Comfort Hotel Bastille
71 rue de Charonne
F-75011 Paris

www.bastille.paris.comfort-hotel.fr

I found a rate for 72 Euros per night for a twin room. According to the web site, it was renovated entirely in 2000 and all rooms have air conditioning.

How is the location? This is one of the cheapest hotels with air conditioning that I have seen.

No info on TripAdvisor.

The route planner site seems to indicate that it would take 30-45 minutes to get to major sights by metro from this hotel. Is that accurate?

http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/pivi/f_pivi.htm

I don't recall passing the specific property, but the "30-45 minutes by metro" estimate to major sites makes it sound a lot more off the beaten path than it looks like it would actually be, in my view.

Perhaps it isn't so bad as the route planner makes it sound by metro.

Using mappy.fr, I found that the pedestrian route from this hotel is 3.7 km from Gare du Nord, and 3.4 km from the Louvre.

Does that improve the situation, or is this hotel still really not useful for a tourist?

I know exactly where it is, as a friend used to live a couple of doors down on that street. It's certainly not a peripheral area. It's around 10-15 minutes walk to Place de la Bastille, 20-25 to the Marais. Lots of shops, bars and restaurants nearby. Bastille area does get very lively at night and during weekends due to the number of popular clubs and bars around there. HOwever, the hotel itself isn't in a noisy stretch, I don't think.
Excellent Sunday markets nearby at Place d'Aligre and at Bastille. Metro stop is Ledru Rollin (line 8). There's an Ibis hotel nearby too, on rue Trousseau (if I remember correctly).

Hi Will,

www.multimap.com might help you with your decision.

It certainly looks like a nice hotel. It's a very good price. There are two metro stops within 6 blocks.

hanl, you are right about the nearby Ibis:
http://www.ibishotel.com/ibis/ficheh...he_hotel.shtml
(BTW, that Ibis says it is air-conditioned also and it has a rate of 85 Euros per night.)
Thanks for the other info about the location.

Ira, thanks for the multimap link.

I kind of like that area, it's interesting and a little different.

I believe that estimate, it takes about 30-45 min by metro to go lots of places in Paris, especially if you have to transfer. I think people underestimate the time they really spend doing that, door-to-door. When I stay near Raspail metro, I have to give myself about 45 min to get to the Opera Garnier for a performance to make sure I'm not late, for example.

Which would be a better area to stay in - Bastille or Montparnasse?

I have the rate of 85 Euros per night with the Mercure Raspail (the manager told me it has individual units), and I have the rate of 72 Euros per night with Comfort Hotel Bastille (the manager told me it has central air conditioning).

With that difference, I would choose the better location and air conditioning of the two. Any ideas?

It would seem then that you often don't save much time using the metro over walking, if the 30-45 minute estimates are correct for going a distance of less than 4 km.

I am still seriously considering this one, but I found this bit from a Virgin.net review:

http://www.virgin.net/travel/resortf...perty?id=21739

"Simple B&B making an effort in shabby far-flung area."

That makes me rather nervous.

This sounds better though:

http://www.jack-travel.com/Paris/Par...ueCharonne.htm

I would say that whoever wrote the Virgin review has clearly never been to any of the real far-flung shabby corners of Paris! The area is neither upscale nor downscale.

Will I think it is a nice area. Nothing spectacular like the more expensive central area but a nice little middle class neighborhood that is probably fairly devoid of tourists compared to a more central location. Hotel looks nice from the photos.

The RATP is probably taking in to consideration walking times from the hotel to the metro... I would lean to the 30 minute side more than the 45 min side.

That said I would much prefer the Mercure Raspail. The location is much better from a transport point of view and the neighborhood is a bit more upscale with lots of choice for restaurants and cafes.

MorganB, I had to change my plans for my May trip to Paris, and will now probably go in June, 17-26. Would your advice be to book a hotel with a/c for that period?
Thanks.
Keren

We have stayed at the IBIS and from what I can tell on maporama I think that is a more convenient location than the Comfort--and I wouldn't stay there again myself. However we were about 2 blocks form one Metro and about 4 from Bastille metro. There is an excellent street market on blvd. Richard Lenoir near the Ibis. However your Comfort Inn is a 3* and the Ibis is definitely a 2*--squeaky clean but tiny rooms. I think if you search you could find a similar rate in a more interesting area.Or use the Ibis--it is closer to Bastille.

Gretchen, I didn't have any problem finding better rates elsewhere - except for the requirement of air conditioning. It's frustrating, but thanks to the posters here, I understand it's necessary. Here is a description of the A/C from an email I got from a staff member: "The system of air conditioning is an integrated system into the whole of the building. Only appear in the room a grid of ventilation and the case of independent drive." I'm hoping this is actually a good type of A/C.

Morgan, I will have my 17-year-old son along and he is looking forward to testing takeout pizza margherita all over Paris, just like he did in Scandinavia last year. (I will look for something else, of course.) Given we won't be doing much, if any fine dining, does that make a difference in your recommendation of the Mercure Raspail vs. Comfort Hotel Bastille?

Will,

There are a variety of restaurants in the Raspail area both upscale and simple.

Here is why I perfer the Raspail area and based on that maybe you can see if that is important to you or not:

1) Very clean area of Paris
2) Buildings are attractive in the Hausmann style
3) Close to the Luxembourg Gardens and St Germain des Pres.
4) central location, access to two Metro lines one which leads to Chatelet ( major hub) the other which leads to Montparnasse (large hub), so better for access to major sites
5) Large selection of restaurants
6) Close to a neighborhood outdoor market

Beyond that its simply the way the neighborhood "feels" that I like which I cant really quantify.

I would be a bit more pleased with the Comfort Inn if it were closer to Bastille. I find it a tad bit remote.

Hope that helps you.

Morgan

That does make Mercure Raspail sound better, Morgan. I also like that it seems to have easy access from CDG (where we are coming from) and easy access to Orly (where we are going to).

Keren,

I would still be inclined to go for AC from mid June on. It was very hot last year the last week of June and that was not during the tragic heat wave here. Its really a hard call because Paris can have a mild summer all around with only a few hot days and you may get here and not need the AC at all.

I would personally book a hotel in May without AC but the further into June the more inclined I would be to try to find one with. I guess it also depends on if you can grin and bear the heat or not and how much of a gambler you are.

Morgan, I have been using the tool at http://www.pagesjaunes.fr to explore neighborhoods and I agree with your assessment of the two neighborhoods based on that.