France: Accommodations Listings
Included in this section:
46. Paris: A Grand Boulevard and a Petite Lane
47. Alsace and Colmar: Vintage France
48. From France to Italy over Mont Blanc (Chamonix)
46. Paris: A Grand Boulevard and a Petite Lane
Sleeping in Paris' Rue Cler
(7th arrondissement, Mo: Ecole Militaire, La Tour-Maubourg, or Invalides)
(€1 = about $1.40, country code: 33)
The French have a simple hotel rating system based on amenities (zero through four stars). Generally, the number of stars does not reflect room size or guarantee quality. Some two-star hotels are better than many three-star hotels. One- and two-star hotels are inexpensive, but some three-star (and even a few four-star hotels) offer good value, justifying the extra cost. Unclassified hotels (no stars) can be bargains or depressing dumps.
If you're on a budget, ask for a cheaper room or a discount (mention Rick Steves). Ask if staying for three or more nights will reduce the price. People traveling off-season can show up without reservations and find substantial discounts.
Reserve ahead for Paris — the sooner, the better. In August and at other times when business is slower, some hotels offer lower rates to fill their rooms. Check their websites for the best deals.
Hôtel Relais Bosquet*** is an excellent value with generous public spaces and comfortable rooms that are large by local standards and feature effective darkness blinds. The staff are politely formal and offer free breakfast (good buffet, including eggs and sausage) to anyone booking direct with a current edition of Rick Steves' France or Rick Steves' Paris, in 2010 (standard Db-€185, bigger Db-€210, check website for special discounts, extra bed-€30, 19 rue du Champ de Mars, tel. 01 47 05 25 45, fax 01 45 55 08 24, www.relaisbosquet.com, hotel@relaisbosquet.com).
Hôtel de la Motte Picquet***, at the corner of rue Cler and avenue de la Motte-Picquet, is an intimate little place with plush rooms at fair prices (Sb-€150, standard Db-€160, bigger Db-€200, 30 avenue de la Motte-Picquet, tel. 01 47 05 09 57, fax 01 47 05 74 36, www.hotelmottepicquetparis.com, book@hotelmottepicquetparis.com).
Hôtel Beaugency***, a good value on a quieter street a short block off rue Cler, has 30 small rooms with standard furnishings and a lobby you can stretch out in (Sb-€120, Db-€145–155, occasional discounts for Rick Steves readers — ask when you book, 21 rue Duvivier, tel. 01 47 05 01 63, fax 01 45 51 04 96, www.hotel-beaugency.com, infos@hotel-beaugency.com).
Warning: The next two hotels are super values, but very busy with my readers (reserve long in advance).
Grand Hôtel Lévêque** faces rue Cler with red and gray tones, a singing maid, and a sliver-sized slow-dance elevator. This busy hotel has a convivial breakfast room but no real lobby. Half the rooms have been renovated and cost more, while those on rue Cler come with some noise (S-€75–80, Db-€105–115, Tb-€145–150, 29 rue Cler, tel. 01 47 05 49 15, fax 01 45 50 49 36, www.hotel-leveque.com, info@hotel-leveque.com, helpful Christophe).
Best Budget Option on Rue Cler
Hôtel du Champ de Mars**, with adorable rooms and serious owners Françoise and Stephane, is a cozy rue Cler option. This plush little hotel has a small-town feel from top to bottom. The rooms are snug but lovingly kept, and single rooms can work as tiny doubles. It's an excellent value despite the lack of air-conditioning. This popular hotel receives an overwhelming number of reservation requests, so please be patient (Sb-€95, Db-€100, 30 yards off rue Cler at 7 rue du Champ de Mars, tel. 01 45 51 52 30, fax 01 45 51 64 36, www.hotelduchampdemars.com, reservation@hotelduchampdemars.com).
47. Alsace and Colmar: Vintage France
Sleeping in Colmar
(€1 = about $1.40, country code: 33)
Hotels are busy on weekends in May, June, September, and October, and every day in July and August. But there are always rooms — somewhere. Should you have trouble finding a bed, ask the TI for help, or look in a nearby village, where small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts are plentiful.
Hôtel le Rapp***, well-located off place Rapp and near a big park, holds a variety of rooms for many budgets, a full-service bar, a café, and a nice restaurant. The cheapest rooms are small but comfortable; the bigger rooms are tastefully designed, usually with queen-size beds. There's also a small basement pool, a sauna, and a Turkish bath. It's well-run and family-friendly (Sb-€76, standard Db-€94, bigger Db-€115, junior suite for 2–4 people-€145, good buffet breakfast-€11, air-con, elevator, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, 1 rue Weinemer, tel. 03 89 41 62 10, fax 03 89 24 13 58, www.rapp-hotel.com, rapp-hot@calixo.net).
Hôtel Turenne**, though less central, can be a good two-star value. It's a 10-minute walk from the city center, a 15-minute walk from the train station, and sits on a busy street with easy, free parking. Rooms vary in size, and many have tight bathrooms, though all are air-conditioned and well-maintained. Rates are hard to pin down (Sb-€50–86, Db-€70–90, Tb-€78-90, family-friendly studios-€120–140, park for free on the street or book ahead to park in their lot-€7, air-con, elevator for most rooms, Internet access, free Wi-Fi, appealing bar and breakfast room, 10 rue de Bâle, tel. 03 89 21 58 58, fax 03 89 41 27 64, www.turenne.com, infos@turenne.com).
Best Budget Option in Colmar
Maison Martin Jund holds my favorite budget beds in Colmar. This ramshackle yet historic half-timbered house — the home of likeable winemakers André and Myriam — feels like a medieval tree house soaked in wine and filled with flowers. The rooms are bare-bones simple but comfortable enough, spacious, and equipped with kitchenettes (D-€35, Db/Tb-€45–55; huge family apartment with character and a short, steep staircase-€90 for 2, sleeps up to 6, €5/additional person; breakfast-€6, good organic wine for sale in their tasting room, Internet access, free Wi-Fi, 12 rue de l'Ange, tel. 03 89 41 58 72, fax 03 89 23 15 83, www.martinjund.com, martinjund@hotmail.com). Leave your car at the lot across from Hôtel Primo. Train travelers can take bus #1, #2, or #3 from the station to the TI, walk from Unterlinden Museum past Monoprix, and veer left on rue des Clefs, left on rue Etroite, and right on rue de l'Ange. This is not a hotel, so there is no real reception — though good-natured Myriam seems to be around, somewhere, most of the time (call if you plan to arrive after 9 p.m.).
48. From France to Italy over Mont Blanc
Sleeping in Chamonix, France
(€1 = about $1.40, country code: 33)
Reasonable hotels and dorm-like chalets abound in Chamonix, with easy parking and quick access from the train station. The helpful TI can help you find budget accommodations anytime. Outside winter, mid-July to mid-August is most difficult, when some hotels have five-day minimum-stay requirements. Prices tumble off-season (outside July–Aug and Dec–Jan). Many hotels and restaurants are closed in April, June, and November, but you'll still find a room and a meal. If you want a view of Mont Blanc, ask for côté Mont Blanc (coat-ay mohn blah). Summertime travelers should contemplate a night high above in a refuge-hotel.
Hôtel Gourmets et Italy*** is a sharp, 40-room place with cozy public spaces, a cool riverfront terrace, balcony views from many of its appealing rooms, and a small pool (standard Db with shower-€80–105, larger Db with bath and Mont Blanc view-€95–140, extra person-€16, closed late April–early June, 2 blocks from casino on Mont Blanc side of river, 96 rue du Lyret, tel. 04 50 53 01 38, fax 04 50 53 46 74, www.hotelgourmets-chamonix.com, hgicham@aol.com).
Hôtel de l'Arve** has a contemporary alpine feel, with 37 comfortable rooms, some right on the Arve River looking up at Mont Blanc. Owners Isabelle and Beatrice, wood accents, a fireplace lounge, pool room, pleasant garden, sauna, climbing wall, Internet access, free Wi-Fi, and easy parking add to the appeal (standard Db-€63–90, larger or view Db-€73–108, big view room-€84–125, extra person-€15, breakfast-€10, free parking, around the corner from huge Hôtel Alpina, 60 impasse des Anémones, tel. 04 50 53 02 31, fax 04 50 53 56 92, www.hotelarve-chamonix.com, contact@hotelarve-chamonix.com).
Best Budget Option in Chamonix
Hôtel le Chamonix**, across from the TI and above a café, is simple, with 16 wood-paneled rooms at fair rates and no elevator. The rooms facing Mont Blanc have great views, are larger and brighter, and have little balconies...but also attract noise from le café below, which closes at 8:00 p.m. (standard Db-€62–82, standard Db with Mont Blanc view-€66–92, Tb-€80–104, Qb-€95–120, 11 rue de l'Hôtel de Ville, tel. 04 50 53 11 07, fax 04 50 53 64 78, www.hotel-le-chamonix.com, hotel-le-chamonix@wanadoo.fr).
Updated for 2009. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' France and Rick Steves' Paris guidebooks.