We will be staying in Belgium for 2 weeks and planning a 3 night weekend in Paris. We are looking for a small, intimate hotel of B&B with some charm (but clean!), centrally located, near the Louvre and would love a great view of the eiffel tower. Any suggestions? Also, should we book the train before we leave the states or can we do it while there? Thanks - sooo excited so any advice you have is greatly appreciated!
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
I don't think you'll get a view of the Eiffel Tower from a small B&B near the Louvre - they're simply too far apart to see one from the other in anything but the attic of a tallish building.
You would be well advised to book the train from wherever you're staying in Belgium to Paris around 90 days before you travel. You can get significantly cheaper fares then than on the day of travel. The only downside is that the cheap fares are strictly limited to a specific train from Brussels to Paris and if you miss it you will have to pay again at full price. Book in advance at www.thalys.com or www.b-europe.com
Posted by
Mission Viejo, Calif., USA
1010 posts
We have stayed at the Hotel Le Littre, twice. There are some rooms that can only be booked directly with the hotel. Both times we booked directly with the hotel. This last time we had a premium view. We had a room with a baqlcony. We could watch the Eiffel Tower day and night. Both times we were there, was in May or June. It stays light until 11:00 PM during the summer months. We bought some wine and bread and watched the tower. The lights change during the night. It was simply a beautiful site. We were at the hotel for one week once; the second time, we were there for two weeks.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
We stayed at Hotel St Pierre on Rue Ecole du Medecin -- from our room you could lean far out the window and see the ET in the far distance, nice when lit up at night.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
jamrtay,
If you want a view of the Eiffel Tower, you'll likely have to stay in the 7th Arr. or somewhere in that vicinity. The Louvre is across the river in the 1st Arr. There may be hotels near the Louvre that also have views of the tower, but I don't know of any.
If you decide to stay in the 7th, you might have a look at Hotel Duquesne Eiffel as a few of their rooms have a view of the Eiffel Tower (the photo is a bit dark, but it was taken at Duquesne Eiffel). I vaguely recall that Hotel Muguet may also have a few rooms with views of the tower, but you'd have to contact them to confirm that.
It's very easy to get around Paris by Metro, so I'm never too concerned about staying in a "centrally located" area (I usually stay in the 7th).
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Don't forget the tall buildings you can visit for great views (p. 136 in Rick's France book or p. 88 in Paris), such as the rooftop terraces of the Centre Pompidou (easy to pop in with a Museum Pass) or Institut du Monde Arabe (no charge for elevator to the café). From my hotel room, I'm often pretty happy just with a view of a characteristic roof.