My husband and I are planning a short three night trip to Paris this December. We've never been before and the Arrondissements are kind of confusing to me. I found a map online that lists each of the Arrondissements, and a list below that says which sites/museums are in which Arrondissement. When we start looking for hotels, are there certain areas (or Arrondissements) that are better to stay in than others? We want a nice hotel with a view (if possible) but don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanks!
Tracy

Each has its own "flavor." It depends on what your priorities are - whether you want to be near the big department stores, want a "neighborhood" feel, want to be with the student crowd, need quiet at night, etc.

I'd say the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th are probably the most popular ones, each for a different reason.

I prefer the 8th (four seasons,Prince de Galles)or the 1st.

Any reason why you are only staying 3 nights? I have been reading up on some of the hotels because we are planning a trip next year to Paris. Some of the areas that I am considering are:
Eiffel Tower Area- I think it is the 7th. Some of the hotels look nice and it is close to Rue Cler where you can find farmers markets, markets, cheese places (fromaggeries?), and bakeries. It is not far from the Tower and Rodin Museum.

The other is Latin Quarter area- 5th, I think. This area has many cafes- I think it is close to Les Deux Magots. It is also not too far from Notre Dame, and Musee D'Orsay.

Think single digits for posh hotels and great entertainment...1,8 and as far as 9 (Opera/Madelaine)are good on Right Bank, this is prime location, top restos, shops, hotels...Think Louvre, Grand/Petit Palais, Palais Royal, St Honore, Champs Elysees, Av Montaigne, G.V,.. 5,6 are great for Left Bank, but are not as chic and pricey as 1,8, they are more casual...Think Musee D'Orsay, Quartier Latin and St Germaine..7 is mostly residential, think Les Invalides, Rodin museum, but am sure it has some good hotels. 3,4 is fun, great antique shops, restaurants...Basically any single digit you stay in, you are close to everything else in single digits. Don't stay beyond 9 if first time in Paris, it would be quite a long commute to center (i.e. not walking distance). On the other hand, there are some great hotels and attractions there too (think Sacre Coeur).Anyway, I would stay in single digits and probably 5,6,7 if you want a nice room, but not spend a fortune...

I think St Cirq said it most succinctly, although I also think 8 can be popular. I would not tell someone to think of single digits as posh hotels and great entertainment, that's just not so. Arr. 2-3 are hardly full of either, nor is the 7th, for that matter. There is only one small cinema in the 7th and few 4* hotels, for example.

ilovetulips, the Latin Qtr is fine in parts, but I think you may have the wrong impression. It isn't that close to Deux Magots, which is on the far side of St Germain from there (it's not horribly far, of course, but it's not in the Latin Qtr), and I don't think of there being any more cafes there than in many other arrondisements. There are tons of cafes in the 6th, for example, and parts of the 5th without that many.

Christina, thanks I am only going by my impressions that I have read in guidebooks.

Depends on your personal ideas. ...but you can't go wrong with the 1st, and the 6th. Latin Quarter, 5th, is atmospheric and lotsof little restaurants, but is also the home of the Univ. of Paris (Sorbonne) and occasionally noisy at nights. THe 8th and some of the 1st can be very pricy, but the 1st is probably a good all around location (right bank) and close to things. There is STILL lots of walking in Paris, or the Metro... In some ways it is "spread out" , and on the other hand it is easy to get around. December should be a fun time in Paris...not so touristy and great cool weather. Even rainy is fun is Paris.

The numbers spiral out from the center of the city, if that's a help. 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th are always popular central districts to stay in. 3-star hotels can be found for ~100.

Thank you all for your help! I greatly appreciate it. We basically want somewhere centrally located, and it sounds as if they single digits are just that. Thanks!

ilovetulips, the reason why we are only going for three nights is because we've already been on a two-week vacation to Europe this year, and we are going on another two-week vacation to Europe next year. I have a lot of vacation time but my husband doesn't, so we are limited on how many days he can take off each year. We wanted to go somewhere in Europe around the holidays and were originally planning a trip to London because its one of our favorite cities. However, after reading so much about Paris on this board we decided that we may go there instead. Three nights should be enough for us to get a general feel for the city and see some of the sites. If we love it, we will definitely go back.

Thanks!
Tracy

I love three-night visits to Paris!! If you have a direct flight, it can be such a nice place for a <i>&quot;pont&quot;</i> (long weekend getaway).

I think the 6th is a fabulous place for a first time vistor to get the flavor of Paris. If you do a search for arrondissements, you will probably pull up a lot of threads in which people share their favorites and perspectives.