I am looking at an AirBnB (good registration number) in the Marais District. It would be my first time to Paris and I may be traveling alone. Should I stay in the Marais or try to get closer to the Louvre area where all the tours depart from? Am I making a mistake not staying in a hotel?
I do not speak French, only English. I'm 55, and I have only traveled to Europe once before. WIll be staying in Paris about 10 days.
Don't worry everyone speaks English in the tourists areas.
Either area will work. It is easy to get to both areas on foot about 20 minutes. Stay where you can afford.
Thank you! That helps!
Make sure you have a phone that works in Europe. You may have to contact the AirBnB host for any number of reasons.
A hotel will likely have 24/7 front desk to help you with pretty much anything, and thus a phone may not be as necessary.
Learn some French phrases and vocabulary before you go.
I have been to Paris a couple of times, most recently alone. If you'd like, feel free to PM me.
I stayed alone in a Paris apartment in the Marais area and I found it a safe and convenient place to stay. I was 68 at the time and enjoyed walking to many of the sights - spent evenings wandering around Notre Dame, Ile St Louis, walking along the Seine, etc..
I took the metro home late at night (about midnight one night) without any trouble and walked the 3 blocks from the metro station to my apartment also without any issues. With 10 days i would definitely prefer an apartment to a hotel. I had some high school French about 50 years ago and I did brush up on the essentials (please, thank you, yes, no, etc.) but otherwise I'm an English only speaker and I got along just fine. Most everyone you will encounter speaks some English. As far as shops and market stalls, etc just greet everyone with a 'bonjour' before asking for anything and say 'merci' when you leave and you'll be fine.
I think the Marais is a great place for a solo female to stay. I have rented apartments there three times, twice solo, and was perfectly comfortable.
My advice is to skip the tours and do as much as you can on your own. All you need is a good map, a good guidebook, and comfortable shoes. I had a Navigo pass and actually used the buses more than the Metro.
Good luck and have a wonderful trip.
If you do not speak French, it might be hard to operate the appliances and speak to the manager or owner. And the owner will not keep your luggage, as a hotel would.
I'd go for a hotel or an apart'hotel, instead. You'll have room service and a front desk staff who speaks English.
Here's a good one, in the 6th arrondissement:
http://www.residencehenri4.com/en/
Most owners speak English and most leave apartment directions in English understanding that English is the "universal" language I would not worry about that
We love the Marais and would feel comfortable saying in the area by myself.
Hi! Just got back from Paris where I have stayed from early September to late December with 2 roomates from Russia like me.
We shared a very well located 2 bedroom apartment in le marais, which we found on the internet. The location was perfect, central, safe, and the apartment was nice, very Parisian. The renter is a private person, Isabelle, who runs several mid and long term places in central Paris. We did not pay any agent fee, just the rent itself. The apartment we booked is on this website www.honeymoon-in-paris.com, it was this one www.honeymoon-in-paris.com/laf.htm. I am passing on this tip for other students who might need accommodation in Paris, without having the possibility to fly to Paris first to visit apartments...
Isabelle's websites do not have a 13-digit registration number.
I'd be careful about booking one of her apartments.
The owner explained that it was not legal to book the apartment for just a few months. So we signed a one year lease, and gave a 1 month notice to break the contract when we needed to leave. It was very easy.
That is illegal, because she doesn't live there.
Ripping up a lease doesn't protect her - or you. She will be liable for income received, and you might be, too.
I'd look for the 13-digit registration number.
As a solo woman traveler (or with husband as well), I prefer to stay at hotels. I feel more secure and feel there are people who can help if I become ill. If there is something I need to figure out, there is an information desk there to assist or someone to just speak with at the end of the day. And I don't want to clean or cook when I'm on vacation. (But this is the same debate of apartment vs hotel, legal vs airbnb that goes on here.)
I travel alone a lot, I'm 63.
I've stayed twice in Paris in an apartment , each time for two weeks.
No problems at all, and always felt safe.
I did get the flu the first time and was housebound, alone, and quite sick for 3 days; but I had managed to get in plenty groceries, and always travel with a full medicine kit, so I was alright.
Now that apartments need registration codes to be fully legal rentals , I'd be a bit more cautious renting one.
How about staying in a small hotel for one week, then trying a different hotel and area for the second week?
Or an apart/hotel is a very good idea.
As for being a woman alone in Paris, I felt safe always; and walked, and took the Metro and buses everywhere.
I too have high school French; but any Smartphone will help you with translating.
I actually took a weeks French classes in Paris the first time I was there, and really enjoyed it!
You can kind of pretend you live there.
You will just love it, and feel very brave after your trip; then you can do it all again another time!
I wouldn't move around a lot in Paris. This takes all types of time and effort, best avoided.
I would suggest an apart'hotel, however.
If the day you begin the Navigo Decouverte is on a Monday, you will be good to go, and can re-charge if you need to. You can fill in with tickets if you need them, from the machines in the Metro station.
