She goes to Paris solo....needs a place!
 

Bonjour! (as much french as i know )

I'm thrilled about visiting paris for the first time. I will be going from london to Paris, solo, in November. As a young woman travelling alone safety is obviously a concern.

I need to reserve a place & am quite confused with the number of options available. I've narrowed it down to a few places (altho i'm not a student but would still prefer a balance of budget, comfort & security). Some hostel pics with bare walls & metal frame bunk beds look like a prison or something

It'd be great if you guys could share your experiences & thoughts. From what I've heard, Lation Quarter should be a nice neighbourhood. It'd like to be able to do a lot of walking around. A single room is prefered.

HOTEL MARIGNAN
- 45 euros single (altho let's go says there's a 15% discount on it. i've emailed them & waiting for a response)
- Latin Quarter: 13, rue Du Sommerard
- http://www.hotel-marignan.com

BVJ: PARIS QUARTER LATIN
- Latin Quarter: 44 Rue des Bernardins
- http://www.bvjhotel.com/
- 35 euros single, 28-26 euros 4-8 room-dorm

FOYER INTERNATIONAL DES ETUDIANTES
- http://www.fie.fr/english/
(not sure about reservation/prices)


- AUBERGE INTERNATIONALE DES JEUNES
Bastille district: 10, rue Trousseau
www.aijparis.com

feel free to suggest another place. Here's what i'd like:
- prefer single room, shared dorm ok
- no lock-out
- curfew (prefer none, but 2 or after would be ok)
- shared shower is ok (if it saves a few $$)
- those hotels that charge for things like shower tend to put me off (makes it look like they just want the money)

I've recommeded Hotel Tiquetonne a few times.

However it's in 1er (I think), not Latin Quarter.

Try searching for it and you'll probably come across a few threads to which I've contributed.

I stayed there 3x (2x in a double 50 euros) and once in a single (40 euros) (most recently in July of this year).

There was an even more recent, positive comment from another Fodorite.

I believe you've to return by 3 am. The desk is manned until midnight (so they say, but usually there's someone there until 1 am).

I'm not sure if the lack of a 24h desk will affect your decisions.

I love the hotel and its location though.

Wow. Has the search engine improved lately?

Type Tiquetonne into the search box and you actually get some relevant, useful threads.

You mentioned personal safety on another thread. My suggestion is to carry the business card of your hotel or write down the address of your hostel and its nearest landmarks. Paris can be terribly confusing even with a map I got horribly turnred around in the Latin Quarter one afternoon. I am saying this in a light-hearted way but I'd worry more about getting lost than getting followed or pick-pocketed.

Depending on the type of place you end up staying, you most likely will want to get yourself a money belt to keep your valuables secure.

I can't help you on the particular facilities available in those hostels. I assume you can find that out on their websites or elsewhere. However, all of those locations are central, convenient, and safe, in general. I personally do not like the area around AIJ (rue Trousseau) as well as the other areas. I have read a few reviews of that hostel of people who liked it, however, but I think hostel-specific websites are best for that. I just don't think the area is as nice and wouldn't put it at top of my list. The Foyer International des Etudiantes is a nice area if it's the one I'm thinking of on bd St Michel, and a decent place (I knew someone who stayed there), but it's not as convenient to the metro as the ones closer to the Seine in the Latin Qtr. It's a couple blocks south of the RER Luxembourg RER stop, and other than that, no metro stop is around.

Hotel du Loiret in the 4th. 45 euros for single room with hall shower. 24 hour front desk. Very safe area. On quiet street just off rue du Rivoli. Steps from Hotel de Ville and metro stop. Lots of shops and restaurants very close. BHV department store just down street. Short walk to Notre Dame and Ilse St. Louis. Their email is [email protected]

^^^