10 Days in Paris
 

Hi, All - heading to Paris for 10 days in late October. What is the latest way to find inexpensive lodging for two?

Where are the new, trendy places to stay in the city?

Thanks in advanced.

There are probably a lot of threads about this but here is my perspective.

I love and tend to stay on the left side of the river which is beautiful, affordable and close to a lot of sites. I would start by using Google as the map is makes it easy to get a feel for the location and the prices are provided from several sources.

I prefer 6th arrondissement but the 5th is also good. On the right side the 3rd and 4th are probably most popular (Marais). The 1st has some of the swankiest hotels but pricy and the neighborhoods are not the best for walking.

Given 10 days is a long time, you may want to divide your stay into 2 hotels. One in the 5th/6th and the other on the left side, 3/4 or 8th if you want to be close to Champs Elysees.

Cheaper alternatives are 14th on the left side (Montparnasse) which is extremely underrated or 11th or 9th on the right side.

Map out what you want to do and the sites you want to visit and pick a neighborhood that's most convenient. You want to be able to stay in a place where you can do a lot of nice walking.

Whatever it is, make sure it is near a Metro and has plenty of restaurants and stores if you want to make your own food.

Thank you for the feedback. It was very helpful to evaluate and make some decisions.

We have discussed how we want to spend the time. We have reduced the time in Paris to a week, with a few days following in Lyon.

Our hope is to visit cafes, restaurants and sites. Walking for the most part, with metro / train rides for day trips. The idea of being able to walk along the Seine. This said, our hope is to stay in the Latin Quarter.

Finding the right place to stay is the next challenge. i secured lodging at the Hotel Bonaparte, under $200 per night with a great location, and refundable.

By chance, any recommendations for lodging?

Thanks in advanced.

We stayed at the Bonaparte years ago when it was a great favorite in the relatively new on-line forums. Excellent location, for starters, and fairly close to a métro station. The hotel was comfortable back then, and I imagine it's kept its character. There are a number of restaurants nearby as well as good shopping for whatever you might need on a daily basis.

We stayed at the Bonaparte quite a few years ago, before it was remodeled (judging by the photos) and when it was a great favorite of early on-line reviewers. Fine location, for starters: not far from a métro station and stores with everything you might need or want. If the Restaurant des Beaux Arts is still in business, be sure to go there for a meal.

For a week or longer, have you considered AirBnB? If you don't mind walking up several flights of stairs, you can often find very reasonably priced accommodations that way. (Units with lifts and more features will cost more)

ssander

Disclosure...I don't personally choose an apartment higher than the second floor...my age is a factor...but I know inexpensive places in the center of Paris exist for those willing to climb stairs, because I have looked at them before moving on to ones more suited to my preference.

ssander

Paris is really not that large a city and as long as your are near a Metro station it is pretty easy to get around. The bus system is also quite handy and lets you see more as you travel than on the underground. With a weekly pass you can just hop on and off as things strike your fancy.

I do not like the Latin quarter as it is a crowded, noisy tourist trap for the most part. The 6th is too sleepy for me, 5th is a bit better. Do like the 11th and 17th, even parts of the 20th. One of the best places we stayed was in the 15th, close to station Lourmel.
Suggest you list out just which sites/sights you wish to see, look on a map (including subway lines) to see what area makes the most sense. Waking long the Seine sounds much more romantic and intriguing than it actually is. And 10 days is by no means too long in Paris, especially with a day trip or two (Versailles, Chartres...)

Also suggest you take a look at what is available on airbnb or other vacation rental sites (Vacation in Paris, VRBO, Paris for Rent, booking.com, etc.) We have mostly stayed in apartments for the last decade or so and love it. Agree that many lower cost places will require climbing stairs, but not all. Just be sure to check the listing to see if a lift is listed as an amenity if that is a concern.

We only stay on the right bank. Left bank is crowded and very touristy. I like the haut Marais (upper 3rd) or the 11th by Canal St Martin. It’s we’re a lot of the most interesting bars and restaurants are. Just my two cents.

I have never stayed at Hotel Bonaparte but the location is really good and for that price, it is pretty good! Last May, I stayed at Hotel des Marronniers which was the perfect location for me. On a quiet street but one street over from all the action. I agree the 6th and the 5th to a lesser extent are full of tourists but that's part of the charm IMO. However, I just looked at prices and I am shocked. I paid $200 CAD a night and prices now are 2-3 times that. It is not worth it at that price at all. One word of caution is I left wireless headphones in the room and they were stolen. It was not the cleaning ladies as I had done it twice and first time nothing was touched. I noticed the day they were stolen a new tv was installed in the room. That tells me they let a contractor into my room unsupervised and stole it. They did nothing about it except the obligatory we will look into it. Writing this is motivating me to leave a review on a site about it.

Le Marais has also become very busy but a different busy which is a lot of locals and less tourists vs. the 6th. To me it's nowhere near as charming as the left bank but to each their own. If you prefer walking on the Seine (one of my favourite things to do in Paris), staying in the 6th/5th is definitely the way to go. On a previous visit, I stayed at Lenox Montparnass and was a very nice stay. The location is a bit farther from the centre but perfect for transit and really close to the Luxumberg Garden.

For getting to spots around the river, look into Bateau Bus. One of my favourite things to do at a very good price.