Choosing a hotel for our pre-tour stay

To be honest, central Paris is big enough that you won't be able to walk to all the worthwhile sites from any hotel. If you have a good place spotted in Montmartre go for it.

Philip is correct - you won't be able to walk to everything you want to see no matter where you choose to stay. You'll be relying on the metro to get from one part of the city to another. If you like the hotel in Montmartre then you should stay there - it's not farther away from the major sights than other hotels of similar price. That would be far easier than using up precious hours to change hotels on Monday. Metro rides are generally quick to get around the central city and Montmartre isn't far enough away to make much of a difference.

Thank you for the feedback. The time spent switching hotels on Monday is a good point and not something I was thinking too much about. Since the web site says we meetup around 2 pm switching hotels won't leave much time for anything else.

Over several RS tours I have done both...stayed in the tour hotel and stayed elsewhere. It just seems easier not to have to move on the meetup day.

The easiest solution is to just stay at the same hotel that the tour will be using. Be sure to tell them that you're joining a RS tour, and you may be placed in the same room that you'll be staying in for the tour. That way no need to waste time moving about and you can focus on sightseeing and enjoying Paris.

I have been to Paris several times and like any other city, I try to find a hotel near a metro stop. This will enable you to get to a lot of places and restaurants if you are able to take the metro. It will be cheaper and quicker than taking a cab. But of course take a cab when it is necessary. I went on the Best of Europe this past September and it was wonderful. Excellent idea to get to Paris early as there is so much to see and do.

I looked up the hotel and it does not seem to be far from the Metro. I agree with everyone, if possible stay at the same hotel. It will be easier and you will already have an idea of the area for when you do have a free evening on where to eat and how to get back to the hotel. Have a wonderful time.

I going to join the chorus for staying in the tour hotel. When I took a Rick Steves tour in Germany, I too came in early. I was very glad I decided to stay in the tour hotel. I got a better rate, there were know moving issues, and I had a head start on knowing the neighborhood.

Pam

Thank you all for the advice. I'll email the hotel and see what kind of rate I can get.

I looked at the maps. Yes, it's a 2-minute walk to the metro (Place de Clichy) , but the metro there is Line 13 which only takes you to the Basilica of St. Denis in one direction and Invalides or the Champs Elysees in the other and Line 2 which takes you to Pere Lachaise Cemetery in one direction and the Arc de Triomphe in the other. (metro map)

This means you'll need to transfer trains or have long walks to get to most places, maybe even two connections. The walks between train lines at some connection stations are pretty long too. That means it won't be convenient to pop back to your hotel for a break during the day. If you stay in the Marais (4th) or Rive Gauche (5th-6th), you'll be in walking distance of a lot of sights and able to go back to your room for a little rest at midday or a change of clothes before dinner. On Monday, you can pack up and leave your bags at the hotel, spend the morning enjoying Paris, have a light lunch and then take a taxi to the B Montmartre.

PS - I just looked at their rates. I can't believe RS is using such an expensive hotel. Nice.

Adding . . . an hour to pack, an hour (at most) to transfer hotels. You'll spend more time on the metro back and forth from Monmartre over 3 days.