I am just beginning to research our trip to Paris (and London). I was hoping someone could explain the different neighborhoods in Paris that someone might most likely stay in. I have been reading about different hotels/apts. on this board, but would like to pick a neighborhood first to target. It can also be confusing as sometimes they are referred to as numbers and sometimes by name. So perhaps the personalities of the nieghborhoods and suggestions of where you like to stay.

For the record we are a family of four (kids will be 10 and 13) we want to be in a central location within walking distance to most sights and near a metro for others. We recently came back from a trip to Italy and enjoyed staying near the Pantheon in Rome. So we like a neighborhood near cafes or patisserie and little shops. We will be in Paris for 6 nights (after 6 nights in London and 2 in Normandy).

If anyone has any specific hotel/apt. suggestions we are hoping to spend about 300 euro/night for a 3 star for either 2 bedrooms or a quad.

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Hi

Have a look at this link http://www.parisnet.net/parismap.html

See ya

worldinabag,

Awesome link--thanks.

Thank you, the descriptions on that website are excellent and have given me some clarity!

Any personal recommendations of where and why will still be appreciated if fodorites are willng.

It <b>is</b> confusing and the best way that we managed to figure out where to stay was to read every guide book we could, and looked at a lot of maps.
Research!

that said, my favorite for many reasons is the 6th arrondisement, Left Bank.
Every neighborhood in Paris has cafes and patisseries and shops. And the metro is easily available in most areas.

Have you read each and every thread on Fodors about Paris?
If you have not, then I recommend that.

Just kidding, you would be a very old person by the time you finished.
But I do recommend reading some trip reports and guide books.

My favorite street for hotels, rue Jacob.
Fave hotels, D'Angleterre, Danube and on the Ille St-Louis, the Lutece.
We rented an apt this past March, in the 7th .. but it turned out to be a bit expensive so you might not be interested.
You will be getting plenty of answers on this - everyone has their favorite hotel and area, you should have a good time reading all of them
Happy researching!

Scarlett brought up the apartment option; we are renting an apartment in June for only 80E/night (in the 16th), so there is something for every budget. It would give you more space, a kitchen, and maybe even a washing machine. If that option appeals to you, to get started you could look at the listings on vrbo.com.

I'm planning for my daughter and I for 2006. I hope we can rent the two bedroom apartment on Rue Borromee. It's in the 15th, not high tourist area, but easily accesible.

Have a grand time!

That washing machine -- a godsend.

My spouse was making the very same comment to me a couple of days ago, concerning our recent trip to Rome and Tuscany.

I imagine it is all the more salient with pre-teens. Allows you to pack light and always to have something clean.

Given the amount you are willing to spend you could find something quite nice in the apartment line.

I have stayed in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 16th and even in Neuilly -- each has its points, each has a neighbuorhood feel, though the character of each varies widely from the others.

Nothing in Paris is close to everything, as the city is so spread out and main sights are separated by huge public gardens, monumental boulevards and the river....

As the arrondissements are numbered in a spiral from the centre outward, the low numbers are the most central and the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th are the tourist favourites. The 7th and the huge 16th are the fanciest parts of town.

Bonsoir tedgale

Bonsoir, madame. I had planned to be at the cottage tonight but drizzling cold weather here in the northern wastes keeps us unexpectedly at home. Nothing to do this evening but to Fodor myself 'til bedtime.

A certain amount of Fodoring is good for a person, especially when the weather is bad. Here, we are under Tornado watch..mon dieu!

jgg - Ready access to a metro makes almost any location fine. My favorites would be 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 or parts of 10th or 20th. Heartily second the apartment option. Look at www.vrbo.com for many options. Once you have identified some options check back on this board for opinions.

We were in the same predicament a few months back when we were trying to understand the Paris area. Didn't have a clue. Looking at the map of Paris I decided being near the Seine, Notre Dame etc would give us somewhere to wander to, when we just wanted to sit and watch. i chose the Marais district and have since been very happy with all the comments I have heard and read.
Then decided upon an apartment giving us more freedom and especially having children, making snacks instead of having to find restaurants or cafes for each meal. Works out cheaper too.
Good luck. I know everyone seems to like where they have stayed on most of these postings so I guess you can't go wrong.

There are many others with better knowledge of Paris than I, but having just spent 10 days there, and having, I think, the same sort of priorities as you, I determined that next time we would stay in the Marais- the 4th- or the Quartier Latin, which is the bit of St Germain closest to the river in the 5th/6th.

Best of luck with your choice and don't forget to check in when you get back.

Good advice above IMO. Some of the Fodors posts can be both confusing and off-putting on this subject what with people acting as if everybody should know that big thing &quot;in the 7th&quot; is actually the Eiffel Tower and so forth.

It will ultimately depend on you. I have friends who wouldn't be caught dead in the Marais after they found out there are a lot of gay folks there; and have other friends who wouldn't stay anywhere else. We're going in July and will be staying in a new area (for us) and it is mainly because we'll only be in Paris for three nights and the rate was one we felt we could't pass up...even if it isn't &quot;in the 6th.&quot;

When you go, try to visit the other areas to get a slight, if nothing else, feel for them..all with the idea that you'll return.

Have a great trip.

Hi jgg,

The Marais is the 4th
The Latin Quarter is the 5th
St. Germain is the 6th

A helpful link is Paris Superthread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519236

We always stay at the Hotel Bonaparte, 61 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th. About 124E dbl w/bkfst. It is a 2*.

Their rooms 18 and 19 (or equivlent on other floors) are next to each other on a short corridor. 18 has a dbl bed, 19 twin beds. These might suit your requirements.

Hotel Bonaparte
Tel 33 1 43 26 97 37
FAX 33 1 46 33 57 67

For more info, enter &quot;Hotel Bonaparte&quot; in the &quot;search this forum&quot; box.

Thank you all so much for your help. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Your extra little tidbits of information are so helpful!

Ira - The Hotel Bonaparte gets excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. However, there appears to be no website and I can't find any pictures. Are there pictures anywhere on the web?

I also realized I forgot to also select France when I originally posted this. I don't suppose there is a way to change that after the fact??

Hi jgg,
I think if you choose France, it will still come up in Europe. That is (I think-I never use it) for research. I don't believe the Bonaparte has a website
A longtime poster here stayed at the Bonaparte this past January..I will find it for you.

Here you go~

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34554408

I pondered the same question last year when we stayed in Paris. We are a family of 4 also. We ended up renting an apartment with Paris Perfect. It was 2 blocks from the Eiffel tower-with a great view of the tower. In Paris, no matter where you stay, you will end up having to commute somewhere for the sights. But, I like our accommodations to be near great places to go in the evening. The 7th, always felt safe to wander in the evening. We wandered over to the Champs deMars, almost every nite, just for an evening stroll. Lots of people strolling around this area in the evenings. There were plenty of resturants/cafes within the block of our apartment. The best part was Rue Cler. My husband and I would wondered over there (5 minutes walk) to get bread, brie, fruit etc for breakfasts. This saved us quite a bit of money. We did wonderful take-out dinners twice, once purchased on Rue Cler that morning, which was as good as any resturant. Even though I had reserved the apartment, I didn't expect to be eating in. The kids loved doing this. After a long day of sight seeing, the kids wanted to just relax in the comfort of the apartment. The area was very safe, my husband &amp; I left the kids in the apartment one night-they watched videos, that were available in the apartment, and we went out for a nice dinner. We always travel with the 2 way radio's so we can check on the kids. This always gives me comfort. The apartment had a balcony with a small table and chairs, which over looked the Eiffel tower. We sat out on that balcony every day, enjoying the flashing lights of the Eiffel tower.
The bus stop, boat tours, and Metro stops were all within 5 minutes walk.
I was so pleased we rented the apartment, as a family of four, and we loved the one we stayed in.
Paris perfect seems to own a number of apartments in the same building.