My wife and I will be spending 4 nights in Paris in September on the tail-end of our trip. Neither of us has been before - we plan on buying a museum pass, tickets to the Eiffel Tower and going on a river cruise. Budgeting $250-$300/night.
Where should we stay? I've read the 6th is a great spot for first-time visitors, but don't want to limit our options needlessly. Would love to hear area and hotel suggestions.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
The 6th or the 5th would be great. I've stayed in several Arrondissements in my trips to Paris. Last May I stayed in the 5th (close to the Notre Dame) for the first time - a bit touristy but a fantastic spot, lots of restaurants, walking or metro to lots of things. $250-$300/night is a generous budget, far more than I spent last year. (I stayed at the Hôtel Europe St Severin which was in a fantastic spot in the 5th, got a great price because it must not have been very busy that night at the hotel.)
I recommend using Booking.com and their map feature to start with - you can hover over places and read reviews. Many properties have good cancellation policies if you you want to change later (read carefully - they vary).
Dan,
My daughter and I enjoyed our stay at Hotel Diana near the Cluny Museum and La Sorbonne.
It’s a family owned hotel with friendly staff and comfortable rooms with A/C.
They also have an elevator.
There’s a Metro stop and several bus stops nearby.
Make sure you book your Eiffel Tower tickets soon.
Have a wonderful trip!
I can recommend Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche on Rue St. Jacques, just a couple of blocks from Notre Dame. Many rooms have a view of St. Severin Church across the street. Rooms are fairly large compared to many in Paris and nicely decorated with modern bathrooms.
I didn't really care for Paris until our third trip, when we stayed at Le Citizen in the 10th. We stayed there in 2015, and the current reviews on TripAdvisor are consistent with our experience.
When we are lucky enough to be in Paris ... we like to stay at Hotel Beaugency right off the Rue Cler within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower
I second the recommendation for Hotel Diana. We were just there and loved it. Great location.
Ask for a room overlooking the courtyard.
Thank you all for the suggestions. Andrew, Saint Severin looks like a great option. Hotel Diana, Le Citizen, and Hotel Beaugency are all booked solid during our time in Paris, as is Le Citizen. I guess we need to get on our horse and book something soon...
Paris Fashiom week is 9/24 to 10/2. Another reason to book a hotel soon.
I’ve stayed at the Londres Eiffel and Hotel de la Paix Montparnasse. Had a good experience at both.
We have stayed in Paris 3 times and in 3 completely different locations: 7, 4 and 1. Each offered its own advantages. The first was Hotel Empereur near the Eiffel Tower, the 7th arrondissement. It was near Rue Cler as well where we had a nice bakery each morning to enjoy. We had a trek to walk each day but loved the sights and used the metro a lot. The second trip we stayed on the Ile St. Louis, a central location in arrondissment 4. This was our favorite as we were steps away from Norte Dame and more bakeries and restaurants and never had to take a metro because we could so easily walk. We felt we were in the heart of Paris there. The third trip we stayed at the Westin Vendome across from the Tuileries Gardens. That was arrondissment 1 where we were closer to walk to the Opera House and see Galeries Lafayette and walk to Montmartre.
I would also suggest the Vendettes du Pont Neuf. It is very affordable. We took the 9:30 boat at night where you can watch the sun set and see the Eiffel Tower come to life on the hour as it sparkles. It is an incredible view from the Seine.
Have a great trip!
I second Le Citizen Hotel in the 10th. The hotel staff is lovely and helpful. You are right on the canal, so easy to explore the area. There are several Metro stops within a couple of blocks of Le Citizen too. My husband and I fell in love with the Canal St. Martin area of Paris. There are several restaurants, bakeries, and shops to explore. We always recommend the area since it won our hearts over.
I was delighted with my room at Hotel Legend St Germain--big room, small balcony overlooking Rue Des Rennes--thanks to soundproofed windows it was quiet at night. Nice area, lots of charming restaurants and close to 2 metro stations.
Try Hotel Villa des Princes in the 6th, metro = Odeon. We stayed there at the beginning and the end of our trip to France in 2 different rooms. Tiny rooms, tinier elevator. We thought the location was suberb. Quiet street, easy walk to Notre Dame, Louvre, Luxembourg gardens and the all important metro.
I second the Villa des Princes recommendation. Yes, it's all tiny, but that's a great neighborhood. We're going to be there again this fall for four days.
We just returned from Paris, and stayed twice at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in the Latin Quarter. (before and after the RS Loire Valley and the South of France tour).
https://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com/index-en.html
The setting was beautiful - quiet yet convenient to everything. For dinner, we would often buy takeaway food and a bottle of wine and eat in the garden.
On our first morning, we met a woman who stays at this hotel twice a year, and has been doing so for the past seven years. A couple of days later, we talked to another couple who had been coming to the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles for 20 years. Toward the end of our stay, we met a woman from Canada who had been coming to the hotel every year for the past 40! She said: I have travelled all over the world, and this hotel is my favorite spot.
