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You can hardly wait to leave for Paris .  You’ve gotten your deals on Paris, France flights , now you are assessing some great looking deals on hotel accommodation in Paris, France . Here’s a guide to Paris’s arrondissements or neighborhoods so you can learn more about what areas of Paris the hotels you are considering are located in. It’ll help you decide where in Paris you want to be and where you don’t!

The dream of staying in Paris can be an extravagant one. It’s quite easy to begin picturing pampered living – canopy beds, crystal chandeliers, pure silk sheets – before waking up to the reality of budget constraints. Paris is an expensive place . And living like a king or a queen isn’t possible for most people . Furthermore, Paris is a diverse city. It has a wealth of different neighborhoods , and areas.  Some that might suit a married couple and three kids might not work for the trendy young couple , backpackers , or the semi-retired or retired couple celebrating their fifty-year anniversary. So before you finally figure out which Paris hotels near the Eiffel Tower are for you , or which 5 star hotels in Paris you like , 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 crucial if you are to select the best hotel in Paris for you and your family . Remember it’ll be your home away from home in Paris and you’ll want it to be a good fit. So think about neighborhood along with price, safety and convenience as you make your final Paris hotel or accommodation selection . Neighborhood is always an important consideration for accommodation in Paris, France even if you are looking at hotels in Paris city centre.

General Guide To Pricing

For the most part, good Paris hotels on the Right Bank in elegant districts like the eighth and sixteenth arrondissements are the most expensive of any hotels you can find . On the left bank, prices are generally lower. Of course there are exceptions, the upscale artsy Boulevard St. Germain area is also rather pricey, though not as expensive as the equivalent Right Bank hotels . Less expensive areas include more residential, student oriented, or less central arrondissements. Boulevard St. Michel – though perhaps congested , 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 worryingly dangerous , include Montmartre, which is low-key, artsy-hippie, and relaxed, the student-oriented , though perhaps a bit 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 Paris’s Metro system or through the city’s Velib bike-rental system.

General Guide To The Star Rating System For Accommodation

The concept behind the star rating system is arithmetic – not a value-judgement. In France, a standardized system of star-rating measures not the quality of the hotel but the quantity of its amenities. The one- 4 star scale (there are no 5-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 do your research ; don’t assume stars automatically equal good, or that a hotel with only one star is bad – it could be a lot more charming than its “four-star” a four star hotel .

Deciding On A Neighborhood

 

For the most part, the 1st, eighth, 16th, and 7th arrondissements are the most “elegant,” with the 7th by and large more aristocratic, residential, and refined, and the 8th, 1st and sixteenth more opulent, catering to businesspeople and government officials. The 6th is also upscale, but in a more artsy , more bohemian way . For young, trendy tourists , the Marais (third and fourth) is the best place to be, although for student travelers on a budget Montmartre (eighteenth – 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 arrondissements like the thirteenth , twelfth , 14th, 15th, and seventeenth are wonderful for families looking rent out an inexpensive Paris apartment and experience “neighborhood life.” Seedier areas include bits of the second , 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 seedier , or even dangerous  neighborhoods. Staying in the banlieus – suburbs- is not recommended .

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