Paris Visit
 

Hi: We'll be visiting Paris for the first time in Oct. What is the best area to stay, any suggestions for a moderately priced hotel.

If you go to my trip report of London-Paris-Amsterdam ( http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads..._name=MaureenB) you will find recommendations for our hotel, the Hotel la Bourdonnais, in the 7th, along with information about that area, along with restaurants we liked in Paris, etc.

Of course, there is no single "best" area to stay. It depends on what you like, and what you want to see and do in Paris. I suggest you search this forum for specific questions you have about Paris, read the Fodors destination guide and research in books.

Chief, you can find lots of things if you press the search button and enter Paris hotels. My husband and I just stayed right on the border of the 6th and 7th districts- right off of ST. Germain Blvd. and we loved the proximity to major sites. You are literally within 5 min walking distance of Cafe De Flore and Deux Magots along with so many restaurants and bistros. It was probably 10-15 minutes to walk to the Louvre and about the same for Notre Dame. We also easily walked to St. Sulpice and Luxembourg Gardens (both are must see places!) in about 10 minutes. Our hotel was St. Thomas D'Aquin and we payed 120 euros per night. It was a wonderful little hotel and I would stay there again when we decide to visit Paris again.
http://www.aquin-paris-hotel.com/

Good luck on your travels. Paris is a place unlike any other. I hope that you love it as much as I did.

We need to know your budget "moderate" for you may not be the same for someone else. Also, is the room for 1 or 2 persons? Have you done any reading in guidebooks or on this forum for suggestions on the various neighborhood to stay in?

Chief, Hotels in Paris are actually fairly reasonable for Europe. By comparison, London and Rome are much more expensive. We find double rooms at $100 USD a night that are quite nice for the price. You'll want to make reservations as soon as possible, for October, as the best ones book up way in advance. We stay in the 7th Arrondisement (there are 20-some "arrondisements" (districts) in Paris, and the 1-7th are the most popular and closest in to the main sights.

I'd suggest getting on venere.com where you can check by neighborhood in Paris for hotels and availability. We were able to reserve rooms all over Europe from that website, and they have user ratings so you can see if it's a Dud or a Deal.

Also, if it's your first trip to Europe I'd recommend getting Rick Steves book, Europe Through The Back Door (you can find it at your local bookstore or Amazon.com or ricksteves.com), and/or his outstanding Paris 2005 book that is especially good for first-timers. Fodors books are good too.

Happy travels.

Here are some search results... you'll have to check up on the various suggestions, since you haven't said what your budget is...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34573684

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34550890

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34509455

Hi chiefjbc,

in general, every place located in downtown paris, i.e. arrondissements 1-20 is a good area to stay. metro network is always in reach there (they claim within i circle of 500 m).

in general, looking at hotel prices, you pay for amenities or luxury. as an example, climatization is considered a luxury in europe and will be found at a range of 4*-hotels or better. the good news, october is in fall and you can do without it.

in the first step, you shoul

(to be continued)

in a first step, you should consider your budget.
in a second step, you should consider the general value you get according to your wishes.

when looking for your favorite area, you should consider the purpose of your visit. just for sightseeing, every arrondissement might be fine when making use of metro system. for those who want to do clubbing or just take part in the music scene, it might be of interest to be near the in places.

or you just would like to be in an area with that paris touch. excellent, if there are priceworthy hotels too. so, why not the ninth arrondissements near the grand boulevards or the opera? this area is also known as opera garnier - grands magazins.

Latin Quarter is generally a good place to stay in Paris...proximity of Notre Dame, Luxembourg Garden, Sorbonne...
You can have a look at Hotel Vendome Saint Germain, it is a 2 star hotel, affordable, very clean, in a little street, rooms have balconies...I found really nice!
http://www.paris-hotelvendome.com
Have a nice trip!

Check out tripadvisor.com.Between this forum and that site you should be able to find what you are looking for.
We are staying at hotel Meurice but my travel agent who is from paris Highly recs. Hotel Pont Royal

chiefjbc - I spent hours on the internet looking at hotels and decided on the following three & the reason why:
Hotel Clement, 6 rue Clement, off Blvd.Saint Germain @ 117euros (single)
Near Metro and lots of places to eat. A very nice area for a first timer.
Next is;
Hotel Duquesne, 23 Ave.Duquesne, near Eiffel Tower, rue Cler, Trocadero.
A bit more expensive @ 145euros, but I have a room with a view of the Eiffel.

Lastly,
Hotel Belmont, 30 rue Bessano, off Champs Elysees. The Hotel looks really nice and I like the busy Champs Elysees a lot. Single room 139euros.

I booked everthing on Venere.com
Good luck with your choices.