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Paris: Celebrating our daughters' 16 birthday! Which arrondissement to stay in?

Paris: Celebrating our daughters' 16 birthday! Which arrondissement to stay in?

Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 07:58 AM
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Paris: Celebrating our daughters' 16 birthday! Which arrondissement to stay in?

Hello, Fellow Travelers and thank you (in advance) for your input.

My girlfriend and I are taking our daughters who turn 16 in April/May to Paris for their birthday. It will be my daughter's first time there. We have four full days (getting there Thursday morning and leaving Monday morning in May). Out of those four days we plan to visit Versailles, Giverny, Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, Louvre (condensed visit) and generally walk around where perhaps my friend and I can get a wine break along the way . Trying to figure out (and would love your help) in the best arrondissement to stay in from where we may walk around and enjoy the flavor of Paris. We will be getting two rooms, and would like to stay in the USD$200-250/night range.
Any tips would be appreciated, including any hotels you would recommend. Thank you so much! (Also, if you have had any experience that you believe a teenage girl would enjoy, would love to hear it ... trying to make this a memorable mother-daughter trip.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 08:19 AM
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I think with teenagers many people would suggest you stay in the Latin Quarter, so 5th 6th or 7th. The other popular lively neighborhood is the Marias-the 4th and part of the 3rd. In general, staying close to the river and center of Paris makes it easy to walk and get around on public transport. The 1st an2nd are also great of course but for shopping the 6th is probably the liveliest and have more shops that would interest kids that age-since it is where a lot of students hang out.

I personally like to stay closer to Montparnasse bordering on the Latin Quarter because it isn't quite as tourist-filled. My French nieces all grew up there and there is a ton of shopping (and wine breaks) on the Rue de Rennes between Montparnasse and St. Germain. We have stayed and advised friends with kids to stay at the Hotel Odessa because they have quadruple rooms-1 double and 2 twins. They are around 160 euros. It is a simple 2 star place but clean and great location. If you want 2 rooms I think they are around 120 euros per night. Here is the website:

Family room until 4 people | Hotel Odessa Paris
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 09:03 AM
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For a first timer, I also bet the 5th or 6th would be the most liked and certainly suit your purposes. There are a lot of young poepl in Montparnasse, also, I usually stay there but I suspect this idea of wandering around and enjoying the flavor of Paris would be better filled in the center, the oldest part of the city.

It isn't at all clear to me what your budget means, if that is per room or the total for 2 rooms, it makes a BIG difference. As you are not going to be able to stay in the center very easily at that budget if it is for 2 rooms. At least not the 6th arr. If it is per room, that's doable.

YOu might not want to do 2 day trips in only 4 days, but if those are your must-sees, sure, you can .
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 09:10 AM
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My grandkids loved going to the street markets and a favorite one was in the 5th Arron.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 11:18 AM
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Thanks. The budget is for one room, per night. I am from the New York City area and know that hotels can be as expensive as you want them to be
The 2 day trips are tough, I know - but really are a must-see (Versailles for them, Giverny for me lol).
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 11:23 AM
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Thank you for the tips and for the hotel recommendation! Those wine breaks are important
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 11:56 AM
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5, 6, or 7
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 12:25 PM
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If you arrive Thursday morning, getting to the hotel (agree 5th or 6th near the fifth) will not allow a trip to Versailles or Giverny that day, and leaving Monday am will leave no time that day for anything. So your 4 full days really are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, or 3 full days. Giverny would take a full day and probably is not what any 16 yo would consider Paris (or worth a day). Similar for Versailles. So, don't leave the city. Also don't plan all of every day as the kids will want to wander around and follow the interests of the moment.

Post more about what interests the girls (art? shops? clothes? music? food? famous sights? museums?) and we'll help more.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 02:38 PM
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This is so silly -- but not for first timers.

Paris is so compact that you can stay anywhere and go anywhere else in the city easily. The closer you stay to the center (near the Seine), the more money you will spend. That is the most important thing to know. The American tourist ghetto is in the 4th-5th-6th-7th arrondissements. The European tourist ghetto is in the 9th and 10th arrondissements. The Middle Eastern tourist ghetto is in the 8th and 16th arrondissements. Each category finds their area to be the absolute best.

So there is no "perfect" area. The fact that I recommend some of the other areas of Paris often creates controversy here, so I will not tell you where to go, but I will say that even if you stay in one of the outer areas of the city, not only will you save a great deal of money (30-50%) on accommodations and restaurants, and by taking the metro you are only 10-15 minutes from just about anywhere in the city. It's up to you.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 05:41 PM
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I agree - don't leave the city. You don't have as much time as you think. MAYBE Versailles. I love Giverny having been there 3 times but unless they have a specific reason to go there, stay in Paris. At least Versailles is easier to reach.

My personal favorite is Hotel de la Bretonnerie which is bang in the middle of the Marais (the 4th). Walking distance to many many things and in the Marais, shopping is open on Sunday - clothes shopping!

You'll likely spend around 200E a night, or a bit less, for a nice (small) double room - or a bit more for a "suite" but not too much more. It's a small quirky hotel which is perfectly located IMHO. The suites I have stayed in tend to be lounge area downstairs with the bedroom upstairs.

All of the bathrooms of the rooms I have stayed in, here, are big by French hotel standards. Tub, large vanity for the sink, separate room for the toilet, etc.

Check it out.

Hotel Bretonnerie *** paris marais
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 06:30 PM
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Kerouac is right, in a way. As long as you can get to a Metro station or take a bus, you can get anywhere in Paris. I suggested 5th/6th because many places appeal to the students who school in the area and the trip is dedicated to the two 16 year olds.
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 08:13 PM
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I have a great idea.. weather cooperating of course.. For Giverny take the FAT TIRE BIKE tour.. ive done all their tours over many years, and that was my favorite..
You meet at the train station in Paris by your guide. in Vernon they set you up with a bike , then you bike through town to a market to buy your own lunch supplies.. Then a short bike ride out of town for a picnic overlooking the river..
After lunch you ride about another 30 minutes ( I cant really remember how long exactly.. could have been 25 minutes or 40 minutes.. it was just so fun time flew) along a pedestrian and bike path that goes along the river , on arrival at Giverny you are given your skip the line ticket so no line waiting.. I did the garden and still had about 45 minutes left before it was time to meet the group so I had a nice coffee in a small hotel down the street from the garden. On the way back guide stops at a graveyard for a quick look around.. some famous folks were buried there but I dont recall who as I didnt care..
The bike ride IS very easy.. I dont even own a bike at home.. and the girls will have fun .. its a nice change actually being out in the country. I wouldnt book too far ahead as the tour goes rain or shine and I dont think going in rain would be that fun..
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 08:17 PM
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I have a great idea.. weather cooperating of course.. For Giverny take the FAT TIRE BIKE tour.. ive done all their tours over many years, and that was my favorite..
You meet at the train station in Paris by your guide. in Vernon they set you up with a bike , then you bike through town to a market to buy your own lunch supplies.. Then a short bike ride out of town for a picnic overlooking the river..
After lunch you ride about another 30 minutes ( I cant really remember how long exactly.. could have been 25 minutes or 40 minutes.. it was just so fun time flew) along a pedestrian and bike path that goes along the river , on arrival at Giverny you are given your skip the line ticket so no line waiting.. I did the garden and still had about 45 minutes left before it was time to meet the group so I had a nice coffee in a small hotel down the street from the garden. On the way back guide stops at a graveyard for a quick look around.. some famous folks were buried there but I dont recall who as I didnt care..
The bike ride IS very easy.. I dont even own a bike at home.. and the girls will have fun .. its a nice change actually being out in the country. I wouldnt book too far ahead as the tour goes rain or shine and I dont think going in rain would be that fun..


I also agree that staying close to river in 5th or 6th would be ideal.. Hotel Diana is well located ,clean and well run.. many folks have recommended to me and Ive stayed there now twice myself.. not fancy , but just a well located clean hotel

If you want a bit more of that traditional old fashioned paris decor, try Hotel Des Grand Hommes..it over looks the Pantheon.. its very nice.. rooms are not large, but filled with character
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Old Feb 2nd, 2018, 09:33 PM
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Since you’ll be in Paris on a Friday, you might look into the weekly fashion show at Galeries Lafayette. It’s free and could be fun for the girls. https://haussmann.galerieslafayette....fashion-shows/

My nieces loved the evening Segway tour through Fat Tire https://www.fattiretours.com/paris/segway-tours

I think you’d all enjoy a cruise on the Seine, I always use Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Bateaux Vedettes du Pont Neuf | Seine river cruise with Paris boats

Have fun!
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Old Feb 3rd, 2018, 02:23 AM
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Near Giverny is La Roche Guyon, a beautiful villlage with a chateau built into a cliff. Also nearby is a troglodyte cave church. You can get to these places by taxi or bike. This will make the train trip out to Giverny more worthwhile. If I wasn't trying to recreate famous photos of Giverny, I don't think I could have spent much time there at all as the site is small.

If you stay at the Vanneau St Germain, you will be near Chercheminippes (a consignment shop that thas something for everyone), the Vanneau metro, and Domaine de Lintillac, a very good Perigord restaurant with surprisingly low prices. They have their own farm in the Southwest of France which supplies them with their products. The cassoulet here is serious.

For me, seeing the Marché Vernaison, the oldest market at Les Puces de St Ouen (about a dozen flea markets put together), was a a highlight of Paris. Also, I think climbing the stairs to the rooftop of the Basilique de Sacre Coeur is exciting and the best views of Paris, especially since the Eiffel Tower is IN the view and you have the foreground of the architecture of Sacre Coeur. The Marché des Enfants Rouge, an open-air market with palces to eat, is quintissentially Parisian. From there you can walk to the amazing chocolate shop of Jacques Genin, which looks more like a jewelry store.

OF course, you know the girls better than I do, but I have taken teenagers to Paris, and I think breaking up muesums and monuments with other excursions is a way to explore Paris outside of the crush of tourism.

If you go to the Louvre, you can enter through the Porte des Lions, which few people seem to know about. If you take the metro to the Louvre, you will immediately be herded into a long line, so I would avoid that.
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Old Feb 3rd, 2018, 04:42 AM
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I am always amazed that people will go somewhere far away, say, Paris, for the first time, for a short visit, say, 3-4 days, and then spend that time traveling somewhere else, say Giverny or Versailles. These people will have 3 1/2 days in Paris and want to see everything and then you want them to use that time for day trips?

Listen up! Stay in Paris!
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Old Feb 3rd, 2018, 07:25 AM
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Just a hint, if you’re going this April/May you should try to book your hotel nights soon. Enjoy Paris and I hope your daughters have a wonderful birthday celebration.
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Old Feb 3rd, 2018, 09:18 AM
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I took my daughter to Paris when she was 16. It was the first trip to Europe for both of us. We loved it so much that I've been traveling to Europe average of twice a year for the past 15 years and she not only has done multiple trips but did study abroad in Paris while in college but then went and lived there for a year (teaching English) after college.

While my daughter lived in different areas of Paris the times she was living there, her (and my) favorite area to stay for a short trip is the 5th/6th or the 4th. I can recommend Hotel Marignan ( Hotel Marignan) in the 5th. It's half the price you are saying you are willing to pay (they have very nice quad rooms so you could all stay in one which would save even more). 5-10 minute walk to Notre Dame and lots of other places. While all areas of Paris are easily linked by the metro, it's nice to have some of the main places you want to visit within walking distance.

Other hotels I've stayed in and can recommend are Hotel St Jacques, Hotel St Pierre, Hotel Minerve, and Hotel St Andres des Arts - all in the 5th and 6th

I also would not do any day trips. Three and a half days in Paris is nothing, there is so much to see and you need time to just 'be' there. Don't waste it traveling to other places.
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Old Feb 3rd, 2018, 09:53 AM
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I would 3rd, 4th, 5th, or whatever it is by now the suggestion to stay in Paris. Even if you stayed there every minute of every little day that you have, it will just be a fleeting glance unless you already know the city like the back of your hand.

Versailles is an overcrowded time-suck, and a nasty bit of history to boot; I know hardly anyone who left there thinking anything but Jeez it's good to be done with that! If you want a chateau, go to Vincennes. Giverny is pretty, but so are plenty of gardens right IN Paris.
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Old Feb 3rd, 2018, 09:57 AM
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"If you go to the Louvre, you can enter through the Porte des Lions, which few people seem to know about. "

Sorry. The Lions Gate entrance is now only for group tours. It was my favorite Louvre hack.
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