Hello,
This is my 2nd question in as many days...as my trip gets closer I'll probably have even more! I will be in Paris in June for a "salsa congress" - they are holding hotels for travelers in a couple of hotels in the 12e near Bercy (There will be a shuttle to the congress from the recommended hotels. This is a whole other issue, as their travel agency, ok-travel, has not responded to any of my emails inquiring about accommodations). This is where I'll likely stay with friends Thursday to Monday, at which time I'll be on my own for a couple of days (yikes - my 1st time in Paris, and going solo!). Do you think I should move closer to the city center? I'm balancing budget (I don't tend to like to spend lots on where I sleep) with safety and convenience.

Whoops! I neglected to include in my title that I'm talking about Paris.

I would move - not a lot of charm in the Bercy area & a little too far away from the main events. Better get hopping on trying to make a res, however. June is a popular travel month (almost any month is difficult in Paris). General consensus is that the St Germain des Pres area is the best for fist timers. Lots of charm, close to many things, and very "first timer" friendly.

Stu Dudley

I also would move, I don't like the Bercy area. Reminds me of staying in some fabricated Disneyland resort or something. It is only a couple days so probably doesn't matter a lot, but if are a light packer and/or don't unpack much (like me, sometimes), I'd move.

Try a little two star - Hotel St.Clement reccommended by a Fodorite some time back. I have booked five nights there in October simply because it looked good on the website, its right next to a Metro and there are scores of eating places all around.

check out the hotel du college. You can read about it on trip advisor. Sure you will find something good, with all the suggestions.

Thanks, with your consensus, I will plan on moving. I was looking at Hotel de Nesle; I hope they have space!

I might add a different word here. We spent two nights in Bercy last week at a wedding then moved.

I liked Bercy Village and it was right on the Metro; I loved the park.

So. Where is the congress? And are you talking about moving for the period of the congress, or afterwards. When you say "staying with friends", do you mean you'll be in teh same otel as them or that you'll be lodging with them? If the latter, where are they?

We moved after 2 days down to a small hotel just north of the Arc de Triomphe. Doing it agin, I'd aim to be in the Quartier Latin or the Marais, I think.

The salsa congress is in what looks like a suburb in the southeast corner of Paris. Here is the website, looks like it will be a great event. I will be staying in a hotel in Bercy during the congress, at which point my friends are leaving Paris & I'll be staying on my own for a few days before moving on to Switzerland. As I'll be solo, price becomes an issue with how expensive things are. I'm trying to find something clean, safe, and not too out of the way (If I go out in the evening, I don't want to feel nervous about getting back to my room.) Here's the website for the Salsa congress, in case anyone is interested. It is June 10-12th. http://congres.salsabor.fr/indexEN.htm

Checking the site, I saw that the Bercy hotels are in the Bercy "area", OUTSIDE Paris. It would more interesting to find a hotel at a better place inside Paris and commute by yourself from your hotel to the congress place. The venue is 150 m from the RER (rapid transit system) station in Nogent. From central Paris, it takes 15 minutes.

Parisian, thanks for the heads up! It's so difficult to tell where things are and distances between from the maps I've seen. Unfortunately, my friends are wanting to stay on the shuttle route, and also feel that we'll meet other "salseros" staying at the hotel. I did go ahead and make a reservation at Hotel de Nesle in what I think is in the St. Germain area for after the congress.

OK. Now I understand, I think you'll find Bercy fine for the congress. Bercy is in Paris, but on the outside edge of "downtown".

On your own I DO think you should move closer to the centre. Partly becuase you will oterwise be forever running back and forth to your hotel on the Metro and partly because not everyone travelling on their own, would be comfortable on the Metro.

I would pick a neighbourhood and move in. As i said elsewhere,my own choice would be the Marais or the Quartier Latin.