Hotel recommendation

If you get a taxi from the official airport taxi stand, it’s a set price.

For the transfer from the airport to the hotel, I suggest a taxi from the official taxi line. The rate is fixed depending on whether you are going to the Left Bank or the Right Bank. When you say not far from the Eiffel Tower, do you want ET views? Do you mean short walk? The Eiffel Tower is on the west side of Paris and not in the center of town. The center is at Notre Dame. You can walk and enjoy cafes just about anywhere in Paris and you can see the ET from lots of places. Also what is your budget? Without knowing that any suggestion could be a shot in the dark. Despite that risk, I suggest, if you want to be within walking distance of the ET, the Hotel de Londres Eiffel.

The Eiffel tower is at an inconvenient location near nothing much. The center of Paris is Notre Dame and I would book in the Marais, the Latin Quarter or St. Germain on a first visit. These are picture perfect Paris and filled with the things you are talking about. Consider an apartment hotel where you have the virtues of a hotel like ability to arrive before check in and have your luggage stored and a desk clerk who can advice you about local amenities. -- and it is lovely to have at least a kitchenette so you can do breakfast in -- one of the joys of Paris is shopping for the morning bread at one of many nearby bakeries. You will love the variety of breakfast pastries. And it is so much cheaper than always eating out.

You do not need to arrange a transfer from the airport; there are places where this is wise; Paris is not that place. Just go to the official cab line in your terminal; they are well signed, sometimes with footprints on the floor. Ignore anyone who approaches offering a taxi -- they are all crooks -- take the taxi in your turn. The cost for 4 people and luggage is 55 to the right bank (e.g. the Marais) and 62 to the left bank (e.g. Latin Quarter and St. Germain)

The ET area does not allow particularly easy access to other parts of Paris. If you want to be centrally located, look at hotels much close to Notre Dame. Potential areas would include the Latin Quarter, le Marais, or St Germain des Prés.

Any specific hotel recommendation requires some general idea of the budget range per night, preferably in euros.

Hotel Empereur is near Rue Cler and the Eiffel Tower….stayed there our first visit and got very good at using the metro to go all over Paris…..it was a nice area on a first visit to use the grocery, bakery, laundry on Rue Cler for first time travelers. Though we loved the Rue Cler and Eiffel Tower area it is not centrally located to Paris….. We stay in the Marais area now because it is more centrally located to ALL of Paris…..and we eat and walk EVERYWHERE! Don’t feel guilty over the eating because we walk it off! Go to the taxi stand, the official one, at CDG and ask them the charge to drive you into Paris…..they will safely take you there and have a fixed charge to do so.

Janettravels already gave fdojao the fixed rate prices, no need to ask the taxi driver, but no harm in confirming when you get in the taxi.

We like staying near the Arc de Triomphe and the Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro which makes it easy to get to many places in Paris.. It is not far from the Eiffel tower by metro to Trocadero or by walking, and it is near the Champs Elysees as well. We enjoyed Hotel Balmoral Champs Elysees which is on a quiet side street and a block from Le Vin Coeur which is a great cafe and restaurant.

You mentioned the center ot town. The Hotel des Deux-Iles is as centrally located as can be on Ile St. Louis. There are a couple of other hotels on the same street, and one of them is a sister hotel. Cross the river one way and you will be in the Marais -- cross it the other way and you'll be in The Latin Quarter. Walk to the end of the island, cross the bridge, and you'll be at the back of Notre Dame -- such as it is now. The Metro is nearby and getting anywhere is not a problem. There are several restaurants on the island. If you stay there, we can steer you to a great little place for breakfast as hotel breakfasts seem to be over priced for what one gets. We can also tell you about several places for lunch and / or dinner on the island as well.

Yes, do not ask the rate for the taxi from the airport. Asking the rate is like waving a flag that says "scam me." When I landed at CDG in October while I was waiting for a larger vehicle, a very young couple came out and asked the taxi driver in the official line how much it would cost to take them to Paris and without missing a beat he said €150 and then was letting them negotiate him down to €100. After saying bonjour, just hand the driver a card with the address including postal code and the amount of the fare -- that way they know that you know what's up.

I love staying in the Eiffel Tower area. The area where I stay has plenty of restaurants so I feel comfortable as a solo, older female having a few glasses of wine with dinner and then finding my way back to my hotel, lol.

In addition to the Hotel l'Empereur mentioned above, I enjoy staying at Hotel Muguet and Hotel Relais Bosquet. Some of the Rick Steves tours stay at Hotel Beaugency and Hotel Londres Eiffel.

Did you have a budget in mind?

Yes, do not ask the rate for the taxi from the airport.

I agree with this and was thinking the same when reading comments about asking the driver for the price. Asking means you are not sure and you are exposing a potential lack of confidence if not knowledge.

Don´t ask, tell the driver that the price is 55€/62€ as the case may be. Write your destination on paper along with the fare you are paying and hand it to the driver. Smiling is always good and don´t forget get to say "hello" or "bonjour" before you say anything else.

I think asking the price is making the taxi driver aware that you know what it should cost and you are not going to pay whatever the taxi driver suggests…..we were told it is between 50-60 euros….if they tell you it is more move on to another taxi…..