Need help for Paris

Latin Quarter or Marais. I like the first one much better. Either one makes everything easily walkable, except fourty-five minutes to the Eiffel Tower -- use the metro for that one if you're tired.

No question - Left Bank. Anything in the 6th Arrondissment (that's what they call their neighborhoods). It's cheaper, more walkable and best of all - more Parisian!

It might be easier to start with WHERE you can use the miles and then come back with the options.

4th, 5th or 6th arrondissmonts are my faves , but I have stayed in the 1st( near river) and the 14th and liked them also. Many people like the 7th, but its not quite as central as some others, but it is close to the Eiffel Tower.

You can tell what area a hotel is in by its address, all adddresses include a zipcode( so to speak) , that will start with 750 then last two digits are the "arrondissmont"( neighborhood). So, an address with the number 75006 means the hotel is in the 6th etc.

Some arrondissmonts also go by names, 1st is often referred to as the Lourvre area, the 4th is the Marais, the 5th is Latin Quarter, the 6th is St Germain, and the 7th often called the Eiffel Tower area.. Thats kind of a rough lay out, I am sure others can perfect on that.

If booking hotels by areas, most first timers like to be central, so any in the 1-7th arr. would be nice.

Thanks for all of your replies, I very much appreciate it.

As for what hotels our miles give us, pretty much anything. There is 54 pages worth of hotels, so the range is wide.

I recommend the Marias. It's on the Metro line that runs to the Louvre and Notre Dame (and in fact is a walkable distance from both). The Pompadeiu (sp?) Center is nearby. Nice neighborhood feel. Great boutiques, if that interests you. Also, lots of restaurants, as well as markets and "deli's" where you can pick up meals. I find the Marias to be a more comfortable location than the Left Bank... feels more like someplace I'd like living. Enjoy your time.

All arrondissements have a name and only one name since they are formal administrative districts. Nobody who lives there considers what arrondissements they live in (other than for postal code), they describe where they live by village or neighborhood: Marais, Montparnasse, etc. Directions are given in reference to a major landmark or a metro station, not by arrondissement.

Here's the list:

1st Louvre

2nd Bourse

3rd Temple

4th Hôtel-de-Ville

5th Panthéon

6th Luxembourg

7th Palais-Bourbon

8th Élysée

9th Opéra

10th Enclos-St-Laurent

11th Popincourt

12th Reuilly

13th Gobelins

14th Observatoire

15th Vaugirard

16th Passy

17th Batignolles-Monceau

18th Butte-Montmartre

19th Buttes-Chaumont

20th Ménilmontant

amanda,

Many of Rick's readers stay in the Rue Cler area, which is in the 7th, I believe. It's a very pleasant area (albeit a bit touristy) and within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower, the Rodin Museum and other sights. There's good and convenient access to the Metro via the Ecole Militaire station.

I have walked from the Musee d'Orsay back to Rue Cler, but the Louvre would probably best be reached via Metro (very easy). You may want to add the St. Chappelle Church to your list as well, as it's awesome!

With only "a couple of days", don't try to see all of the Louvre, as it's HUGE. You may want to focus on the Denon wing where the Mona Lisa is located. The Venus di Milo was moved to the Sully wing a few years ago.

You might want to get the two-day Paris Museum Pass as that's a good value if you're planning on visiting numerous sites. It will also minimize your time spent in queues!

Be sure to wear a Money Belt, especially on the Metro and in crowded places like the Louvre and under the Eiffel Tower.

Happy travels!

Since you only have a few days. I would stay in the 6th(Latin Quarter). If you stay close to the river Seine you'll be within walking distance of the Louvre and Notre Dame. You could also take in the Luxembourg Gardens and the Pantheon as well. The St. Michel-Notre Dame Metro station is a stop for the RER B train which goes to Charles De Gaulle airport. Also the St.Michel metro station (Line #4) can get you close to Montmartre (Sacre Coeur)in a few minutes. Enjoy.

The Latin Quarter is in the 5th, see above. The Pantheon is yards from the Sorbonne.

I've stayed at the Odeon, in the 6th, which is a nice hotel with a lift right off Blvd. St. Germain in Luxembourg, and I've stayed in the Latin Quarter a few times (where I am now). I didn't like the Marais at all -- just a personal preference. Most of the attractions in central Paris are well within walking distance or a short bus ride so that needn't be a concern. Have fun!

Wonderful suggestions from everyone and not one rude remark. Aren't we all proud?

Stay in the 6th! We stayed in the 7th, and it was great had a great view of the Eiffel from our window, but we spent more time in the 6th just walking around like we lived there. Stopping at every park along the way.

"As for what hotels our miles give us, pretty much anything. There is 54 pages worth of hotels, so the range is wide."

Avaialble or just 'listed'. I hate to bee the bearer of bad news but it's next week.... I would start with "availalbe".

Thank you all for your wonderful responses, and yes not a rude one posted!!!

All of the hotels are available and we are hoping to set on in stone tonight. With all the help on which district is the best, it has helped us narrow down the search to around 10 pages of hotels, which is way better than our original starting point.

Thanks again!

Hi Amanda, I'd recommend checking reviews of any hotels on your list that look good to you on TripAdvisor.com before booking a room. Enjoy Paris!

Make that two of us Norma! :)

1 second the vote for Hotel Jeanne d'Arc in Marias... I've stayed and found it wonderful... location and people. I couldn't get in there for my visit next month, but it would have been my choice.

Marais for sure. Have been in Paris several times, and the best area I have stayed in is Marais, following the recomendations from RS book...stayed in a hotel he mentions in the book, and did his "Marais" walk...very enjoyable!

We were in Paris a month ago & stayed at Hotel Muguet, a Rick recommendation. We loved the hotel & it's location on a quiet side street between Ecole-Militaire & Latour Maubourg Metro stops. The Metro is wonderful and very easy to navigate. It'll get you anywhere for slightly more than a euro. When we go again, Maris will be our choice. Very central with wonderful cafes, etc. By the way, we found the French to be nice & quite helpful, even when we butchered their language. With a little planning you can see a lot in a couple of days! If you have an I-pod download Ricks walking tours they're great and really help you process what you are seeing. Most of all enjoy, Paris is amazing!!!!

I recently used Booking.com to book a hotel in Paris -- the reason I mention it is that it had very good details about the hotels, including reviews by past guests. It also lists the hotels by neighborhood. You could probably use that to check out the hotels available with your miles. Good luck & have a nice trip.