Paris and arrondissements

You are right...you will get varied answers! I think your budget is low for Paris unless you are going at the very end of October. September is very busy with conventions etc and that is, to me, starting to run over in to early October. What is your budget target in Euro?

I love the 7th. It was the first neighborhood I stayed in when I returned to European travel and stayed there on the 21 day Best of Europe in 2014. It has lots of restaurants and as an older solo female traveler I feel very safe walking back to whatever hotel I'm staying in after a few glasses of wine after dinner. Many here will say there are too many RS travelers in the neighborhood but seriously in my travel since the pandemic the cafes are jammed with people speaking French and nary a blue and yellow book in sight. The Lavirotte buildings are in this area but you could easily visit them from elsewhere in Paris.

My location is only served by Metro Line 8 but I can get everywhere I want to go usually with one transfer. I also routinely walk back to my hotel at the end of the day. The distance from the Pyramid of the Louvre to one of "my" hotels is under 2 miles.

I love that Galileo Museum in Florence! Smaller museums you might consider are the Cluny which is of the Middle ages so not exactly in your time frame, Jacquemart-Andre which is in an old mansion and has lovely examples of the decorative arts in addition to paintings, maybe Arts et Metiers might work for you (Arts and Crafts but it has a lot of scientific instruments and inventions).

If you have an interest in WWII, consider the Liberation Museum which is in the 14th and is free.

https://www.museeliberation-leclerc-moulin.paris.fr/

What a fun time you will have!

Lots of eating choices

Rue Cler (7th arrondissement) and Rue Montorgueil (2nd arrondissement) pedestrian streets.

Ease to get to many of the other arrondissement

Metro

Not necessarily the most sought after or popular arrondissement

Canal Saint Martin (10th arrondissement) and Père Lachaise (20th arrondissement).

I stayed on Rue Cler my first trip to Paris and recommend it too. I’ve also stayed in the 4th 6th and 10th. Out of these three the 6th was another favorite.

Is this your first trip to Paris? I was given the advice to stay "as close to the Seine and as close to Notre Dame as possible" on a first trip. But we were going to be there two weeks. So I chose one week in the Marais (4th arrondissement) and one week in Butte-aux-Cailles (13th arrondissement), to give us a taste of two very different neighborhoods. (Also, with two weeks, that would mean bedsheet washing at the one-week point, and finding a place to hang wet bedsheets in a tiny apartment, which had a washing machine but not a dryer, would have been a challenge! Talk about lazy!)

But this plan served us well. And apartment rental in the outer arrondissements is definitely more economical.

My favorite arrondissement is the 4th because it is very central and walkable but the hotels there are going to tend to be out of your budget for October. For what you want and your budget, I like the Grands Boulevard neighborhood which spans a couple of arrondissements especially near the eponymous metro stop and heading northwest towards the Saint Georges New Athens quartier through to just south of the Pigalle and Place de Clichy metro stops. I also like the area starting at Bastille Metro station and bound on the west by Boulevard Beaumarchais, on the north by the northern part of Place de la Republique, on the east by Boulevard Belleville, and on the south by Rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine. This is a very large area and not all parts of it are my preferred spots (too many bars, noisy, etc.) but it is a general area that feels very real Paris to me and if you are willing to walk 10 miles per day, you should have no problem getting around from there. Both areas to me are a bit off the tourist trail, have well priced, nice hotels, and access to lots of transit (bus and metro) links.
I read a piece in Statista (I'd link to it but it's behind a paywall) that says that the average price of a hotel room for 2 in Paris ranges from 146€ to €187 during the period from February 2021 to February 2022 so $147 per night might take a little effort to find but it can be done. For October 2021, that average was €179 but I think that the areas that I suggest are not in tourist central so you may be able to get into them in your budget. Switching gears from neighborhood recommendations to a specific hotel and noting that it is not in the 'hoods that I mentioned above, you may want to look at is the Hotel Nations Saint Germain, which is not near the Nations metro stop nor in Saint Germain, but is quite well priced and on Rue Monge near hotels that cost three times as much and is only about a 15 minute walk from the Notre Dame. I've walked from across the street to the Notre-Dame-Saint Michel RER stop with a recalcitrant 11-year-old in 20 minutes.

Thank you both.
As dollar to euro are on par, 150/night is really stretching it! Dreaming, but have found some airbnb in the 130/night range that will probably work. Then again, add in service fees and it will be right up there! And most are aways out- the 2.5 to 3 mile range.

Both of you say the 7th-yea! Little there from my accommodation searches. Will look again. The complication is 2 weeks and need for a washing machine. Hand laundry goes only so far with us! We want comfort, nothing fancy. Prefer to spend on food and wine as we really don’t spend lots of time in the room/apt.

Same with the 6th as per accommodations.
May have to bite a huge bullet here.

Now there’s more. Thank you. Will study up.

I love the area near 5/6th (near where those meet, especially) for the food, eats, beautiful but moderate hotels and overall vibe. That said- if I was on a tight budget I’d find a place out further but near one of the really great markets so I could also do some meals DIY more easily.

You’ll want to get very familiar with the metro map: https://www.ratp.fr/plan-de-ligne/img/metro/Plan-Metro.1669996027.png

I also prefer the 5th/6th area, but your budget may push you out farther from the center. Look for someplace near the metro hubs - stations where multiple lines cross. For example, St Michel Notre Dame, Chatelet les Halles, and Opera. These stations have many lines going in various directions. Otherwise, just plan on making a few connections to get where you want to go. The big sites in Paris are spread out all over. You could easily walk 10 miles/day, even taking the metro.

Be very careful with private rentals. Paris has cracked down on them a lot in recent years. Legal ones have a registration number, but there is no way for you to verify that number.

A quick look on booking.com in that price range (for ratings of 8 or higher) returns 4 listings, only one being a hotel: Hotel Rivoli. Very basic, small rooms (typical for Paris), no elevator. Good location.

Thank you all.
We will have to up our nightly rate and will. As I looked more, definitely $175/night all inclusive is a decent mean. It’s about what happens with the airbnbs too that are closer in-5th, 6th, etc. when all the fees are added together.

I like the close to Seine and Notre Dame for first timers suggestion.

Yes to Paris has cracked down on private rentals and for good reason. Even with the 15 number registration, there is no guarantee it’s legal. Yet, I’m not sure I’m up to the $200+/night to get a decent enough hotel. More searching.

And area we like which is walkable to the center (through Luxembourg Gardens) is the 14th east of the Montparnasse Train station -- lots of crepe places, cafes, brasserie, even a Boullion Chartier -- great transport connections. And hotels tend to be cheaper in this area. Apartments may be as well.

Great suggestion from janettravels. I forgot about the 14th. I stayed at Hotel Apollon Montparnasse near Pernety metro station in 2017 and paid 90€ for a room for two in July.

I still want more comments regarding areas to stay and the more unusual things to do, however, I just booked a place in the 6th close to the Luxembourg Palace.
Now, you’re free to tell me that was or wasn’t such a good idea! It is cancellable up until 31AUG2023, so lots of time to change our mind.

Regarding the Metro. I became very familiar with the Tube in London and wouldn’t hesitate to change lines a couple of times if I needed to to get where I was heading. No problem with having to do the same with the Metro, although it won’t be so familiar. My husband does well with French so he can read the signs!

On getting around I would suggest using a combination of both buses and the Metro. Hard to say which arrondissements are my favourites , obviously, those where the famous sites are located. Just sociologically interesting and fascinating seeing the sights of the city, street scenes, etc. when going by bus...regardless. The Pont Alexander III is one of my favourite sites...for sure.

September and October are probably the busiest months of the year for hotels in Paris, and room prices will be at their peak. 130€ to 150€ for two per night can be done, but the choices will be limited.

Rue Cler is a very nice area, but there are others which might be even better. I like the 5th (Latin Quarter) which is within easy walking distance of most of the primary tourist targets and has a good number of relatively inexpensive restaurants, those with chefs (not microwave ovens) serving food prepared on site and menus offered at 35€ and under.

One hotel in the 5th I use as a cost barometer is the Hotel Marignan, a long-standing, family run hotel offering great value. Whatever Hotel Marignan is charging for a double, will be the fair market, base price.

You are going to be in Paris sufficiently long to visit some of the lesser known locations. Consider including these:

1. The Art Nouveau museum at Maxim’s,
2. La Pagode, currently under renovation on rue Babylon in the 7th (just south of the Bon Marché).
3. Drouot, the auction house where everything is on display the day before the auction. Go the day before any auction which you find interesting. Anything can be offered, from ancient Japanese war costumes, to antique train sets, to skeletal remains of dinosaurs. Just take a look at the catalogs.

I usually stay in the higher numbered arrondissements and have never paid more than 100€ a night, although next year I will have to stray over that. (A disclaimer here... I haven't spent a night in Paris since before the plague hit).

One error in thinking is that an arrondissement is a homogeneous thing. They don't have a character, they're just an easily defined political area set in the 19th century. Take a look at the Île de Cité, for instance, divided between the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. There are parts of all arrondissements that are nice, cosy areas, and parts that are too busy, dead at night or the weekend, or make you feel unsafe (as opposed to actually being unsafe).

Assuming you're not returning to your accommodation continually you can stay in any of the arrondissements, assuming you select the right neighbourhood. It may add 20 minutes of travelling onto your day, but it could mean you end up in a really nice "normal" Paris area like the stretch in the 19th between Laumiere and Telegraph.

I once stayed on the Île St Louis, and I actually found it
devoid of life, although convenient for interesting places. I would much rather stay one street away from a good market or shopping street.

October is a marvelous time of year in Paris (My favorite). Your budget is pretty low but I see that you’ve managed to find a place in the 6th which is a good base. Where did you choose? I’ve stayed in different areas and while yes, some consider the 6th touristy, I enjoy it. I enjoy Luxemborg Gardens, I enjoy being close to the river, the excellent and central location, I enjoy the hub-bub of the area with all its dining & shopping choices.

As for different museums, I had a great time visiting this unusual museum that is rarely mentioned: Musée des arts Forains https://arts-forains.com I don’t know about now, but at the time the tour was all in French but despite my not speaking French, I enjoyed it all the same. beautiful and interesting, and lots of interactive things to do as well. The tour is about 1.5 hours and you have to book it ahead on their website. https://arts-forains.tickeasy.com/en-GB/home

You mentioned art nouveau and impressionists — then you really should visit Musée D’Orsay. Certainly not off the beaten path LOL but if you’ve never been, you really should see it. Completely different experience from le Louvre.

I spent years trying to get in to Musee des Arts Forains and finally 10 years ago managed to snag spots on a French tour. Only one in our group was fluent in French and there were a lot of long speeches punctuated by laughter from the group -- I am sure the guide was a card, but we couldn't appreciate it.

https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/magic-at-musee-des-arts-forains/
right after Christmas I believe they actually run the museum rides and booths. for most tours, one or two rides are activated and one or two games, but mostly it is just looking.

You indicated you like the idea of being close to the Seine and Notre Dame. That being the case, The Hotel des Deux-Iles is as centrally located as can be on Ile St. Louis. Not sure what their rates are now, so just check it out. There are also a couple of other hotels on the same street, and one of them is a sister hotel. Cross the river 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 as some of the immediate area is closed off. The Metro is near enough that getting anywhere is not a problem. There are also several restaurants on the island. If you decided to stay there, we can steer you to a great little place for breakfast as all hotel breakfasts seem to be over priced for what one gets.

@janettravels -- indeed, it takes some effort to visit Musée Arts des Forains. Like you, I had tried various trips before I had success booking. Seems a little easier now on their website; I had to actually place phone calls LOL I agree - would have been nice to understand the tour, but I enjoyed it all the same. It was just so beautiful, interesting and different to even just look at everything. I won the racing waiter game which was a hoot LOL. And I too loved the bicycle ride. I did not see the unicorn playing a piano - that did look creepy in your photos!

Also, @SJS, if you're interested in military type things, the Musée de l'Armée and Napoleon's Tomb might be up your alley.
https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/english-version.html

While not a museum, another interesting thing to do is visit Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187147-d188698-Reviews-Pere_Lachaise_Cemetery-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

So many considerations and I sure do appreciate having all this information.
@Fred. Busses are a yes and thank you for reminding me about seeing more. And, we can get off and on if we see something we want to look at. Added Pont Alexander III to Paris list.

@Tocard. My initial research focused on the Latin Quarter. Alas, not much available there even as we’ve raised our nightly budget. If the one in the 6th doesn’t work, think we will go further afield at this stage.

Do wonder if we can figure a way to not need the washing machine as it is the wrench right now.

@Simon. About adding the travel time. Seems it shouldn’t be a concern. Our experience with that was in Prague. We had our accommodation canceled on us at the last minute-as we were driving there!!-so had to scramble to find anything. It was 25” out on a well serviced tram line but really made it pretty inconvenient to even think about returning to the apartment during the day. Now, Paris is different as I’m sure if we decided we needed to return we could pivot and explore somewhere closer rather than needing to return to the other area. Prague dictated a bit more centralized exploration for sure. It is up for consideration as we move along.
Took note of the 19th area to look at for possibilities.

@BJL. The listing is new on booking.com. Being new there are no reviews so will watch what happens in that area. Meanwhile still looking at all areas.
Added Musee d’Orsay and will see what Musee does Arts Forains is all about but have added it for now. Military is for my husband, but more along the lines of where and how than museum offerings but will add the suggestions and he can decide.

Trip has topsy-turvied a bit as my husband really wants to spend time driving while in France-NOT PARIS! Likely means we will shift Paris to the last two weeks of October, which is still not late enough for hotel prices to drop much. Oh well-such is life. I get a bit of education along the way so really can’t complain.

Unfortunately, the Musee des Art Forains only books a month in advance. I’m going to try because the moment I saw the carousel, I was sold.
Thank you @janetravels for starting the conversation.

@SJS -- planning is half the fun :-)) At least it is for me. I think that is why many of us visit the forums and offer whatever we can - we're sort of getting the planning zing when helping others plan their trips :-)

You might consider the 14th or 15th. We had a good stay near Gare Montparnasse, the Pernety metro station, and the Rue Daguerre street market. Proximity to a metro station means you can go anywhere in the city, you don't have to be close to the river if that's too expensive. I've been intrigued by the area around Place des Nations, though I haven't stayed there.

As for laundry, Paris neighborhoods are full of laundromats. Take a couple of hours out of your two weeks to use coin-operated machines. Sit in the cafe across the street drinking coffee or wine while your clothes wash and dry themselves. (You will have to go back to move them between machines, though, unless your clothes are smarter than mine.) Or sit in the laundromat and see if there's a conversation to be had with a neighbor, who might tell you who makes the best croissants or onion soup. We once enjoyed a domestic drama across the street from a laundromat, she kicked him out and then threw his clothing from an upper window onto the sidewalk. It must have been clean already because he didn't come in. ;-)

If you read too many online recommendations or read too many RS books, you will doubtless hear lots about Rue Cler, and the Canal Saint-Martin. Here's my take: In Rue Cler you'll see a bunch of Americans clutching their Rick Steves' books in sidewalk cafes desperately hoping (and failing) to see the quintessential Parisian street scene (instead they just see a bunch of other RS fans). And Canal Saint-Martin is IMHO an over-hyped area successfully promoted by the powers that be and businesses in the area that is not worth visiting over other wonderful sights in Paris. The traditional sights by the Seine are great, and if you are looking for something lest touristy, venture out on your own rather than going to the "top sights du jour" you read about on this and other forums.

"In Rue Cler you'll see a bunch of Americans clutching their Rick Steves' books in sidewalk cafes desperately hoping (and failing) to see the quintessential Parisian street scene (instead they just see a bunch of other RS fans)."

I know this is oft-repeated but particularly after the return of tourists since Covid I don't find this to be true at all. In October 2021 I was one of the few English-speakers at the cafes along Rue Cler and nearby. This last spring in a restaurant just off Rue Cler on Rue de Grenelle, there was one other table of English-speakers and the others all seemed to be speaking French or German. Nary a blue and yellow book in sight. A couple of the establishments, particularly L'Eclair and another one on the other side of Amorino, seem to be attracting the 20 to 30-something apero crowd so good luck edging your way in there for a before dinner glass of wine.

I do like to watch the Moms and Dads walking their kiddos to school in the AM which seems quintessentially local.

It's certainly up to each person to choose what neighborhood works for them and I'm not saying everyone should travel the same way.

I spent 2 weeks in Paris. The first week was in the 7th, near Rue Cler and the second week was in the 1st off of Rue Rivoli. I loved both neighborhoods. I am going back to Paris for only 2 nights next year and I chose St Germain de Pres. I think I will try a new area each time I go back......I guess that means I will keep going back to Paris. In all of my travels Paris is the place I will have to go back to.

In the spirit of adding more opinions p.o.v.s,
let me point you to the upper Marais --
the Marais is great, but even better than the area close to the river or along Rivoli
is the area in-between the Pompidou and the national archives,
basically so you have easy access to Metro Rambuteau and to Metro Hotel de Ville.

And given the art interests you mention above, of course the Pompidou and the other smaller spots around it are going to be must-sees. An example of the less-visited would be Illusions:
http://museedelillusion.fr/

"In Rue Cler you'll see a bunch of Americans clutching their Rick Steves' books in sidewalk cafes desperately hoping (and failing) to see the quintessential Parisian street scene (instead they just see a bunch of other RS fans)."

I know this is oft-repeated but particularly after the return of tourists since Covid I don't find this to be true at all.

I don't go to rue Cler often, but I have seen, on more than one occasion, Americans walking down the street clutching a Rick Steves´ book. Well, I assume they were Americans, I didn’t check IDs, but I did recognize the book.

There is nothing wrong using a guide book for by the numbers tourism. If I were to visit Beijing, I am sure I would have such a book. But in Paris, is lockstep guidance really needed? Most of the hotel recommendations I see on this forum are reliably on or near rue Cler. Fellow posters, there are a lot of great places to stay in Paris, and places more central, with better transportation options than the default recommendation of rue Cler.

Don’t be afraid to stay in St Germain des Prés (rue Jacob), the Latin Quarter (rue des Ecoles), le Marais, or any of the many other wonderful neighborhoods of Paris.

Discovery awaits.

My first trip to Paris was with my mother in 1993 and she had booked a hotel near rue Cler because of Rick Steve’s book. We visited all the places and restaurants recommended in the book. The hotel was nice enough and the restaurants, not surprisingly, were hit or miss. For subsequent trips, we basically threw the book away and explored on our own and stayed in other areas. I think the RS books are a very helpful resource, but even as first timer, I’d only use them as a reference rather than a travel bible. (sorry if that was blasphemous on a RS forum :-)

I always love the theory that the only people on Rue Cler are the tourists . I actually rented an apartment right on the road and I was the only American in the entire building. All the other residents were local . The truth is there a lot of French people in that area. But if you want to just see Americans you will because perception is 90% of life.

My two favorite places to stay are Ruth Cler or 13th. Totally different locations. I’ve stayed in Latin Quarter - didn’t like it. I stayed on the island -didn’t like it. I don’t have any desire to stay in the Marais, just don’t want to be there.

As for the original posters problem with laundry, just use a laundromat. It’s faster to go to the laundromat and do your laundry because you can use like two or three machines and they have good dryers. honestly it’s just easier to go to the laundromat. It costs a little but it takes a quarter of the time. There are some where you give them your clothes and pick them up clean a few hours later. I don’t do that because I have a lot of things I don’t put in dryers so I like to be in control but you can do that.

Yeah I was going to say to the original poster that if part of the reason you want a washer is to wash sheets, you are probably going to need to go to a laundromat anyway -- because most apartments don't have dryers - and sheets won't dry hanging within the same day as they are washed (and a wash in a home machine is usually something like 3 hours).

So to wake up in the morning, take the sheets off the bed, and have them clean and dry by nighttime to put them back on the bed, you will have to go to a laundromat anyway.

@Carol ... "I’ve stayed in Latin Quarter - didn’t like it. I stayed on the island -didn’t like it. I don’t have any desire to stay in the Marais, just don’t want to be there."

This is why it is hard to answer the question posted on forums daily: What area should I stay in? Because all of us have such different likes and dislikes. While I wouldn't want to stay smack in the middle of the Latin Quarter, parts of it are OK, but I much prefer St. Germain. I've stayed on the island and liked it. I agree with you about the Marais though - and some folks wouldn't stay anywhere else. Personally, I don't care for the rue Cler area to stay. We're all so different :-)

Still reading the posts and taking notes. Thank you all!

A couple of clarifications from my end:
1) We can and will stay in any of the arrondissement if we know we are relatively close to Metro, trams, busses. I expect that isn’t too much of a problem in Paris. We really don’t want to be 20-30 minutes out from Paris Central as it can eat up too much time. That being said, the closer in, the less choice of accommodations under $175/night. YES! Finally looking in that Euro/dollar range. I feel fortunate to have found some in that price range that are closer in, but they are airbnbs and Paris has strict regulations so don’t want to get bumped out at the last minute due to a technicality or a host that hasn’t been following the parameters.

2) Washing machine is more about personal laundry. Once we found the ‘centrifuga’ setting on the Italian machines, it changed a lot in the laundry department. As far as sheets, towels-laundromat might be a far better solution. We will be looking at that.

3) More on the areas of Paris for us. Anything we see, visit or bump into will be new to us. And that is one reason Paris gets 2 weeks! We did shorten our trip for 7 weeks+ to a little over 6, but Paris gets the most time.

I like this discussion. Keep it up.

@SJS -- if you provide the actual dates you plan to stay in Paris, you might get more help in the accommodation department :-)

Here are my thoughts:

1. I'm so happy you have upped your budget! Now we need to get you to start thinking in Euro. The exchange rate is not quite par so it looks like today $175 USD = 166E. I just did a quick search on the average running time between Metro stations but can't find what I thought I was looking for. I had in mind that you could use 2 minutes between stations to calculate how long a journey would be but I didn't find anything to back that up so maybe I imagined it or it is attached to some other public transport system. lol. Anywhere within the ring road called the Peripherique is going to meet your travel time criteria so the place you are looking at at the Luxembourg Gardens is well within that range.

2. If you are worried about washing sheets and towels I would go with hotel stays. Since you are staying 2 weeks you might even want to split that in to 2 different areas with a week in each. Nearly any hotel will hold your luggage on check in or check out day so you don't lose time wandering around with your suitcases.

3. I'm SO glad you are doing 2 weeks in Paris! You will NOT run out of things to do!

Two weeks is a great opportunity to stay in two different neighborhoods if you want. Maybe one on each side of the river, or one east of the central sights and one west, or one with long wide boulevards and another with a maze of short medieval streets. We've stayed in the Latin Quarter, Montparnasse, and Marais. Next time maybe east of Bastille, or St-Germain, or up around Parc Monceau.

Take a look at Hotel Marignan. This family run hotel is well-placed on the north side of the 5th arrondissement (5 minutes to Notre Dame), has washer/dryers included in the price, free breakfast, free WiFi, and meets all of your requirements.

In the TMI category, thank you all for continuing to post. I’m so sick right now (unidentified) it keeps me busy and not feeling sorry for myself!!

@BJL- 18OCT (c/i)-01NOV (c/o). We will transfer the 1st to a CDG hotel for our flight on 02NOV to SEA.

@Pam- currently not too concerned about thinking in Euros as opposed to dollars. It floated so close to par for our 9 weeks in Italy, even being where it is right now doesn’t change much. Once we’re able to be fully invested in this trip, I will certainly formulate Euros too!

@Dick- we are going to look at staying in two areas. Both of us kind of like nesting, hence one place for the entire stay. Packing up and moving is time consuming, but not out of play.

@Tocard-is there more than one Hotel Marignan? The one I keep seeing on Champs-Elysees means I’ll need to secure a standing with the Royal Family to stay there. I believe either you or someone has mentioned it before, so will look further.

Oh! @Tocard- of course, use your link. I believe the rates on their site are from 2021. Will delve further and can always contact them too.

Agree with Pam and others on the 7th! You can find some decent deals on rooms around Rue Cler. Check out the Beaugency which is 1/2 block off Rue Cler itself. We stayed there last month with a friend who was sticking to a budget. It was decent enough and would stay there again. There is also a laundromat about a 3-minute walk from the hotel. We use it all the time. Washing is easy enough. We absolutely love the 7th. We have stayed in many of the arrondissements but always go back to the 7th. And, we have NEVER seen Americans clutching their Rick Steves Guidebooks - ever. Last trip it was mostly Europeans and locals at the cafes. We heard little English.

@SJS - I personally stayed there last October; it's a hotel/hostel, sort of. Definitely budget friendly.
My room (7th floor, no elevator) had a shared bathroom (down one floor) and shower, so not all rooms are hotel-like. The owners, however, hubby speaks perfect english, wife is from CT; son is at least bilingual as well. And their croissants for breakfast are HUGE!

@skunklett-which are you referring to, The Beaugency or the Hotel Marignan?

Hotel Marignan appears to have a cranky owner. Beaugency does have 2 week rates found by digging, but not far enough out-only into early March.

From a different op post, I’ve checked into Haven. Not in depth but two of the likely listings for us turned out to be either 12 months or 9 months minimum. Also looked at Adagio and their site said there was nothing available in Paris. Could have been our timeline.

Will check Guest Apt Services too.

Husband and I have a big discussion coming up after the first of the year. I know we will be compromising our want/need list to what basics can we be happy with meanwhile still looking at 175-200/night. Yikes!

@SJS - Hotel Marignan. They're very, very busy b/c they're so affordable.

I've often stayed at Hotel Beaugency. I love the staff there. I felt on my last 2 visits of a week to 10 days each that the hotel needs a refurb so I am reluctant to recommend it due to that.

The last time I was there (April 2022) there was something on the ceiling. I thought it was gnats because I had the window open but no, it was something (coke? wine?) that had been splattered on the very high ceiling. In October 2021 my bathroom door had some warp on the bottom panel that looked like there had been an overflow of some sort. In April they'd changed out the old faux-suede bedspreads for lovely white duvet covers which I thought was wonderful as they had those same bedspreads the first time I stayed in 2014, lol. There is at least one room that has an Eiffel Tower view (and that was why the window was wide open, hahaha!)

The staff has stayed very stable before and after Covid. The breakfast ladies are wonderful and the women on the Reception desk are awesome. The housekeepers are terrific.

It is one of the least expensive locations in the area. But it needs a refurb which will drive up the price.

As of last April the 21 day Best of Europe tour was still staying there which is how I came to stay there in the first place.

Sometimes I've had a difficult time booking a longer stay (a week or more) on their website (which is used by a number of hotels in the area) and I've emailed. The 2 women on reception in the daytime are the most fluent in English so you may have to wait for a reply until one of them comes on duty. The 2 guys on nights are able to speak enough English to answer any questions a guest might have but my guess is they are less fluent in the reservation end of things. You should be able to book for October now. They have a generous cancellation policy as well.

Hotel Marignan appears to have a cranky owner

Having stayed at this hotel, a couple of times with youth groups I am shocked to hear that the owner is described as cranky. This was by far one of the nicest experiences I ever had with a group of kids - everybody there was very friendly. My young teenagers were inspired by the college backpackers they met at this hotel, and it was part of the reason 90% of them returned to Europe on their own as backpackers, which I viewed as my greatest success. And they met the people that inspired them at this hotel, and in line for the Eiffel tower of all places.

This is a budget hotel if you show up expecting luxury, you’re going to be unhappy but if you show up expecting budget, I can’t recommend it enough and I have never met anyone working there or affiliated with it who is cranky. They bent over backwards to help us every time I’ve taken a group there.

@Carol-Thank you. I was reading reviews and two of them mentioned how cranky he was. Grain of salt-he replied to the dissatisfied posters and who knows. Always a two way street.
I realize it is a more modest accommodation and would not be expecting luxury. In our price range it looks like we may be fortunate to have an actual bed and a bathroom in the same apartment. I’m diligently combing through websites while upping our housing expenses. Once I adjust to 2700-3000+ for 14 nights, it just means we’ll need to be more prudent for the next few months at home.
As this trip will have another trip hot on it’s heels, I was hoping to not break the bank for this one.

@Pam-thank you. Once we narrow a few more things down, I will look closer at Hotel Beaugency too. I appreciate the idea of emailing to reserve well in advance. Still a couple of hurdles husband wise!

Hotel Marignan appears to have a cranky owner.

I have not stayed at the Hotel Marignan, but I have talked to the owner. I found him extremely helpful and very friendly. Hotel Marignan has been family owned for decades, and has been a successful business through family generations. It is affordable, spotless, offers amenities that few others do, and is very popular.

The only downside for this hotel is that at this price point, one needs to book very early.

SJS, I'll also add that a couple of times when I could not book a longer stay I booked 2 shorter stays...whatever the website would allow, then emailed and asked them to combine.

I'm glad you are considering upping your budget. TBH whatever cost saving measures you can employ at home will increase your pleasure in Paris. I am not a big foodie but I know many enjoy splurging on food in Paris. I am a museum person so without restriction I go to every museum that is of interest to me, lol. Different strokes...

Has anyone who is following this used parisattitude.com for bookings?

Seems they are long term but accepted my 2 week time frame for researching possibilities. Renting for an entire month is more reasonable than much of what I’m finding on vrbo, booking and airbnb. Hmmmm…….Nice properties too. Wait and see.

You might try doing a search for Paris attitude on TripAdvisor. The Paris forum there is full of people who’ve had really negative experiences with them.

I would walk away

with a not huge budget, I love the 14th east of Montparnasse -- lots of great places to eat, huge Monoprix, and easy stroll through Luxembourg Gardens to the center.

We have stayed in the 13th many times, but I don't find it very convenient especially for a first trip.

And as Dick noted -- laundromats are everywhere. We were in Batignolles in the fall and when I did laundry in the apartment, I would just pack up the wet wash and walk a block to a laundromat to dry -- the huge commercial dryers are cheap and get stuff dry in just a few minutes.

@Carol- thank you for that heads up. I had contacted them-they have nice properties-but in their own way they made it clear that booking for the 16 nights just wasn’t something they wanted to deal with even though some of the properties appear willing to do so. The decision to not use them was pretty easy. I may still check on trip advisor.

@janetravels-Have looked in the 14th, but many seem to be beyond even 2 miles from ‘central’. I used Notre Dame as a point to draw a radius for 1 mi, 1.5 and 2 miles (easier to do on the format I used than in km), and I still do not come up with many opportunities in the 14th that fit our needs and ever expanding Paris accommodation budget!

We are still looking!

So many wonderful suggestions here! We’ve visited Paris several times, and two different times had the chance to split our stays in locations between different arrondissements. That was really fun for us to explore the Left Bank neighborhoods one week, then the Right Bank the other week. Each area had many wonderful things to discover. We definitely traveled by bus more than Metro because we wanted to take advantage of seeing as much as we could as we traveled. Plus on one trip my DH had a bum knee so we needed to avoid all the steps of the Metro.

In September of this year we used the Bonjour RATP to plan our travels across town. It was so easy to choose routes that would take us past landmarks we wanted to see. We were only there for two nights at the end of our month long trip to France, so we definitely wanted to revisit old favorites and explore some new places efficiently. The app was great for that.

One place we enjoyed that may be close to your current reservation in the 6th is La Cuisine de Philippe, known for their soufflés. You can check this link for current reviews. Our main courses were good, not great. But the dessert soufflés were outstanding and I would recommend that experience if you’ve never done it. I had a pistachio soufflé with chocolate bits in that still is legendary in my memory 10 years later. My husband‘s Grand Marnier soufflé was served with a bottle of Grand Marnier left on the table for him to add more if he desired. The chef came out and greeted each guest at the end of our dinners and that was special, too. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d3243644-Reviews-La_Cuisine_de_Philippe-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

You mentioned staying at the airport the night before your flight home, which we also did this fall. We enjoyed the Ibis Styles Hotel which was walking distance to the terminal and super convenient. There was a little store inside the terminal for us to get an easy dinner with mousse au chocolat for dessert, and the hotel provided a delicious breakfast. It was amusing to me because the theme was Star Wars and there were decorations all over the place – that was unexpected. :-) Our friends enjoyed the Citizen M hotel right by the airport as well.

We really enjoyed being in France in the fall. This was the first time we traveled in September. The weather was lovely, and so much better than the heat waves we had experienced in midsummer trips. There was a dramatic difference in the amount of crowds! Next time I think we would definitely take a nighttime vintage car tour to see all of the landmarks lit up. We just didn’t have enough time to do that on this trip.

Laurie😊

@SJS - The way Paris Attitude works is they actually are booking the same units you can find on VRBO and other places but charge you a "fee" for their failure to provide service. (There are a lot of jokes about what the "attitude" stands for :) )

Personally I have stayed in the 13th and 14th and find it great. I am actually splitting my next trip between the that area and the 7th I would not let the distance deter you. You actually will find it's more "Parisian" in some ways not to mention it's not just hotels that are more affordable!

I wouldn’t get caught up in being 1 mile or 1.5 miles from Notre Dame. The metro will zip you into the center.

@kim- Thank you and you would know. It isn’t so much about transportation as it is about walking distances. Walking 3-4 km to get somewhere is more what we like. Definitely will take transport if we’re looking at a speedy trip somewhere. Busses sound really nice for seeing along the way.

Walking lets us look at menus, windows, architecture up close and that place to see we didn’t know we wanted to! Hence not wanting to be more than that distance from central Paris allows us the freedom to walk when we want to, which is most of the time. If we can find an accommodation to suit us within that approximate area, that distance will get us to the main museums of interest and also the biggie sights on foot. Going further afield will give us the need for public transport.

I’ve started putting a few more parameters on our search as it’s so unwieldy trying to look at all the possibilities. My brain is pretty much mush right now!

I’m still paying attention though, so keep it coming.

@Carol
I’ve tried some cross referencing and haven’t found the parisattitude offerings elsewhere. I have limited patience with that type of research though. Oh well, moving forward………

@Laurie
Thanks for mentioning the Bonjour RATP. On my phone. Just have to remember to use it.

Since we have 16 mights, we could easily split to 8/8, but I’m not sure it helps in the finance department. What little I’ve looked on airbnb doing the split hasn’t necessarily produced any better results as to choices, but then could still have the better of two places/areas in accommodations we like. Will do more, but it’s exhausting!

As pointed out above, I also like the 13th. I always stay in the 10th, primarily for the sake of convenience. I am quite familiar with the area and am comfortable with it.

Tourists do stay there and you see them but hardly ever any Americans, basically other Europeans and Asians, aside from French.

@Fred.
Thank you. Currently we haven’t ruled out any area, but tending to gravitate to 1-10, with a few choices still in the mix in 11-14 when located closer in. As much as all of the areas have choices, we need to really look at our walking distances more than transportation distances. We know we will be utilizing busses, trams and Metro, but don’t want to rely on them. Shanks mare is our go to.
We also like 10 due to Saint-Lazare as that is the station we will arrive at from Rouen.
I haven’t found any other city as difficult to figure out where to be as Paris. Maybe it’s too many choices!

@ SJS....So very true, just a ton of choices in Paris. Admittedly, staying the 10th has its pros and cons, just as staying in the 13th. It's basically a matter what one is willing to cope with. I am totally used to the place, know what to expect, the street lay-outs, grocery store locations, etc, basically what's what, etc, etc. Like anywhere else in Paris in the summer, which is the time go to Paris, the 10th is swarming with tourists and locals, diverse with different nationalities, multi-ethnic. Comparatively, very few Americans are seen here.

The advantages to staying in the 10th is the mere convenience regarding public transport, a bus hub, 2 Metro lines converge there, as well as the RER from CDG and the trains to going to the east and north of France, (Paris Est and Nord) plus the EuroStar. In Paris I don't only rely on the Metro where it's likely it will be packed like sardines but also the buses too, using that or a combination of both, and doing a ton of walking.

From Gare du Nord it's ca. 25 mins or under to walk to Montmarte.

Consider raising your budget.

Hotel Muguet in the 7th. My go to place to stay since the 90’s. I’m an ambler and I like the Muget because its close Napoleon’s Tomb where a relative is buried.

15 minute stroll to the Lavirotte facades. 10 minutes to the Invalides. 15 minutes to The Siene. 15 minutes to the Tower Effiel.

What are you referring to regarding the Tomb of the Unknown Solider? The Arch de Triomphe?

EXIT: Corrected my incorrect spelling.

Based on your post and subsequent comments, you sound too cool for Rue Cler! Consider my favorite Paris hotel, located in the 10th Arrondissement - it might squeak into your budget.

https://lecitizenhotel.com/en/

@Claudia
I’m afraid our budget has been raised to a limit I had hoped not to get to-now at E200/night, all inclusive. Lots of mostly okay options.
We still aren’t looking too seriously at hotels but I will look at the Muguet (my mothers’ favorite fragrance).

@Estimated Prophet
Doubt we are too ‘cool’ for anywhere! Ha! Difficult to have those vibes in your 70’s. Rue Cler tends to be more expensive all around than some other areas. Still looking at all suggestions though.

@Claudia
In a post somewhere-I apologize if it’s in this thread and I couldn’t find it-someone mentioned that a great memory of theirs was coming upon the daily evening service at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that is in the vicinity or at the Arc de Triomphe. I will look into it as the timing may have changed, but it sounds quite interesting and something we would like to do. My husband seeks out war memorials in small towns/villages as they often tell a very sad side of the story of what these wars meant in Europe. The town may have had a few hundred residents at the time-often less- and there are far too many common surnames on the memorials. As Americans we feel we are far too removed from any of the reality of the times.

Oops
The Muget-nothing to do with lily of the valley.

Funny-it did come up as Muguet. It is in our price range. Amazing. Will consider.

Le Citizen-not in our price range!

It IS Muguet like the flower.

https://hotelparismuguet.com/en/hotel.html

Do book directly on their website for usually the best deal.

Rats! Had a huge misinterpretation on Hotel Muguet on my part only to realize it is NOT in our budget.
I’m getting pretty discouraged when other Paris accommodation posts are really discouraging using airbnb and vrbo for apt rentals. I do read the reviews and look for any time the host has cancelled. Those, even if only once are taken off the list. No guarantees that the ‘plumbing problem’ won’t show up for our stay!
This might mean a shorter stay in Paris, with the other nights in Reims or somewhere-but by now I had hoped to have all our stays (number of nights) finalized so I could start narrowing down the choice of apts to stay in-for all destinations.
Back to the planning pages!

@ SJS....The 10th is advantageous as regards to your husband's desire to "seek out war memorials in small towns/villages" Staying in the 10th with Gare du Nord fits the bill, likewise with Gare de l'Est.

Those poignant war memorials and cemeteries, grave sites, and the like are located in northern France. Reaching them by train can be done directly from Gare du Nord, whether going to Arras, Compiegne, Beuvais, etc on the TGV or regional train.

If that is what he is definitely after, I heartily recommend going to Arras, get a rental car to the left of the train station to get out to Vimy, Neuville St Vaast, and numerous other sites to see the German, French and British, Australian military cemeteries, aside from of the US in St Quentin. Or, take the train from Nord to Amiens, where the turning point of the WW1 in the West took place.

The landscape is dotted with British and Commonwealth military cemeteries.

Thank you Fred.
It isn’t so much seeking them out without actually being in a town and finding them once we’ve arrived. I have made note of your suggestions and we will certainly take advantage of the information for access when in Paris if our time allows.

Our plans are set, yet fluid, if that makes any sense, for right now. As we still have some time before we need to firm them up, your ideas can remain in play. We have a week between Bayeux and Paris that is very flexible right now.

@ SJS.....You're welcome. Your husband might be interested in a military cemetery near Paris, that of the US in WW1 and WW2. I saw it 20 years ago. It's located in Suresnes, ca. 5 miles from the center of Paris.

Thank you Fred. That indeed could be very interesting and accessible due to its’ location close to Paris. We do have 7 nights in Bayeux. Planning on 2 full day tours of the area, then one or two days to see what is not necessarily on tours, plus time to see The Tapestry and maybe one other town. We will have a car when there.

We found a place very much to our liking and for $204/night inclusive! Latin Quarter. Maybe a little further than I wanted, but good transport as expected. Whew!
Have cancelled the other booking.

I’m still keeping notes though in case it falls through.

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. So helpful and informative.