Accommodation Question

Eleanor, there are those of us that despise Rue Cler. But others love it. In all of the great cities of the world, it is rarely possible to see most of the major sights without using public transportation. In most cases, foreign transportation is cheaper and better than in the USA. Since you are going to need transport anyway, you might as well stay in an area that is either attractive to you, or more affordable (if that's important. When you post here, it's good to give the month of the year and the budget.)

I happen to like to stay in 3-star hotels in the general area of the old Opera house. (Note that "3-star" has specific meanings in France and many other countries. It has ZERO meaning in the United States. And remember that "All 5-star reviews are the same, every 1-star Flame is unique.") That's probably because my first few trips were there. But lately I've stayed at the Louvre St. Anne. But it's very small and books up fast. The nice part is their very modern bathrooms. I often use Trip Advisor to pick a new hotel. They have so many reviews that if you read ten of them, you can see which are possibly unreliable.

Hi Eleanor:
Congratulations on your first trip to Paris!
See the post below entitled "To Doris...."
It has some recommendations about hotels in the 5th Arrondissement.
I have stayed on Blvd. St. Michel twice now in the last two years, and loved the area.
I like it because I can get there directly from the airport on the RER B train, and not have to change to a metro.
There is tons to see and do in the 5th; and you can really walk everywhere from there.
I think the Rue Cler area is done to death by Rik Stves-ites; not that I have anything against him, I love his books and programs.
I went there last trip, and immediately got back on the Metro and went somewhere else in Paris for the day.

I fall in the "love the area" category. I see everything you have listed from a base in the Rue Cler area. I love that I can walk the neighborhood in the evening. I love that the waiters standing outside the restaurants/sidewalk cafes nod, speak and joke with the locals including older residents and kids. I love that the jr high age kids head down the street in the afternoon after school and get waffles and ice cream at the Amorino and then sit and giggle and use their phones in the outside seating area. I love the AM go to school crowd with parents walking their kids to the primary school. Of course this happens in other neighborhoods - just feels comfortable and homey to me. I'm a solo traveler and have stayed in this area many times. It's also not an area I would go to "visit" during the day (nothing to see) but it IS a place where I like to stay if that makes any sense.

The #69 crosses the Rue Cler and one of the stops going inbound is right across from Starbucks on Rue Saint-Dominique. Coming back on that line the one-way street is Rue de Grenelle. I'm not certain where that stop is but will be either before or after Rue Cler.

I generally take the metro TO where I'm going in the AM and generally will walk home in the afternoon if I want to go along the Seine. Sometimes there is a line change unless you want to go to the Tuileries/Place de la Concorde/Orangerie area which is on Line 8.

If you decide to stay somewhere else, that's OK too.

I've stayed in the 7th twice (trips #1 & 5), the 5th three times (trips #2,3 & 6), the 12th once (trip #4) and the 4th once (trip #6). I split my locations on the 6th trip. All places have their good points and not as good points. One nice thing about the 7th is that you can enjoy the Eiffel Tower easily, even if it's just walking by on your way back to your hotel. I personally like being central, which to me means the 4th, 5th or 6th, close to the river. But there is nothing wrong with the 7th.

If you're traveling in late Spring or Summer please make sure your hotel as AC. It can get warm and humid in Paris, and you'll be thankful for AC.

I've stayed in both the Latin quarter and the Rue Cler area. I enjoy Rue Cler, but I find the Latin quarter to be more convenient to things I want to do. In Rue Cler area (it was four blocks or so away) I was across the street from the La Tour-Maubourg metro stop. It seemed like we were needing to transfer metros/trains more than when we stayed in Latin quarter. Also, while in Paris, I walk a lot. The Rue Cler area was a farther walk from places like the Notre Dame or Louvre and through a dark more deserted area. I also really like walking around St. Germaine area which is very convenient to the Latin Quarter

Hi Eleanor, I stayed near the Rue Cler with the RS Paris trip and near the Opera Garnier for a weekend. My husband and I have stayed twice near the Luxembourg Garden (& will be returning again this year, too).

Rue Cler - it was handy to walk over to the Eiffel Tower in the evenings and enjoy the ambiance. Otherwise, it seemed less handy for day-time metro connections.
Opera Garnier area- this area was handy for metros and seeing more areas that I hadn’t explored, previously. I’m not an expensive shopper, so the area was more just window shopping.
Luxembourg Garden - it’s my favorite Parisian garden to enjoy the beautiful flowers and different settings within the garden. When we are located near it, we enjoy relaxing there mid-day for 30 minutes or late afternoon. Amorino gelato shop is near there, too! Metro connections are fairly good with a couple of choices of metro stops. Also, the RER from the airport stops at the Luxembourg stop without any transfers needed with your luggage.

Thanks for the replies. A friend recommended a hotel in the Latin Quarter that looks nice and is reasonably priced, but RS description of the Latin Quarter as a « tourist ghetto » makes me wonder how safe it is for a single woman in Paris for the first time. Having only a few days to explore Paris before setting off on a 13 day Loire Valley - South of France, I réalise that I won’t be able to see everything, but am wondering if there’s not somewhere more central to the Luxembourg, Orangerie, Orsay, Tulleries, historic Paris. I’d rather spend as least amount of time on metro as possible.

Eleanor, I'm not sure where RS gets the idea that the Latin Quarter is a tourist ghetto. I actually see more tourists in St. Germaine area closer to the river. I feel safer in the Latin quarter alone than I did near Rue Cler (La Tour Marbourg area). There were more people in the Latin Quarter and its well lit. Where I stayed in the Latin Quarter the only time I took the metro was to go the the Arc de Triomphe. The Notre Dame, Touleries, Louvre, Orangerie, Orsay, all in walking distance in interesting areas. I usually was able to get to the Notre Dame in 7-10minutes walking as long as I didn't get distracted by the lovely market in St. Germaine or a patisserie. It is also a lovely easy walk to Luxembourg gardens.

Eleanor, this is why travel is so much fun, and so challenging as well. Each of us who have visited Paris have (has?) a "favorite" area of town. We love the cafes, the proximity to transportation, the museums, the ambiance of the area. There is no correct part of town, and when I plan for a trip abroad, I research as many guides and articles about the area of interest as I can.

I actually prefer the Rive Droite, the area east and north of the Seine, because some of the Arrondissements are exciting areas in transition, rather than tourist Meccas. I have stayed on Rue Cler, and in the area near the Sorbonne on the Rive Gauche. Each have their charms. I prefer the 10th Arrondissement for the vitality and energy of the area. I have not felt anxious in the 5th, the 6th, or the 7th, and even though the tragic night club shootings actually took place in the 10th, I would not hesitate to stay there on my next trip to the City of Lights.

As a newbie, I would think that getting closer to Ground Zero would be more desirable that a hotel far away from downtown, so I think your instincts are correct. Consider possible hotels in the 1st through 4th Arrondissements to be at the center of things and very near reliable transportation and wonderful sights. Bon Voyage!

Eleanor: I was on my own both trips, and never felt unsafe.
I'm a woman in my sixties.
The Latin Quarter is about as far from the description "ghetto" as you can get.
It's full of students and tourists, and regular French people.
Just practice all the usual safety precautions: crossbody bag, money belt if you want, etc.

Hi, I would say to not overthink this decision. Most any of the arrondisements in the single digits will be handy. If your friends have made recommendations for specific hotels, I would go with those since they know your tastes better than we do.

The metros are extremely easy to navigate, and as long as you’re in one of the single digits, the transfers will be quick. You will be surprised how much you end up walking to locations, anyway, because the city is so beautiful!

With only 4 days in Paris for your first visit (and one day of that spent at Giverny!), you may be right to maximize your walking and wandering time by staying in the 5th or 6th (Latin Quarter/Saint Germain), closer to the places you want to see.

Another post here describes eloquently the residential feel of the Rue Cler area (where I have stayed for the last 30 years). But for this trip, you may just want to experience Rue Cler when you visit the Eiffel Tower...and stay there on another visit. (Full disclosure, on my first visits to Paris I always stayed in the 5th and 6th arrondissements.)

We have stayed in the Rue Cler area and in the Latin Quarter (just east of Luxembourg Garden). Both areas were enjoyable. Here is my review of the hotel in the Latin Quarter:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france-reviews/hotel-des-grandes-ecoles-paris-2b604cf6-f7a8-4b38-91fb-d1caefc3c6ae
The Hotel des Grandes Ecoles was around 50 meters from a metro stop, but was also within walking distance of Notre Dame.
When leaving for home, we walked to the Luxembourg RER B stop and took the train to CDG airport.

A friend recommended a hotel in the Latin Quarter that looks nice and
is reasonably priced, but RS description of the Latin Quarter as a «
tourist ghetto » makes me wonder how safe it is for a single woman in
Paris for the first time. Having only a few days to explore Paris
before setting off on a 13 day Loire Valley - South of France, I
réalise that I won’t be able to see everything, but am wondering if
there’s not somewhere more central to the Luxembourg, Orangerie,
Orsay, Tulleries, historic Paris.

A tourist ghetto? What on earth is that? Is that supposed to be derogatory? If so, I'm not sure in which direction! LOL So do you use the term 'ghetto' to be synonymous with a poor area? Or is it to mean a tight neighborhood in which those of the same religion live together like the Warsaw ghetto before the onslaught of Hitler? Or is a "ghetto" an isolated area in which masses of tourists are not to be found? I stayed in Paris on the border of the 6th & 5th by Luxembourg gardens alone for most of my stay in Paris as my husband arrived on our last day in the city to took me to the Paris Masters semis-finals (tennis). I felt and was perfectly safe both day and night. There were visitors from all over the world in my boutique hotel, not just Americans. So maybe you want to be surrounded solely by American tourists?? Totally at a loss with your definition of a "tourist ghetto".

I’d rather spend as least amount of time on metro as possible.

Can't help you there. I ADORED the ease, convenience, inexpensive cost, speed and comfort (especially the comfort as I have a bad back) of the métro and the buses to take me to places all over Paris!

Yes, as Continental says, you are misunderstanding the use of the word "ghetto." The Latin Quarter and St. Germain areas have a lot of hotels and tourists, but are actually pretty expensive - hardly a "ghetto" in the sense of "shabby slum!"

If you're concerned about being around lots of tourists, the Rue Cler area will have this issue too. The difference is that Rue Cler gets largely Rick Steves readers; some like this, some don't. The St. Germain and Latin Quarter areas have all kinds of tourists, not just Rick's readers.

If you want to take less transit, you'll want to be in the 4th, 5th, or 6th arrondissement, close to the river Seine. Again, there are lots of hotels in these areas, and you won't be the only tourist around. I like the 6th, but as said above, everyone has their favorite.

If you don't want to take the metro, you don't have to - as long as you don't mind walks, some of them long.

The use of the word “ghetto”, whether by Rick Steves or Cameron, in writing the guidebook is pejorative and too easy to misinterpret. That insulting sentence needs to be more thoughtful and nuanced. If he’s referring to the streets with the Greek restaurants, the word would be touristic. If he’s referring to the Place de la Sorbonne or rue St. André des Artes, he’s mistaken. If he’s referring to the busloads of tourists standing in front of Shakespeare & Co., the term would be crowded. But ghetto is a shortcut word to use when the brain has lost its spark. Eleanor is dealing with a poorly written entry.

@wbfey1...My views exactly...I prefer staying in the 10th too, never felt threatened, unsafe, etc...no problems, great area for its convenience. I'll be back there in May if all goes according to plan here.

RS description of the Latin Quarter as a « tourist ghetto » makes me wonder how safe it is for a single woman in Paris for the first time.

Independently from RS, I too have previously written that St Germain des Prés and the Latin Quarter are tourist ghettos but if you assume that safety has anything to do with the word ghetto, you might check your dictionary for the definition of the word.

I´ll check the word ghetto for you:

A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, typically as a result of social, legal, or economic pressure

As it applies to St Germain des Prés and the Latin Quarter, the minority group in this case consists of foreign tourists who seem to congregate in these areas like moths around a flame. It has nothing to do with safety. Both of these areas, as is most of Paris, are completely safe. Probably safer than many hometown neighborhoods, even at night.

Perhaps the irony here is that RS, due to his popularity and loyal following, has turned rue Cler into what some might call an RS ghetto. It is because of an overabundance of tourists, particularly from North America, to these areas that I might recommend someone´s staying are outside of rue Cler, outside of Saint Germain des Prés, or outside of the Latin Quarter. Consider south of St Germain such as the area around Saint Sulpice or the area around le Bon Marché (which is some of the most exclusive real estate in Paris). Even areas in the 14th are very nice. Nothing wrong with hotels in the 2nd or 9th arrondissements.

There are numerous, wonderful locations to stay in Paris which are not on the well-worn, cliché tourist paths on the Rive Gauche. There can be great rewards and exciting discoveries to be made by trying something new, something different, something other than where everyone else appears to be staying.

Yes, I've heard lots of complaints about too many people walking around Rue Cler with Rick steves guidebooks. As someone who has been to Paris a few times now, I may start to venture out into other neighborhoods when I return. But for a first timer who wants to get a great taste of Paris, best to stay in a closer in locations within walking distance of many of the points of interest. Unless the first timer is interested in seeing less popular sights, which is all ok, too.

Before my first trip to Paris, someone suggested that a first-timer should stay "as close to the river and as close to Notre Dame as possible." I found that to be good advice.

Appreciating everyone’s thoughtful insights, and opinions regarding the Latin Quarter. Never having been to Paris I can only go by what I read from others, so Rick’s comment “although still youthful and artsy, much of this area is a tourist ghetto filled with cheap North African eateries” (pg 66, Paris 2019) led me to question whether it’d be an ideal home base. He even suggests that to explore a “few blocks up or downriver from here gives you a better chance of feeling the pulse of what survives of Paris’ classic Left Bank”. Not having Rick directly at hand to ask what he meant left me to assume something more negative than maybe what he intended. So thank you everyone for enlightening me with your opinions borne of personal experience.

I’m still contemplating changing my reservation from Rue Cler to somewhere maybe a little more central, but regardless of where I choose there will be plenty of fabulous sites to see and varied options to get to them all.

much of this area is a tourist ghetto filled with cheap North African eateries” (pg 66, Paris 2019)

The problem with this is that it's inaccurate and outdated by 50 years. As students we used to go to the Latin Quarter for inexpensive couscous meals in the 1970s, but those restaurants have been gone for decades. In the late 70s/early 1980s Greek restaurants took over with beautiful window displays and barkers urging people to come, try the fare, drink, dance. Those aren't inexpensive. Is he mixing up Greek and North African? There's one take-away Tunisian sandwich and pastry shop that's been there for decades, but it's take-away and only one. There are a couple of gyros restaurants that also sell falafel, and merguez-frite sandwiches (yes, the fries are dumped on top of the sandwich--favorite of my boys when they were teens and even now as adults). Merguez is a wonderful North African lamb sausage--so maybe that's considered a North African eaterie? There are also inexpensive Chinese? Crêperies? Lebanese? Armenian? Really, there's a bit of everything. It's a very active area with a variety of inexpensive places to eat.

I've never looked at the RS Paris book, but this is off by fifty years.

Hi Eleanor... We stayed in the St. Germain area which is close to lots of Paris attractions so I figured we would walk everywhere. We did do a lot of walking, but we ended up also using the Metro way more than I thought we would. I used the Paris Metro App, bought a Carnet of tickets, and off we went. It was easy to use and got us to places super fast. So enjoy walking in this great city like we did, but if your feet hurt or you want to get someplace fast, the Metro will be your friend. Have a wonderful trip! I fell in love with Paris!

Interesting Bets. So you think that rue de la Huchette and rue de la Harpe are full of exquisite restaurants serving only the finest ethnic delicacies at prices too low to be believed?

I am going with ¨ a tourist ghetto filled with cheap North African (and Greek) eateries”. I think that RS has it right.

Well it’s all kind of a moot point now. I sent the hotel on Rue Cler an email to ask if I could cancel at no extra charge - an enquiry, not an “order” - but I guess something got lost in translation and they cancelled my booking. 🤣

I’ve decided to use this misunderstanding to book a room at the Hotel College de France in the Latin Quarter, and decide for myself about the merits of it being a “tourist ghetto”!! 😆

Travel sure is an education!

I recall the first time I went to the Latin Quarter. That was in the late 1990s, all the other times in Paris in the 1970s and '80s I had never really bothered to check it out. It was in July when I went...it was packed with tourists, obviously, packed restaurants, lots of Americans.

Eleanor - as this is your first time in Paris, this Latin Quarter location will be fine for you. It's also much closer to Notre Dame and many other notable tourist spots than are the hotels on rue Cler.

Might I suggest a restaurant not two blocks from your hotel - Le Coupe Chou. It's not expensive, the food is good, but this is the quintessential Parisian restaurant. Probably exactly what you picture when you think of dinning in Paris. If you are there when it is cold, reserve the table by the fireplace.

Eleanor, I have stayed in many different places in Paris and have never felt unsafe, and I am now 72.
In the Latin Quarter there are people on the street at all hours.
Just this past October I was lost in the Latin Quarter getting back to my bus stop at 11pm (I didn't realize that the return bus ran on a different street) and I walked alone for about half a mile until I came to a metro stop that I knew was a direct route back to my hotel. I was staying in a different district for the first part of my stay but switching to the 5th arrond for the second half.
I adore Paris -- have a wonderful time!

I’ve decided to use this misunderstanding to book a room at the Hotel
College de France in the Latin Quarter, and decide for myself about
the merits of it being a “tourist ghetto”!! 😆

Travel sure is an education!

Good for you! I think you will benefit from this accidental cancellation. Indeed travel is an education in which we never stop learning!

Make sure to take a couple of the "Paris Walks" walking tours.
They have a great website telling you where and when.
I took the Latin Quarter one last year, and learned so much about the area.

Merci beaucoup à tous!! Your hotel, restaurant, guided tour, metro advice, suggestions and shared experiences have been much appreciated. I am so looking forward to my trip! If I spent as much time doing my French homework as I do reading travel guides and lurking on forums, I’m sure I’d be considerably more fluent than what I currently am. 😆

hey eleanor
you will have a fabulous time. these great people on the forum are here to help you and give you the good bad and ugly. been twice to paris, there were 4 of us and stayed near rue cler. first time had a couple of street muscians playing their instruments and we threw down euros, a sight and memory not to forget. next trip last year near the seine, same thing, muscians playing (a deja vu moment) with 2 friends who had never been and absolutely loved it. i love french onion soup, i was on a mission who had the best, maison rose near montemarte. had so much fun with the newbies at place de tertre with having a portrait done. walked down to the "I Love You" wall, bought bottle of wine/champagne and enjoyed our time at luxembourg garden, sitting and people watching. next day was angelina's for yummy pastries and hot chocolate then my favorite souffle, later that night after a few glasses of vino was tasty escargot with my baguette. was very leery since never had but...... had a few more times.
you will have a fabulous and fun time, if interested look at lacuisine.com for a cooking class or a food tour, la cuisine de philipe or la souffle if you like them. sit at a cafe with a glass of vino or champagne, people watch and watch the world go by.
withlocals.com has lots of things to see and do "the best of paris on a unique ride" 2CV paris tour if interested.
at least you know the bare essentials of french. come back and let us know how the trip was and when you plan you're next on
aloha

This is really funny,talking about a tourist Ghetto,everyone posting here is a Tourist so they are trying to avoid their contempoaries.I am taking my fifth trip to Paris in April and staying in the sixth 100 feet from the Metro with easy access to the City.
Mike

OMGawd, it wasn’t me! I was just quoting RS. 😂