gracemary

Hi im sending my mam n dad to paris in september for 5 days, they have never been before. im so confused about what part to send them, i want a central location that is lively enough and close to some sights. also a cheap hotel, iv been looking at hotel antin saint george but i dont no if its in a good location?? can anyone help or have any suggestions on were to stay. thanks

adrienne

It's good to give a link when you want opinions on hotels.

http://www.hotel-antin-saintgeorges.com/

It's not all that central which is probably why the rate is so low for a nice hotel. Closer to the river is better for walking to many sights - arrondissements 4, 5, 6, 7 are usual for first time visitors to Paris.

St-Germain-des-Pres (6th arrondissement) is a very lively place with lots of cafes and some of the famous ones. There are lots of students in this area as the Sorbonne university is close by so lots of people walking around at night. The 7th arrondissement is quiet at night; parts of the 4th and 5th are quiet and parts are lively.

What is your budget?

You need to book quickly for September since it's a very busy month in Paris and the inexpensive rooms book quickly.

You could always book a room there now (if they have availability) while you look for something else. But do not book a non-refundable room and find out their cancellation policy before you book.

gracemary

thanks so much for your reply, i might look up the 6th errondissement, i just have not a clue were to send them, im not at all familiar with paris!!

ira

Hi GM,
>im sending my mam n dad to paris<
You are a very good child.

Usually I recommend the 6th district for people that age.

However, we need to know your budget.

Use www.maps.google.com to look at Paris and see where the various main sites and sights are.

gracemary

my budget i suppose is around 400/500euro for hotel as im gettin the flight cheap.

adrienne

Per night??? Or for the 5 days?

adrienne

I guess it's for the 5 nights so E100 per night. It's gonna be tough to find something in the 6th for that at this late date.

This hotel is a bit more but check it out.

http://www.hoteldulys.com/

Here's a thread on Left Bank hotels. Look for 2 star hotels to stay near your budget.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...thread.cfm?201

gracemary

for 5 days, mabey thats not enough of a budget but i am finding quite a few hotels for that price, mabey theu are not in a good location tho

gracemary

thanks so i guess the left bank is the place to look for places to stay in. did u look at the hotel antin saint george? they told me they were in paris centre http://www.hotel-antin-saintgeorges.com/

gracemary

http://www.hoteldeturin.com/index.php/en/ or this one

adrienne

I did look at that hotel - I gave a link to it. It looks nice but the area is not really near most sights. I'm not crazy about the area to stay in. I prefer a location with small streets, lots of cafes, and close to gardens.

The hotel is near the Opera Garnier but that's about it. They are in central Paris but think of Notre Dame as the "center" of Paris and work out from there. It's nice to walk along the Seine at night, hop on a boat to see the buildings lit up, stop in a cafe and have a glass of wine or ice cream. Closer to the river is the older part of Paris and I find it's more cozy and intimate and charming.

I'm not saying don't put your parents in this hotel but look for something more central. I think they will be happier.

You're doing a really nice thing for your parents but if you can only afford 4 nights at a more central hotel maybe they can pay for the 5th night themselves.

Here's an interactive map of Paris. Zoom in a bit and see where things are located. Opera Garnier is shown with a red star and the Antin is a 10 minute walk from there.

http://www.aviewoncities.com/maps/paris.htm

You will also need this map to plot out the sights for your parents to visit. I suggest also getting them a Paris Streetwise map and putting little post-it flags on the main sights to make it easy to map out which sights are near each other to maximize their time in Paris.

There are some free tours they can take. There's a 3 hours walking tour that will acclimate them to many of the popular sights. Notre Dame gives a free tour Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Paris Greeter Service has volunteers that meet people and take them around specific neighborhoods.

http://www.parisiendunjour.fr/
http://www.newparistours.com/index.p...d=17&Itemid=30

gracemary

thanks, you have been so helpfull, it is all a suprise for them so cant ask them to pay!! i just thought paris would be nice, i cant think of anywere else to send them were there is lots of things to do and see. ill keep looking into it and mabey look for something more central or close to the river. thanks again

adrienne

Paris is a great place to send them and I'm sure they will have a wonderful time.

gracemary

http://www.beaugrenelleparis.com/ just seen this one think its quite neat the Eiffel tower,or mabey not!!

Cathinjoetown

Gracemary,

Would your parents be flying from dublin?

You might want to look at the combined hotel/flight packages. Sometimes those are very good deals and usually very specific about hotels and locations.

Gretchen

I am not feeling very comfortable about this trip for your parents as nice as it would be. Are they going to spend their money while there? You know, there is more than just arriving in Paris, and most particularly if you are on a budget--knowing where to eat cheaply or "how" to eat cheaply. Admissions, what to see, how to get there. I am not trying to be a wet blanket, but I think you need to be more specific about what your plans are for them for the "rest" of the trip. How will they get to the hotel? Will they know how to do that, comes to mind.

gracemary

yes they are flying from dublin, im booking it true alpharooms so the package includes transfers to and from hotel, yes they will be spending their money while there and would be quite street wise as they have been in many places like new york etc.. im just doin it as a birthday present for my mam as a nice we suprise!! anyone no anything about that hotel http://www.beaugrenelleparis.com/

Christina

I've stayed fairly close to both those hotels you named in Paris, there is nothing wrong with their areas. A lot of poeple on Fodors stay in the more expensive areas, particularly St Germain. Now I agree there is something to that, a lot of first-time tourists like being right in the thick of things, but your hotel budget is very low for the most expensive areas (St Germain is one of them), that's the problem. So the hotels you named would be okay (I'd give a nod to the Beaugrenelle location and hotel, though, over the other one).

However, here are a few real cheap hotels to check in the more expensive areas (in fact, some 2* hotels even farther out are more expensive than you want to spend). Try these, they are very central and in your budget:

http://www.saintpierre-hotel.com/
http://www.hotel-paris-familia.com/
http://www.hotelduchampdemars.com/ (that one isn't near Notre Dame, but is in the 7th in a nice area, they'd probably like it)

These are just a bit above if you get the special rates or 3 nights, but not much

http://www.hotel-collegedefrance.com/
http://www.hotelclementparis.com
http://www.hoteldesuezparis.com/

Most of the other nicer hotels I know that would be considered more budget are closer to 150 euro nowadays (even 2*), in peak season, which you may not realize September is. It is probably the most in-demand hotel season so you must reserve as soon as you can.

djkbooks

Agree that you need to check availability for appealing/affordable hotels, as they could be filling up (or fully booked already) for your dates in September.

They do not need to be in Saint Germain or near the Eiffel Tower.

Hotel Antin Saint-Georges is nicely located, if not in "tourist central". No matter where they stay, they'll want to go all over and they can do that conveniently by metro or bus from there.

For a first visit, it's just not necessary to obsess over specific neighborhoods or being so "central".

Personally, I prefer a hotel that is a good value in a less mobbed with tourists neighborhood.

avalon

Check out La Familia on rue des Ecoles in the 5th. really good transportation options very close by ,2 metros and lots of bus lines. About a 7 or 8 minute walk to the Seine