goingtobeijing

This will be my first trip to Paris. I am looking for budget accomodation in Paris, taht is centrally located and in safe area. Also, could fodorites give me an idea of what whings cost in paris? Finally, I do not speak any French, will this be a problem? Sorry to sound so dumb, but my travelling thus far has been with freinds and family and my solo trips have been in the Us. Thanks for any advise.

Robespierre

Paris is organized into twenty districts called <i>arrondissements</i>. The low-numbered ones are in the center. The best lodging values are in the high-numbered ones (although there are exceptions). You should be able to do very well for $100 per night.

Euro prices in Paris are comparable to dollar prices in big U.S. cities. For example, a meal that costs $10 in New York will cost 10&euro; in Paris. The best values are street food and grocery stores. Buy bread, cheese, wine and make your own lunch. The further you get from tourist areas, the more reasonable the prices are.

Your lack of French will not be much of a problem, but try to learn how to say a few things before you arrive. Always say <i>bonjour/bonsoir, monsieur/madame</i> before you say anything else to a shopkeeper, ticket seller, cop, anyone. Then say <i>parlez-vous Anglais?</i> to ask if they speak English.

sandi_travelnut

we need to know what your budget for a hotel is before we can help. It is extremely helpful and respectful to know the most basic of words or phrases like Please, thank you, where is the ..you get the picture. A lot of Parisians speak English but find it very rude if you immediately start speaking English to them. Learn to ask &quot;Excuse me, do you speak English?&quot; in French.

Lastly, you can spend a fortune in Paris ir travel on a tight budget. Eat sandwhiches, crepes, streetfood or eat in cheaper restaurants, stay in cheaper hotel, don't buy trinkets and things that you can live without. Commen sense stuff.

wliwl

If you stay near a market street (like Rue Mouffetard or Rue Cler) you'll be able to eat lots of great stuff on a take out basis, so it's a lot cheaper.

goingtobeijing

Thanks for the feedback. My budget for accomodation would be about USD60 a night. I don't mind basic accomodation, but I need something centrally located, clean and safe. Also, I would like a private washroom. Any suggestions? Thanks.

wliwl

If you go to Tripadvisor.com and put in Paris, you'll find a list of price ranges for hotels. Choose the under $100 and look at the list. You will notice the reviews there too.

You are on a SUPER tight budget - so it may be very hard. If you look at the hotel zip codes, the last two digits will tell you what arrondissment it is in. To be in central Paris you probably want to be in 1 through 7. (Preferably 5 or 6.)

Good luck!

WillTravel

The Hotel Tiquetonne would work for your budget.
You can't email, I think you have to call or fax. So do a search for it.

wliwl

Also, try this. Go to venere.com and select Paris. Then sort the hotels by price (click on the word Price). They have little maps so you can see where they are. Again, watch for arondissments 1 through 7. Note price is posted in Euros.

Christina

Just a tip, but there are very very few hotels in Paris that you are going to get for that price, so don't be surprised. I doubt if any on venere.com etc are going to be in that price bracket. (There are hardly any motels in cities in the US that are in that price range, for that matter, let alone hotels in major cities). I just stayed in a motel in a town in central Ohio of 15K and it's rate was $70 a night and that was a special discount off its usual $80-90 rate. Just think about it a little as to what you'd expect in a big city in the US for that rate.

That is only about 50 euro. Look for 1* hotels. Tiquetonne is a good idea as I know it's in a decent, safe area and is not a total wreck. Try looking at www.eurocheapo.com in that bracket.

Christina

much to my surprise, venere does have some in that price range, although most are in bad areas or really far out. Check out that list and reviews, but I'd discard anything in the 19th or 20th arrondisements or outside Paris.

Leely

Don't know if there's anything that great at your price range, but parts of the 11th are pretty fun, I think.

I haven't stayed there, but when my sister and I were wandering about with our French tutor, that's where she took us to hang out. And we've found ourselves returning a few times since then. Kind of a youthful vibe, and I think you might have some lower-cost dining options there. Although Jean Paul Gaultier walked by us.

Dave in Paris would know more. Good luck!

starrsville

Just read about this apartment that a solo female traveler used in the Latin Quarter -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

WillTravel

I've found cheap rooms on all these sites:
http://www.ratestogo.com
http://www.laterooms.com
http://www.bookings.org
http://www.hrs.de

You should have no problem with your budget if you go for a further out arrondisement. But the Tiquetonne is both cheap and central.

111op

I just stayed in Tiquetonne for the fourth time the past weekend. In my opinion you can't go wrong with that hotel, it's nearly impossible to find anything cheaper in central Paris -- unless you're willing to share a bathroom. But being able to speak basic French when you deal with that hotel would be an asset. However, the woman who works there during the day and answers the phone speaks English.

You get a double there for 50 euros. I stayed in a single once for 40 euros.

Very central and a very short walk from the Etienne-Marcel subway stop. It's very basic, but I've been very pleased with it.

Time Out Paris (2004?) has a list of budget hotels, but I've not looked at the latest edition to see if the list is still there.

Robespierre

I would eliminate 1&egrave;re through 8&egrave;me on the basis of cost-effectiveness. Yes, you can find a $100 room in St-Germain, but the same room in Montparnasse will cost $80.

Chinatown is in the 13&egrave;me.

starrsville

I would stay in Latin Quarter or St. Germain for $100 - and within a few blocks of the Seine - for a first time visitor to Paris. There is nothing more wondrous than walking down narrow, curving streets and all of a sudden...you are there! No need for metro or bus or taxis or anything except your feet!

cbleigh

I stayed at the Hotel Loiret in the 4th (Marais area) last October for 10 days. I got a room with the shower just down the hall because I was on a very tight budget. I really didn't mind it at all. The room did have it's own sink. It only cost me 45 euros. My friend opted for a room with a bathroom and she still paid only 60 euros. I was very pleased with this hotel. It was located on a very quiet street right off rue du Rivoli. We were just steps from Hotel de Vill and a few blocks from Notre Dame.

The Marais area was incredible to stay in. This was my third time in Paris. I had already stayed in the 5th and 6th but this was by far my favourite area to stay in. I did a lot of checking and this was an incredible value for a clean well run hotel, in a safe area (as a women I always felt safe even at night) in a central part of Paris.

Brazilnut

Try the Hotel Carofftel Gobelins on the 5eme. It is set in a great spot and you can have a nice room for under $100.

Travelnut

Hotel du Commerce 29-69&euro; singles
http://www.commerce-paris-hotel.com/
14 rue de la Montagne St Genevieve
75005 Paris
T&eacute;l : 33(0)1.43.54.89.69
Fax : 33(0)1.43.54.76.09
E-mail : [email protected]
Metro : Maubert-Mutualit&eacute; or Cluny

Hotel de Nesle 55-65&euro;
http://www.hoteldenesleparis.com/
7, rue de Nesle -75006 Paris
Tel : 01 43 54 62 41
Fax : 01 45 50 25 37
Metro: Od&eacute;on

klondike

You could check Hotel St. Andre des Arts right in the heart of St. Germain. It would be a little more than you budgeted (80 euros including breakfast last year) but is an extremely safe, vibrant area just off the fantastic Buci Market and near two metro stations: Od&eacute;on (just 2 minutes through the medieval Cour du Commerce) or 5 minutes down the rue St. Andre des Arts to m&eacute;tro St. Michel.

They do have a website (I think I found them on Hotel123) and can be contacted by writing M. Le Goubin at [email protected]

They day people speak English/the night staff not so much.