Planning a short trip to Paris latter half of March - 6 nights. We'd like to stay near the attractions so that we can walk through the area too. We like cafes for people watching, bars for evenings, and of course shopping :) Any suggestions for safe, not necessarily quiet arrondissments? (that seems to make it easier for hotel searches)
thanks fellow travelers!
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
I like the 4th, 5th and 6th best, as close to the river as possible. It's the heart of Paris, easy to walk to many places, and the most fun imo.
Posted by
Laguna Beach, CA, USA
272 posts
my vote goes for the marais area/4th. sounds exactly like what you are looking for!
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7026 posts
Another vote for the 4th,5th or 6th. I stayed in the Marais (4th) when I was there this summer but when I walked around the left bank (5th & 6th) I thought I'd love to stay there next time. All three are lively and full of cafes and bars and shopping to delight anyone and all three are convenient for walking to most of the usual tourist sights. Depending on where in these arrondisments you stay you may have to take a short bus or metro ride to get to some places but that's half the fun anyway.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10218 posts
And a third for the 4th, 5th or 6th. The closer to the river the better.
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3049 posts
What's your budget? Paris is expensive and a lot of that has to do with what neighborhood you stay in. If money is no object I'd chose the Marais, it's the right combination for me of being near tourist/sightseeing stuff but in a "real" neighborhood, you're not stuck in boring, dead-after-dark tourist-land. And it's not super-expensive. Good transit connections nearby as well. If you're going budget, Montmarte seems to be the cheapest "nice" neighborhood. Problem is it's kind of a PITA to get there from elsewhere. For 6 nights I'd really consider an apartment over a hotel.
Posted by
arizona, usa
130 posts
I recommend the Marais it is a great location, sounds exactly like what you are looking for. Just rented an apartment from Paris for Rent, great company to work with, apartment had free long distance to the states, power strip for americans, no need to carry a converter, Ipad and fully modern appliances.
Posted by
Los Angeles
10 posts
We really liked the 7th, as it was home to the Eiffel Tower, Hotel des Invalides and a short walk/metro to Arc de Triomphe/Champs Ellysees. Lots of great cafes, boulangeries. We rented an apartment with a dead on view of the Eiffel Tower and the highlight was watching it "light Up" every hour.
Posted by
Mission Viejo, Calif., USA
1010 posts
We sayed at the Hotel Le Littre (6th arron.) twice. We had a special room with a balcony. We could sit out on our balcony and watch the city lights and the Eiffel. It stays light until 11:00 PM. We watched the lights changing on the Eiffel for hours. The hotel is just a short walk from the metro. We booked our hotel on their website. In order to get the balcony rooms, you must book the room directly on their website.