Need some advice about where to stay in Paris or between Paris central and CDG for a pleasant night before heading to the airport in the morning to fly out of CDG. We're getting into Gare de l'Est in Paris in the afternoon and flying out from CDG the following mid-morning. Hoping to maximize the trip and enjoy the last night before flying out, so would rather not stay at the airport. How is the area around the Gare de l'Est or Gare du Nord, is it safe to stay around there with 2 kids? Alternatively we can stay somewhere along the way to CDG and take a taxi to CDG in the morning but don't know how those areas are, which can be pleasant to spend a late afternoon/ evening in before heading out for the airport in the morning. Thanks in advance.

The area of Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord is one of the best places that you can stay in Paris when you are not staying long enough to choose a more central area. Hotel rates are quite reasonable in every category of accommodation and there are fantastic choices for restaurants, but also for take-away food. For some very odd reason, people are often discouraged from the area just because it is a working class neighborhood, as though these people are not worthy of your attention. If I did not already live in Paris, it is probably the very first place that I would choose to look for a hotel.

We prefer our hotel to be closer to the river, because we enjoy walking around it so much. And despite all the tourists (like us!) we love walking by Notre Dame, and in the park behind it. Just saying I would stay nearby the places you plan on visiting during your brief stay, if possible. Last trip we stayed around St.Paul Metro because there's lots of pleasant walking, eating, and shopping, and it's a couple blocks to the Seine.

Thanks! Spending more days in Paris at the beginning of the trip- for this night it just needs to be safe and pleasant and convenient place to get to the airport since the flight is in the morning. Kerouac- sounds great! The real working class Paris is good, just didn't know about this area since people don't usually write about it, so wasn't sure if it's safe with kids. If you have any restaurant or hotel recommendations, would gladly take those.

We did a little architectural tour around the Gare du Nord area this past October. Lots of vagrants - more than around Montparnasse, or Lyon - other train stations we stay near for a one-nighter before flying home. You don't hear much about the gare du Nord for a reason - not much of interest in the area and it is a little scruftier that other places you could stay the night. I would not want to wander the streets at night looking for a restaurant with kids in tow if you are not familiar with large cities with some scrufty areas. I would do what jannad suggests and stay in near the Seine in the St Germain des Pres or Marais area - IMO, you'll feel more "comfortable" there.


Stu Dudley

I grew up in big cities i. e Paris and Montreal. I have two young kids and I would not be spending the night close to Gard du Nord for safety reason. Probably nothing woukd happen but It is not just me, where I can avoid eye contact and walk faster if necessary.

I don’t know the area near Gare de l’East so I can’t comment on that area.

I don't know how old your kids are but you might like the area around the Eiffel Tower. Every evening on the hour the lights sparkle for about 5 minutes. It really is a pretty sight and they might enjoy going up the tower at that time. There many nice restaurants in the area as well.

Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe, which is probably what frightens some people. There are two upper scale restaurants -- Terminus Nord directly across from the station and Etoile du Nord inside the station, but there are plenty of ordinary nice restaurants, too, with very reasonable prices. On the right hand side of Gare du Nord is the Faubourg Saint Denis, which is the heart of Little India going north -- it is a fascinating place to walk around and a sight that most tourists seem to miss. Going south along the Faubourg Saint Denis from Gare de l'Est is one of the new trendy areas of Paris, although it turns into "Little Kurdistan" as you approach Strasbourg-Saint Denis.

I made a full photo report about the street from start to finish a number of years ago. The lower end has changed quite a bit since then due to massive gentrification, but quite a few of the same shops are still there.

Paris streets: rue du Faubourg St. Denis (75010) | Any Port in a Storm

fascinating report Kerouac - sounds a great area to explore

I see nothing wrong with staying for one night near Gare du Nord. It is not the least bit dangerous as some might have you believe. It is a modest area without pretension but you're only there one night and for that it is fine.

Since it's just for one day, I would just go with an Ibis or an Ibis Styles -- between the two types of Ibis, they have 7 locations at Gare de l'Est/Gare du Nord. However, since those two stations have the biggest concentration of hotels in the entire city (which would not be the case if the area was unsafe), you can find both cheaper and more expensive on the various booking sites. I confess that I do not have any personal hotel experience in the area since I live less than 1km away. I have seen rooms in at least 5 of the hotels in the area when visiting friends staying there, and I would describe them as "utilitarian" and quite small, for the same reason as just about all of the old hotels in Paris -- bathrooms were added at a later date, and the space was almost always taken from the room itself. Hence my recommendation of Ibis, which has a bit more integrity about room size.

I started doing that, because of the convenience of being close to Gare du Nord. And it's a great neighbourhood, mostly (for me) because of the great Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Great and wholly functional area, even though gentrification is making inroads there too.

We stayed some years ago close to Gare de l'Est for one night and it was fine. I can look for the name of the hotel if you want, it would have been budget priced and basic. I agree that an Ibis might suit you as it's only one night. Ibis tend to be pretty basic but clean and new inside. We enjoyed the area near the Canal Saint-Martin which is close to the station, we found a nice restaurant near the canal. I'd say watch your luggage and your kids but I'd say the same for any big city. Also check maps beforehand and try and look like you know where you're going.

Kay

Excuse me, but what an odd comment.

Welcome to Fodor's, menachem. Are you new here?

We love both the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est areas and have never felt the slightest bit unsafe in either one. Little India, or Little Pakistan (not sure which it is normally called), is fascinating, and you can feast on a huge and delicious thali platter with a mango lassi for under 10 euros if you're so inclined. Near the Gare de l'Est is one of our favorite restaurants in Paris, a hole-in-the-wall that serves the most delicious food from the Auvergne - La Vigne St-Laurent.

I agree that Ibis is always a dependable, affordable choice.

Little India, or Little Pakistan (not sure which it is normally called)

I say Little India as shorthand, but the semi-official designation is Little Jaffna since the majority of the people there are Tamils from Sri Lanka, many of whom came to France as refugees from the civil war. But there are also a lot of Pondicherrians, who have the immense benefit of a French passport.

Rolling my eyes at some of the silly comments here.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Opera Faubourg on the Rue de la Fayette just a few weeks ago and we walked to our hotel from the Gare du Nord. It took about 10 minutes.

We never felt unsafe at all. In fact, we passed some very nice shops and a Starbucks on our route.

We live in Philadelphia, so we understand unsafe and unsavoury areas. We are also what you would call "bougie." I graduated from Dartmouth College and my husband graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. We also have a summer cottage in Nantucket; we are used to a "priveledged" atmosphere. I see no reason not to stay in hotel on the Rue de la Fayette that is within walking distance to the Gare du Nord.

And taking the RER B to the airport is as easy as brushing your teeth.

Thin

There's a lot of upheaval in my life at the moment, so everything's new to me.

The best food. And I hang around Hare Krishna's a lot. I just love the atmosphere. Kerouac, you have the best photos of the Ganesh festival every year. And Ratha Yatra also goes through there, because it's also a HK preaching area. Indeed, that Pondy atmosphere is so great. The Crossroad of trade.