Converting VHS to DVD or Computer Media

General Tidbits I learned

http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-91509.html

Use s-video instead of standard composite (RCA) when possible. S-video will give you the best possible quality and less loss of signal. Well, see below for this debate. :)

VHS or VHS-C is 330×480 (250 lines)
DVD is 720×480 (520 lines)
8mm film (including Super 8 film) is about 1000 lines (I don't know how many pixels that is)
HDV (MiniDV) is: 1440×1080 (810 lines) NOTE: This file format uncompressed is enormous (like 50GB per hour!!!!)

DV, AVI, and MPEG-2 have a max resolution of 720x480 pixels

It is best to store video from film as AVI uncompressed on hard drive (Windows) or store on MiniDV. DVD has the resolution to hold it, but really we are talking about the MPEG-2 standard when we talk about DVDs. This is a lossy technology and not good for frame based film.

This means VHS can safely be archived on MiniDV or AVI. MPEG-2 / DVD may be good enough also. If it is good enough for DVD, it is probably good enough for VHS sourced video. MPEG-2 has a great resolution than VHS, so only issue is the lossy algorithm, but again, it is usually not noticed. Look at all the DVD's we accept as great. However, with High Definition TVs now, some DVDs don't look as good as they used to. It is hard to say if VHS as an uncompressed file would look any better than MPEG-2. Theoretically it is, but will anybody every see it, that is the question. I think the answer is: maybe. ;)

Recording Formats:
http://dvr.about.com/od/dvrs/f/ancamform.htm

Good Overview of different formats used in video records (i.e. camcorders)
http://www.high-techproductions.com/formats.htm

File Formats
NOTE: The following table shows the data rates and file sizes of various compression schemes and their most likely application. Formats were converted from a 30-second DV file. Unless otherwise noted, all formats were produced at a frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps), with CD-quality audio (44.1 kHz, 16-bit sample rate).

File format
Frame size
File size (MB)
Data rate (KB/s)
Application/comments

DV
720x480
103
3527
Excellent quality. DV captured with IEEE 1394 card. Output back to DV, Hi-8 or S-VHS.

AVI uncompressed
720x480
893
30519
Excellent quality but file size and data rates are too high for convenient storage and playback.

MPEG-2 (high data rate)
720x480
39
1336
Excellent quality. Suitable for output to DV, Hi-8 or S-VHS.

MPEG-2 (medium data rate)
720x480
19
657
Excellent quality, but under some conditions compression artifacts may occur. Suitable for output to DV, Hi-8 or S-VHS.

MPEG-2 (low data rate)
720x480
3.6
123
Quality ranges from fair to good, due to obvious compression artifacts. Suitable if large frame size is required, where quality is less important.

MPEG-2 (medium data rate)
640x480
18.5
631
Excellent quality. Suitable for output to Hi-8, S-VHS, or full-screen computer video.

AVI compressed (Indeo video 5.06 compression)
640x480
47
1622
Quality ranges from good to excellent, depending on the compression codec and setting.

AVI compressed (Cinepak compression)
320x240
25
860
Good quality. Suitable for output to standard VHS or video in a window.

MPEG-1 (medium data rate)
320x240
7.2
246
Good quality. Suitable for output to standard VHS or video in a window.

WMV (ASF, MPEG-4)
320x240 Audio: 16 kHz mono
0.39
13
Fair quality. Extremely low file size and data rates make this format ideal for Internet e-mail or posting to the Web.

REAL Video
320x240 Audio: 16 kHz mono
0.39
13
Fair quality. Extremely low file size and data rates make this format ideal for Internet e-mail or posting to the Web.

Copied from: http://www.techimo.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-5551.html

Analog and Digital Signals
Excellent breakdown of each of the types of signals and if they are digital or analog. S-Video and component video are analog.
http://www.rivercable.com/cable3.html

Computer Formats:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_codecs

Different Media and Resolutions:
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-VHS

Analog:

• 350×240 (260 lines): Video CD
• 330×480 (250 lines): Umatic, Betamax, VHS, Video8
• 400×480 (300 lines): Super Betamax, Betacam (pro)
• 440×480 (330 lines): analog broadcast
• 560×480 (420 lines): LaserDisc, Super VHS, Hi8
• 670×480 (500 lines): Enhanced Definition Betamax

Digital:

• 720×480 (520 lines): D-VHS, DVD, miniDV, Digital8, Digital Betacam (pro)
• 720×480 (400 lines): Widescreen DVD (anamorphic)
• 1280×720 (720 lines): D-VHS, HD DVD, Blu-ray, HDV (miniDV)
• 1440×1080 (810 lines): HDV (miniDV)
• 1920×1080 (1080 lines): D-VHS, HD DVD, Blu-ray, HDCAM SR (pro)

Cable to use
Source: http://dvr.about.com/od/howtos/ht/a2dvdr.htm
In short use the best possible that your player has. For example if your camcorder has s-video then use s-video. If it or your vcr only have composite (RCA) then use that. According to about.com, you don't need s-video unless your source is something better than vhs such as s-vhs.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video
Here is one way I thought about it. Theoretically since S-Video is a signal, not a format it is best to always use s-video over composite because it eliminates the dot crawl and other less desirable "features" of composite signal. The way I understand it is that VHS cassette is a medium, and audio and video information is written on it using magnetic encoding. This is analog, not digital. I can output that video information using composite or s-video signal. In this case, I am not using all the resolution possible in s-video, but I still get the other benefits of it. This is similar to plugging your dvd player into your tv using composite or s-video, but reserve logic. In this example, the video is at a hight resolution than s-video and composite. Using composite is still limiting my output to the constraints of composite. A digital example of this would be watching a video you download off the internet that is at a low resolution. Your Monitor can display high resolution video, but it doesn't have to if the source is not high.

Wikipedia says:
"The situation with VCRs is a bit unusual; the common S-Video connector was designed for Super VHS and Hi8 VCRs as a high-bandwidth video connection, and has been used for the same purpose on a great number of other consumer devices, coming into greatest prominence with the rise of the DVD format. Many digital, and all Hi-8, and S-VHS-C camcorders support S-Video out as well. Standard VHS VCRs do not put out a high enough resolution signal to saturate an S-Video connection, and therefore most such units, even those in combination units with DVD players (which commonly use S-Video or component outputs), require the output from the VHS deck to go through a composite video or RF connection."

I have read in forums of people stating that they DVD / Combo unit does output VHS via s-video, so I don't know who to believe. If the people in the forum are right, how is this being done by the manufacturers?

I also read from a person in another forum that you should not convert back in forth unless a good reason. For example if source was originally recording using composite then transfer to DVD using composite. I'm not sure that makes sense to me. S-video is a signal used to transmit the video information over the cable, not an encoding of information on the tape itself.

Here, someone else says the opposite: "Composite i/o will subject the signal to much more processing (and quality degradation) than S-video will. A copy made via composite i/o will always look worse than a copy made via S-Video i/o no matter what the source format is. Also, the copy will always be inferior to the master (source) tape in terms of quality. All you can do is limit the amount of damage you do to the signal.

I have no clear proof of whether s-video is better to use for analog camcorders that didn't have s-video output, but it makes sense to me that s-video should always be used when possible. However, I have found some hard evidence and reasoning to use s-video. (My logic was right). I think I found the best reason and clear explanation of why to use s-video over composite. The answer is dot crawl and it is only in composite, not video. It basically makes the picture not as clear. It is recommended to use S-Video to transmit analog video (which is what vhs is). Check out the info here.

The real question is what is the best and most cost effective way of getting VHS to be transmitted on s-video. There are three options.
1. Get a S-VHS vcr. They seem to be extremely expensive and for the most part professional equipment (with a couple of exceptions). I think I found a consumer model for around $500 if I remember correctly. The rest where professional line and cost in the thousands typically. I can't see this as being very economically feasible for the difference between composite and s-video.

2. Get a VCR/DVD combo. Most of them seem to have s-video built into them. The only question is which of them run the vhs out on them. I have read that some of them only use the s-video for DVD, and not the VCR. So, this may be trial and error until the right unit is found that uses s-video for vcr also. Do NOT worry about the up-conversion features even the ones that say they do it for VHS also. It just doesn't matter since it is display only. Meaning you have to use the HDMI connection and connect it to you tv. I don't know of any computer that accepts HDMI as a source for video capture.

The second part of this choice is whether to get the DVD Recorder instead of just a DVD player. This is a nice option if you want to not use a computer and just burn to the DVD directory from the tape. Please be advised that DVD's have a relatively short shelf life and will need to be recopied every 2-5 years or so. The source for this is: http://www.film-to-video.com/dirty_little_secrets.html and http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/303864 or just do a google search for dvd shelf life and you will see. The manufacturers of DVD's (the ones we burn with our dvd burners on our computers, not commercially produced ones) clain much longer shelf lives, but user experience and physics say differently. Some people have experiences issues with DVDs only 6 months old. This may be because of cheaper quality DVDs, but this is unknown. Play it safe, if you are going to buy a DVD or CD for that matter, make sure it is a high quality disk. The easiest way to do that is to stick with name brands. MiniDV is still one of the best archive mediums as they can last between 30 and 100 years. No medium is forever though. A quality Hard drive is a good choice also.

So, this is why I am choosing Hard Drive and a backup of that drive also that will be stored offsite for all my family archives. DVD's are nice for convenience, but not for archiving.

whether or not to buy a dvd/vcr combo just to get s-video output that may or may not work on a particular model and if it does, is it really helping the quality of the signal. I guess one way of looking at it is if I buy a combo unit that has a dvd writer built in, I don't really have to think about it, and just hope they chose the best way to do so. If I do this, I can also try the s-video out port with vcr to see if it works. Hey, I can even compare the the machine vs. computer made dvds. :)

It hit me after looking for s-video vcrs. Why not go to component video, it is analog as well and provides superior quality to any other analog medium! Unfortunately, my capture card does have connectivity for it. And I don't think I want to mess with component video given the less than industry standards that exist. I think I will be able to get much more consistent results with s-video.

Regardless of whether you choose s-video or component video, I have found that http://www.crutchfield.com is an EXCELLENT place to research the connections each DVD/VCR combo unit has and if they work for VCR or DVD or both. So far, I have found the following units that they say have s-video and / or component video for the vcr portion of the unit.

LG RC797T $299
LG RC700N $199 (may work, it doesn't say for sure)
Sony RDR-VX555 $229
Toshiba D-VR650 $250 (My guess is that it will work, but it is not clear Crutchfield or other Toshiba manuals). Toshiba also seems to have bad reviews in general, especially for their low end models. I can't really recommend this one based on that.
Panasonic makes a model that has "DVD priority" output like the Toshiba (no bad reputation though that I know of), but again, I don't know exactly what that means. This product was not on Crutchfield though.

Analog to Digital Capture Cards and USB devices for computers
http://www.videoguys.com/vidcap.htm

Good article on how to convert VHS to DVD
http://www.signvideo.com/conv-v-to-d.htm

Calibrating Oven

Believe it or not ovens need to be calibrated periodically. If you don't you may not be setting the oven to the temperature you think you are. For example, if you set the temperature to 350, it may be more like 375 or maybe 325. To calibrate you oven here is what you need to do.

1. Go to someplace like Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens N things and get an oven thermometer.
   
2. Make sure your new thermometer is calibrated and reliable. To check this, boil some water. Water boils at 212 F. Hang the thermometer above the waterline (it is NOT waterproof). The steam will also be 212 F as long as you hang it right above the waterline. The thermometer should read 212 F when the water is boiling. Don't touch the thermometer. It is HOT! Wait for it to cool before trying this.
   
3. Now put the thermometer into the oven and set it to say 350 F (or any temperature you can easily read on the thermometer and oven). Once the oven is heated completely, check your thermometer. It should say the 350 F in this case. If it doesn't it means your oven is out of calibration and might be the reason your cooking times are always off.
   
4. To calibrate your oven varies between ovens so check your manual. Many ovens with the turn knobs can be pulled off (pull straight out), and there is likely an adjustment knob on the back. Each tick may be about 10 degrees. If you have an oven with a digital display, you may need check the owners manual to determine how to calibrate it.
   
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the oven and the thermometer show the same temperature.

Some helpful facts to help you minimize the impact of rising gasoline costs

These tips were submitted by an employee of a major gas company.

Some helpful facts to help you minimize the impact of rising gasoline costs

Actually these gas types have been around for a long time, so I thought I'd share with you.

Gas Tips (Every penny counts).

Here are some tricks from a person who has worked in the petroleum industry for about 31 years to help you get more of your money's worth for every gallon.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY . The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.Another reminder. If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

How to make a decision

Decision making doesn't have to difficult or traumatic. Just think of it as a process, not a finality. You will not always make decisions that are "optimal," but you move through them, learn (gain knowledge for your next decision process), and move on. Here are some steps to help guide you through the process.

1. Frame & Organize

2. Gather information & develop alternatives

3. Create opinion & conclude

4. Deploy

5. Learn

Law of 72

The Law of 72 says that if you divide 72 by the percent return on investment you expect, then the result is the number of years it will take for your initial amount to double.

For example:

Law 72

If assume 10% rate of return then it will take 7.2 years to double.

So, if you have $1000 today, in 7.2 years invested at 10% you will have $2000 ignoring taxes, cost of investment, etc.

Some other examples:

72/10% = 7.2 years to double

72/7.5% = 9.6 years
72/5% = 14.4 years to double

72/2.5% = 28.8 years

72/1.25% = 57.6 years

Best rate on a hotel

Some hotels in the California area appear to be a little to significantly more expensive during the week when you buy them on portal sites such as nexttag.com, orbitz.com, priceline.com, hotelsale.com, cheaptickets.com, etc. OK, this isn't always true by any means, but it is sometimes. The point is that you really need to shop around. A variety of factors affect the hotel price. Don't assume that weekends are more expensive than weekdays. It really depends on the class of the hotel, the company, events in the area, business travel bookings, etc. Do a little home work and you can learn and save a lot. Sites that I mentioned above generally seem to be the same as what you can get if you book on the portal site or the website of the hotel itself.

Another strange thing I noticed is that hotels on these sites are a little to significantly cheaper if you wait until the last minute (same day even) versus doing it a couple weeks in advance. I think the hotels or resellers get desperate when they have a bunch of rooms still available and want to fill the room so they don't lose the income. Again, this is probably not the norm, but don't assume you have to pay a high price for booking at the last minute.

The more economy style hotels like Best Western, Good Nite Inn, etc tend to keep their prices the same regardless. The Radisson, Holiday Inn, Hilton, etc tend to vary the most depending on when you book. According to the Radisson Hotel, rates are based on demand. The essentially means how many rooms are available. In general it is better to book a head of time to get the best rate. This is not always the case when there may be a special event in the area that is booking many of the rooms. So, it makes sense if you have the flexibility, to check days and weeks around the time you want to go to get the best rates. According to Best Western the rates are the same for the weekend and weekday. Internet rates are discounted versus walking up and asking for a hotel.

For higher end hotels like Radisson, the rates seem to consistently be consistently higher on the weekdays versus the weekends. For example, when booking over a month in the future the rates during the weekday was $135 a night versus $90 a night for the weekend. If you walk in, it is $165. Amazing differences to me. So, shop around.

If you can help it, never just show up at the hotel. Rates are the most expensive that way. Even if you book just before you get there online you will generally get a much better rate.

Unfortunately, I haven't found a sure fire way to get the best price. There are just too many factors to come up with one rule. Here is the best have come up with.

1. If you are flexible with your dates, then try different days around the day you want to be there.
2. If you are not flexible with your dates, then try different hotels in the area. In particular, you may be able to stay in a nice hotel instead of an economy style hotel if you get lucky.
3. Book well in advance like over a month in the future and you are likely to see what the best deals are. Though, you may be able to get a deal last minute as well.
3. Consider different area if all else fails.

Travel Tips for Europe

Trip to Europe in June 2007

Let me start by saying my trip to Europe was a business trip, so I didn't get to see much (with the Exception of Paris, France over the weekend). However, I would like to share what I learned and experienced. Hopefully, it will help others in similar situations.

General Travel Tips

Jet-lag

The first day can be difficult and the next two or three days will be difficult as well, but it gets easier each day. Most people will agree that it is best to as soon as you land (or even in the air) start "living" on the new schedule. For example, I left like 6:45am on Saturday morning, and arrived like 8am or something like (but that was in Hamburg, Germany timezone). I then worked a full day of work (just to stay busy) and then crashed that night in the hotel. It is important to try to sleep in the plane if you can though. The flight(s) from Phoenix, AZ to Europe is long depending on layovers, etc, so you will need your rest if you want to make it through your day of arrival. It is common to travel from Phoenix, AZ to an east coast city like Newark, NJ, and then get on another plane to Europe. In this case, stay awake on the first one. Get a little tired and do not sleep. Then on the second flight sleep every chance you get. I recommend a sleeping pill to help you sleep. Some people can sleep on the plane well and say they just wake up when they get to their destination. I don't seem to be able to do that. I find it especially difficult to sleep with people getting up and down, turbulence, food carts, food, drinks, snacks, announcements, etc. There is no two ways about it, Jet-lag is a pain, but is not so bad if you suffer through the first day. It gets easier after that. Many people also find it helpful to set their watch to the local time as they travel. For instance, I like to keep my Phoenix, AZ time on my watch for at least a few hours, and then I switch it to East coast time so that I feel like I have had a full day. Then I begin to feel tired, and try to sleep. About that time, I change my watch to my final destination time. That way when I wake up it will feel like the next day. I can't really say if it will work better for you, but it seems to work for me. :)

Eating Times

People eat late (usually around 8pm) because it doesn't really get dark until 9 or 10 or even 11pm in the evening. People also tend to start a little later in the morning as well, though that may be true for everywhere (maybe just the tourist areas). Most breakfast are very basic (croissant, bread, juice) if you are catching an early morning flight, etc. Breakfasts in hotels and restaurants (after 7:00 or 7:30 or so) are usually nice. You can get a fully breakfast. The basics described above are usually given, but also other items like eggs, meats, cheese, fruit, and other items that typically require cold storage.

Toilets

Unlike in the US, Toilet is usually a well understood word for bathroom, restroom, etc. They call it what it is. :) You can usually find them for free in restaurants, etc, but expect to pay a small amount (usually between .30 Euros and .5 Euros) for use of the public toilet in places such as train stations, streets, etc. Some public ones are better than others, so take advantage of the free ones in the restaurants as they are usually the nicest.

Sleeping

When on business trips it seems like there is never enough time to sleep. Dinner seems to take hours, and planes, trains, buses, taxis, packing, unpacking, etc all take time out of the day as well that I usually don't have to deal with. So, I recommend sleeping every chance you get. That means if you have a plane ride, or a fairly long train ride, etc then take a nap. True, they are not really getting quality hours of sleep, but it will help get you through the day. I look at it like vitamins or other health supplements: Naps on the go are no substitute for quality sleep at night, but it does help.

Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg, Germany is a very green city. It is pretty large as far as cities go. I didn't really have much time to enjoy Hamburg, but what I did see was lots of people on the street, green everywhere. They seem to have a good public transportation though we did not make use of it. Most everyone speaks English. In fact, the front desk person at the Ibis Hotel at the airport laughed when I asked her if she spoke English (in German of course). She said that everyone knows English in German. It seemed to be true. Very few people didn't know English. We even had a great taxi driver that took us to city center. He gave us a nice tour of the route to the city center. This was not expected, but very much appreciated.

Taxis

The city actually has too many taxis. It only takes 5 to 8 minutes to get a taxi. This seems to be the max. They came as quickly as 3 minutes, and it is common to find them parked along side the road in the city center. Some speak English, but I estimate 50% of them didn't on our trip. In either case, don't worry. Typically all they need is an address and they can find it. Names of well known places are also helpful. Every taxi we were in accepted credit cards on the spot. They all seem to have the same little taxi fare and credit card machine on the dash. Almost every taxi I saw was a Mercedes, and many of them were new models. This is much different than what you get in the US. Also, most taxi drivers dress to match the car. They wear attire I would expect for a business person. For men that means slacks, collared shirt, blazer, and perhaps a tie. For woman, I don't recall, but it was nicely dressed as well. Taxis are a good way to travel in Germany because they are quick and relatively inexpensive. Public transportation is definitely cheaper, but not as convenient when carrying luggage, or on company time.

Weather

I was only there for a couple days (second week in June) so I really can't make any great statements in this area. However, I am told it rains a lot. We were lucky because it was actually not raining really when we were there. It was mid-70's during the day and not much colder at night, so it was really pretty nice.

Tipping

Tipping is a little frustrating in Hamburg for me. I could not get a clear answer on what the expectation was. However, here is my conclusion of what is expected.

Taxis: If you really have an exceptional driver then tip as you like. Otherwise, give no tip or just round up to the next Euro. If you pay with credit card, you will need cash or coin if you want to leave a tip.

Eating Out: If you really have an exceptional waiter then tip as you like. Otherwise, just round up to the next Euro or two. If you pay with credit card, you will need cash or coin if you want to leave a tip. Sometimes, the waiter can add the tip to the credit card, but that only happened once for me. The example that was given to me if the meal cost 33 and some change Euro for two people, then just found up to 34 or 35 Euro. Maybe 36 Euros. Like I said not very exact. It is not like in the US where a certain percent is expected. I think it is actually a tip for appreciation, not out of pressure to do so. Personally, I tried to do 10% if they tried to help us or tried to speak English because I felt like they gave the effort and I appreciate it.

Paris, France

Paris was awesome! I loved it. I would not really want to live there, but it is a great place to visit. The public transportation is great. Most things are close together so you can see a lot in one trip. Public transportation is the best choice in many cases. Taxis can be used as well, but only in the rare cases that public transportation won't do, or you have too much luggage to carry by yourself (maybe consider that when you pack next time :)

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was great! I have always wanted to see it, so of course it was great to me. The Eiffel Tower has 4 levels.

Ground level which as a beautiful lush green park-like area, food stands, restaurant, tickets, etc. It is guarded (as are most congested public areas) by the French police that are not what I would think of as police. They look much like what I would call someone in the military.

Level One

Level one is the first level that is not on the ground. It is larger than you think it will be. When you look at it from a far, it looks pretty small. The first floor is several stories up and is the largest and most visited floor (next to the ground floor of course ;). The first floor has gift shops, food, signs (in English) that explain different points in history of the tower. It has great views of the surrounding area. You are well above the buildings so you can see quite a bit. On this floor you can get a postcard, borrow a pen, buy postage, and send the postcard. They also have internet postcards, but that was not working when I was there.

Level Two

Level two is significantly smaller, but also higher. It is probably one quarter the size of the Level 1. I recommend walking up two the second floor. Fewer people visit it, so it is less crowded. I also recommend going to the gift shop on this floor versus the Level 1 gift shop, again due to it not being as busy. You can buy the post cards here to save time, but you will have to buy postage on Level 1. The view is quite a bit higher than Level so the view is greater, but still not too high.

I recommend going to the top if can. It is worth it. The line to go up goes pretty quickly, though it was pretty long even for us. I recommend you wait to buy you ticket to the top when you get to level 2. That way you can decide if you want to stand in line or not.

The Top

The top of the tower is quite small. I estimate 20 or 30 feet across. Though I am just guessing. The real point is it is very small in comparison to the other levels. The top was by far my favorite part of Paris and really the entire trip. I have never experienced anything like it. The view was nice, but that wasn't what was so spectacular to me. There was a storm blowing through when we made it to the top. On one facing of the top the wind was blowing extremely fast. I was like nothing I have ever experienced. There was a fair amount rain with it, but mostly just wind. It was blowing so hard I could hardly walk. I could actually take my weight off of my feet and lean slightly forward. The wind was supporting me. I imagine that is what the wind feels like when sky diving (though I never have). I felt so free. I was truly freeing and exhilarating. Then I turned to walk the back. This time the wind was in my back. With each step it felt like my leg was being flung up into the air. I had to press hard to keep it on the wet metal surface I was walking on. Needless to say, no one was hanging out on this side of the tower. It was so awesome. There is no way I can describe it. I hope I can remember the feeling though.

The Fear

I am mildly afraid of heights so it was a little unnerving to walk up staircases with the wind blowing a lot. I did manage though. After I was on Level 1 for a while it was no big deal. I got used to it. By the time I got up to the Level 2, I was fine with the height. You can always take the elevator if you don't want to walk up the stairs. The stairs are really not that long. I thought it would be difficult, but it wasn't really. After traveling up the long elevator to the top, I was a little nervous about looking out, but when I tried, it really wasn't a big deal for me. It turns out that when I am that high I am not that afraid of heights at all, or perhaps I was immune by then. On the way down, I could not believe how low to the group the other levels seemed, and was not phased by them at all. I guess it is all relative.

The Louvre

I didn't have a lot of time in the Louvre. I had an hour or so outside the night I got there. It is impressive just looking at the grounds. I had about 2 hours to go through everything inside. Let me just say, that you can see some highlights in that time or select areas, but by no means can you get even a fast walk through of the entire museum. The building itself is very impressive. The statues are worth looking at. The Mona Lisa is a bit tricky to find, but just follow the signs and look for the corridor for it; it is not as obvious as you would think. I can't begin to give a proper review of The Louvre because my visit was so short to it. There were just too many things to do, and not enough time. The Louvre closes fairly early like 6pm (5:30 they start closing areas), so plan to go in the morning, that way you will have enough time to do what you want there.

Notre Dame

Not a whole lot to see unless you want to watch Mass or just look at the main part of the cathedral. The architecture is nice. Pictures are not to be taken inside, but people do anyway. There is a way to go up to where the bells are, but I didn't see how, and was headed back to the hotel after a long day.

Speaking French

Hardly anyone speaks English well in France. It is common for people to have at least a few years in school, but not like it is in Germany where nearly everyone had English in school for over 8 years. As far as pronouncing French words, I recommend placing the accent (emphasis) on the first part of the word, and they almost mumble the last part. It sounds like the French have a lot more silent words than they actually do. In reality, they are not silent, but just barely pronounced.

Taxi

Beware of the eager "taxi drivers" at the airport that ask you if you want a taxi when they are still in the airport and not in a taxi. We found out the hard way that these "taxi drivers" are not exactly real taxi drivers. The "taxi" was their own car in the parking lot with no meter, taxi sign on top of the car, etc. They also wait until you are in the car to decide what the fare is. The give-away is he quotes a price of the top of his head (no meter). These type of people are trying to take advantage of people that are first time visitors to Paris and don't know where the taxis are yet. In fact, this driver waited by the elevators between the taxis outside and the inside of the airport. To make it even a more convincing the guy spoke what seemed to be relatively good English in contrast to most people in Paris, France that don't seem to speak hardly any English. Surprisingly, we were able to get a "company" receipt from the driver. I don't know how legitimate it is or he was, but I definitely didn't feel good about the situation. I honestly didn't know if the guy was taking us somewhere to be held for ransom or to our destination. I feel lucky in that we got to our destination safely. I highly recommend do NOT get into any car taxi unless it has a taxi light on top, and a meter inside. If it doesn't you are taking a risk in my opinion. Maybe that isn't a real risk since I don't know that Paris has issues with this sort of thing, but I know other cities have had issues. In general taxis in Paris are ok, but they are not nearly as nice as Germany. If you take a marked legitimate taxi you should be fine. A tip is nice, but not required. Typically 10% is for good service.

Metro

Paris has one of the best Metros (subway, underground train, etc) available anywhere. They run very frequently, especially near rush hour. They are clean and appear to be safe. I recommend them when possible as the cost is very little, little wait time, and they go to most places. One thing to note, sometimes the routes on a large map or even small map of the Metro isn't accurate with relation to other things on the map such as rivers, roads, etc. This is because only so many lines can fit on a map. In particular, there is only a Metro on one side of the bank, not both as the map indicates.

Bus

Buses take a little more planning because they don't run as often, and they tend to wind up and down streets, and turn down others, etc. They don't run in straight lines so check the maps. They are about the same price as the Metro, so between the Metro and the buses you can get just about anywhere. You can buy the tickets on the bus or buy passes elsewhere. I just did the individual ticket since we didn't do too much on the bus. In the end, a pass may have been better. It was close though.

Trains

For longer journeys such as going to another city, you will want to go to the train station (Gare in French). If you are using a credit card from the US or one that does not have a microchip in it you will not be able to use the automated ticket machines (this includes printing out tickets reserved from the internet). In this case you need to go into the train company building and talk to someone. Some of the tellers understand English, but most don't. In either case, it is usually pretty easy to get the teller to understand the situation since they understand some English.

CDG Airport to Saint Lazare Train Station.

I took a taxi (see notes above if you decide to do that so you don't fall into the same trap as I did), but I would recommend a train or maybe the Metro. The point is there is inexpensive public transportation. Depending when you go, the public transportation could be much easier that making your way across town in traffic. The taxi ride was 70 Euro. In my opinion, definitely not worth it. Granted I have no idea what a legitimate taxi fare would be. I think it was about 45 minutes by taxi.

Payment

Paris in general does not accept American Express. Some more high end / expensive places do accept it, but don't count on it. Bring Visa it is accepted everywhere in Paris (and Caen), except where Credit Cards are not accepted. Taxis in France don't accept credit card (cash only).

Walking with luggage

Do yourself a favor, don't try to walk very far with luggage. It takes many times longer and in many times harder when you have luggage being drug behind you. If you are carrying multiple bags and one of them is a typical rolling suitcase, I recommend putting the smaller bag as close to directly above the wheels (when being drug behind you) so that the weight is over the wheels, not on the handle where your hands are. In other words, if you suitcase has an extending handle, don't put your smaller bag there unless your only other choice is over your shoulder or other hand. In that case it will help a little.

Also, be aware that piling on too much weight on your suitcase wheels can break them or wear them out faster. Be careful that you don't put too much weight on the suitcase as the stand on the end of the suitcase is not meant to support a heavy smaller bag. Yes, it may be fine for a while, but eventually, it will wear out due to the accelerated level of stress.

Food

Find a formula or fixed menu. It is usually only available for more expensive restaurants in my experience though I have seen books reference much cheaper fixed menus. It seemed to me that in order to find a fixed menu it was usually 25 Euro. This was usually a very good deal because this includes appetizer, main meal, and dessert. If you don't take the fixed menu (which is usually limited items) it will cost you that much any way, and you won't get nearly as much for the money. In general it seemed that dessert or more was "free" when you get the fixed menu. The downside of a fixed menu is that it usually takes a long time because of the three courses. Plan on about 2 hours for the fixed menu.

If you are in a hurry and / or at a train station, a Baggett (totally wrong spelling, but that is what it sounds like) will most likely be what you will get. They are basically like a sub in the US. The difference is that the bread is quite chewy, and usually has something like chicken (real pieces, not deli meat), and maybe some lettuce, or something. They also have them in tuna, and different meets, or vegetarian (usually).

If you are on a train for a couple hours plan on having the option to buy a triangle sandwich for about 4.50 Euros. They are better than you think they will be, but not as good as you would like them to be. The tuna is the best if you ask me.

Caen, France

Caen is a nice place to visit. It was hard for me to get a feel for how big it really is. It has its own tram (electric two car trolley like thing), buses, etc. The public transportation is pretty good. I used to travel to the city center to eat, etc.

Apartment-style Hotels

Beware of Apartment-style hotels if you are coming in on Sunday or between noon and about 2:30pm or after 7pm or before 8am. The desk was not available except for the morning and early evening. Besides that, you are on your own. I had didn't have a key that worked for my room and it was quite difficult to get help because the only way to contact anyone for help was to use a mobile phone (which I don't have because I am in Europe and my phone only works in Phoenix, AZ). So, that left a pay phone. Pay phones in Caen require a local calling card. Which I didn't have and I would have to go to a tobacco shop in town to get it. In the end we convinced a nice waitress to call the hotel emergency line from the restaurant and leave a message to call the restaurant. They called me back, and all was ok in the end. Beware that the rooms themselves may work just like a pay phone as well.

Food

Basically like Paris. The key to remember in either place is that dinner starts around 7:45pm. If you start too much before that, places will be closed.

Taxis

Taxis are Mercedes type taxis. They come pretty quickly, usually under 15 minutes.

World War Memorial Museum

The World War II Memorial Museum is quite good. In particular I recommend the D-Day movie. It not in any particular language and is still quite understandable. The other exhibits are nice as well. I recommend getting the Guide they sell when you get you ticket since it explains everything in English, and tells quite a bit about what you are looking at. I also recommend you check your hotel for coupons for 3 or 4 Euro off of admission. Expect to pay 17 Euro at the door unless you have a coupon.

The Castle

There is real castle in the city center. I just walked on a very small part of it late one night after dinner, but it looked very neat. I also walked by it on the way to dinner on another night. I understand it is one of the bigger attractions in Caen.

The Cathedral

There is a cathedral next to the castle. When I was there they were restoring it. The part they are cleaning makes it look light like a sand castle. The part tarnished by pollution (pretty much all of it) looks much darker like many cathedrals you see in other European cities.