Kate

Hi, I am going to Paris in late June and haven't booked a hotel yet and this is a last-minute decision. I contacted several hotels mentioned on this forum but they are already full. A friend of mine says that I could just get to Paris first and then look for a hotel after arrival. She also says that I should look for pensions instead of hotels as they are less expensive. Could anyone on this forum give me some advice?

elvira

Find a hotel before you leave - I've twice done the "oh I'll just go to the tourist office" routine - first time, very unpleasant hotel in the 13eme; second time, VERY expensive hotel in the 5eme.<BR><BR>Try<BR>http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/75budget1.htm

kate

Thank you elvira for your advice. I will definitely bear it in mind. What about pensions? Any one has any comment on that?

brandon

Book a hotel, I know from experience that it is not nice at all to find a hotel and look for hours with no result. Many hotels will not give you a romm for less than 2 or 3 nights in the weekend

xxx

I've had good luck with www.laterooms.com. Other posters on this board have had success with them too.

elaine

Kate<BR>book before you go. You've already found that many hotels are already full. When you arrive in Paris it will be a month from now, plus you will be tired and have luggage; not the best conditions to start wasting some of your precious trip time on finding an inexpensive and decent, available, hotel.<BR><BR>Paris doesn't have as many B&B type places as other cities. Try the websites mentioned above. YOu could also try<BR>www.parisbandb.com <BR>www.hotelboulevard.com includes comments from past hotel guests <BR>www.123france.com/ <BR>www.adx.fr/hotels/anglais.htm <BR>www.parishotels.com/ <BR>www.discoverfrance.com <BR>www.paris.org, click on hotels

danna

Last year I waited too late to book a hotel for September, which I learned is heavy tourist season. I finally found a room at La Villa in the 6th when all others around it were full. The September trip got postponed, so I didn't stay there, but I walked past it last week and it looked like it would have been a very nice choice in a great location...and it had a big plaque out front that said "air conditioned" Perhaps worth a try. Good Luck!

Linda

Kate: Book before you go.Try Paris.com because you can check availability on the web and book directly.

Capo

Hi Kate. I don't know if they've changed the policy but the charming little Hotel du Nesle, in the 6th near the Seine, used to not take reservations, leaving rooms open for people who just show up. I took a gamble on it in the fall of '98, got there around 11:00 am, and got a nice single room with a private bathroom at a great price. <BR><BR>I'd still recommend trying to book a hotel before you go (and the Nesle may very well take reservations now) but, if you don't find anything, and the Nesle still doesn't take reservations, you might try it. Good luck!

it's a BIG city

What no one has mentioned is a few realities -- landing at CDG airport with no destination decided. OK so you're off to find a hotel in Paris (which is HUGE!). What arrondisement are you heading to? What are you going to do with even a small piece of luggage while you troop around town?<BR><BR>Sometimes when hotels become favorites (i.e., Rick Steves recommendations, or Fodor's BB) they are more heavily booked in advance. Try a general internet search, or a bookstore that doesn't mind you leafing thru the guidebooks.

william

Try parisbandb.com. I swear by them. I've stayed at the same apartment four times in the past three years and I refuse to go anywhere else. Every time I go to Paris it's like I'm going home. <BR>The parisbandb.com website is pretty extensive, and if it proves too much for you, you can rely on the staff of the b&b firm to find you a good place to stay. <BR>The price range is decent, too (between $90 and $130 per night), and the quality of the accomodations is better than what you'd find in a pension or cheap hotel. <BR>Whatever you do, DO NOT arrive in Paris without some kind of booking. It is not romantic, it is not adventurous, it is not "experiencing life without a parachute." It's just nuts. You'll be tired, in need of a shower, carrying luggage that gained 10 to 15 lbs on the trip over, and, invariably, it will be raining. I've done it and I swore I'd never arrive anywhere again without knowing where I would be sleeping. Bonne chance et amusez-vous bien a Paris!