Paris hotels

Use a map (both cities) and select any of the central areas in the city. In Paris, the 1-7 arrondissements are most central. Many like the Latin Quarter or Marais districts. More important is to locate a hotel close to a metro station (tube station in London), and bus stop, which will get you to your sight seeing sites. I use a booking site like booking.com or hotels.com and their filters to find a short list of places. Check their locations on Google Maps (vis a vis proximity to transport). And check the usual places for reviews.

I guess you will have tell us what "somewhat of a budget" means, as well as which of the many attractions interest you. Museums? Palaces? Architectural wonders? Street markets? Shopping? Maybe a guide book for each city would be helpful and then come back and ask specific questions.

Thank you for your response.

My husband and I were given a recommendation by several friends who stayed at Hotel Therese, near the Louvre. We will be staying there in November and I believe our rate is around 200 euros per night. Hope this helps!

Booking.com is a very useful way to find hotels. It has filters for location, price, and other variables. Google Earth has a "street view" feature that lets you eyeball any hotel's immediate neighborhood. Being near a metro (Paris) or tube (London) station is definitely a plus -- preferably one serving two or more lines so you can get to more places quickly. Paris has a definite "center" close to the Seine, where most sights are clustered; London sights are more spread out across the city.

That was very helpful. Thank you so much.

We have liked the Hotel Home Latin in the 5th Arr. It is on a quiet side street and comes i at just over $200 per night with breakfast that can last us well past noon time until our mid afternoon pastry break. It's an easy walk to the Metro and the RER to CDG as well as being easily walk-able to most of the main sights.

As has been said above Booking.com i a good source. One of the neat things about the site is when you look at a hotel. if you click on 'shoe map' is not only shows the hotel you are looking at, it also shows other properties in the area. My guideline is that anyplace rated 7 or better will be a decent location. Just remember when reading the reviews that they frequently range from the Taj Mahal to the black hole of Calcutta for the same place so toss out the extremes and go with the majority.

Weather permitting you might think about getting an all day ticket on the Batobus (batobus.com). They run a continuous loop that has 9 stops at all the major attractions on the Seine and you can hop on hop off to your heart's content all day long, even take a lap just to take a break from walking.

I recommend Hotel Diana in the 5th arrondissement (Latin Quarter). It’s a nice hotel in a very good location at a good price... €135 for a double.

Dick’s Booking.com recommendation is stellar and how i find hotels.

My most important tip for you is, in France, always say Bonjour Madame/Monsieur to everyone and anyone before you say anything else. Learn how to say “do you speak English?” in French. And add many “Merçi” s when appropriate. This will go a long way. Most French people are wonderful, but they have an etiquette, and saying hello first will make a difference in how they respond to you. Google Translate App on your smart phone is super helpful.

If $200 is above your budget, we have stayed at Hotel Jardin des Plantes for €125 (April this year) and walked easily to Notre Dame, St Michel metro. Clean, quiet, bigger room than many Paris hotels, substantial breakfast (€10) (Elevator, however is one of the one-at-a-time-with-luggage)

Not sure what your budget is, but don't rule out staying in the absolute center of Paris on Ile St. Louis because you think the rates will be out of sight. Depending on your needs and the season, you may find rates quite reasonable.

We've stayed at Hotel des Deux-Iles and really enjoyed the location. It's quiet with friendly and helpful front desk personnel. Very well located -- 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 Notre Dame -- such as it is now. The Metro is near enough that getting anywhere is not a problem.

We email them and request rate and booking information and get a reply within 24 hours. We opted out of the hotel breakfast as it seemed, to us, expensive for what was offered. If you do stay on the island we know where you can get a great little breakfast for a good price.

If they can not accommodate you, a few doors away is their sister hotel named Hotel de Lutece. We would stay there based simply on our experience at Hotel des Deux-Iles.

There is another hotel on the island named Hôtel Saint-Louis en l´Isle. They have (or had) a dedicated shuttle that will pick you up at the airport . Not sure about the cost. It may be complimentary depending on the length of your stay. Now that taxis into the city from the airport charge a flat rate that may be the way to get to any hotel.

A few minutes of googling should give you an idea if staying on the island is a possibility, or if you should rule it out.