train in? It is cheaper to do it this way, usually.

Advantages: Saving money, not just on the hotel but also on food. Rome is an expensive city, and October is still considered peak travel season there. More chances to talk with people.

Disadvantages: When we did this, we had to get out of Rome by 8:00 or so at the latest each evening because the trains out of town don't run very late at night. This could be stressful. (We did not find it so. We were tired by then!) You have to learn how to use the Italian train system. (I can help with ticket info - please let me know. It's different from the USA. I also know about daily regional train/bus tickets.)

I looked up the online rates for a 3-person room (this will usually be a double bed ("matrimoniale") and a twin bed) at the last hotel we stayed at near Rome and for mid-October, they were showing a rate of 115 Euros per night, breakfast included. Even if you add in train fare to Rome (less than 5 Euros per person round trip, per the Trenitalia website - you just have to stay off the big, fast trains), you're saving 20 or so Euros per day (total, not per person), plus whatever you might save by eating dinner in a cheaper town. (Let me know if this sounds good and I will tell you about the hotel and town we stayed in.)

Another thing you should tell them is that online booking isn't the best way to go in Italy. I have had the experience many times that online, it appears hotels are full, but when you call them, there are rooms available. Italians like to know the people they do business with, which is why (I think, anyway) they aren't thrilled with online reservation/purchasing systems. Whoever speaks the best Italian or Spanish should call. A lot of hotel managers in/near Rome speak English well, too. Email sometimes works, but I have had better results by calling, even when I butcher the language. (P. S. Once there, Grace should not be shy about mentioning her vocation. They will get into some interesting conversations with locals!)

I am less help for Paris. I have not been to that part of France for many years, but I hope someone else here has!

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