lawtlaw

Are any of you seasoned travelers familiar with the streets Rue champon and Rue du temple in the 3rd arr? Considering a flat rental on rue du temple for one week this summer for our first visit to paris. Lots of people seem to like the 3rd arr. (particularly near the picasso museum, and others favor the 6th & 7th arr. Thanks so much for any input!

TPAYT

I'm an Ile St. Louis gal myself so that would be too far from the Seine for me. But as you said we all have our favorite spot. For a first visit, I always suggest to be as close to the Seine as possible.

Our first few visits we stayed about a mile from the Seine and found ourselves walking toward it all the time. We finally learned what we liked and now stay on Ile St. Louis.

Just sayin'!

Avalon2

We sometimes book an Apt in the 4th near Rue de temple other times when I don't feel like making beds and cleaning up we get a hotel in the 5th about 2 blocks to the seine and a lot cheaper than the apt. The place in the fourth has great transport and numerous services nearby and good cafes but so does our hotel in the 5th> I don't like the 7th at all! love the 6th but though we used to stay there the budget alllows mroe trips if we do the 5th!

kerouac

Rue du Temple is an excellent area between the Marais and Place de la République. I would absolutely choose it in preference to the 6th/7th arrondissements, with which I have absolutely no affinities and often quite a bit of contempt.

yenisumit7

Hi
We all have our opinions and experiences, rule of thumb, if visiting Paris for the 1st time, you must stay close to Saint-Germain-des-Prés & Saint-Michel, the Latin Quarter (5th) or the 6th/7th. As per renting an apartment or hotel is your personal preference. In hotels you just have to pick up your underwear as compared to apartments it can be challenging. But if traveling with family/ friends than its different kind of fun. Check out and compare hotels/apartments and decide the best for you.

Seamus

Suspect you meant to type rue Chapon and yes, I am familiar with the area, have rented there a couple times and loved it. You can amble down rue du Temple all the way to Rue de Rivoli and the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and continue across the Pont d'Arcole bridge to the Île de la Cité. Heading the other way on rue du Temple takes you toward Republique, passing the excellent rue de Bretagne with its popular array of shops and cafes including the delightful Marché des Enfants Rouges and Chez Omar for couscous.
The Marais was the original upscale Parisian neighborhood where nobility constructed their impressive <<<i>hôtels particuliers</i>>> and remained the place to be until the fashion changed with development of the Faubourg Saint-Germain in the 17th century. Narrow streets lined with shops, cafes, and businesses offering about everything you could need, easy access to public transport (including great bus lines) and close enough to walk to the river Seine (since that seems to be important to many.) Has at various times been known as a center of gay, Jewish and Chinese communities but none of those predominate and in the sense of <i><<égalité et fraternité</i>>> is welcoming to all.

Sometimes opinions about Paris locations get a bit polarized. We have rented in multiple places varying in location from a block from the river to out in the 15th and enjoyed all. IMO, as long as one is near good public transport inside the peripherique much of the pleasure of a visit has to do with the actual apartment. If you post a link to the property you may get some more detailed and informative responses.

kerouac

<i>you must stay close to Saint-Germain-des-Prés & Saint-Michel, the Latin Quarter (5th) or the 6th/7th</i>

What an absolute load of hogwash! Those are the areas to be avoided if at all possible!

mamcalice

While you needn't "stay close to St. Germaine des Pres", etc., they are not areas to be avoided at all costs! In fact, they are good locations for first time visitors to Paris. However, for first time visitors, I suggust you considering hotels instead of apartments. Hotel staff are very helpful with directions, reservations, etc.

yenisumit7

@kerouac
May be you donot fit in fun places, as I said that's our personal opinion, but been there done it many times, may be now I'll stay in 17 arr. but for the first timers in Paris, definitely Latin qtr.
Nothing personal love paris

yenisumit7

@kerouac
How/why you contradict yourself?
Read this post, expertise!
kerouac on May 5, 13 at 10:50pm
You might have trouble finding something for $250 a night in those areas because it is well over the price of most places in the Marais or Bastille areas. Is there any particular reason that you want to spend this amount? In my own part of Paris, hotels run from 25€ to 60€.

However, if you want to spend a lot, you should examine the hotels of Saint Germain-des-Prés, the 7th arrondissement, or perhaps the Champs Elysées area. They will be happy to take your money, perhaps even more.

Christina

It's an okay area, but rue du Temple itself is kind of narrow and very busy, so I think it would be noisy. Lots of street traffic and tourists on it, I would avoid it myself.

Christina

sorry, I finally figured out I think you meant this is near the cross street of rue Chapon. It's not so bad up there, it is really noisy down near the bottom of it IMO.

stevewith

I'm surprised to read so many people don't like the 7th arr, because I don't either! I thought I was alone because so many tourists get steered there.

I have stayed on the Ile St Louis and it is very expensive. If you can afford that fine, but when I have stayed in the 2d and 4th arr (yet to stay in the 3rd) I haven't felt deprived.

So long as I am not staying in the most touristy neighborhoods around the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame or other big tourist attractions, my experience of Paris has been that it all the central arrondisements have atmosphere and attractions. The metro system and buses (worth learning!) are extremely good. You will find that Paris is so interesting, you end up walking as much as you can.

Sometimes if I feel uncertain about a neighborhood when I am renting an apartment in a foreign city, I look up reviews of the nearest hotels on TripAdvisor. I look to see if people say the neighborhood is too far from the sights or restaurants, or made them feel unsafe, or other problems. But very often people are very happy to be in the less-famous arrondisements, because they feel like they are living more among the Parisians.

stevewith

I just noticed somebody thought you needed a hotel instead of an apartment because you have never been in Paris before. Paris is a very easy city when it comes to finding your way around. The first time I went to Paris I stayed in an apartment. It is great to be able to buy food from the stores and markets and bakeries. Plus you get a lot more room for the money. You can also ask your apartment owner for help in making a restaurant reservation if you have some special place in mind and can't speak French, but most restaurants in Paris will understand if you call and make your own reservation. Just learn a few phrases.

Ackislander

The 7th is like certain areas in NY and London: nice, attractive but better for haute bourgeoisie residents than for visitors. The transportation is not great, but if your driver picks you up every morning, it doesn't matter. I like parts of the 6th a lot because there is so much gorgeous window shopping. I'm too old for the 5th.

We usually stay in the 3rd, though this month in the 14th, though we were tempted by a couple of places in the 10th or 11th. We picked the 14th after several forays out past Denfert Rochereau on previous trips. It looked like any interesting area.

More important than the area are how many flights up you have to walk (elevator is best) and whether the flat is on the street or the courtyard. We think the apartment we are renting this time has the best of both worlds, a living room overlooking the street and a bedroom overlooking the courtyard.

bookseller05

I'm hijacking this thread as we are also considering an apartment in the 3rd near Square du Temple. I cannot tell from the site exactly where it is, but what do you think based on the information here?

http://www.parisapartment4u.com

It also seems to be a good price considering the amenities including an elevator. We will be in Paris on the 5th of September for a week.

I appreciate your feedback.

Judy

justineparis

I think that there are very few "bad areas" to stay in , and there are many "good areas" to stay in,, I think saying one holds an area "in contempt" is a bit odd though and find it a bit pretentious..

I think that first timers should stay central, its just easier to get around when you can likely walk to 4 or 5 sites right from your front door. I know you can't walk everywhere .

I also think its nice to be near the river, simply because its easy to navigate along it.. look at a tourist site map, many well known sites are along it,, from Notre Dame, Louvre, Orsay , Invalids, and Eiffel Tower,

None of that is essential to enjoying a visit to Paris, one can enjoy a visit pretty well no matter where they stay, but if one is looking for the easiest for a first timer then there is nothing wrong will suggesting the central arrondissemonts 1-7( even 8 and 9 )

PatrickLondon

bookseller, there is nothing wrong with that location, except possibly that if that website's map is correct, it's on a fairly busy street; but the bedroom appears to overlook the courtyard, so that wouldn't be an issue. Fifth floor, so light, but also with elevator, so that's another worry the less.

This is on the northern edge of what is generally understood to be the Marais, but perhaps all the better for having the option of some open space on your doorstep. You'd have to walk a few extra minutes to be in the heart of the "chic" bits of the Marais, and use public transport to get to the major museums and attractions, but that would be true more or less wherever you stay.