My wife and I will be spending 3 days in Paris in August. I know most will say that isn't long enough, but that's the time frame we're working with. We'll be on a budget so we're looking to rent a room through airbnb. My question is which neighborhood would you all recommend we stay in? We're more than happy to log plenty of miles walking around, in fact we prefer it. We love to visit local markets and cafes but still plan to do most of the main touristy things while we're there. The city is so big and I'm finding hard to narrow down the best area to stay in for our short visit. Thanks for the help!
For a short visit I would concentrate on arrondissements 1-7, but make sure you find a place convenient to public transporation (metro and/or bus). Even though Paris is very walkable you will probably want to visit at least a couple of areas that would be more efficient using the metro. I loved where I stayed in the Marais (3/4th arrond.) but would also enjoy any of the other areas above. The 5th & 6th are very popular on this forum and the 7th is popular with readers/viewers of RS books and TV shows. The 1st is very convenient for many of the tourist sights but not sure about airbnb rooms there.
I really liked Morais but also stayed a night in Pigale near the Pigale Metro station. I was put off walking past the Moulin Rouge but the neighborhood was surprisingly quiet and much less touristy than elsewhere.
We stayed in the 11th but just across the boundary from the 4th. Seems like the prices were lower because of being out just a touch further. We were near 3 metro stations and a short walk to Bastille and the river. The walk to Hotel de Ville, Picasso Museum, the Marias and Notre Dame was easy. The Bastille Market was a block away on Saturday and Thursday. Travelling with 2 people I am not sure how much you would save with an air bnb for only 3 days, I wouldn't discount looking on booking or hotels.com for your dates. If budget is a big concern, use that to give you some ideas of what the price ranges are.
Almost anywhere in the 4th, 5th, or 6th. Personally, for a 3-day visit I'd skip the AirBnB and get a hotel, you'll save valuable time on check in-check out. There are certainly decent hotels in the 4th and 5th that won't cost an arm and a leg; you may want to be sure of having proper AC too, easier to get in a hotel.
I'm a big fan of AirBnB type services but for 3 days IN AUGUST you might be able to get a hotel, as others have said. However if you are good with that type of sharing I'd look in the 3rd, 5th, 6th or 7th as others have suggested. Stay as central as possible. You might be tempted when you see $50 rooms that are WAY far out - don't do it.
Thanks for the heads up! I took a quick look on booking.com and prices are very comparable to the airbnb's I had looked at. Many of the hotels are in the outlying districts (16, 17, 18). Does it make much of a difference?
I have a visit to Paris coming up (on undefined dates) this summer. Just a couple of days ago I took a look at options on booking.com, and a lot of the budget spots in the central city did show as fully booked. That's just for the rooms tendered to booking.com, however. Those same hotels may have space available if you check on their individual websites, which can usually by found easily via Google.
"Many of the hotels are in the outlying districts (16, 17, 18). Does it make much of a difference?"
You'll have transport time into the city/sights and back, and while there are many fine places to be outside of the 1-7, they may not be what you imagine as typically Parisian. It's really nice to wake up in the heart of the city, and to be able to walk back to your lodging at the end of the day, or midday for a break if desired.
Were you referring to a room in an occupied home or an entire apartment? I can see that if it's just a room through AirBnB, that could make sense, time-wise.
If we do Airbnb it would be a room rented from a residence, not a whole apartment. Being my first trip to Paris, I'm having trouble gauging the actual distance from the outlying districts and the city center. I could rent a room and be in the center near most of the attractions but sacrifice the comfort/amenities of a hotel, or get a hotel and be further from the center. I'm not sure which way to go.
What is budget, in Euro, per night, that you are comfortable with? If we know that, people can offer suggestions.
From what I've seen on booking.com and airbnb I'm hoping to stay around $60/€56 a night
I definitely see rooms in the $60-80 range, though some will have cleaning fees or big security deposits to contend with. This looks interesting:
The farther out you go to save money on lodging, the more you'll spend (in both time and money) in transport to the areas you want to visit. That works ok for a longer stay but not for a first-time 3 day visit. Splurge a little and stay in a hotel in lower arrondissements, they can be had for around $70/night. Booking.com is great for getting an idea of hotel prices but they are not always the best price. If you see a hotel that looks good try contacting them, either on their website or by email, and see if you can't get a better price. Smaller 1&2 star hotels will often give a small discount for cash vs credit. And if booking.com says it has no rooms left, assume that the hotel has rooms it does not list on booking.com and contact them directly.
Now that we have your budget you'll hopefully get some suggestions and recommendations for specific hotels in the more convenient areas that meet your budget. You can also do a search on here for hotels in Paris and gets lots of ideas. It's very early yet so you have time to shop around, August is a long way off.
You can use Google Maps to check the distance from a proposed lodging (assuming you have its address or the name of a very nearby landmark) to a place of your choosing in central Paris. You can use that link and change one or both of the landmarks to meet your needs. I've chosen the public transportation icon (rather than walking) so you can see the kind of information Google Maps provides. Mind you, I don't know how accurate the public-transportation schedules are. The walking times seem pretty decent.
We love to walk too and were glad we stayed in Marais last October. Hotel Jean D'Arc was perfect location but may be more than you want to spend. Marais was ideal location to all the sites and yet it had a great neighborhood feel. Truest sense of authentic Paris culture from what we saw, and we walked literally everywhere.
I read advice that said, "If it's your first visit to Paris, stay as close to Notre Dame and as close to the river as possible." I think that was good advice, if you can find a place that fits your budget.
Dave has linked to a room but it's not in a very convenient spot for a first-time visitor staying only three days. What's more, you share the bath, the bed size isn't listed--some doubles can be very narrow, and the listing doesn't say if the window gives onto the street or the courtyard. Beware of noise if it gives onto the street and you don't have double-pane windows. Or, if it's a warm August, you may have to open the window. With all the fees added in, it's over 70 a night. What seems ok at first glance, needs more vetting. With your limited time, you should stay more central and up the budget.
You mentioned staying in the 16th, 17th or 18th.
The first two arrondissements are filled mostly with Haussmannien buildings - large, cut-stone and often beautiful. There can be some stretches where you'll have to walk a little farther to find a Metro station.
I would choose the 18th, depending on the hotel, and use GoogleMaps Street View to check out the neighborhood before you book.
I would avoid trying to vet the AirBnB or any other rental apartment - it's likely that they would prefer to have someone stay a week or longer, instead of three days, and might cancel your reservation at the last minute.