15 arr and general information

• 15. Arrondissement - None of the 20 Arrondissement which make up the city of Paris can be considered "out of the way". The métro and buses cost the same for anywhere in the city of Paris (flat fare), so cost is not a factor.
• "Safety", this has been discussed on another recent post (see here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/safe-places-to-stay-in-paris ). Nowhere in the city of Paris should be considered "unsafe". Paris is lively and busy late at night.
• Attractions "closing" - no, Paris is an all-year city. What you may get is holiday closing over Christmas (24th, 25th, 26th December).

I looked up your hotel:
20 rue d'Oradour sur Glane 75015 Paris, France
It looks like a modern, bland hotel just outside the Boulevard Périphérique. So you may get some road noise. I would expect it to be relatively cheap at that location. Not much Parisienne atmosphere.
"Opposite the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre" - maybe catering to the exhibition centre visitors as much as tourists.
Nearest métro "Porte de Versailles" (line 12). This will be your "travel hub" for your stay.

As you are staying over Christmas, you need to do research about restaurants, transport and opening times over these days.

Thank you for the reply. I did get a pretty good deal, about USD 575 for the whole stay. I was a bit curious as there is hardly any topics discussing 15arr. I will look into the things that you have mentioned.

Thanks again

You can use the Metro or Tram to go anywhere you want. There's a tram station just outside the hotel. You'll be quite safe.

There are lots of open-air markets in the 15th, you just have to look for the nearest Metro stations, if you are interested in going there.
https://cnz.to/paris-markets/#market-15

You should use GoogleMaps Street View to find supermarkets, if going to the open-air markets is not practical. There is a small store across from the hotel, which will probably keep you in staples, but maybe not much else for fresh food.

The days will be short, but regular hours are in effect for the attractions that you want to see.

We stayed in the 15th, although closer to the northern edge. Loved it. It was far less touristy than the more popular neighborhoods, and only 2 short blocks to the metro. Easy walk to the Eiffel Tower as well. It was a special treat to visit the nearby bakeries filled with French speaking visitors rather than tourists.

Thank you so much for your responses! I will keep these points in mind. I posted the same question on tripadvisor and there were some negative comments about the area.

But please have no illusions about walking to the Eiffel Tower and such from your hotel. The hotel is near the southeast corner of the 15th, outside the "beltway" Peripherique, not really within walking distance of anyplace a tourist is likely to go. So you'll be riding the Metro a lot, probably Line 12 which goes directly into the center (after multiple stops) and connects with many other lines. There are also two tram lines which look like they connect with the RER C train to Versailles. The neighborhood should be quite safe -- but watch out for traffic, good advice anywhere in Paris.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I can't imagine a better honeymoon destination, even in winter, than Paris.

Everyone defaults to "take the metro." But I think by doing this you miss the sights of the city while tunneling under it. I ended up on the Western edge of the 15th last month near the Seine after walking there from Tour Eiffel (Pont Mirabeau), and took a bus that brought me all the way through the 15th to the 14th. From there I walked to Montparnasse cemetery, and then on to my hotel in the 6th. The bus is such an enjoyable way to get through and also see the city. And yes, the 15th felt much less touristy than where I was staying. But I never would have seen this if I took the Metro. Granted, the Metro is often faster, but you're on vacation, right? Enjoy the ride!

Stayed a couple of times in the 15th and would do so again but the hotel we liked no longer exists. The No.42 bus was convenient for us, and we loved that it stopped at Champs de Mars, coming and going, and we could see the Eiffel Tower. ("Look! There it is!") Another plus is that there is a big Monoprix in the 15th, and when we were there one year in December it had a lot of Christmas trees for sale outside, so you could. buy a little one for your apartment.

Thank you all for the responses! some posts said that Eiffel tower is a 20 min walk from 15arr, I guess it must be from the northern part of it.

It's about one hour walking time to the Eiffel Tower, but you can cut your losses and take the Metro - takes only 40 minutes by RER C.

Yes, I agree with PharmerPhil about the buses -- often a more pleasant way to get around, seeing the city as you go, though slower over long distances. The same kind of ticket works for both bus and Metro (but each ride is a separate ticket). Your closest bus is probably #39, which goes northeast to the center and on to Gare du Nord, a useful route for sightseeing and other connections. After a few rides you may want to trade speed underground for the now-familiar street scene though. We use both methods in Paris, often together.

I'm going to join the TA crowd and be the party pooper over here on RS. This may officially have an address in the 15th, but truthfully, it is an area outside. You have to cross the peripherique (large 4-8 lane below street-level freeway) to get anywhere, or you have to walk several blocks further into the suburb where you'll find your closest Metro station, Issy les Moulineaux. On top of it, only one bridge over the peripherique shows up on my "Paris Pratique par arrondissement," the standard book of maps of every inch of every arrondissement.

Once you get over the peripherique on the one bridge, you are right behind one of the many buildings of the convention center, which is giant. You have to walk around and between the convention center buildings and the Palais des Sports to get to the exterior boulevard where the tram runs.

But--you are young and in love, so this may not bother you. I lived in the suburbs and can say that it's still France but it's not Paris. However, this location behind the convention center and above the freeway is more like staying in a warehouse district on a weekend separated from other parts of a city by a freeway.

If it's not too late to cancel your hotel, you might try this one, which is in a more pleasant place - 90 to 110 EU for a double room:
http://www.foch-paris-hotel.com/en/page/home.1.html

oh. I guess I'll have to spend a lot on traveling then. Anyway since it's a new city i guess we won't mind the walking. I thought of using the buses the first couple of times also, that way we can enjoy the city a bit more since we are not going to do too many things every day. My only regret is choosing this hotel, seems like the money i saved will be spent on traveling. Can't help it now because it was non-refundable. Again, thank you all for the lovely responses!

It may say non-refunfable but it is part of the huge Accord hotel chain. I’d call Accord here in the US to see if you could transfer the payment to another of their hotels.

The hotel chain is called "Accor" , not Accord.

Spell check at work.

I don't have too much to add to what is here, but my husband and I stayed in the 15th for our 20th anniversary. Cheaper, and we got to know our neighborhood well. Found the gems. But also hopped on the closest metro and went everywhere. We also traveled separately some. I was able to "pass," being an older woman, blend in with locals. That was fun. Good markets. Have a wonderful time.

I'm not exactly sure on the hotel transfer because i already applied for visa stating the current hotel information. I'm not sure if a change will cause any issues. Since it's a new city we are hoping to make the most of everything. It's a bit more traveling to and fro than I expected but i think it will be alright :) Thank you so much for the responses again. you guys have been amazing!