HOTEL DE PARIS MONTPARNASSE

GREAT STAFF, TINY ROOM, GOOD LOCATION NEXT TO GARE MONTPARNASSE

High praise for the staff at Hotel de Paris Montparnasse.

It is a smallish, family-run hotel and I made a couple special requests -- having an extra flat sheet in the room upon arrival -- and they had this covered.

It's my test of front desk responsiveness.

They have fresh filtered water and large glass bottles for you to use for free.

This was an excellent way of saving money on buying water while also saving the planet by not tossing away plastic.

The location is crawling distance from Gare Montparnasse -- which was a big draw for me because I was catching the high speed train to Bordeaux at the end of my Paris stay.

APARTHOTEL ADAGIO BORDEAUX CENTRE GAMBETTA

MODERN BUILDING WITH GALLEY KITCHEN FOOTSTEPS FROM TRANSIT

Pound for pound, Bordeaux boasts some of the best gastronomy and wine in all of France...or the world for that matter.

Code 23, a fabulous bar with live music and a cozy vibe, is less than 15 minutes walk from the property.

Le Petit Commerce, one of the greatest, most unpretentious seafood houses in all of the region, is 15 minutes walk away from Aparthotel Adagio Bordeaux Centre Gambetta.

Boulangerie Jocteur, an outstanding bakery, is a brisk 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Chartrons and its great homes and bistros are 15 minutes by tram.

Cite du Vin is less than 25 minutes by tram.

Bassins des Lumières, in a WWII submarine bunker also to the north of town, is less than 45 minutes by public transit.