First time travellers to Paris
 

My husband and I will be going to PAris for the first time for 4 days this october. We just booked the most reasonable hotel we could find online. The Hotel Kyriad in 51 Rue Letort. Any idea what the place around there is like? Is it very far from the major attractions?
Any information would be useful at this point.
Thanks!

It looks like that is way out in the 18th arrondissement, so yes, it is pretty far from the major sites. However, the Paris subway is supposed to be very good.

That hotel does seem to have good feedback on tripadvisor.com though.

When you say "reasonable", what rate do you mean? You're way up by the Porte de Clignancourt, not the neighborhood I'd pick for a first visit.

Yes, it is a distance from the major attractions, which means a lot of rides on the metro. But, fear not, the metro system in Paris is good!

The Paris métro IS very good, but staying out in the 18th means long rides into central Paris, where many of the prime sights are located. You won't have the advantage of being able to return quickly to your hotel during the day.

I'm sure we can help you find another reasonable (what's your budget?) hotel that's not so far out.

well, we can't really cancel the booking now. however we could still go by metro and be in the city center right? i guess i just want to know if travel time by train is reasonable going to the louvre, eiffel, etc.

I'd cancel that reservation. It's WAY out in the boondocks and though I don't know the exact street, that area is not pleasant at night - not necessarily unsafe, but pretty seedy.

Paris is full of great inexpensive hotels. Let us know what your budget is and we'll steer you to some MUCH better choices.

ok...i'd say i would spend at most $100 a night. i need to cancel and make another reservation soon because we need to secure a french visa. they are requiring us to give them a faxed confirmation from the hotel we're staying at.

Why can't you cancel?

Yes, the hotel is only a couple of blocks from the metro, but it's a long way away from the attractions and you will be on the métro a long time. Once you leave in the morning, you'll pretty much have to stay out all day and evening, because there won't be much of anything to do in the neighborhood of the hotel at night - it's not a great neighborhood.

Try this:

www.hotel-de-france.com

It's in the 7th and doubles were 72 euros in August. I've been staying there for years. Great location, good value, close to sites.

Others can make many other suggestions.

CNX ASAP. Listen to smart folks like StCirq who have been going to PARIS for many, many years.

got it. the website is under construction though. do you have a number i can call? i will also need the hotel to fax me a confirmation letter that i can show to the french embassy. will they do that? i tell you, applying for a visa can be such a pain.

Yes, Hotel de France:

Tel: (direct dial from USA) 011-33-147-05-40-49

Fax: 011-33-1-45-56-96-78

All staff speak English.

thanks for the tips! i cancelled the other rsvn and making the new one now. wish me luck with the visa.

They always fax me a reservation confirmation, so I'm sure they'll be happy to fax whatever you need for the visa. Good luck!

This is the essence of this board - a first traveller on the verge of a big mistake instead ends up having a wonderful first impression and a great time in Paris. Kudos, St. Cirq.

Smart move tobyandchie! Your experience will be sooo much more enjoyable, as you'll be right in the heart of things.

When I visited in May , my Paris based friend told me not to stay so far out
as it is not convenient. If you want to spend some time each day on the metro,fine but time is so precious when there is so much to see. Also, not that great an area. We stayed at the Hotel Castex and loved it for its convenience around 3 and 4 AR.
Very clean, quiet and tasteful and has
water sprinklers. Right across from the best IndoChine restaurant - literally 20 feet away. Near VERY good bakery , cafe etc if you make a left outside the hotel. Very safe place even late at night. Cancel that other place, you won't be sorry. Some parts of Paris is like being in Harlem - except that there is a lot of immigrants and if you don't understand French too well, it may be scary to be wondering about .... we were a bit nervous as we got off the metro to get to the Sacre Couer and thought we were in Africa.

Everything is close to everything in Paris, thanks to the Métro, but it's true that the 18th is probably one of the least desirable places to be, because there's virtually nothing of interest there, so every session of sightseeing requires Métro rides (or long walks).

Immigration mostly from Africa has been very significant in recent decades and today you will see substantial numbers of black Africans and Arabs and their descendants in most parts of Paris, with many women dressed in Muslim garb to one degree or another.

No matter where you stay the Metro is regular and fast but you do need to have your wits about you just as we all do at anytime , anywhere when using public transport as a Parisian friend kept reminding me on my last trip in March this year .So keep your purse in front of you ,closed and safe - all the obvious. Buy ' un carnet ' from the metro ticket seller.It is a book of 10 tickets for single journeys and costs about 13 euros from memory.Cheaper to buy tickets this way .These tickets activate the entry / exit gates at stations . The line you want to travel is numbered and based on the direction you want to travel which is shown by the terminating station .A single trip may mean using a couple of trains but all for the price of a single ticket.There are maps in the staions and on the trains .It is not hard to use .I used it a lot on a recent trip including to and from de Gaulle airport ( although the ticket to it is more expensive than a standard single billet ( ticket ) .
Besides looking at all the obvious places I strongly recommend ,if you have time ,to go and see Sainte Chappelle on the Ile de la Cite - it was the Royal chapel and is a miraculous example of medieval architecture and stained glass which when the sun hits it dazzles in its beauty .Its exterior belies what lies within and above.Just one example of why Paris is so lovely .Happy travel .