My 20 year-old daughter will be going to Paris on her own for 3 days & nights in mid-April. We need suggestions for lodging for her that won't break the bank, but are also safe. She's open to staying in hostels, etc.; She will need to be reasonable walking distance to public transportation. She's in good health and doesn't mind walking a mile or so to get places, but of course safety is my primary concern. I'd appreciate information on good resources for finding lodging that fits the above criteria.
Thank you!

>> that won't break the bank <<

We have no idea how big her bank is . . . what is the actual budget?

Well, that's a fair question; I have no idea how prices run there. I guess I should have phrased it "mid- to low-priced" for the area. Obviously she'll have to pay the going rate for the area, but there are no doubt various price points for lodging. Thank you!

This is our go to low end hotel in the 11th. http://www.cosmos-hotel-paris.com/fr,1,6436.html

It's a bit farther away from the river but us safe and has lots of nightlife for the younger crowd.

She should be able to get a basic room for about €60-70 which is quite cheap in Paris.

It does not help to be coy about dollar amounts if the cost is a concern. What do you consider "mid- to low-priced"?

She should stay in hostels and meet other people her age. The hostel web sites have ratings and feedback. Have her take a look at them. Prices are about E25 to E30.

Paris is a city and has fabulous public transportation. I think I read once that no where in Paris is more than 250 meters from a metro station plus there are buses everywhere.

Walking is the best way to get around as you actually see something of the city. A mile is nothing in a day of sightseeing. At 20 I would expect her to be able to walk 10 miles a day.

We like the Hotel Port Royal, which is a budget hotel by Parisian standards:

http://www.port-royal-hotel.fr/

It's in a very nice neighborhood, on the outer edge of the 5th arrondissemente. It's an easy walk to the Luxembourg Gardens and the Jardin des Plantes. It's very near a metro stop, and a bus stops nearby that goes to several train stations, as well as to other useful places.

If your daughter likes to walk, she could walk to Notre Dames, Sainte Chapelle, and other places on the other bank. We walked to nearly everything from there.

Most of the rooms in this hotel share a bath, and you have to buy tokens to take a shower (timed). We got a room with a private bath, which costs more. The room was small, but very clean. There was a dearth of electrical outlets, and I would have liked to have a three-way plug and an extension cord, because the only free outlet was about shoulder-height on a wall, with nothing on which to rest whatever I was charging. This is the only complaint I could make. The staff were very helpful.

If and when I return to Paris, this is where I would choose to stay.

She should look at the Let's Go Student Guide which will provide info on hostels - as well as the standard web sites.

Most hostels in Paris are fine but there are a few that are dicey in terms of heavy drinking, drugs and theft. This is NOT a place to try save money - she should pick the best and pay what it costs.

As I single young woman I probably would not want to stay in a hotel - rather a place I would meet other students I could travel with during the day.

I still have no idea what her budget is (why the reluctance to give. $/€ amount? )

'Not break the bank' and 'Mid to low priced' are similarly vague. You/ she must have some idea how much wants to/ can spend. But you've received some suggestions you can run with . . .

I would encourage you to let her do her own research. In the process, she'll not only find out about the place she ultimately stays at, but also about places where she doesn't want to stay and/or wants to avoid. Moreover, if something happens on the ground in Paris, she'll be much more flexible/able to deal with it.

On my first trip to Paris I stayed at the Familia in the 5th. The staff was super helpful and really nice. Breakfast is included in the fee and the location id great. It's a small hotel and very basic. I liked it so much I am staying at its sister property next door- The Minerve on my trip in August..Minerve is a little more expensive than Familia. The location is awesome-close to the Metro and she can walk anywhere-the street has a real "neighborhood" feel. We met really nice, interesting people on that block.

Hi Miriam_Kroschel,

As you seem to be hanging your price preference on the going rate for the area, I thought I'd just give you an idea.

A single room in a 3-star hotel in the inner rings (Arr. 1-6) of Paris run from around 100 Euro per night to 150 Euro. Sometimes you can get specials around 87 or 95 Euro.

So, is that what she can afford to pay? Or does she need to go lower or can she go higher than that?

s

Thank you, everyone. All of your suggestions and feedback are helpful. I wasn't meaning to be 'coy' or vague'. We had no idea where to start in terms of price, as this is "new territory" to us. She's on a budget, so that's why we wanted to get a feel for the going rates in Paris while still attempting to find safe areas. I agree, she is old enough to do her own research, and I'm going to have her take it from here. At least we now know (thanks to suggestions here) some ideas on where to start looking, and it's also helpful to know about the "Let's Go Student Guide."
Thank you very much!! I appreciate your time and help.

Let's go is a good guide. The above-named Port Royal is definitely cheap for Paris, it's only a 1* hotel, I believe, but a good location. Cheap for Paris would be 125 euro or less for a double room in April IMO. Roughly. There aren't many rooms below 100 euro in the center any more, it seems to me.

The Hotel COllege de France is one of the cheapest in the Latin Qtr, for example, it's a good location. Rooms will be small. https://www.hotel-collegedefrance.com/en/ Doubles are 118 euro and up.

If you really want cheap, not moderate, the H du Commerce in the Latin Qtr is one step up from a hostel and has some rooms without private bath. It has rates beginning 78 euro. Very good location.
http://www.commerceparishotel.com/


those are just a couple ideas but some of the best values in that area, from my experience.

I believe I found the Port Royal in another budget travel guide, the Guide Routard, a French series. I have the Italian version; I don't know if there's an English version, but it's really a great guide for budget travel. We also used this guide when traveling in Spain.

Your daughter would meet plenty of other students at the Port Royal when she's waiting in line for the shower, with her token in hand. Not that there were long lines, but there was always a convivial bunch there with their towels and shampoo.

I really want to emphasize how much we liked the neighborhood. The hotel is on a tree-lined boulevard. There are enough restaurants (including a very good Indian restaurant next door), but it's not a touristy neighborhood at all. The hotel was a budget hotel; one-star sounds about right, but it was clean, with a comfortable bed, and a very helpful staff. It's exactly the kind of place I like to stay.