Kim

We are scheduled to stay at a hotel in the 11th Arrondisement. The hotel is near the intersection of Blvd. Voltaire and Rue de Marte(?). Can anyone tell me more about this area - cafes, shops, nightlife, safety? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Sanne

Hi Kim. <BR> <BR>Sorry to tell you, but your travelagency hasn't really found the most interesting area for you in Paris. <BR>If it's your first time in Paris - you'll hopefully not get to disappointed. As a parislover - I have lived 3 years in Paris some years ago - 11arr. is o.kay if you know Paris and the different areas, but as a tourists who wants to be close to attractions and the beauty and charm of Paris I would recommend to find another area. 11 arr. is a so called popular area - cheap and with some nice local restaurants. The good thing about it will be that there aren't probably that many tourists, but still..... consider. If you need further info please contact me directly. <BR> <BR>Regards <BR>Sanne

elaine

<BR>Note for the future: for your own enjoyment,try to ask these questions before you book,not after.Can you change your hotel? <BR>That said, do you by any chance mean rue de Malte? <BR>If so, you are near Place de la Republique and a couple of metro stops <BR>You are also north of the Marais, which <BR>is a wonderful area for restaurants and shopping. It is true that you are not <BR>near the usual tourist areas, but at least the metro should be convenient. <BR>The Fodors guidebook lists several restuarants in the 11th,including two whose nearest metro stop is Republique: <BR>Chez Philippe/Pyrenees-Cevennues is one restaurant with two names According to the guidebook the food is French and Spanish.Address is 106 rue de la Folie-Mericourt.Another is Au Camelot, 50 rue Amelot, no credit cards, "reservations essential", phone 01 43 55 54 04. The Marais has lots more cafes and restaurants as well. <BR>If you go elsewhere on this Fodors web site you can design and print for yourself a "miniguide" which may provide more restaurant and cafe suggestions. <BR>You'll also need a good map. I normally recommend the compact laminated Streetwise map of Paris, but its not that helpful for your hotel's area. You can buy a more detailed Plan de Paris <BR>in Paris itself. <BR>Wherever you stay, enjoy yourself! <BR>elaine <BR>

Richard

Kim: I think Elaine is correct, the intersection is probably Rue de Malte. In that case you are very close to the Metro station Oberkampf. You are not in the 'boonies' but you're not in central Paris either. The Metro is very easy to use, go to http://metro.ratp.fr:10001/bin/selec...h/france/paris for a Metro map. When you get to the station, the signs will indicate the terminus of the line, so you need to know which direction you want to go. Can't tell you anything about where you're staying, but you'll enjoy Paris; unlike some other cities, Rome comes to mind, we have never run into a scam here. Dog poop is the biggest problem.

Christina

You don't say how old you are and how you're traveling (alone, en famille, <BR>etc) or what you want, so I think that will make a big difference. That area <BR>is kind of popular with the young, artsy-fartsy, trendy, etc set; rue <BR>Oberkampf has lots of bars, clubs, etc. There's the Hostelling Internatl <BR>headquarters near place Republique and a big hostel near there, also, so there <BR>are lots of young people around. But, this area can be rough in places at <BR>night and it's not upscale nor always attractive, which is why it probably <BR>depends on what you want/expect as to whether you'll like it. There are some <BR>good cafes and this area is more "real" than some other parts of Paris, but <BR>maybe you don't want "real" on a first trip, I probably wouldn't, especially <BR>if you don't know the area that well, as Sanne (?) above says, and if you <BR>don't speak or at least read French. Cafe Astier is very good around there <BR>and recommended often (near Oberkampf metro I think), as is Cafe Charbon (109 <BR>rue Oberkampf) which has music, feels very Parisian and is very popular. <BR> <BR> <BR>

joel

I have to say that except for Richard's reply, other respondents have done Kim a disservice and quite possibly taken some of the joy out of her trip. The comments about the 11th are true, but there's nowhere in Paris that is close to even a third of the principal sights. The Metro, as you all know, is the means of getting around, putting Oberkampf about as squarely in the middle of the Paris universe as Concorde, Etoile, or Bastille stations. Further, tourists have to save their legs as much as possible and rely even more on mass transit than most. Republique station is as centrally located as any. <BR>

Donna

I think it would be a disservice NOT to mention that there are much nicer and more convenient neighborhoods. At least, I would certainly appreciate similar advice myself. Like any city, Paris is a collection of diverse neighborhoods. To me, all of Paris is "real" and there are wonderful cafes all over. I would recommend booking your own hotel in the 7th (our favorite), 6th, 5th, 16th arrondissements. We love anyplace near Ecole Militaire metro stop. This is a quiet, safe, neighborhood full of wonderful shops and terrific moderately priced restaurants. The 1st and 8th are excellent also, but pricier. Sure, you can get anywhere on the metro, but it's best not to have to change lines two or three times, as the stations are full of long hallways and lots of stairs. You'll want to conserve your energy for being out and about once you reach your destination. Actually, I prefer the buses, which are slightly more challenging to learn to use, but well worth the effort. The stops are more conveniently located and you have the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous scenery all along the way. I gave up on travel agents years ago for just this reason. They often just pick any old place (perhaps wherever they receive the best commission) in your price range and know nothing about the hotel (other than those little ammenity icons) or the location (neighborhood) or its proximity to anything else. There's nothing worse that discovering, upon your arrival, that you could have had a lot better for the same price or less. The center of Paris is officially at "Point Zero" in front of Notre Dame, where there is a brass compass star in the sidewalk designating same. If you are stuck with your hotel reservations, it's not the end of the world. But, if you can change, I, personally, would highly recommend booking elsewhere. There are lots of fabulous websites with on-line brochures for wonderful hotels all over Paris in every price range (do a search). Or search (above) this forum for hotel recommendations - there are dozens. Or, you could go to your local bookstore and peruse the hotel sections of all the tour guides. In the alternative, call Best Western International. The Best Westerns in Paris (unlike the chain operations we're used to here) are charming and very nice. Just be sure to pick an appealing neighborhood first.

Vincent

Of all the previous respondents, Christina, as often, has got the best picture of it. As a Paris resident, I can tell you that this area is the hippest in the whole city, and, yes, especially rue Oberkampf and Café Charbon. It is within walking distance to Le Marais and charming Canal Saint-Martin, and, you'll get a feel of the current Paris, much more multi-cultural, young and lively than the 7th arrondissement (which you will get to see anyway ! ). But, as Christina mentionned it, it's up to you, considering your interests, your age, etc.

Kim

Thanks to all for replying. Actually it wasn't a travel agent that set up the hotel - it was my boyfriends brother-in-law. He's an artist and art teacher and is leading a group there adn we're tagging along to go to Paris inexpensively and have a good guide around the museums for our first time there. I've often stayed a little off the beaten track and use public transportation when I travelled so that doesn't bother me at all. I don't like being surrounded by tourists. My biggest concern was just knowing if any extra level of caution was necessary in the area. We live in Chicago and are savvy enough, but it's still good to know about the neighborhood. I'm glad to hear we'll be in a good area for nightlife and cafe's. Thanks again I'm sure my trip will be wonderful.

Christina

Well, I'm sure glad I don't depend upon Joel for travel advice who thinks the only thing that matters is how many km (or miles) you are from city center and whether you are close to a metro stop. I think this area would have been very inappropriate for an older retired couple used to staying in nicer hotels and wanting to mainly see the museums, etc; and not so good for many others, either. It isn't really only an issue of having to use public transportation, Kim, I think that's a given in any major city and a given in Paris almost anywhere you stay. Doesn't sound too bad for you and your situation, as long as you don't expect anything glamorous and are cautious at night. I've checked my records and (in addition to Cafe Charbon) here are exact addresses on good cafes, etc in that area (my thinking was off a little on Astier): <BR> <BR>Astier, 44 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (near pl de la Republique)--authentic Parisian bistro, good wine & value, prix fixe dinner about 110F <BR>Cafe Ba-Ta-Clan, 50 rue Voltaire: nice terrace cafe, homey, musical brunch on Sundays 2-5 pm <BR>Not too far from there is rue de Bretagne in the 3rd arr. (running east from rue Reaumur/Arts & Metiers metro stops) which has some good bakeries/food shops (eg, Fromagers de France at 39 rue de Bretagne is one of the best cheese shops in Paris. There's also a good shop for stuff from Provence (pottery, food, wine, herbs, etc) near your hotel--Le Petit Bleu at 21 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud <BR>