Karen

I'm trying to decide between several hotels. La Bretonnerie is the most reasonable, but they can't guarantee a room in the back (and I have trouble sleeping in a noisey environment). The Relais du Louve also has a room on the street (but they say it is quiet) and the Hotel Odeon (most expensive)is the only one that has a room on the courtyard. Has anyone had any experience with these hotels or the 2 Libertel properties in St. Germain, the Prince de Conti and Prince de Conde? Again these are more expensive but the guide books say they are on side street and quieter.

Surlok

I stayed at Hotel de la Bretonnerie a few years ago, and enjoyed very much. As I didn't have a front room, it would be hard to ay whether you'll be or not disturbed by the street noise. <BR> <BR>I've heard many good things about Hotel Odeon, but didn't stay there so far, although I know its location and like it very much. <BR> <BR>Sorry for not being of more help. <BR> <BR>Surlok

lisa

Have not stayed at any of them but know the location of the Hotel Odeon very well and it is excellent! I'm not sure you could do better in terms of location. I have also heard only very favorable things about that hotel. I enjoy the Marais also, but the area of the 6th where the Odeon is located is just ideal. I have also stayed in the 1st before (where Relais du Louvre is located) and, while it's fine, I like the 6th much better.

Karen

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone have any experience with either Prince de Conde or Prince de Conti?

Barb

You don't say what time of year you will be visiting Paris - it could make a difference with respect to air conditioning. I have stayed at the Bretonnerie and it has no A/C. Opening the windows is a must in the summer and you will find it too noisy. However, I had a front facing room and with the windows shut, it was very quiet, even with the street activity below.

Surlok

I didn't step in, but the Price de Conde lobby is very appealing from the outside. The location is wonderful, between the Seine and Bv. Saint Germain, or a little closer to the river, right in the middle of the 6eme, meaning that you easily walk to the 7eme, or to the 5eme, or cross the river towards the Louvre and Jardin de Tuilleries. Mostly all the touristic attractions are walking distance, or at least to me, they are, but I'm a good walker. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Karen

I will be in Paris the last week in September. I know the weather is unpredictable, but I don't think that I will need air conditioning that time. <BR>Barb- did you have a regular room "classic" or did you upgrade to a "Charming" room. I'm not clear about the difference - it may just be size of the room.

Barb

Karen - I actually got a jr suite this time since our son was with us. I have stayed in a charming room years ago. My grown stepkids were also there and had a 'classic' room 1 night and a 'charming' room the remainder. The classic is very small but still nicely decorated. The charming room is a little to a lot bigger. For the charming room, the kids were actually given a triple room, dormer type windows with a table, chairs and nice marble bathroom, decorated in blues with lots of dark wood. Our room was lots rose, cream and beige. The beamed ceilings were neat but could have been a problem for taller people. The only problem we had was lack of A/C in the summer - too hot, even with the windows open for a few nights (heatwave).

Karen

I've never been to Paris before and I'm not sure which area to stay in. Is La Bretonnerie in the Marais close enough to the major sites and the river or would the 6th arr. be a better location? Probably there's no consensus, everyone has their favorite area. Also, do you think I need air conditioning the last week in September or will I be needing my heavy sweaters??

Surlok

Karen, <BR> <BR>It's not only the "walkable" aspect that dictates the choice of where to stay, but also the availability of other ways of transport, as the metro, or busses. <BR> <BR>I do prefer the 6eme, not only because you have everything there, from supermarkets to drug stores, from restaurants to cafes, from walking distance museums to churches, from post offices to cleaners, cinemas, or internet cafes. I also I like the St. Germain metro station more than I like others, like St. Michel, for example, or Chatelet-Les Halles. <BR> <BR>I've stayed at Rue Jacob, Bonaparte, Dauphine, and Vaugirard in the 6th, and my favorites are Jacob or Bonaparte, but mostly Dauphine. I didn't like to stay in the vicinity of Jardin de Luxembourg so much, because both metro stations, Luxembourg and St. Michel, weren't really close, and with the bad weather, since it was cold and it rained almost every day in early October, I had to walk at least fisteen mins. to get the metro and it wasn't very pleasant, mostly at night. <BR> <BR>The La Bretonnerie is well located, is close to two metro stations, and not far from the Seine. From there, you can easily walk to Notre Dame, the Louvre, Ille de Saint Louis, and even to the Latin Quarter. If you're used to walk, being the weather nice, you could walk even to the Opera, and Av. de Champs Elysees. Place des Vosges is very close, as is the Bastille, a very interesting area to explore. <BR> <BR>Although the variety of shops, drugstores, or supermarkets in the vicinity is not bad, I found the 6eme to be more convenient in this regard, but this is a strictly personal choice. I know some travelers that very much prefer the Marais, others that like the vicinity of the Louvre, others like the Champs Elysees area ( which, BTW, I hate) because is more upscale. Others enjoy the Quartier Latin and Montparnasse more than any other quartier, so, tell me who you are, and I can tell you which area is likely to please you more. Otherwise, it would be very difficult. <BR> <BR>Surlok <BR> <BR>PS: bring your sweater, an umbrella, and if you have a light raincoat, bring it, too! And shoes that don't get soaked wet if you walk in the rain...

Karen

Thanks for your input Surlok. My friend stayed in the lst and thought this was a great location for seeing all the major sites, but this area doesn't seem as interesting as the 6th. I like to explore shops, galleries as well as see the major sites but I think I'd prefer to stay in an area that is charming and has more local color. I like cafe's and enjoy "people watching". Since I have 10 nights in Paris, I think I might split it up and stay 5 nights on the right bank and 5 nights on the left to get a flavor for both. I want to have a relaxing vacation and not feel pressured to do too much in one day. <BR>My left bank choices are the Prince de Conti or Prince de Conde or the Odeon. The advantage of the 2 Princes is their location so close to the Seine - with easy access to the Right bank, Notre Dame, etc. However, it's not that close to the Metro. The hotel Odeon is farther away from the Seine but closer to the Metro. Do you think it's better to be closer to the Seine? Do you feel comfortable taking the metro or should I walk or take buses? I'm having a hard time making my decision on a location.

Surlok

Karen <BR> <BR>There are two hotels, Hotel Odeon, and Hotel de L'Odeon.. Which are you referring to? <BR> <BR>Surlok

Karen

Hotel de l'Odeon on rue Saint-Sulpice near the Odeon Metro. It sounds nice in the guidebooks. It is more expensive than La Bretonnerie (1250 francs versus 670 francs), but Hotel de l'Odeon says it can give us a room facing the courtyard so I imagine that will be quiet. I just hope I won't feel like it is too far from things. It's between Luxembourg Gardens and Boulevard St. Germain. I tried to stay at some hotels on Rue Jacob but they were full (Millesime and Marronniers). Should I try for a room at the Hotel Dauphine Saint Germian. Have you stayed there?

Surlok

I just checked my map ( you can't always rely on thse on line maps), and the Odeon is nearly across the metro station, whereas the L'Odeon is a bit farther, but just a bit. <BR> <BR>The Odeon station is the same metro line as saint Germain, which is three blocks west. <BR> <BR>Since you'll be there at a time when the weather is unpredictable, I'd stick with Hotel L'Odeon. And if you're lucky and the weather is nice, it will be easy to walk to the Seine as well. <BR> <BR>You'll be almost at Bv. Saint Germain, which is about 0,25 miles from your hotel. You'll be close to the Flore, Les Deux Magots, the Saint Sulpice church is almost at the door of your hotel. Au Bon Marche, a Parisian shopping mall, is also very close. Don't worry, is a great area, and mostly, you'll have the metro quite close, what is a bliss and a bonus in late September, when it rains. <BR> <BR>There'll be action in your area, but if you want a more lively scenery, go east, to the Latin Quarter. Or visit Rue de Buci, and Rue Saint Andre des Arts. They are tiny, but very lively streets. <BR> <BR>Even if you're not too much into the museum thing, try to visit D'Orsay. It's small, very easy to do, and not far from your hotel. <BR> <BR>If you're blessed with a sunny day, go for a walk on the Luxembourg Gardens, or cross the Seine through Ille de Saint Louis. Afterwards, go to the right bank and look for " La Samaritaine", a department store. Try to watch Paris sunset from the rooftop. It's for free, and is wonderful. <BR> <BR>Have the most pleasant of stays in Paris, Karen, and a nice weather, too, but don't worry too much about the weather_ even if it rains, Paris is beautiful! <BR> <BR>Surlok

Surlok

Sorry,Karen, I overlooked your question about Hotel Dauphine. And yes, I stayed there three years ago. Nice small hotel, with small rooms ( as nearly all hotels in the 6eme), but nicely decorated. <BR> <BR>The breakfast room is very nice, you can "people watch" while having breakfast, which is copious, too. When I booked, my hotel rate included breakfast, and I paid 117 dollars for a single room. Afterwards, I requested a larger room, and got it. <BR> <BR>I also overlooked your question about splitting your ten days between both neighborhoods. In fact, if you don't mind packing and unpacking, it's a nice idea, as the Marais will give you a totally different perspective of Paris. You can people watch there, too, although the people you'll be watching there will be a little different. If you decide to stay in the Marais, visit the Bastille. Is close, like three or four blocks east. It's interesting. <BR> <BR>Another question I overlooked, about metro versus busses. Traffic in Paris at times is pretty slow, so the metro is always a faster way of getting to places, but having to change lines is a pain in the ..ss. Some metro stations don't have escalators, and we have all those stairs to work the way up. It's easy when you're rested, but after a busy day, it kills you. I find much easier, though, navigating the metro than figuring out what bus to take ( I have always had problems with busses, even in my home town), but, OTOH, from a bus window, you see things, whereas from the metro window, you see nothing. <BR> <BR>Surlok <BR> <BR>

carol

IMHO, the Hotel l'Odeon is in one of the most desirable areas in St. Germain, near enough to everything but not as commercial as the Quartier Latin areas like St. Andre-des-Arts and Rue Dauphine. I also think that buses are a pleasanter way to see Paris than the Metro, and you're very close to Blvd. St. Germain which is a main bus artery. If you get a good map with bus info on it, it's not so hard to figure out which one you need.

E&E

Karen- We just returned from our first trip to Paris this week & stayed at Hotel De L'Odeon for four nights. We loved it. Our room was on the top floor facing the courtyard. It's on a side street,and we never heard any noise. The room was quiet and spotless and the staff is very pleasent.It's only a 3 minute walk to the metro, and there are tons of little shops and cafes. There is also a street nearby heading toward the Seine that has a ton of little art galleries. The Seine is not far, maybe 5-10 minutes away. We can't comment on the food at the Odeon, as we went to a different place to eat every day. It's walking distance to the Louvre, Seine, Notre Dame, and Ile St Louis (very quaint) We will stay there again. We loved the 6th and had no trouble with the Metro, it was easy to use, though I will note that the metro maps I had didn't show a map of the RER line which is the commuter rail. If you plan to use both, ask your hotel for an RER map (Odeon had a good maps in the lobby). By the way we took the RER to Versilles which was very convenient, helpful hint-you can buy your ticket to Versilles with your train ticket and bypass a HUGE line at the entrance to Versilles. Have fun !