Accomodations - 2 nights in Paris

I think the main problem is that you are tying to book too far in the future. Try again in the New Year, January or February. Are you trying to book a hotel or an apartment? I have never encountered a hotel in Paris that required a 5 night stay. There is a small hotel at Place de la Nation, the Camelia Prestige, on ave Philippe-Auguste, which has a "family" room and that may suit your needs. You might also have a look at the Ibis chain of hotels, which are not "romantic" but with 3 boys I doubt you are seeking "romantic". For your first trip to Paris, you may find these websites useful": parisbytrain.com and tomsguidetoparis.com

I would go to vrbo.com. Used it many times and always happy with it.

As Norma said, you're too early for a hotel. For a first time visit to Paris, and for only two nights, I would not recommend renting an apartment (which VRBO is). Check Rick Steves Paris guide for hotel recs and TripAdvisor.

Kim do not bother with an apartment for two nights,, its not worth the hassle..

Hotels .. too early.. but you do have to be on the ball as it is hard to find a hotel room for five for sure.. I think you may need to look at apart hotels like Citidines. Or perhaps two rooms if kids are older.

How old are kids.. and what is your nightly budget.

Its harder to travel as a family of five in Europe.. we didn't bother ( we were five also) and did seperate one on one trips with our kids.. seems Europeon hotels are not set up for families of three.. four at most( and even thats not so easy!)

Thank you! I didn't realize I was too early. Goodness, a lot of the places we've booked in England & Italy are almost full already. This is SO new to us.

We could probably do 2 hotel rooms if they have side by side rooms (maybe with a door between). Our boys are 16, 14 & 11. We're all super nervous… and excited. We've barely travelled in western Canada let alone other countries. What is our budget?? We really don't know. What is a good deaL? This is a trip of a lifetime so we don't want to put unreasonable expectations on it. We also don't want to be foolish and get taken for a ride. Some of the hotels are 500 euros per night! Sheeesh… that's outside our budget for sure! Were hoping to come in under 200 euros per night if possible.

I will definitely check out those websites! Thanks so much for taking the time to help me.

Kim
Prince George

Norma… ha ha. We are definitely not going for romantic!!

We did almost all our hotels from booking.com on a recent trip -- immediate response, good prices, good cancellation policies, reviews only from people who have booked and stayed in the places. (although reviews are ALWAYS subjective ...) You might want to reserve a hotel (cancellable only) for your dates so you would know you had SOMEPLACE to stay, then keep looking for your perfect place.

We enjoyed Timhotel Jardin des Plantes in October -- walking distance to Notre Dame, Latin quarter restaurants, metro connection. No idea about summer prices, but booking.com would show that.

Kim it will be almost impossible to find hotel rooms with connecting doors in Paris,, there may be a few.. but very few. Suggest a small family run hotel will be best..They always have someone at the desk when front doors are open ( some do lock outside door after a certain hour and you have to ring to be let in) so no one can just wander in off the street and because hotels are small they know who is a guest and who is not ! Safety not a huge issue.. Paris is really very safe in terms of physical safety.. ( I let my 13 yr old go down the street to McDonalds by himself) and once when very very ill I had to let my 11 yr old daughter go down street by herself to get some food.. I couldn't leave room and it was already 2 or so in afternoon and she had had no breakfast or lunch!
The main issue will be keeping your STUFF safe from pickpockets.. not getting mugged or assaulted so don't be nervous.. I have visited alone, and alone with a child .. and its nothing like going to Vancouver or LA.. just want your purse is closed and in front of you in crowds. And tell hubby and boys,, no wallet in back pocket,, it may well disappear.

I stayed at the Hotel Eber Mars in Paris with my 11 year old grand daughter for a quickie trip last July. It's a small hotel, and has no "star" rating at this point, but it was very lovely and family owned. The owner runs a "tight ship" no food or alcohol in the rooms. It was about four blocks from the Eiffel Tower and we walked there every night for the lighting. It is two blocks from Rick Steves' favorite neighborhood "Rue Cler" which is the most typical and lovely street you can imagine - outdoor flower stands, cafes, etc. Messr. Eber also gave very specific ideas for places to eat and oddly enough, my former French Exchange student who lives in this neighborhood told me that his restaurant selections were the best in the neighborhood, including a great Pizzeria -- which the little grand daughter loved.

He recommended we use the Red Hop-On-Hop off bus so that we could see as much of the city as possible, and so we bought a two day pass. The Metro is faster, but you don't see a heck of a lot underground!

We had a "triple" room because it was the last room available in the hotel, and that may work for your kids, and you and the husband can stay in another room on the same floor -- so no worries about safety, especially with the no alcohol rules in the rooms discourage some people from staying there.

Breakfast was served any time you like (we ate late because we stayed up late to see Paris in the Lights),
Coffee or Tea, Croissants, baguettes and delicious hot chocolate for the little one.

You can find them on "google" and I'll Bet it's not too early to book. I'm surprised that people are saying this, because many of the hotels I'm looking at now for next summer are already booked up!

Highly recommend taking the Batobus river cruise if possible after dark, because Paris is the City of Lights!

Don't be afraid to stay in a hostel with three boys. Fun, casual, budget friendly. Some may have a family room with private bath or right down the hall. Our family has not stayed in one in Paris but have in other areas of Europe. Look carefully but you should consider.

We stayed in Paris with our two sons in May. I had a very difficult time finding an apartment to rent for less than three nights and so ended up staying at the Novotel not too far from Notre Dame. We had all four of us stay in one room (most rooms hold only 2 people), but do have quads there. You could always check there and see if they can fit five. The employees there were very helpful and the location was perfect. My kids loved the breakfast buffet in the morning, especially the hot chocolate machine. The cost of the Novotel was very reasonable for Paris, and I booked it and paid for it in advance to get the best possible price. Enjoy your trip!