Help the novice-Where to stay in Paris

I would recommend Rue Cler, which is an area that Rick recommends as well. It can be an emotional topic on this board; some say it's too touristy. We stayed in that area in 2010 on our fourth trip to Paris together and liked it best of all the areas where we have stayed. (In the past we stayed in the Latin Quarter and near the Louvre). There is nothing like being within easy walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. The cafes and shops in the Rue Clear area very nice to the tourists. It's also a near a conveninent bus route that Rick recommends, that runs to the Musee D'Orsay and on to the Marais. You can also catch the RER to get to the thick of things in no time.

Well, for a start pick up Rick's book on Paris, which has extensive coverage of the neighborhoods he prefers. For other areas of Paris, consult tripadvisor using the map search function for hotels. My own personal preference is the Marais district, on the Right Bank roughly from the Pompidou Center to the Place de la Bastille. The Place des Vosges is pretty much dead center of the area. Very Parisian, lively, abundant cafes and places to eat, in easy walking distance of the Seine and the two central islands, with good Metro connections (though everywhere in Paris is pretty much near a metro stop).

You're referring to Paris' arrondissements, the local administrative districts. The numbers begin with the 1st, containing the Louvre and then spiral clockwise so that the 5th has the Latin Quarter and the 7th the Eiffel Tower. "The more preferred sights" in Paris are actually spread out but easily reached by Metro or long walks. If you're thinking of Notre Dame and the Louvre, the Marais in the 3rd is great for walking. I choose where to stay by the price and the general quality of rooms. Half of the fun is just enjoying hanging out at the cafe around the corner and drinking Pastis.

The closer you can stay to Notre Dame, the more conveniently located you will be for most of the popular sites (except Montmarte which is about two miles north of that area). We have stayed in the Latin Quarter twice recently and easily walked everywhere from there.

I agree with Cynthia. Closer to Notre Dame is the most central and the most fun imo. I always recommend the 4th (the Marais), the 5th (Latin Quarter) and the 6th (St. Germain). I don't care for the rue Cler area, too far from the fun parts of Paris imo. My favorite neighborhood of all is Ile Saint Louis in the 4th. It's the little island east of Notre Dame. And don't miss walking through the Luxembourg Gardens in the 5th, it's wonderful.

I agree with VS. I have stayed in Rue Cler twice and will stay there again next trip to Paris.

I agree with Cynthia and with Susan. Rue Cler was probably A-DOR-ABLE about 20 years ago, but is very expensive and touristy now. It is delightful for a stroll - and an orgasmic venture into the seriously amazing cheese shop - but I always stay at l'Hotel Hameau, 48 rue de Passy http://www.hameaudepassy.com), in the Passy neighborhood. It's also about a 5 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower and is a nice local neighborhood, not touristy (yet) at all. There are lots of cool books and sites that walk you through what's in each arrondissement... but weirdly, Wikipedia has a neat entry on the arrondissements, and you can click through each one to get a guide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrondissements_of_Paris

4th 5th and 6th ,, the 7th is close to the ET,, but how many times do you plan to visit that, and you can certainly SEE the ET from other areas. I suggest you post a seperate thread with a budget and ages ,, and people can suggest hotels they have actually stayed at and then you can look them up and read review etc yourself. Will you have young kids with you , or teens, can you afford two hotel rooms, or should you consider renting an apartment,, these are all things that can be discussed, but it really helps if you supply more information.

Rue Cler is not necesarrily more expensive that other areas. We stayed at the Hotel Kensington from Rick's book and it was quite reasonable, about $115 per night. Plenty of cafes nearby with reasonably priced meals -- maybe $40 or less for a light dinner for two.

Pat is correct, provide more info. That's what I like about this site, even experienced travelers can learn. I LOVE Rue Clear area but will look into Kira's suggestion. Hotel Le"Veque is only a 3 star but it's affordable, close to ET, and for a first timer an ideal way to have a pleasant first trip to Paris. Get RS guidebook, very helpful and you can pass it on, they never get too out-dated. Metro will take you almost anywhere.

To me which district I stay in is not important. I look for what is a good hotel deal and make sure the metro is close. Most of the time I am not aware of which district I am staying in and just concerned with the metro stops. I have stayed in the Rue Cler area at a RS recommended hotel which was a 4 star. Lately I now prefer to stay in the larger hotels like the Le Meridian Etiole,Hilton,Warwick,and the Marriott chain. I prefer the bathrooms in the larger hotels.

Hello Jeremy, The brochure Paris is Yours! will give you tons of info, if you still need some, 122 pages worth looking into: http://asp.zone-secure.net/v2/index.jsp?id=1203/1515/14975&lng=en The Mairie de Paris has a website with all kind of info in it: http://www.paris.fr/english I stayed 3 weeks in Paris last summer at the Citadines Bastille Marais Paris: I really liked the place and the apartment hotel concept, take a look at their website: http://www.citadines.com/ OK, so I was in the 11th, but the metro was less than 200 meters away...and most of the time we walked anyway sooo...location is not that important in my book ! Have a nice trip !