Help me plan a vacation to Paris!
 

I'm trying to put together a nice but inexpensive trip to Paris for myself & my husband (seniors) plus my sister for June or July. I'm looking for someplace near the Eiffel Tower. Ideally, I'd like a small apartment, but I don't want to spend over $1500 for a week. I'd also consider a B&B (2 rooms) or a hotel (2 rooms) for no more than $1500 total. The cost of the flight will be expensive enough. Any recommendations?

Suggest you look at either VRBO http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...e-france/paris or Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/s/Paris?af=19...FdF_QgodPHUAaQ for apartments in Paris. There are a number of rental agencies recommended on this site, as well, but they tend to be a bit more expensive.

I suggest you start looking right away, as many of the better places are taken a year in advance. We nailed down ours through Airbnb a couple of months ago for this coming May.

Sorry about that huge URL for Airbnb. I should have used TinyURL.

the Tour Eiffel area is not IMO the best place to stay in Paris either location wise or character wise - not that it's seedy or anything but the neighborhoods just do not seem so romantic, save for the infamous Rue Cler, bien sur!

Something more central will allow you to walk to many sights.

Agree with PalenQ....I don't love the ET area to stay in and it can be quite expesive. I would consider another area to get more for your money. I would look for something close to the Metro to get around easily. If you want to be close to the ET, look into staying in the 15th arrondisement, it will be close and far less expensive.

Why do you think you want to be near the Tour? Romantic costs.
Find a nice place to stay and concentrate on making it ALL memorable for everyone.

If you want to be near the Tour Eiffel, that's where you should stay and not let anyone discourage you. There's absolutely no point staying anywhere else if you'd really rather be near the Eiffel Tower.

Finding an apartment or hotel within that budget (for three people) could be a challenge, because it's a bit late to be looking for this coming June/July, very popular months, so the most appealing/economical places book up well in advance.

Many have reported success with airbnb, but you really have to know what you're doing when choosing a property.

It's more expedient to use a resource that can provide availability for all their properties with one inquiry. I've had great luck with VacationinParis and especially appreciate the terms and having the key in hand on arrival, as a meet/greet requirement for most rentals is not as convenient as you would presume.

If you think you'd need/want air conditioning, that's not common in apartments, so you may prefer a hotel.

I would only discourage your staying near the Eiffle Tower for one reason and that is cost. The 7th arrondissement, where the ET is found, is the richest arrondissement in Paris and trying to find accommodations there within your stated budget might be more difficult than anywhere else. You might find something next door in the 15th which is also a good area but many visitors prefer to be central near Île de la Cité or the 4th, 5th, or 6th arrondissements.

I can include a couple of hotel names in the 5th which might be of interest and are close to your budget window:

http://www.hotel-diana-paris.com/
http://www.hotel-marignan.com/
http://www.hotelchopin.fr/ (This hotel is in a lot of guidebooks so book very early here)

There are several chambres d´hotes (B&B) which you might find appealing:

http://www.chambre-ville.com/centre1.html
http://www.2binparis.com/
http://www.goodmorningparis.fr/

Apartments might work well as there are more than two in your group. I would try one or two of the largest groups:

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...e-france/paris

If you want to be near the Tour Eiffel, that's where you should stay and not let anyone discourage you. There's absolutely no point staying anywhere else if you'd really rather be near the Eiffel Tower.>

of course but perhaps they only want to be near the Tour because that is what they know of Paris - a romantic notion but not the best practical for most folks - a ritzy neighborhood is fine but I prefer the older more intimate areas like Montparnasse, the Left Bank near the Sorbonne and Luxembourg Gardens or any more centrally located area.

But yes the Eiffel area is completely OK if you want to stay there.

Of course it is fine--we love the 7th, but not on that budget in an acceptable hotel. Our children DID stay in a hotel on that budget, and it is definitely for the younger set.
There are hotels that have triples if that was a possibility--but the OP said "two rooms".
An Ibis hotel or similar would fit the budget well for two rooms, squeaky clean--not near the Tower, but there are many fun and interesting neighborhoods in central Paris.
I may be mistaken but I think some B&Bs in Paris are basically an extra room in a person's apartment that is rented out. Before I did that for a week, I'd really need to check it out. I am prepared to be corrected for this impression.

"Bed and Breakfast" means different things in different places. The idea of renting a room in someone's home, the North American meaning, is not so common in Paris. Sarastro has given you one French equivalent; you might also encounter "gite" although a more accurate translation is small inn.
When you do find "bed and breakfast" it is more likely to carry the British meaning of a small hotel with breakfast, possibly family-run. Many other hotels are set up the same way but charge for the breakfast.
To stick to a budget you may need to widen your geographic search. Rather than concentrating on a landmark, I look for a convenient Metro station, particularly one with more than one line. Then it is easy to get anywhere, including Eiffel, and save money too. The Ibis suggestion is a good one to set the base for your search; the chain is reliable (though bland) and has dozens of branches all over. www.ibishotels.com

"Bed and Breakfast" means different things in different places. The idea of renting a room in someone's home, the North American meaning, is not so common in Paris

I don't find that meaning at all in the US. A BB would be a small inn in a sort of home setting. And I know "gite", but in Paris, are there such--I have seen references to what I described occasionally--renting a room, and that would really turn me off!!.
Not trying to be difficult, but I'd really like to know what that really is in Paris--out in the countryside, I would know what it is.
So maybe as you say, hotels call themselves B&Bs.

As often, the devil is in the details. Some apartments, some rooms in an apartment, etc.
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/paris-france.html

Hi, I'm italian girl and I visited Paris in last year. Paris is fantastic but also more expensive!
I stay with my boyfriend in a B&B near the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle. This place is fantastic!
for your trip I advise you to look the site www.housetrip.com
There are many apartments for rent and are very cheap.
Paris is fantastic, good trip!

Before renting with housetrip, search in the tripadvisor Paris forum. There are quite a few critical comments there.

I don't understand why people want to stay near the Eiffel Tower myself. If you are in Paris, you will see it at times and can visit, not sure why you want to stay near it. However, while that area is expensive real estate, it isn't really the most expensive part for hotels, they are actually very reasonable compared to other parts of Paris (eg St Germain where some people on Fodors like to stay). So money isn't a reason not to stay there, you can find a decent hotel for $200 a night just as easily there as in many other places, depending on your standards. But you aren't going to get a lot for that anywhere in Paris (for 2 rooms for that, or $100 each).

I think the OP does expect a B&B to be cheap and renting a room in someone's house, or why mention it as some cheap alternative?

I would suggest you consider late July as many hotels drop their rates then and it will be much easier to find something in that budget or close to it, although there won't be much at any time, in any are of Paris for that price. That is only around 70 euro a night. I doubt if that is very feasible. 100-125 euro a night would be possible. This is one of the cheapest hotels in that area, the Champ de Mars, and it has singles for 105 euro and doubles for 130, so that's about as good as you'll likely get.
http://www.hotelduchampdemars.com

The 2* Royal Phare nearby as singles from only 89 euro and doubles from 105 euro if you stay 3 nights, that's pretty darn good. And those are regular rates, they might be lower at end of July. http://www.hotel-royalphare-paris.com/

the Hotel de Lille is more over towards the Orsay museum (which could be more convenient) and is one of the few 2* hotels left in that area. It has rooms from around 100 euro, and does have AC, which is nice. http://www.hoteldelille.com/

This is another 2* hotel and is more over towards the Tour, its rooms are also around 100-120 euro http://www.paris-eiffelrivegauche.com/

OP likely only says they want to stay near the Eiffel Tower because for many tourist it seems to be the center of Paris to them. Its not. Stay in the 4th, 5th, or 6th .. more central and more character then the 7th, which is residential in some areas and can be boring. Some people like boring though.

The housetrip apartment near Pigalle is probably a bad choice .. its not an area most seniors would like, sex shops etc.. fine for young or those who don;t mind a bit of grit.. but i have a feeling you wouldn't like the area. I know I wouldn't and I am not a senior.

There are alot of hotels that will fit the bill.

Hotel Diana is a good, clean, and air conditoned hotel. Central. close to many sites and cafes etc.

Look at accorhotels.com, and for a cheaper price, consider after July 14. It is definitely possible to get two Paris hotel rooms for a week in your price range, but probably not in the 7th arrondisement near the Eiffel Tower.

This thread is interesting, and somewhat typical of Fodor's.

There is not one word in the OP's post about "romantic." The OP states she is a senior traveling with her husband plus her sister, and they are looking to stay in an inexpensive apartment near the Eiffel Tower. I'm not seeing "romance" in this scene. Most of those folk want <i>a view of the Eiffel</i> in their bedroom window. The closer you are, that big chunk of metal you see out your bathroom window ain't gonna do much. Seems to me, some of you are projecting.

If this thread is for real (the OP has not weighed in yet), there are tons of resources on the internet to guide you, for inexpensive hotels and apartments. I don't stay in 1-star properties, but I know plenty of people who do. And they all come back and tell me how much they loved Paris.

Personally, I would seek a more charming residential area. The choices are many. Enjoy your research.