We are taking a couple days from our London trip in November to see some of the major sights in Paris. We are arriving and departing via Eurostar. What areas of Paris are convenient to see the sights as well as to the train station? Any recommendations? Husband, wife and 16 year old son.
TIA
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
I prefer to stay in the Latin Quarter or St Germain. From the Gare du Nord it's an easy ride on the RER B (blue) line to the St Michel or Luxembourg stations. Choose somewhere close to either of these stops.
Not knowing your budget, you might like to check out a couple of good value 3 stars ...
http://www.observatoirehotel.com/en/
http://www.hoteldesgrandshommes.com/en/
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3990 posts
Here is a hotel suggestion near Saint Michel metro station that I have heard good things about. It is a very convenient location for sight seeing: https://hotelnotredameparis.com/. Near Luxembourg station, I like http://www.excelsior-paris-hotel.com/en/ I am not opposed to staying near Gare du Nord but I don't think in your situation given that you looking for convenience to major sights that near the train station is your best choice for a couple of days. Without knowing your hotel budget, my suggestions are for average priced properties, but, if the budget allows, I would stay at Hotel d'Aubusson or Relais Christine both of which are a less than 10 minute walk from Saint-Michel Notre Dame station.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
We discovered a decent hotel not very far from Gare du Nord in the 9th on rue des Martyrs. We had rented an apartment one year from a friend, who is a friend no more, because the apartment was so uncomfortable it was ruining our stay in Paris. So we looked in the area and discovered the Hotel Caravelle and moved ourselves over there pronto. I see it gets decent reviews still. Not fancy in any way, just a good, honest 3 star place that might fill the bill.
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
There are no "centralized monuments or attractions" in Paris, per se.
But you can group some of them together to make it more convenient.
I'd stay in the 6th arrondissement, because that's what most people think of when they think of what Paris is like.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
By all means get away from Gare du Nord area and choose a better hotel location. On one of our visits we stayed just across the street from Gare du Nord at the "New Hotel". The rest of our Paris trips we stayed either in the 7th or in the Latin Quarter. MUCH nicer areas than Gare du Nord.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
The area around the St-Michel or Luxembourg RER stations would be convenient to a lot of sights, and easy to reach others by Metro. The only advantage of a hotel near Gare du Nord is convenience at the start and end of your stay, but that area isn't very convenient for most sightseeing. The RER and Metro are very fast and reliable, so you really don't need to be close to the train. Just be sure to allow enough time for advance Eurostar check-in on your return date. You might want to taxi to your hotel on arrival just for the convenience with your luggage.