Montmarte-a romantic place to stay at?
 

hello! I will be going to Paris with a girl I am planning to court any advice on a romantic area to stay at? :-)

I've read about Montmarte and the romantic ambience it has but the downside is that it is a bit far away from the tourist spots is it true?

or should i just choose a place near the Metro stop in Montmarte and it would make going around Paris convenient?

any suggestions on where to stay would be appreciated

Thanks!

I am taking the woman who I have already courted and this will be our third visit. ANYWHERE in Paris can be romantic...its up to you chum ! Let her close her ideas and you surprise her !! It is a magic place. Then make sure you honeymoon on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia ( Lizard Island...OK !!)

I meant close her eyes....but close her ideas works as well !

Short answer - yes. Montmnatre is very romantic. However, the romantic part - Montmatre - is up on a hill & not very near a Metro station. The nearest Metro stations are in slightly sleazy area. Doesn't bother me but would it bother you ?

Hi al,

Montmartre ain't "An American in Paris".

It is not without its charm, but it is very hilly and not convenient to the major sights, sounds, smells of Paris.

The area around Place Pigalle contains a number of sex shops and sleazy joints.

I suggest staying in the Marais (4th) or Latin Quarter (5th).

Also see Paris Superthread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519236

100 Great Things to Do in Paris
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mp;tid=1277898

Degas’s Paris Walks
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34712768

>I will be going to Paris with a girl I am planning to court....<

Gosh, I courted them before I took them to Paris. :)

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

"not convenient to the major sights"

Moot point, Ira - wouldn't you consider that Montmatre *is* one of the major sights ?

And it's not like all the other "major sights" are close to each other - like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower ? You have to take the metro to a lot of places, wherevef you are staying. I think Montmatre is a lovely place for a romantic stay & all the nicer for being not full of crowds at night.

Hi CE,

Chacun a son gout.

((I))

Have you been to Paris before?

Montmarte would not be my idea of a romantic place to stay compared to other areas of Paris, like the 6th. Its not at all convenient to the best sights in Paris and has some seedy areas all around it.

Staying in the 4th, 5th, 6th is preferable in my opinion.

Montmartre is probably more "nostalgic" than "romantic"... has a lot of 'artistic' history but also the pitfalls mentioned above.

I would think a location near the Seine would be more romantic, as you could go for beautiful walks along/across the river, tiny Ile St Louis, watch the bridges light up at night, river boats cruising by....

The name "Montmartre" (two 'r's' in the name, in case you're doing a search) supposedly comes from being once known as the mont, or the hill, of the martyrs. Three prominent members of the church were decapitated there around 250.

Of course, things looked up after that.... :)

It's a very historical part of Paris, somewhere to visit, for sure, but expect opinions to vary as to whether to stay there.

I don't know about romantic, but it can be neighborhoody, and maybe nostalgic. But there are metro stops in Montmartre that are not in sleazy areas, so that isn't a given. A lot of people never really see most of Montmartre and so don't know what it's like or where to stay, etc. There are only a couple stops that I'd say are in sleazy areas.

if you stay near the Lamarck Caulaincourt metro, that is a nice neighborhood and not sleazy at all. I hve no idea if there are hotels up there, though. There are some hotels along rue Caulaincourt, maybe halfway between bd de Clichy and the Lamarck metro. There is a bus that runs along there, but I don't think that location would be so convenient.

Even if you are near a metro stop, it will take you longer to get places from way up there, of course.

I agree with Ira & others that Montmartre is:
1. too remote from most of the major sites
2. Close enough to some really sleezy areas that won't give you a good impression of Paris. You can perhaps avoid them once you know the "lay of the land" after 2-3 days - but why subject yourself to them for any length of time?

To me, romantic is walking along the Seine or around the perimeter of the Ile St Louis late at night after dinner. Quiet corners in the Jardin du Luxembourg, Place de Vosges, views from many of the bridges over the Seine, sitting on a chair in the Tuileries watching the world go by, and walking through the Palais du Louvre courtyard late at night with the windows of the Louvre lit up from inside.

I've explored the Montmartre area many times, and sections of it are quite nice - but I would not want to stay there. Find a place near Rue Jacob in the 6th & enjoy being in the center of things and close to the Seine.

Stu Dudley

Hi, Montmartre would not be my choice either, though worth a visit while you're there. I find the Marais and Latin Quarters the most romantic, and close to many museums which are high on my to do list.

I'll also add my two cents that Montmarte would not be my choice for a romantic getaway in Paris. Personally, I love to stay at Hotel L'Astor in the 8th. But there are many other areas that I'd choose before Montmarte.