Where to Sleep in Paris

the 14th in the general area of Edgar Quinet metro east of Gare Montparnasse is good -- close to Luxembourg Gardens, lots of urban amenities and good transport.

The 11th especially near Marche Alligre is good.

FWIW. our least favorite arrondissement has been the 7th -- it always depends on precisely where of course but we found it a boring district with many fewer bakeries and cafes and such. We once were on a terrible street in the 11th filled with wholesalers selling hideous muumuus (I always wondered where those racks of ugly clothes were headed) but even though the precise street was not great, once we got a block or two away it was great. We didn't have that experience in the 7th. The 3rd and 4th (the Marais) are also good and convenient.

In getting an apartment a bit further out, the local transport is important -- you want to be near a couple of metro stops or a line that is convenient.

Wow. Do we really modify 70 with “active” now? Jeepers. I must be getting old. :-)

Anyway… check out Passy, the 16th arrondissement. It is well connected by bus and Metro (and the Eiffel Tower is a short walk away!). There’s an “authentic Parisian” village feel (it started out as a village) without the crowds. There are many nice local shops and a weekly market - but there’s also a nice big Monoprix and a mall thing. A couple of cute cafés, a local bistro and a wine shop. Many fewer American tourists and more Europeans. Sit by the window at le Passy (café) and enjoy a coffee and a pastry while watching the local grade school crowd being walked to school by their parents. Then walk downhill 10 minutes and you are right across the Seine from la Tour Eiffel.

It’s magic. A true “hidden gem.” It beats the heck out of rue Cler, IMHO.

We rented an apartment in the Maria’s and it was a fabulous location.

I have not rented in the 16th which is very upscale residential, but have taken a number of curated architectural walks and such there and what has always struck me about it is how few Paris amenities like cafes and bakeries there were. Districts are large and diverse and it may well be great in some areas, but I'd be hesitant to base there.

I'll just add that hotel prices really skyrocketed before the Olympics and really have not come all the way back down. My "regular" hotels this past trip (I returned home Wednesday October 29) were about 50E more per night than before the olympics and both of them have different charges per day of the week so there was a big range over the 3 weeks I was there. Take a look at the hotel calendar and see if you need to adjust your days of the week a little bit.

It may also be that you need to increase your budget and I don't say that lightly. I'm not sure what you are thinking about a food budget but you may need to increase that too. I am not a high end eater but I think the least expensive meal I had over 5 weeks in France was around 20-25E and that was for lunch without wine or dessert. That doesn't count boulangerie Sammies or falafel fast food stands, lol. These were actual sit-down cafe/bistros.

Also book refundable rooms instead of the usually cheaper pre-paid options. June is a long way away and it's just better to have some cancellation room in there.

I know Janet doesn't like the 7th but I love it. I stay in the Rue Cler area and there are 4 local bakeries within 5-7 minutes of each hotel I usually stay at. I am a solo woman traveler and older than your MIL, lol. My usual hotels are Hotel Muguet and Hotel Relais Bosquet. I splashed out with my last 6 nights at the Relais Bosquet and got an Eiffel Tower view room. I'm not in the hotel at all during the day but it makes me so happy to be able to look out the window at 9 or 10P and see it sparkle for 5 minutes.

How many nights are you going for? With 5 women I would definitely go with at least 2 hotel rooms so you have 2 bathrooms.

Hi! To jannettravels44 - with respect, we’ve stayed there a bunch of times, and there are definitely lots of cafes, bakeries, bistros, tabacs, etc. :-)

That is why I recommended it. Also, the OP asked for a “place to sleep,” not a place to cafe hop, or do her grocery shopping.

As for accommodation, look for a hotel/AirBNB near the Metro, obviously, just as you would anywhere in the city.

Every arrondissment is large, with much variety. If you toured Passy with the express intent of seeing architectural gems, you probably weren’t there to focus on other aspects. Just saying.

Sorry if I seem combative or crabby, but I didn’t suggest Passy for no reason. Thanks!

I was in Paris in late September and stayed in the Latin Quarter at the Hotel Left Bank Saint Germain, it was a great location, easy 10 minute walk to Notre Dame, very friendly staff, delicious hardy breakfast, clean and cozy, many restaurants nearby, and a grocery store 2 minutes from the hotel. Metro is across the street, and easy to walking so many places. It was 400 euro a night, 5 euro for breakfast and worth it for the location. Heading back there in May.

These are all so helpful! My MIL is 70, myself, my sister, my daughter (19) and my niece is 10. We are doing a splurge night at a castle in the Loire and were trying to keep Paris more budget friendly. The original idea was to go in May but for everyone to go, it had to be in June during the busy and expensive time! We could totally do an apartment and I'm looking at those on airbnb and vrbo but i'm trying to narrow down the neighborhood a bit more. I've been looking for almost 4 hours already today! LOL

I sent you a private message.

I just looked at May and June rates for Hotel Muguet. It looks like they are about 20E per night more in June but I did not drill down to see specific night charges. I would not let going in June worry you much. This will be a wonderful time and build memories for all of you!

You WILL want to make sure you have AC in June so if you go with an apartment from a reliable company, make sure it has AC.

Do have your MIL work on walking up stairs as there are many in the Metro.

hey hey andimatthews
don't just look at airbnb/vrbo when there are other sites to check out. few years back there was there was lots of brouhaha with rental apartments in paris and elsewhere with restrictions, having "license #'s starting with 75...", last minute cancellations with broken water pipes etc. many allowing only maximum 2 or 4 guests.
several years ago we had some issues finding a place in october and ending up in the #14, nice apartment but too far for the sites. after the olympics prices haven't come down much and it's like there in many big cities since many travelers looking for "budget/reasonable" with families. it's tough and drove me NUTS!!! you may have to up your budget
booking.com look for apartments and map with what's available (price/people)
tripadvisor.com look under vacation rentals on map (price/people)
citadines.com destinations, scroll down to france to paris.
many places listed there, look at ones that fit your family & 2 bathrooms, or rent two. be careful with sofa bed size, too short and legs hanging over edge, not comfy (been there done that)
hoping this give you more ideas and book early since you know it's high season and HOT!! get A/C good luck
aloha

I have never used them, but forum members have spoken well of aparthotels such as Citadine and others. Try them as well as AirBandB and VRBO. I have used an aparthotel in Santiago Chile and in Bordeaux and been very happy with the places we used. Put "aparthotels in Paris" in the search bar above and filter for "forum" and "one year or less".

Oh yes. Booking.com has in its filters "apartments" in its "property type" section. Try them. We are happy with all of our experiences with them over several years and countries.

Andi, did you see the replies in your original post?

We often stay in apartment hotels when making brief stops in new places. Stayed at one in Montpellier two years ago which was terrific - decent one bedroom apartment and indoor and outdoor space to have a cup of coffee. And we stayed in one in Berlin that was terrific both in amenities and location. So when we had a 5 night cover in early October er this year, I booked an Adagio near Bastille. How bad could it be?

Always a scary question. It was expensive and miserable. Tiny room with no comfortable place to sit and a narrow double bed. Adequate bathroom -- a microwave, burner and tiny fridge -- Usually apartments are comfortable -- this one was a place to lay your head. So if you go with an apartment hotel (any apartment really) get good review information, a floor plan, and good pictures of anything. If the apartment has a lot of closeup of place settings or vases -- it means the dining or breakfast table is tiny and not suitable for actually having a meal. If you only get close ups of folded towels and pretty soap by the sink -- the bathroom is likely to be dire.

With 5 people you need a 3 room apartment -- two double bedrooms and the fold out in the living room. And it is a plus if the toilet is separate from the bathroom especially with so many people.

Hope you find something that works well.

I have stayed on Rue Cler and still feel the same way about the 7th although that area does have amenities -- it is just IMHO not a convenient location but to each his own.

If I remember correctly from your other thread, your budget is $600 per night. I just returned from Paris last week and I was there in May of this year and I have to say that Paris feels quite expensive in 2025. I'm not sure that you will find 2 rooms for five people under $600 with the current exchange rate for a trip in 2026 in June staying in the 5th, 6th, or 7th. I suggest that you expand your area and look on the Right Bank. Take a look at the Astotel hotel chain. I think their Malte property could be in budget and you should have walkability and access to buses and the metro. It's a 10-minute walk to the Louvre, right behind Le Jardin du Palais Royal, 15-minute walk to Palais Garnier, 5-minute walk to Bourse metro station and close to the Bibliotheque Nationale stop on the 39 bus route, which you take over to Saint Germain. The hotel has a family room that is really two rooms connected by a common hallway so you end up with two bathrooms. The family room sleeps four but they will put a fifth bed in for a child but two people will have to share a bed because the configuration is a double bed in one room and two single beds in the other. The rooms are not large.

Thank you all for the great ideas! I have been looking at the orginal post as well. I looked all over booking.com but haven't looked at Citadine or a couple other suggestions so I'll do that now! I found a highly recommended apartment near/in the Bastille and another in the Marais. I also found a great one in San Germain and one in the Latin Quarter. They all have excellent reviews which is my number 1 indicator for sites like that! Thank you all for the suggestions! It will be a great trip!

We stayed in Vincennes for our week in Paris before returning home. It's a great location with AirBnB pricing much lower than Paris proper. And it's a very quick Metro ride to anywhere you'd want to go in the city. My wife wanted us to move there (briefly).

If you haven’t definitely committed yet, the Astotel Le 123 Sebastopol (in the 2nd district) has a family room which consists of two (adjoining) bedrooms, each with own bathroom. Room has balcony. Astotel hotels are quite good in that every afternoon they put on free drinks (non alcoholic) and snacks and the mini bars in the rooms are restocked each day with water and juice. Have previously stayed in a 4 str Astotel, two years ago and it was value for money. Breakfasts are quite decent as well.