I will be traveling on business to Europe at the end of September and plan to take a few vacation days at the end of the first week in October. I will be spending three days in Paris. I know the city very well (used to live there for 2 years) but can't find an inexpensive hotel in the 5th or 6th arrondissements that is available!<BR><BR>Any suggestions?<BR><BR>Thanks!

it would really help of you say WHO have you already checked and WHAT is inexpensive to you?

It's just late to try to book a hotel for the first week in October -- I believe the Paris Auto Show is during that time and it's very difficult, booked up months ahead. I arrived once during that time period when I didn't know any better without a hotel reservations and it took me hours on the phone calling maybe 20 hotels and then I got a room for one night. However, in retrospect, I probably should have just gone directly to the Champs Elysees Paris tourist office and had them help me, I didn't want to go there from the train station without knowing if I could get a room. <BR><BR>Since you've lived there two years, you should probably know better than folks on here where to look and less popular hotels. Try for ones not mentioned much in any guidebook, etc -- I think the Arenes near metro MOnge might be an idea. I do have another idea, the Hotel Pierre Nicole down near Port Royal metro is a nice 2 star that is not mentioned ANYWHERE and you might try them (you'll have to look in the phonebook for phone no.). I attended music school down there at the Schola Cantorum and they used that hotel, and some other academics do, also, but it's not in any guidebook. I didn't stay in it but several people I know did and they said it was "lovely". They weren't young kids who didn't expect much but a hostel, either, so it's probably okay.<BR><BR>Other than that, you might have to branch out to an outer arrondisement.

not sure what your expense budget is or what the current hotel rates are, but two hotels that don't get much press but that are wonderfully located are<BR>both on rue St Roch in the 1st; one is the St-Romain (might be called the Louvre St-Romain these days) and the other is the Louvre Montana

Eileen I have stayed at the Hotel des Arenes on rue Monge. I found it to be great. I had a room with double bed, color tv (either satelite or cable), bathroom was ensuite. The first room they gave me had a tub in the shape of a square. I changed rooms as I like to soak in a tub after a long day. They were accomodating. I think I paid $80 roughly but that was in November of 97.<BR>Do a search on Google and youll get their rates. Good luck