First Trip to Paris
 

As part of a larger trip we will be traveling by train from London to Paris in August. We will have 2 nights in Paris and then will need to move to one of the hotels in Disneyland Paris for 2 nights.

I am struggling with where to stay the first 2 nights, in order to make the most of our short time.

*We are 3 adult females and will want someplace safe to be out late and walk, with access to restaurants that are open later.

*Budget is important, but so isn't maximizing our short visit- ideally no more than 400 per night.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Well, 400 anything (dollars or euros) per night should get you a decent place in Paris. So I wouldn't worry so much about the budget.

The first question to ask with Paris is: what part do you want to stay in? Paris, as you probably know now, is huge. You need to pick an <i>arrondissement</i> (district - they are numbered) to stay in. Which arrondissement? Lots of people have their own preferences, like a favorite flavor of ice cream. You kind of need to decide for yourself.

I've stayed in a few areas of Paris over the years. In May I stayed in the 5th arrondissement, which is near the Notre Dame. This area is fairly touristy but also quite safe, I felt (although someone pulled a hammer on a policeman in that area a week after my visit, one reason that was shocking was because how safe that area usually is). I would recommend the area - but there are other good areas. There's no right answer.

Hop on the website Booking.com and use the map feature to look for places in different arrondissements. (Like the 5th.) You can also filter by price, then hover over each place and read its reviews on Booking.com (which are written by people who have stayed there). If you are not sure about a place or two you are choosing between, you can also look up their reviews on Trip Advisor. I have learned to read between the lines on some of those reviews - throw out the too-good-to-be-true reviews (maybe fake) and the too-unreasonable-to-be-useful reviews. Read a bunch of the reviews, get a feel for the place and the area around it.

*We are 3 adult females and will want someplace safe to be out late and walk, with access to restaurants that are open later.>

anything in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th arrondissements should be fine-centrally located and like most of Paris safe as possible at night.

"3 adult females"..."need to move to... Disneyland Paris for 2 nights"?

While you don't owe us a thing I'm sure I'm not the only one questioning this allotment of days and giving equally of precious travel time to both Paris and Disneyland, first rate city and 2nd? 3rd? rate manufactured attraction? No mention of young children who must be entertained. Just wondering.

I, too, wondered at the Paris Disneyland visit since your time in Paris is so limited. But, to each their own!

I would also add the 6th arrondissement is very nice and safe for walking at night. You can do a search here for "Paris hotels" and find many Fodorites have enjoyed.

If you mention what sights you are planning to see during your short stay, you might be able to get more suggestions regarding hotel locations.

The St Germain area has tons of hotels, cafes and restaurants. Not sure of your age....if you are looking for more bars/nightlife Bastille/oberkampfe may be of interest.

I'll concur with the St Germain suggestion, an area I really fell in love with. St Germain is in the 6th, and the nearby Sorbonne area is the 5th, also known as the "Latin" quarter. A hotel in or near "Luxembourg Gardens"(Le Jardin du Luxembourg) will fit your needs nicely. Of course, this is all "left Bank" - some posters will insist "Right Bank" is more right than left. You'll have to decide for yourselves.

I will also echo the question above. DisneyEuro?? As they would say in my mom's favorite TV show, "Loocy, 'splain!"

I'd suggest the 6th arrondissement, due to the excellent transportation options and the ability to walk to most anything you want to see or do.
The area around Metro Odeon has a plethora of hotels.

Maybe they are interested in the outlet shopping mall in EuroDisney area?

What caught my eye was "need to move" to Disneyland Paris, like it's not an option?

If there is any choice involved, you won't regret staying in Paris!

With only two nights for Paris I would want to stay somewhere central, so would pick a hotel in the 5th or 6th arrondisement.

Inquiring minds really DO want to know why you want to go to Disney?

I like the 4th arrondissment -- the Marais, which has classic narrow streets, the beautiful Place des Vosges, lots of nearby sights, and good transport to others. It can be crowded at night, but that's true of all the arrondissments recommended.

But, as others said, the 3rd through 6th are great places to stay.

ssander

Some of use really don't care if a total stranger on the internet wants to move to Disneyland, and that didn't "catch our eye." What difference does it make. To the OP--there are just a bunch of nosy busybodies on this thread who want to criticize the plans, it's not idle curiosity, they want to tell you off.

Anywhere in the center is fine for a couple days and will be convenient, I'd suggest arr. 4-6.

Well I try to be non-judgmental but I do think it might be helpful to the OP and her friends to suggest rethinking 2 days in Disneyland. But maybe there's some particular reason why they have to go there - a conference they have to attend perhaps? - so like most people I'm curious (or a nosy busybody) as to why 3 adult females would make that choice.

This is obvious, but here it is: In addition to the booking websites, check all the regular tour guide books for hotel recommendations. It's pretty hard to get a bad one, if it's listed in one of the major books.

ssander

They WANT to go to Disney for 2 days. They don't need to tell us "why". Sheez!

Exactly!

Quite to the contrary . . Lord knows I've made some travel decisions which did not stand up to the scrutiny of this group. I am certainly not here to judge - rather I am curious, and also want to ensure the OP has an opportunity to think through some assumptions that may or may not be valid, Hopefully, this can be done in a supportive environment.

There is interest in knowing why you need to move on to Disneyland. Not judging just curious?????