oh, I was going to mention a couple very good lists of real cheap hotels if you want a short list. I like the listings on www.jack-travel.com, and also the real cheap category on www.timeout.com

I feel much more strongly about the neighborhood I am in than about the specific hotel. While I realize there is decent public transportation in Paris, I prefer to be walking distance to most of what I want to see and do, not "commuting" to the city from the burbs while on vacation!

www.accorhotels.com - owns Novotel, IBIS, ETAP - all modern clean hotels - not proverbial family-run places but dependably clean and modern facilities. In US: 1-800-221-4542. Literally dozens of hotels in Paris and hundreds all over Europe.

Most people don't go sightseeing right outside their hotel very much. Each day, it is necessary to travel for ten or fifteen minutes to get to that day's venue.

If you care more about how <i>long you can stay in Paris</i> than how long it takes to get to your daily sighseeing, staying on the periphery makes sense.

Saving 50% means you can stay twice as long.

By the way, there is nothing that cuts down on the number of possible places to stay quite like insisting that they be within a five-minute walk of an RER station.

Offer me the choice between one week in Paris in a hotel across from the Op&eacute;ra, or two weeks commuting from the Ibis in Nogent-sur-Marne, and it would take me about three milliseconds for me to make up my mind.

People travel in different ways. I always begin by exploring in ever increasing circles surrounding my hotel. Unfortunately a cheaper hotel will not give me twice as long to stay in Paris because my travel time is limited, so for me I make the most of it by staying in a central location.

suze, I don't get your math. Are you saying that staying in Paris for <u>one</u> week and not having to spend a half-hour a day on the train is better than being there for <u>two</u> weeks?

Kindly elucidate.

The 5th (Latin Quarter) is a great area to stay in for your price range, safe and fun to walk around in. If this area is out then my post won't be helpful. But I stayed in the 1st last time and it was just a bit too &quot;business&quot; like for me and I found the Latin Quarter to be my target area this time. I spent hours looking at the posts, tripadvisor and several websites researching and I narrowed my search down to the following:

1. The College de france (mentioned above).
2. Hotel Residence Monge
3. Familia Hotel
4. Abbatial St. Germain
5. Hotel St. Jacques
6. Hotel California St. Germain

I ultimately decided on Hotel Saint Jacques due to the great reviews here and on tripadvisor rated 40 out of over 1000 hotels. The rates on all the above will be close to your price range, but that of course depends on if you need a single or double! The Hotel St. Jacques is well below for a single, but for double you will need to book direct with the hotel and ask for the top floor to get something close to $100 a night, otherwise it will be 108E-118E. Best of luck!

Nope, I'm saying I don't have *nearly* enough vacation time annually -LOL. I can save or make more money. I can't magically create more time in Paris unless I quit my job!

Okay, I see marigross already booked at hotel de lys. Sorry! But, maybe my post will help someone else.

wtggirl- it sure will (help someone else). there's a poster planning a Paris/Barcelona honeymoon who needs exactly that list (Latin Quarter hotel around 100e).

Doubling your time is only part of the story. The further you get from the city center, the more space and amenities you get for the same money.

Room rates are proportional to land values, which affects return on investment and all that stuff. Therefore: the same accommodation costs less where the real estate isn't as valuable, <i>i.e.</i> away from the high-rent district in the middle of Paris, where some of the most expensive square meters this side of Tokyo are traded.

Maybe my post will help someone else, too. <i>You can stay at a 3-4-star in Nogent-sur-Marne for 46&euro;.</i>

Check out Hotel La Perle. It was nice and it had a wonderful outdoor area where we could come back each night and sit and drank our wonderful bottles of wine.
Also stayed at the Hotel Minerve (and the one owned by them next door) both were great!!!
Linda

Thanks to all for your replies!!! I tried many of the hotels you suggested (directly via email) and they did not have availability-Jean D'arc, Castex. etc.... The second week of October seems very popular for some reason.

I think I will stick with Hotel du Lys...the choices are overwhelming and it is hard to discriminate without a personal experience. Next time in Paris I will probably know exactly where I want to stay.

I would also like to go for longer but work and budget does not allow :( . We already had an expensive (for my stds) vacation this year (Northern Spain for three weeks; long and detailed trip report has been posted)and my available vacation days are almost gone!

Also, a short stay of four days will get me over the solo jitters :D

Now that the hotel issue has been resolved (sort of, if I dont change my mind...) I can proceed with planning those wonderful four days! Comments are more than welcome.

When I travel (especially when I'm solo) I usually stop in to a couple other hotels than where I'm staying. Either ones I was curious about or ones I stumble upon that look nice and in my price range. I just stop in to the lobby and collect a business card or rates sheet. My friends tease me about my hotel obsession but they're happy when I have suggestions for their next trip (or better yet, for my own!).