Which arrondissemente to stay

My favorite neighborhood of all is Ile St. Louis (the little island east of Notre Dame) in the 4th arrondissement. It's like a little village unto itself, really charming, lots of good restaurants and fun shops, and is surrounded by the river... very romantic neighborhood. But in general, I like the 4th, 5th and 6th best... as close to the river as possible.

If I had to choose one, I'd pick the 6th for central location, easier walking to and from major sights. It's on the left bank so you're inside the curve of the Seine and thus likelier to see the river views wherever you're going. You're close to the Luxembourg Gardens, Musee d'Orsay, Louvre, and other great places. After that I'd say the 5th or 7th, or the 4th (Marais). But, really, there are wonderful neighborhoods all over Paris, and the metro and buses are so easy that you could stay almost anywhere. You won't lack for cafes and wine bars, or for good little restaurants, bakeries, etc. Obviously the more central neighborhoods will be more expensive (to eat and drink as well as sleep) and/or apartments will be smaller. We were very happy with an apartment in the 14th that cost less than smaller ones closer to the river. Rather than try to pick the "best" arrondissement, I'd look for the best apartment in your price range and consider such variables as how close to a metro station (any one), which floor (remembering that the French 1st is our 2nd) and/or whether there's an elevator (if the listing doesn't mention one, there probably isn't one), rooms (we like a separate bedroom), appliances (washer-dryer is very nice though there are many laundromats, microwave very useful), outdoor space like a balcony or terrace (pricey but September weather is likely to be good), etc. We've done well (in Paris and elsewhere) with homeaway.com but there are other good sites that posters here will share with you. Happy honeymoon! I couldn't think of a better place for one than Paris.

I agree with Susan, the 4th, 5th or 6th and close to the river. I can highly recommend an apartment in the Latin Quarter (5th) to you. Check out vrbo.com #5967. The owner lives just over the Golden Gate in Sausalito. We spent 10 nights there and felt like we were 'living' in the perfect Parisian apartment.

Thank you for all the tips.
Andrea: I checked out the apt you mentioned but unfortunately the time we want to go has been booked. I will now switch my search to 4, 5 and 6 arrondissmente for an apartment. Any recommendations for an apt that you have stayed before, please do share. Thank you. We're also going to stay in Nice, Venice and Rome. So our itinerary is 6 days in Paris, 3 days in Nice, 4 days in Venice and 6 days in Rome. Please feel free to give us any suggestions/recommendations. It is much appreciated. Thanks.

Amanda, I like the 7th (Rue Cler area), which is near the Eiffel Tower. It's a nice area with lots of restaurants, within walking distance to some of the major sites and good access to transportation (Metro). Unfortunately I never rent apartments so can't help with that. For travel in September, it would be a good idea to get accommodations booked soon. Congratulations and happy travels!

We always stay in the 16th, in the Passy neighborhood. The lower end of the arrondissement (on rue de Passy) is within about a 7 minute walk of the Eiffel Tower - with great tower views - the neighborhood is convenient several buses and in between two Metro stops. The great thing about it, for us, is that there's a truly neighborhood/village Paris feel. Local shops, a neighborhood movie theatre in a big old period building, lots of families and pensioners, great little boutiques, boulangeries, Asian takeaway places, and a couple of Monoprix outlets (one with an enormous variety of gourmet cooked meal and cold deli options, plus an amazing wine shop and cheese selection - perfect for apartment dwellers). The streets are safe, the vibe is low key and charming and medium-to-upscale, and it is all relatively free of the tourist hordes. And then you walk down the hill to the #72 bus and there you are riding along the Seine right under la Tour Eiffel, being whisked to the Louvre and Hotel de Ville, etc.

I'd focus less on specific arrondissment and more on neighborhoods and think about what kind of neighborhood you want to be in and also what the public transit options are like in that neighborhood. Being next to a metro with more than one line is a big bonus for getting around, or at least being near a stop with a line that takes you to a lot of good spots, like the 4. Cafes are everywhere in Paris, even in the less touristy arrondissments. Those are the ones with better prices, Budget is a big thing. Ille de Saint Louis is nice but super duper expensive and not that interesting to me, I don't understand why people talk it up so much. I had this discussion with my husband last night - we're from SF, are mid-thirties, like cafes and drink a bit but aren't "club people" - and we both agreed that the Marais district was particularly appealing because of it's great cafes and it's convenient location. I'm sure staying there would be a bit noisy but you live in SF, so you'd be fine. I also think Luxembourg Gardens area would be great, as there you're close to the Latin Quarter scene but far enough away that you could find reasonably-priced, non-touristy cafes.

I do and recommend everything that KEN posted.

Last month we used vrbo (nine days at studio 59569, across the street from the Pompidou, where 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th arrondissement borders meet essentially) and home away (seven days at 855698 at a one bedroom in the 7th a short distance from the south end of the Eiffel Tower park, Champ de Mars). Both owners were great to negotiate with....happy to give more specifics if you want.

Hi Amanda, We just returned from France. While in Paris we stayed in the 5th arrondissement in an apartment called "My Little Home in Paris." It was wonderful and the owners were extremely friendly and helpful. It's small; you pull out your bed each night (my wife and I are both tall and the bed was very comfortable however). Close to Metro and in a great part of the city. You can see it at www.vrbo.com/151604 It's very quiet. Good luck!

Amanda we stayed in the 5th-Latin Quarter in a lovely little boutique hotel" Hotel des Grand Ecoles", excellant location just off the Rue Mouffetard-which has a great market and shops and restaurants. I would definately stay here again, great location to everything that we wanted to see and Paris has excellant transit system so no problem there. We have also stayed in Venice on previous trips (2X) @ "Pensione Guerrato" right near the Rialto Bridge, this was great location, and they had a really good breakfast. Look them both up on line, excellant reviews on Trip advisor too!

4th, 5ht an 6th,, central and cute. There are quieter pockets within each arrondissement, so its not quite as easy as it seems sometimes.

Thank you very much for all the suggestions. We'll stay in the 5th or 6th and we've been searching for an apartment. Thank you.

Amanda, We have just returned from Paris and rented an apartment from Cobblestone Paris. They were a wonderful company to work with. We found them before they were recommended by Rick Steves. We stayed in a cute studio on Ile St. Louis - but I checked and it is already booked for most of September. But, you may want to check some of their other properties. www.cobblestoneparis.com

Take a look at the apts offered on Iloveparisapartments.com
They have several in the 6th. We have stayed in both of the St. Andre des Arts but preferred the one with the extra half bath. Close to excellent bistros and restaurants and to quaint little shops and so close to great walks along the Seine.

You've gotten lots of good suggestions, so I won't repeat those but may I make a few more? 1. I've used Vacation in Paris multiple times and been very satisfied. They have apts. of all sizes, located all over Paris, and at all price points. They're very responsive to questions (I ask a lot!) and the apts are exactly as shown and described online. 2. Another thing to look for when choosing an apt is what kind of street it's on. Main streets can be busy and noisy. I always look for a minor/shorter street which does NOT have a long straight distance for cars to race down. Or look for an apt with windows overlooking a courtyard.
3. I've stayed in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Arr. so far and liked them all for various reasons. Am looking forward to learning about the 13th, where I'll be staying next. I love exploring new neighborhoods!

Stayed in an apt in the Marais July 2011 that we rented through ahparis. They have apts in every price range and most neighborhoods. They were very quick to respond and easy to deal with. No fancy pricing structure, you can quickly get an accurate price quote.
Our apartment had everything you could think of even some extra metro carnets.

The 5th or the 6th.