Areas of Paris to stay
My wife and I are visiting France next early summer. We are stayig 4 nights in Paris, 4 nights in Arles and back to Paris for 2 nights before flying back. We have booked the first 4 nights in Paris in the Latin Quarter but would like a different look on the last 2 nights.
We're looking for an area more laid back and less touristy. We'd like to keep things reasonably priced, but would be willing to pay a little more for these last nights. Any suggestions?...as if I have to ask.
Jeremy
Cleveland, Ohio United States 10/26/09
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What about the Marais?
Im looking for hotels close to Rue Cler. You can look there or close to Champs Elysees (more $).
Thanks, I'm leaning toward the Rue Cler area, and staying at the Hotel Motte Picquet (any reviews on this hotel?). It's reasonably priced, yet seems nice and in a good location.
Dont know about that hotel.. Im looking at hotels and finding reviews on tripadvisor. A coworker told me about Hotel Champ de Mars, but is like 2-3 star hotel, and you are looking for something more. But the area for what I have read is the best Parisian area with all the markets, cafes, restaurant, people...
hope it help
This is a very personal judgment call. We like the Citea Residence chain. The rooms are small, but have fully equipped kitchenettes. They are used more often by French business people and students, not tourists. They are rated as 2 to 3 star hotels, and some have indoor pools. They are off the beaten path, so you must be comfortable with the metro system. Take a look at http://www.citea.com/Site/HomePage,en.html and see if there are any in your preferred areas.
We stayed in at Hotel Cadran right off of Rue Cler and absolutely loved it. Definitely a laid back area, and very nice.
I stayed at the Hotel Muguet last year and loved it. It is a few minutes away from Rue Cler. It is a short walk to the army museum and napoleon's tomb, as well as a metro stop. I would definitely recommend it.
I have also stayed at the Hotel du Cadran and it was nice. It is right around the corner from Rue Cler and an easy walk to the Eiffel Tower. I stayed there 3 years ago and booked it on Expedia. It was much less expensive that way - then anyway.
We stayed on the Rue Cler in June 09 at the Grand Hotel Leveque. It was small but very clean and comfortable. Staying on the Rue Cler was wonderful- not touristy. Great cheese, wine, vegetable and fruit shops. Great restaurants! I highly recommend it. Walking distance to Eiffel tower, etc.
Don't know why you wouldn't like the Latin Quarter, the place hasn't changed, as far as I can tell, since the 60's. The trick is to stay uphill from Blvd Ste Germain. If you want a slightly different feel, go for the Marais. Forget Rue Cler (Rue Rick?), I hiked my silly self over a while back to see what all the fuss was about and felt out of place since I was the only one not clutching a blue and yellow guidebook.
I stayed recently in Paris at Hotel Jeanne d'Arc, one of the Maris hotels that Ricks recommends. It's a fantastic location and the staff could not be friendlier or more helpful. The rooms are cozy and beautiful. If you do stay there, be sure you get a room that does NOT overlook Rue de Jarente--it can be incredibly loud at night and in the mornings at 8 a.m when the garbage trucks arrive (and linger). The main drawback for us was that the hotel walls are very thin; we could hear our neighbors snoring and sneezing, toilets flushing, etc. But, wow, the rates are amazingly reasonable for the heart of the Marais.
http://www.hoteljeannedarc.com/acces_en.html
Sorry, I forgot to mention that Hotel Jeanne d'Arc has no AC, only small fans. I think summer heat would be stifling there. I'd definitely look for a hotel with AC if that's what you're used to in the summers.
We were in Paris Nov 7-16,2009 and took a guided walking tour thru Belleville. Beautiful parks and nice views and shops.
I agree with the Hotel Muguet. The location is quiet and only a couple of blocks to the subway. The Eiffel Tower is a 10-minute walk with some nice cafes in the area. Not a restaurant rich area. I also stayed at the Hotel Bonaparte. Small, but very service oriented hotel. Also just a couple of blocks from the subway. Close to the Latin Quarter, more restaurants and attractions (Notre Dame, for instance, within walking distance). I reviewed both on Trip Advisor in February, 2007.