You can’t wait to leave for Paris, the City of Lights . You’ve gotten your deals on Paris, France flights , now you are trying to decide between some wonderful sounding bargains on hotel accommodation in Paris, France . Here’s a guide to Paris’s arrondissements or neighborhoods so you can learn more about what neighborhoods in Paris the hotels you are considering are in . It will help you figure out where in Paris you want to be and where you don’t!
The ideal of living in Paris is an extravagant one. It’s quite easy to begin picturing extravagant living – canopy beds, pure crystal antique chandeliers , silk sheets – before coming to terms with the reality of budget constraints. Paris is an expensive place . And living like Marie Antoinette isn’t feasible for most people . Furthermore, Paris is a diverse city. It has a vast collection of different arrondissements and neighborhoods , and sections of the city . Some that might suit a married couple and two children might not work for the trendy young person traveling alone , the group of backpackers, or the retired couple celebrating their golden anniversary. So before you finally select which Paris hotels near the Eiffel Tower are for you and your companion, or which 5 star hotels in Paris you think is best , or which Paris hotels in the Latin Quarter offer the best deal , you should also consider the ambiance and milieu of the neighborhood you’re about to stay in. This is essential if you are to choose the best hotel in Paris for you . Remember it’ll be your home away from home during your stay in Paris and you’ll want it to be a good fit. So factor in neighborhood along with price, safety and convenience as you make your final Paris hotel, motel or apartment decision. Neighborhood is always an important consideration for hotel accommodation for Paris, France even if you are looking at hotels in Paris city centre.
General Guide To Pricing
In general, nice Paris’s Right Bank hotels in elegant districts like the 8th and 16th arrondissements are the most expensive of any hotels in Paris. On the left bank, prices are generally lower. Of course there are exceptions, the upscale artsy Boulevard St. Germain area is also rather expensive , though not as expensive as Paris’s Right Bank hotels. Less expensive areas include more residential, student-y , or less central arrondissements. Boulevard St. Michel – though perhaps over-crowded, is rather inexpensive , though not as much so as Montparnasse. These two areas are good for finding cheap accommodation in Paris. Other neighborhoods that are generally on the bottom end of the price scale, but that aren’t considered too dangerous to stay in, include Montmartre, which is low-key, artsy-hippie, and relaxed, the studenty, though perhaps a tad touristy, Rue Mouffetard, and the residential Portes d’Orleans/Alesia area. These areas aren’t close to attractions like the Eiffel Tower, but it’s easy to get around on the Metro or through the city’s Velib bike-rental system.
Your Guide To The Star Ranking System
The concept behind France’s star rating system is arithmetic – not a value-judgement. In France, a standardized system of star-ranking measures not the quality of the hotel but the quantity of its amenities. The one- four star scale (there are no five -star hotels in France) is based on twenty-two criteria about the square footage, features, and amenities, and doesn’t reflect on the “charm,” “niceness,” or lack thereof. So dig deeper; don’t assume stars automatically mean good, or that a hotel with only one star is no good – it could be a lot more charming than its “four-star” a four star hotel .
Choosing A Paris Neighborhood
As a rule of thumb, the first , 8th , 16th, and seventh arrondissements are the most “elegant,” with the seventh by and large more aristocratic, residential, and refined, and the eighth , 1st and sixteenth more opulent, catering to businessmen and government officials. The sixth is also upscale, but in an artsier, more bohemian fashion. For young, trendy tourists , the Marais (third and fourth) is the best place to be, although for student travelers on a budget Montmartre (18th – but be sure you’re not in the less safe district of Barbes-Rochechouard or the seedy Pigalle, also bordering the eighteenth ) is a great bet, as is the slightly more picturesque Latin Quarter (fifteenth ). Quiet residential areas like the thirteenth , twelfth , fourteenth , fifteenth , and 17th are excellent for families looking rent out a Paris apartment and experience “neighborhood life.” Seedier areas include bits of the 2nd, the 9th, and outlying areas – be sure you’re not in Barbes-Rochechouard, on Rue St. Denis (unless you’re low down near Les Halles), or in Pigalle or Clichy – these are all slightly seedier, or even dangerous neighborhoods. Staying in the banlieus – suburbs- is not suggested .
