I am a single woman who is planning a trip to paris (also 1st trip to europe)and would like some suggestions about which hotels are worth looking into? or any other suggestions for traveling alone.

There are lots of ladies who do this. Paris is exceptionally easy for the single woman. I did it in 2005 (I was 54 then). I stayed at the Hotel Relais du Louvre (99E's for a single, coffee and such was 10E's [worth the price to me, I want my coffee WHILE I'm getting dressed, people do things different, not better or worse, just different!] [Also, room was what any american would think is small, I'll say long and narrow, either way, I liked the hotel GREAT staff and location]) it is in the 1st arrondizement and across the street from the east facade of the Louvre. VERY central. I got there AFTER I had rented a self-catered studio on St. Severin (in the 6th). It was not a mistake for others, but it was for me. I didn't research the neighborhood enough. I am an early to bed and early to rise type. The neighborhood I'd say is young and exuberant.
I have also stayed VERY inexpensively at the Hotel St. Andre des Arts in the 5th. Truly, nothing fancy...and sorta shabby around its edges (and not in that chic way...) But I'd stay again there. I liked WHERE it was.
I suggest to my friends who want to do this to figure out their budget and then look into hotels from the 1eme to say, the 9th.
The second or third time you go THEN try to get outside the inner-circle to see more and different "stuff".
Up above on the orange bar is a search engine. If you type in "solo" and "Paris", you undoubtedly will get GREAT threads and peoples journals. YOu can read all night!

For myself I would pick somewhere in the 5th (Latin Quarter) if you want a busier area, or in the 7th (out by the Eiffel Tower) if you want a quieter more residential area and are willing to get around using public transportation. Or maybe the Marais (4th)?

My girlfriend recently stayed at Hotel Monge in the 5th as recommended often on this forum and like it just fine.

I love to travel solo and have never once had a problem (knock wood). The one thing I am very careful about is that my passport & money stuff is in good order, since you won't have a companion to fall back on in an emergency.

Also to "pack light" both for your own comfort but also so you do not appear vulnerable, rather in control of things. I think attitude is important in staying safe.

Most tourists -- but not Americans -- stay in the 9th and 10th arrondissements.

What is your price range and what are your interests? This is much too much of a general question. Happy Travels!

I'm going to be in Paris in 2 weeks. I'm not traveling alone, but it will be just two women.

I'm staying at Hotel Du Commerce (http://www.commerce-paris-hotel.com/) in the Latin Quarter. It is very inexpensive (as low as 49eur double), and received pretty good reviews on Hostelworld (where I booked because of their lower fees).

When are you going? If it is after I go I will leave my review.

I think that the Marais is a wonderful neighborhood. It is very young, trendy, and has a great vibe. We stayed there last April (our second trip) and I preferred it to the Latin quarter (our first trip). We stayed at Hotel Jeanne d'Arc. It is a budget level hotel and books up several months in advance. It has a great location, the staff are lovely, and the rooms, while small are clean and very adequate. There are great cafes, stores, museums in the area and it is within walking distance to mostly everything - and near metro stops.
We'll only stay in this area now when we return

thanks to everyone who responded to my post. now if only i can decided to stay in a hotel or rent an apartment,

Hi~
For what it's worth, I would go for an apartment. I stayed 2 days in Paris alone after my sister & brother-in-law left. We were in the 5th on rue de Ecoles. It was fine during the day and fine with the three of us walking back at night. However, when they left, I simply stopped at markets and bought what I wanted for dinner and ate in the hotel room. Not terribly wonderful! We were somewhat close to the St. Germain area, but it would have been a dark walk for a couple of blocks. That trip was in mid-October of 2002.

Having said that, if you're going in the summer and it is still daylight at 10P and not dark until 11P, would you feel comfortable eating in a restaurant by yourself and walking to a hotel before dark at night? For myself (and this is just me!), I would not want to eat dinner alone in a restaurant in Paris for my entire vacation.

Last summer my girlfriends and I stayed in an apartment and that was a wonderful experience. We could shop the markets or take-outs during the day, drop the goodies off at the apartment, and then go on about our day. We could go back to the apartment after a long day knowing that we didn't have to shower and dress for dinner and could enjoy wonderful fresh items for dinner. We didn't do that every night, but it was a great experience the 2 or 3 times we did.

I love the apartment experience and hopefully will be able to do that again my next trip to Paris.

Enjoy!

joy/luvparee

Hi there,

Well when I was in Paris I stayed in the Latin Quarter and found it to be an amazing location. There is a lot going on at night, tons of cheap eats, and just an overall bustling vibe....I loved it there!!

Layla

Hi, I am a woman in my 40s who has traveled to Paris annually for the last five years. I like staying in the Marais area although there are so many wonderful areas of Paris it is hard to go wrong. My strategy is to stay in a different area each time so to experience different things. I have never felt unsafe walking around day or night.

Very little time is spent in the room. I love having cafe au lait and croissants delivered to my door each morning in the hotel. Costs more but it is truly wonderful. Of course, some hotel breakfasts are not good quality. Then it is to the local cafe for a cafe creme and a croissant.

My best tip is pick a cafe near your hotel and make it yours. While service is included, tip a little too much. I frequent it for a glass of wine in the afternoon and a late night cafe deca (decaffeinated) on my way in at night. It is nice to be welcomed by staff.

Tamara

For the first time, I'd go with a hotel. After that, an apartment would be fine. I liked Hotel du College de France in the 5th arrond, but there are other hotels recommended here that'll do fine as well. Having a conceirge/desk person who can help you with questions about where to go and suggestions are valuable! When you return then an apartment is ideal.

I dined alone in restaurants, but I think once you figure out how the brassiere/restaurants/cafes/tea salons work, you'll find something that you'll feel comfortable with, and actually don't mind dining alone.

If you take a walking tour, try to take it at the beginning of your trip - you might meet some like-minded travellers that you can actually buddy up with for coffee or wine, or to have a nice dinner without feeling self-conscious.

You'll have a great time in Paris. I know I did, and I went solo as well.

For a first trip I would definitely recommend a hotel over an apartment, especially traveling solo!

Having the front desk staff is very valuable imo to help you out with things. Also I feel much less isolated in a hotel with other people around, where I could sit in the lobby or even breakfast room... than in an apartment. You are really on your own with an apartment situation (no one to ask questions) which is too much of a good thing when you are solo and a long ways from home imo.

I've done it both ways (hotel vs apartment) and traveled alone quite a bit and really suggest going with a hotel for your first trip.

I would pick a hotel locations that was near lots of shops, restaurants, busy streets, so you WOULD feel comfortable going out to dinner and walking home alone (per Joy's post above).

After extensive research I have decided to stay at Jardin De Odeon (latin qtr)and will be taking my trip in early Sept. Has anyone ever stayed at this hotel? They have gotten really good reviews on trip advisor/expedia. I also plan to take a day trip to London by train. Has anyone ever done this? If so, any suggestions?

I've stayed there as a female alone. Good choice - It's a great hotel. I booked a single and was upgraded to a double. The location is awesome, but can be "tricky" to find (the small street is not listed on many maps in tourist guidebooks) - carry a detailed street map with you and you'l have no problem. Here's a detailed review of my stay.

http://www.parisescapes.com/paris_sl...del_odeon.html

You've received a lot of great suggestions for hotels so I thought I'd just throw in some ideas on the traveling alone part... I have traveled alone a few times for as long as a month (honestly, not really by choice but traveling alone is better than not traveling) so I can speak to some of the things that I found helped it to be a more pleasant experience:

* Pack light enough that you can manage your own luggage through streets and on and off trains if that's how you plan to travel. Also you need to be more sure that you know where you're going before you get there since there isn't someone to leave with your luggage while you go look for your hotel.

* I found that it made going back to the hotel room alone easier when I had my small portable DVD player and DVDs of some of my favorite TV shows and movies. Just hearing familiar voices in the room and while I was looking at my purchases for the day, getting ready to go in the morning, or going to sleep was comforting.

* I don't have a problem eating alone in restaurants but I tended to eat a little earlier than the main crowds and always had some pages out of a Sudoku or crossword puzzle book in my purse. I found they gave me something to do that could be intermittently engaging and allowed me something to do but didn't keep me as isolated as reading a book. I also used time while at meals to write postcards or write in my journal.

* I put books on tape (especially some novels or guidebooks about the area I was in) on my iPod that allowed me to walk around and sightsee alone but still have some familiar voices along.

If you're one of the intrepid travelers who enjoy the freedom of solo travel and choose it over being with a partner or friend, these ideas may not be necessary, but if you are traveling alone after losing a spouse or because you have decided not to put off traveling just because your friends can't go along, and you are a little intimidated by the lonely moments that can go along with solo travel, maybe these will help with your planning and with putting you a little more at ease.

Great tips hb9542. Thanks for sharing! - C