Where to Stay
People often ask where they should stay in Paris. As with any city this comes down to following factors:
Budget
Paris’ most expensive hotels are found around Place Vendôme, Rue Saint Honoré and Opéra.
Mid-priced hotels (2/3 Star) can be found throughout Paris.
Quite a few hostels exist, many of them well located. I’d recommend a hostel rather than an unrated hotel. Many of the unrated hotels are used to “temporarily” house the less fortunate.
Noise Tolerance
If you like a quiet life then avoid the nightlife spots below and look for accommodation off the main boulevards to avoid traffic noise. One recommendation would be Cour St Emilion, a quite area that is well served by the ultra-modern Line 14 that provides direct access to central Paris.
Nightlife
If you are looking to be in the heart of Paris nightlife then the obvious spots are Bastille (Rue de lappe), Latin Quarter (Rue Mouffetard, Student Area), Oberkampf (Student area), Marais (Gay bars and clubs) and the Champs Elysées.
Location, location, location
Paris is a very small city with a good public transport system. As such, location is less important in Paris than in cities such as London and New York. Having said that, I would recommend avoiding a few areas:
Eiffel Tower (15th arrondissement) - It’s a great area to stay in if you’ve already seen the main sites and are looking for a quieter trip to Paris. If you haven’t seen the main sites then you’ll regret choosing this area as it is a little out of the way and not very well served by public transport.
Pigalle/Montmartre (18th arrondissement) - Montmartre is wonderful, but as with the Eiffel Tower area it is a little out of the way and poorly served by public transport. In addition, many of the hotels are located at the foot of Montmartre along Boulevard de Clichy and Boulevard Rochechouart. These two boulevards contain many sex shops and live erotic shows - the area can feel very seedy, though is safe.
13th arrondissements - This is a fairly modern part of Paris and in my opinion lacks charm.
Safety
Paris is incredibly safe compared to other large cities. I cannot think of any areas that should be avoided. However, it remains a large city and one should therefore act accordingly.
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Suggested Hotels
I live in Paris and as such have not stayed in any of these hotels. The comments below are from friends and family:
Hotel Paris France **
76 rue de Turbigo, 75003
Good quality, basic hotel. Five minutes walk from République with Metro lines 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11.
New Hotel Candide***
3 rue Petion, 75011
Basic hotel. Clean and tidy if a little rough around the edges. Metro Voltaire, Line 9. 5 minutes on foot to Pere Lachaise and 10 minutes to Bastille.
