Where to stay in Paris? So many options!
 

I will be in Paris for five days (well, four days as I plan on day-tripping to Normandy) and am at a loss as to where to stay. There are so many options and it seems everyone has their own opinion on which is best. I would prefer to stay away from the ultra-touristy areas and stay somewhere quiet (but still centrally located) with a lot of outdoor cafes and restaurants (think Trastevere in Rome) to immerse ourselves in the Parisian culture. My fiance and I are foodies and love coffee, beer, and wine as well. We don't enjoy shopping so we don't need to be by any shopping districts.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Conventional wisdom says stay in one of the single-digit arrondissements. (If you're not familiar with the arrondissements, the subdivisions of Paris, do a little research.)

For something a little quieter, try the 7th or possibly the Île St. Louis, adjacent to the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame.

Good advice from Mimar. In the 7th we like the Hotel Relais Bosquet but last year tried the Hotel de Varenne, still in the 7th but closer to the 6th. The later was less expensive with a lovely courtyard.

Consider the 12th.

Look at the area formed by Rue de la Roquette, Bastille Metro, Rue Faubourg de Saint Antoine, Blvd Voltaire.

Hit send too soon -- I suggest that area because it has great transit connections, great restaurants, lots of bars and is not as full of tourists as the lower numbered more frequently suggested areas.

I like the 7th too - good location for visiting many sights, and good hotels (eg L'Empereur, Champ de Mars, Muguet). For foodies there are plenty of food stores, rue Cler, wine bars and good restaurants too.

I'd suggest the 11eme, 12eme or even parts of the 10eme. Plenty to do here, especially interesting little restaurants and craft beers, organic wine, etc. Transportation is very convenient, walking around is safe anytime.

Do some research on Lonely Planet, ParisByMouth - these will give you good ideas for lodging and food.

Remember that there is a crackdown on short term rental apartments, which includes AirBnB. You would probably benefit from booking a moderately-priced hotel, which would help you with reservations, directions, etc.

What is happening with the crackdown on AirBnB? That is what I was hoping to use...

https://www.thelocal.fr/20160113/par...l-airbnb-flats

I wonder what happens if there is a raid one week before you travel and your flat will be considered illegal.

For all intents and purposes, all short-term rentals in Paris are considered illegal until proven otherwise.

It is up to the owner to obtain a registration number from City Hall, but as of this date, only about 130 apartments have been approved as legal by the City. There was a list published, but it isn't worth anything, since the actual apartments are not listed properly.

There has been an investigation going on for the last 4 years, with agents visiting apartments to verify if they are rented illegally. It is very difficult to ascertain whether or not the person you rent from is illegally subletting - which means you risk a last-minute cancellation, or if he is the owner and is renting legally.

For only 4 nights, it might not be worth all the vetting you have to do to make sure you're renting a legal apartment. There are lots of reports of last-minute cancellations - due to the crackdown and most importantly, due to the fact that the person you rent from has been offered more time and money. Also, almost all apartments will not allow you to store your luggage if you arrive before your room is ready, so you'll have to haul it around town for several hours.

For only 4 nights, I'd look for a small hotel in the areas I mentioned.

Are you driving to Normandy or taking a tour? Or taking the train?

If you look at a map of Paris, find the St. Lazare train station and work back to the Arc de Triomphe. Look for Avenue Wagram and Hotel Ceramic. It is quiet yet a very easy walk to the Arc and a very central Metro. I can't say if it would fit your budget.

On the other side of the Seine, another slightly less busy area but an easy walk or bus ride is around the Rue du Cherche Midi. It is closer to Montparnasse which may not be on your 'to see' list. Others can make suggestions.

Also look between the Eiffel Tower and Luxembourg Gardens--many hotels in that area if you don't find a flat.

The arrondissements may not mean as much to new travelers to Paris.

Have a super time!

Ile de la cité is a place where you have zero locals. Or the locals there enter with their limo into their house and are never seen.
7th is quiet, not that many restaurant around champ de mars (that is a garden after all) - I like the area around La Mote Piquet, but quite excentered. Rue Cler is unknown to any Parisians, but is a must see for everyone with a Rick Steve's book.
6th is full of tourists, you won't hear french spoken.
So if you really want to immerse and be surrounded by pubs and restaus go to 12th (bastille area is quite nice) or indeed 11 or some areas of 10th.
I also love some areas of the 18th and Batignolles in the 16th or Belleville in the 19th. But these two are also excentered.
So a lot of places...

There are 2 hotels listed in my recent TR, jonescm128:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...f-bordeaux.cfm

I took the train from the St. Lazare station to see the Bayeux Tapistry.

I've just returned from a wonderful week in Paris and I stayed in the 11th, exactly in the area described by JAMH above (great advice JAMH). It hits the check boxes of all the things you've asked for (centrally located but off the touristy heart, lots of cafes and nice restaurants - in fact too many, easy access to the centre, etc.)

Blvd. Voltaire is a typically French boulevard but has lots going on along it at different points, and especially the side streets and main intersections that run off it where many nice small hotels are located. I was near Metro Charonne and it was very convenient. Other good metro stops nearby are Voltaire, St. Ambroise and Oberkamph, as well as Republique and Nation.

From my hotel, I walked to the buzzing Marche Aligres several times (15 mins), to the Bastille column and the Paris Opera (30 mins), and from there you're practically in the Marais, from where you can make your way to Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame and le Quartier Latin. (By metro, the last three are about 10 minutes away changing at Republique or Strasbourg St. Denis so really close.) This area of the 11th is packed with delightful little restaurants, wine bars, craft beer holes.. and the quality and price of the food and drink is fantastic.

Just do a hotel search on a TA map by the Arr and metro references and a whole bunch of hotels in the area will pop up.

Good luck and have fun !

We just came back from Paris a few days ago and stayed, for the first time in the 11ème at the Hôtel Gabriel. It's on the very quiet rue du Grand Prieuré, but right around every corner are wonderful cafés and shops, grocery stores, everything you could want. We spent most of a day at the Marché Richard Lenoir and just walked everywhere. I would stay there again. The hotel is small, spotless and a little bit quirky in terms of décor, but delightful. The best thing about it was I booked it on booking.com for 80€ a night for a superior double. The rate sheet posted in the window of the hotel showed the price of the room to be 305€ !!

I recommend staying near the Metro stop Edgar Quinet in Montparnasse. Very good metro connections near there on three different Metro lines, and the Breton neighborhood of Montparnasse with its many creperies is charming. Hotel Delambre would be good choice.

Wow thanks for all the great replies! I will definitely keep all of this in mind when looking.

Has anyone ever stayed in the Latin Quarter? I found a very nice (budget friendly) flat on Rue Mouffetard overlooking Place de la Contrescarpe.

Although, now I am a bit nervous about renting from VRBO!

Of course, thousands of tourists choose to stay in the Latin Quarter. Me - never, ever. Especially on or near the rue Mouffetard, but it's your call and depends a lot on your experience with Paris. A lot of first-timers find it exhilarating and exactly what their "Paris dreams" are made of.

I wouldn't be renting from VRBO right now, for sure. And if it's your first time in Paris, an apartment is a bad idea for lots of reasons. You can't check in until long after your plane arrives, probably (so what do you do for several hours); you have to deal with building and apartment codes; you have to know how to work French appliances with French instructions (fine if you read French/not so fine if you don't), and so forth. You would probably be a LOT more comfortable staying in a hotel unless your French is perfect and you are willing to put up with a lot of daily French inconveniences - "living like a local" isn't all it's drummed up to be, plus a VRBO apartment could be pulled from the market in an instant, leaving you without accommodations at the last moment.

Be smart and book a hotel or an aparthotel.

I stayed near there. It's a relatively quiet area, but with restaurants and the little market on Rue Mouffetard. The metro isn't wonderfully convenient, at Cardinal Lemoine or Place Monge.

Renting a flat in Paris these days is taking a chance. We stayed at the very reasonable and charming Hôtel des Grandes Écoles; we had a room in the back over looking the garden. Off the street and definitely quiet!