Your favorite arrondissment in Paris, and why

For a first time in Paris, virtually everyone recommends staying in arrondissments 1-7, which are in the center of the city and most of the major sites. I personally like the 6th and 7th. The Marais (4th) is great too.

hey hey antoinette
you will have a great and fun time in paris, been 4 times. give yourself time to enjoy, sit at a cafe and watch the magic. be sure when renting thru airbnb they have a 13 digit reservation code. lots of crackdowns on short term rentals, you don't want to pay for something and they cancel last minute with no place to go, your $$$ is gone and you need to find a place on short notice.
aloha

I’ve been to Paris three times, last time in November. We’ve stayed in the 9th (first trip), 5th (second trip ), and between the 5th and 6th near Place St. Michel (third trip).

I loved our location near St. Michel. It is very central, and in the oldest part of Paris. I prefer the small narrow streets that twist and turn to the grand boulevards. There are tons of shops and restaurants, and it’s close enough to the universities to have some less expensive dining options. We stumbled upon a farmers market, which we loved. It was also very convenient with lots of metro line and the RER at St. Michel.

We are a family of 4 and usually stay in apartments, usually through AirBnB. We opted for two hotel rooms in Paris instead (Residence des Artes, which we LOVED). We gave up the convenience of a washing machine for a great location and two full bathrooms.

The Marais is by far my favorite. It has plenty of shopping, cafes, and things to see in the immediate area. Most importantly, it's a very short walk to the center. In Paris, it's impossible to overstate the value of being close to the center. Paris is a great place to walk. Being close to the center means you walk out your front door and simply wander. If I'm not in the Marais, I focus on being as close as possible to the center.

I stayed in Montmarte one time, just to try it, and felt isolated. Worst time I've ever had in Paris.

Let me be the one who likes different areas of Paris. I have stayed in the 5th, the 7th, the 4th, and enjoyed them but have found that for me, the 10th is less touristy and much more interesting. The 10th is an area in transition, evolving into a multicultural center where amazing street life and restaurants may be found. The 11th, which is continuous to the 10th, is an up and coming trendy "foodie" Mecca, and like the 10th, is relatively less touristy, although the siren's call of innovative restaurants in the 11th makes it a destination for many in the know.

I have never found myself too far from the center of things, and when I need to travel, the buses and metro are easy to navigate to wherever I want to go. Next week, I will be in the 2nd, a couple blocks from the 3rd and 10th, so I expect relatively few tourist to tourist encounters until I go to one of the famous sights. That, and the rain which is forecast, may keep the riff-raff away. (Just kidding--if you have chosen Paris for a vacation, by definition you cannot be riff-raff). I agree about Montmartre, which just felt a bit sketchy to me--too many street buskers for my comfort and with children, isn't my favorite area of Paris.

Wherever you stay will be a grand adventure and I second the necessity of the 13 digit registration number in selecting your pied a terre in Paris. Also check VRBO, which also owns Home Away, for rentals.

The 4th arrondissement (the Marais and Ile St Louis) is my favorite having grown up in Paris and now visit often.
It is the most charming area imo. Ile St Louis is surrounded by the river so the views are amazing.

I am also a fan of the 10th and 11th arrondissements. I find the restaurant and bar scene more interesting and innovative, and I particularly like the area around the Canal St-Martin.

I wouldn't go as far to as to say it's "not touristy" (I'm obviously a tourist, and I'm under no illusions that I have discovered some untrodden corner of Paris), but it certainly feels more like a part of the city that I'd like to actually live in, should I ever be so lucky as to have the chance to live in Paris.

However, for a first-time visit to Paris, I do think it's worth staying more central, in a single-digit arrondissement, especially if you will be doing a fairly conventional/standard circuit of sights.

First, the arrondissements are large (larger as the numbers get higher), so the arrondissement number alone does not tell everything about a neighborhood. For instance, "the 5th" and "the Latin Quarter" are sometimes used interchangeably, but that's not correct; the Latin Quarter is only a small section of the 5th arrondissement.

I also agree that for a first time visitor, there are various good options, but staying central and closer to the river is better. And while some are fond of Montmartre, I am not. In addition being far from non-Montmartre sights, I don't like the area itself so much. That's the one area that I'd avoid. Otherwise, as shown in the answers above, you can have a good stay in various neighborhoods.

We've only stayed in the 6th (twice) and love it. We stayed very close to Cafe Bonaparte. It is a great location -- almost to the 7th. We loved that so many outdoor cafes were close by, the famous ones and the not so famous ones. We also loved that we could easily walk to Shakespeare Books and everything the Latin Quarter has to offer, walk to Luxembourg Gardens, Notre Dame, the Louvre and Saint Chappelle. We walked to the Eiffle Tower but it was a bit of a trek. It felt neighborhoody and not overly touristy.

That said, we will look in Marais and the 7th next time to mix it up!

First trip, I’d stay close to the center...the Marais as mentioned is central, very hip, and full of a variety places to eat. We bounce back and forth between the Left and Right Banks. Stayed in the 3rd this time in an apartment we rented through HomeAway. It was walking distance to both Pompidou Center and the Picasso Museum, but in a very un-touristy neighborhood. It was happily just across the street and down the block from our favorite Paris restaurant, Auberge Nicolas Flamel! We also like the area near Place St. Michel in the 6th. Such a great location for walking along the Seine, visiting Shakespeare and Company, and not that far from the Louvre. But, over 18 trips to Paris, we have stayed in the 1st, 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th...the only area we wouldn’t return to is Montmartre...just didn’t have the vibe we expected.

Short ( less than a week is short to me ) and first time - stay central ( 1-6 ) ( I’m not a fan of the 7 th ) -

I’ve stayed in many other areas and like them all that I’ve tried - but not on my first visit and not for a week - my first visit was 1972 lol

We stayed at this Airbnb in the 6th last year and it was the most amazing location and breathtaking view! We saw the sunset on the Seine every night walking back to the room although had we been in the room we would have had a perfect view from the room. We heard the live jazz outside of the Orsay in the afternoon when we opened the windows and you can see Sacre Couer in the distance. Alex is an amazing host and lives in the apartment which is quite large. He inherited it from his grandmother and is renting a room to be able to keep the property. I’m assuming to pay the taxes(??).
Anyway, it is a legit rental with a registration code.
There is a shared bathroom but we were lucky that his roommate was out of town so we had it all to ourselves. From the reviews it doesn’t seem that anyone has had an issue with it though.
The metro stop is across the street. RER and regular metro. And it’s impossible to get lost trying to find your way “home”. It is literally right next to the Orsay.
The Louvre was about a 10 min walk and the Eiffel about 30 min. There are also several bus stops nearby.
Jennifer

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10324859?source_impression_id=p3_1582781788_CcIRuGBW%2BmmE8M18

This won't be for everyone, but we stayed in the 16th. We were right on the Seine and looked at the Eiffel Tower from our flat. It was quiet, safe, residential, and non-touristy, and we enjoyed my two favorite bonuses: a big kitchen and a big traditional market nearby. Unbeatable view and wonderful space, but somewhat far to walk to the very center of things. It's the kind of neighborhood where you will quickly find everyone's favorite jogging routes, daily stores, and evening wine bar. Great if you're looking for nighttime peace and quiet, and a local neighborhood vibe.

My first time in Paris in 1975, the tour group had us stay up by the Sacre Coeur in the 18th. I stayed in the 7th during the RS Paris tour. When I have planned our trips, we stayed in the 6th multiple times and the 1st one time. We love the 6th to be near the Luxembourg Garden. The 1st was more expensive. The location of the RS hotel in the 7th was less convenient to the metro & connections than the hotels we have chosen ourselves. Anything single digit would probably be fine.

We like to try out different Paris neighborhoods for different reasons that usually match our touring agenda and new interests. In the past 15 years we’ve stayed in hotels in neighborhoods in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th and 11th arrondissements. It is tricky to paint entire arrondissements with a wide brush, one part of a district may appeal to you and a few streets over may not be your cup of tea. Our priorities in any area: walkability to sites, metro stop or major bus connections within a block or two, and a boulangerie/patisserie within a block of the hotel.

I agree with several of the previous posters, my most favorite for a first timer is the 4th, in particular for me - near the Place des Vosges. Lots of action, great food, shopping and people watching, convenient transit connections, walkable to the river and many sites and museums. The 5th I like for some of the same reasons as the 4th, just on the other side of the river. My family loved staying near the human-scaled, bustling Place de la Contrescarpe last year. Our (young) adult daughter, the lover of all-things-medieval, says that’s her new favorite area. Very convenient transit, interesting cobblestoned-lanes to explore and so many varied and wonderfully affordable food possibilities.

For our upcoming trip this spring, we’ll be staying near the Arc de Triomphe in the 16th because our touring priorities will be the museums and sites on that edge of the city. And, I like looking at the Eiffel Tower from across the river at that angle! Already have “our” boulangerie scoped out. : )

We loved staying in the 4th in Ile St. Louis. I liked NOT having to take the metro to see anything. Our hotel had an apartment option, but with just two of us we booked a regular room.