Nan

This will be my first trip to Paris - visiting in early October. Any suggestions for the best area to stay? I prefer a small boutique hotel or B&Bs - in the 3 star range. <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Nan

Beth Anderson

Hi, <BR> <BR>stay in the Latin Quarter. It's a lovely and safe area, close to the Notre Dame and other sights, and fairly inexpensive. It's all students around there... Or you could stay near the Eiffel Tower, in the Rue Cler neighborhood. <BR> <BR>now, if you want 3 star - I don't know what to tell you. I will say the places I have stayed were nice - clean, en suite, friendly people - but I would not say 3 star by any means.

Nan

Beth, <BR> <BR>Could you give me the names of some of the places you'd recommend? <BR> <BR>On second thought, my criteria for places to stay should have been clean, safe, and quaint. I will be spending most of my time touring so I don't want to bank everything on the room. <BR> <BR>Nan

elaine

Dear Nan <BR>My Paris notes include some recommendations on charming hotels, info taken from an on-line magazine article. If you are interested, email me.

Beth Anderson

Hi Nan, <BR> <BR>try this link: <BR> <BR>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...in04181999.htm <BR> <BR>if it does not work, email me and I will email the story to you. <BR> <BR>What I did on one trip, was to call several of these places, and if they were full - I got recommendations and phone numbers. <BR> <BR>When we got to Paris, I had a list of numbers. We called from the airport (this was after returning from a trip to Normandy - to drop off the car) and it didn't take too long to find one. I stayed at the Hotel Estudia (not on the link, but a recommendation from one of the hotels). I do not have the exact location/number with me. I could look at a map and give you general info though. (dummy me - I threw out the paper I kept the numbers on!). You could easily get the number if you called the hotels in the Latin Quarter area, on this link. <BR> <BR>Hotel Estudia was in the Latin Quarter, right on the main drag - we could see the spire of Notre Dame while we were standing on the balcony - we were more or less directly across from it. <BR> <BR>It was 80.00 for a double room, en suite - brand new bathroom and shower, nice. the room was kinda smallish but who cares. We had a little balcony too. <BR> <BR>I have not stayed at Hotel Leveque in the Rue Cler neighborhood, but Rick Steves (great travel writer) recommends it. I passed by it, it looked very nice. plus Rue Cler is very near the Eiffel Tower <BR> <BR>on a different trip I stayed a block away from the Rue Cler neighborhood, I would not recommend the hotel I stayed in UNLESS you got a big double room en suite. My room was clean enough but REALLY REALLY small and I was just outside the common WC - which was so small you touched the darn toilet if you closed the door. yuck. not to mention I don't like to hear the toilet being flushed when I am in bed - my head literally was on the other side of the wall from the WC. <BR> <BR>BUT since the shower I was SUPPOSED to use was broken... they let me use a big double room which had it en suite - just to shower. that room was actually OK - much more preferable to mine. I would not have had the heebies sleeping there. <BR> <BR>and yes, that hotel was cheap. it had better be... the good thing was it was mere blocks away from the Eiffel Tower/Park. <BR> <BR>(I hope I am not frightening you with my descriptions!!) <BR> <BR <BR> <BR>Beth