Cesar Pun

Hello <BR>I have never been is Paris so I don't know the areas that well. We are a family of two adults and two children (8 and 11). We are trying to find accomodations in the 7th Arr. but I guess so is everyone. We plan to be in Paris June 30th for about 4 or 5 nights. <BR>What are the areas to avoid in Paris? Since I am not having luck with the 7th Arr. I am looking at the 1st, 5th and 6th Arr. <BR>Any suggetions? If you know of good hotels please let me know also. <BR>Thanks

elaine

Hi <BR>I don't know what your budget is, but if you do a search on this forum for Paris hotels, you will find many many suggestions, most of them being on the left bank in the 5th, 6th, and 7th. <BR>I usually stay on the right bank in the 1st, but that is a personal preference, and the left bank does have more charm and more moderately-priced hotels and restaurants to choose from. All of the arrondissements you mention are convenient. Other areas of Paris are certainly safe as well, but somewhat less central and convenient. <BR>The following are only some of the hotels frequently recommended on this forum and elsewhere, all on the left bank: <BR>Champ de Mars, Grand Hotel Leveque, le Regent, Derby Eiffel, Familia, d'Aubusson, Bersolys, Minerve, Grandes Ecoles, Palais Bourbon, Relais Bosquet, Muguet, Jardin du Luxembourg, and the Grand Hotel St Michel which is mentioned as having rooms good for families. <BR>On the right bank,Hotel Brighton <BR>218 rue de Rivoli <BR>email [email protected] <BR>fax 01 42 60 41 78 <BR>3 star hotel, fantastic location. Ask for a room overlooking the Tuileries Gardens. Some have balconies. Rooms are spacious, have phone, tv, minibar, and large bathroom. <BR>Rates (late 99) were F580-F950 including breakfast. <BR>For more on the above, try some websites that have hotel info and more <BR>www.hotelboulevard.com includes comments from past guests on the hotels <BR>www.paris.org/ also has comments from past guests <BR>www.paris-touristoffice.com <BR>www.adx.fr/hotels/anglais.htm <BR>www.france.com:80/travel/hotels/phg.html <BR>www.france-hotel-guide.com <BR>www.logis-de-france.fr <BR>www.frenchexperience.com/ <BR>www.123france.com/ <BR>www.globe-market.com <BR>www.bparis.com/ <BR>www.paris-hotel.com <BR>Apartments for short term rentals: www.interhome.com <BR>www.untours.com <BR>www.qconline.com/psr Paris Sejour Reservation, recommended by a Fodor's poster <BR>www.yourhomeinparis.com This is also Paris Sejour Reservation <BR>www.locaflat.com <BR>www.barclayweb.com <BR>If you have any interest in looking at my Paris notes, feel free to email me. <BR>good luck <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Cesar Pun

Elaine <BR>Thanks for the inputs. I am trying to get my price range below $100 but I can go up to $125 per night. <BR>Yes, I have been checking some of the Web sites you mentioned but not all of them. Thanks for the tip. <BR>By the way, so far the Leveque, Champ du Mars, Muguet and a few others are book solid for July. Is there anything special in Paris that month? I'll check the others you recommended. Thanks <BR>CP

elaine

Just the normal tourist season, as far as I know <BR>Many popular hotels are also small, and book up many months in advance

gb

I hate to tell this but we booked a family room back at the Muguet for the same weekend back in Jan. to get assured the family room and price. We wanted to add a day back in April and couldn't. Have you checked out the Holiday Inn Expresses. There are several new ones, and they have family rooms. I know they aren't Parisian in atmosphere, but it be possible to save some money in a family room. By the way, it might be hard to find a family room for less than $125 a night. The Muguet is 780 F for one night, and breakfast is extra. There a HI Express in Place d'Italie, and Porte d'Ialie A double at Porte was 325FF when I called. Good Luck

Tara

Cesar: Elaine has done you the favor of providing enormous resources, in spite of your last minute planning. In a normal year, attempting to book accomodations in Paris during June a mere three weeks in advance would be tres risky. With the extraordinary exhange rates these days, one would imagine this to be virtually impossible. And, to acquire a family room for less than $100/night would be a formidable challenge in an area not to be avoided anytime on such short notice during "high season". Can you change your dates to July or August. Even so, your expectations may exceed the possibilities. Do hope you haven't purchased non-refundable plane tickets.

cesar pun

Tara, et-al. Mea culpa on the late bookings, but it was sort of unplanned. We are traveling for 5 weeks in Europe: Rome, Florence, Venice, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Sevilla and Madrid. Paris was a last spur of the moment change due to my kids insistence to visit the Louvre and the Eiffel tower since we were "so close". And yes, I have started to move the price range closer to $200 a night if I can keep it that way.

Christy

Wow...a dual universe of sorts. My family of two adults, two kids are weighing the pros and cons of traveling through northern France the first week in August without seeing Paris, and have finally succumbed. We have found a family room at a small old hotel in the Latin Quarter, the Excelsior, for 560Ff but are considering switching to a two star modern hotel because of the amenities...I'm leaning toward the authentic Parisian hotel, but I'd love to hear from anyone on this forum who has stayed there. I know its low budget but I've heard its OK for the price. Best of luck to you, and your family.

Lori

Check out the Best Western website - they are independent hotels in Paris with have joined the BW reservation system (they are not motels like in the US) but individual (and some are quite charming) small hotels, generally 25-40 rooms. We've stayed at several of them over the years and have been very pleased. On-line reservations are great too altho you can call the 800 number as well. Don't know if you'll find much left for the end of June tho ..it's kind of late for making reservations. Good Luck

gb

Cesar, Another possibility is to stay out near Versailles. I know it's not as convenient or fun as in center city of Paris, but there might be a few more options. If you have a car, I noticed there were quite a few Formula 1's, Campinille?, and other chains. Another place where there are quite a few chain hotels is on the northeast corner of the city on the east city of the peripherique near the Porte de Pantin on Avenue Jean Lolive. You might be able to keep it under $200 there. Since this will be my first time in Paris, I do not know what the area is like or how long it takes to get to the Eiffel Tower. But, some posters might be able to give you some info. I also noticed that there were quite a few 2 star hotels in the Montmartre area.

Dianne

I will be staying at the Grand Hotel des Balcons (recommended on paris.org) in the 6th district at the end of July. A room for 2 is 505FF, but what really attracted me was the large all you can eat buffet breakfast for only 55FF. A hearty breakfast would be nice for children to give them a good start for the day, but I don't know how much their rooms for 4 are.

cesar pun

Thanks for all of the replies. It is a lot of work sending faxes and emails but I have been able to locate a couple of hotels in the Rue de Clerc area (and in a few other areas) that can accomodate us. We may have to compromise in certain areas like staying in two rooms or moving the arrival date to July 1st. <BR>Have anyone heard of the following hotels: Prince, Royal Phare and De la Paix? They are mentioned in Rick Steves book. <BR>By the way, this forum has been very helpful and friendly not like other forums that I have participated. <BR>Thanks to all and please keep coming with your feedback.

Lori

Another thought - check out the Novatel hotel chain - they have several in Paris and some are a "little further out" (but easy to get to sights via the Metro) - their rates may be better. Also, the Orion Apartments, they can get a bit pricey but with a family may be well worth it. There are several around Paris. Also Citidines Apartments as well.

Al

Let's hope that Cesar et son familie find quarters. But if push comes to shove, they may find a solution the way we did when forced to a number of years ago. A young French woman who sat near us on the train advised that, since we had nowhere to sleep, that we walk to the Travelers' Aid office in the Gare de Austerlitz upon our arrival in Paris. She even accompanied us, explaining to the desk clerk what was our problem. Our French (if you call it that) could not have conveyed our problem half so well. In any event, the TA office booked us into a smallish nearby hotel which proved quite enough. It seems that hotels phone the TA central office and the offices at the railways stations tap into this data base of available rooms each day. Granted, our hotel was not the Ritz...but neither were we...and we had no reason or right to be choosy.

Donna

Have you tried Hotel de la Bourdonnais? They have a dozen or more quads and are located a few steps from Ecole Miliaire metro stop (47 05 45 42; Fax 44 55 75 54 www.hotels.fr/bourdonnais). Also Hotel de l'Empereur, also in the neighborhood, has at least one quad, has been recently completely redone, and isn't well known (yet) (45 55 88 02; Fax 45 51 88 54).