Hi all! My husband and I are travelling to Paris 6 July to 11July. What's the best neighborhood to stay in? Rue Cler? and then what's the best Hotel for the price? Thank you!
We are looking for something 2 to 3 stars. I stayed in the Rue Cler neighborhood 13 years ago and loved it, but notice from the posts that maybe it's not as nice. I will try some of your suggestions! Thank you!
You'll probably get more useful responses if you tell us your nightly hotel budget in euros. Google tells me there are about 1500 hotels in Paris. The optimum area to stay in would be influenced by what sights you want to see.
This recent thread might be helpful.
Wherever you decide to stay, make sure your hotel has AC.
I personally like the Rue Cler area but many on here do not. During the school year I enjoy watching parents walk their kiddos to the schools at the end of Rue Cler and I enjoy the waiters chatting with local folks who are on their way to the markets. I'm an older solo female traveler and I like that there are many restaurants nearby. I can easily have wine with dinner and still be able to walk home safely, lolol!! Some people seem to have the opinion that there are only Americans in the neighborhood but I do not find that at all. Trust me on this when I say in Sept/Oct the people filling the local restaurants were NOT foreign tourists.
I've stayed in a number of hotels in the area. If you "like" some of them on FB you may be able to get free breakfasts. Two of the ones I stayed at in September and October are Hotel Relais Bosquet on Rue du Champ de Mars and the Hotel Muguet on Rue Chevert. I've also stayed at Hotel de l'Empereur in years past (pre-Covid). It used to be owned by Muguet but is now owned by the group that has Relais Bosquet.
There are a number of nice hotels in the area.
I'm sure you'll get other recommendations for many hotels in the single-digit arrondissements which are all convenient for a first-timer to Paris.
editing to add: Be sure to book directly with the hotels instead on a booking engine. Check the cancellation policies but they are generally pretty good so it's easy to cancel up to a week or so out. I do not recommend going with the least expensive rates which are pre-paid/non refundable. Go with the rate that is a little bit more that you can cancel if necessary.
Oooh, Pam, I didn't know about the breakfast trick!
The thread Susan linked above is a pretty thorough recent "where to stay" discussion. I've stayed in three parts of Paris -- Latin Quarter (5th), Marais (4th) and Montparnasse (14th), and was happy with them all. There are many good choices. A couple of general ideas come to mind: (1) the closer to the river, the more convenient for sightseeing and the more it will cost; and (2) having a Metro station within a few blocks is always helpful, especially a station where two lines intersect.
You'll get lots of opinions in response to your very broad questions. It would help to know what your price range is. I suggest using booking.com to look for candidates, it has useful filters and the reviews are authentic. For a July trip, air conditioning would be a worthwhile consideration. And Google street view helps you eyeball neighborhoods around specific places.
Rue Cler isn't a bad place, but I'm not a fan for two reasons: (1) it's farther from most sights than many alternatives, and (2) it's overrun with Americans clutching blue and gold guidebooks (maybe not so much under Covid conditions). Our host dropped the Latin Quarter hotels from his guidebooks, I guess to save pages or research costs, but certainly not because of lack of good hotel choices there. Good luck with your planning and your trip.
EDIT -- Just read Pam's post above, her comments are always on target. She's right about booking directly with your hotel, and springing for a rate where you can cancel not far ahead. What she observed about Rue Cler in the fall may not hold as true in peak summer season. At least you're not going in August, when Paris empties out and foreign tourists are thick on the ground. ;-)
Jane, not always true but sometimes can help. I'm not much of a breakfast eater but I've seen the offer on some FB pages! It may be less often as these small hotels recover from Covid closures but might as well look.
It's pretty well acknowledged on the internet (and even by Rick himself) that his recommendations have "ruined" Rue Cler as well as Cinque Terre. Of course "ruined" can be in the eye of the beholder. The average tourist, or a first timer, won't notice and likely won't care. I saw someone recommend an area near Montparnasse station as the "new" Rue Cler. Here I found it in Frommer's Paris (a very useful guidebook BTW) - "Rue Dauguerre is a lovely market street filled with food shops that is as cute as rue Cler but less famous (you'll hear a lot more French here)"
Hopefully first time poster Ellen reads Rick's guidebooks, and glances at Fodors and Frommers, and does some online research as well. And also realizes that the hotel is just one part of the trip.
Thanks again to all for your helpful ideas!
Im partial to the Place de la Contrescarpe area and like Hotel des Nations on Rue Monge
Hi Ellen -
I personally love the Latin Quarter (5th Arrondissement). Very convenient to all the sights, many within walking distance. Lots of restaurants, cafes, shops, markets, etc... And I love the overall atmosphere. Sure, there are lots of tourists (of which I'm one when I visit!), but also families, and many students. It's a fun, vibrant area of the city.
We have stayed in two hotels, right on the Place du Pantheon - Hotel des Grands Hommes, and Hotel les Dames du Pantheon. I would happily recommend either. I'm not sure of your budget, but if you can swing it, these two pack a lot of bang for their buck. Breakfast can be taken in your room on a tray if you prefer. Location is amazing. Staff very professional. And the hotels are distinct and charming.
https://www.hotellesdamesdupantheon.com/
https://www.hoteldesgrandshommes.com/
Have a wonderful time!
