Paris: Which area in Paris would you choose?

[agnes]

As someone who has never been and will be going EVERYWHERRRRRRE.   We'll be flying into CDG.  The must sees will be Eiffle Tower, the Catacombs, Louvre, Champs Elysees, etc, etc, etc. 

The Opera/Louvre - like right by the Opera and 10 minute walk to Louvre
St Germain/Montparnasse - between Luxembourg Gardens and Invalides
Marais - between Place de vosages and the Seine
Latin Quarter - between Sorbonne and Seine

[buckeyegirl]

We stayed in the Eiffel Tower area.  We were about one block away from it.  We walked everywhere and thought we were in a pretty good area.  

[delawarejen]

Tagging anna7602 in case she'd like to weigh in.

[mlvmd]

I feel like you wouldn't go wrong with any of those areas. Paris is so easy to get around, either by walking or the metro. I lived there one summer near the Luxembourg gardens and felt like everything was so close.

Have a wonderful time!

[winnied]

I'll be creepin' on this thread so I can get tips. I'm headed there in 10 days!

[t]

I definitely recommend taking a river cruise at night. One of my favorite parts of my trip, for sure.

Pretty sure it's just the hop-on/hop-off water taxi, but we took a full lap and it was a stunning sight.

[dbsk8dance]

We stayed at the place Vendome and it was great. In between several metro stations, a quick walk to the louvre and the Tiulieries!

[fromage]

If it were me, I would go for le Marais. I LOVE that area. Plus, it's along the 1 line of the metro, which connects to a lot of other useful metro lines. I also really like the Latin Quarter and I love the Jardin de Luxembourg. So basically, you can't go wrong (but the Marais is my favorite . I guess I personally wouldn't choose to stay near the Louvre. It's a verrrrry hoity toity area. Not as walkable and happening as other areas. JMO.

[mrsukyankee]

I love, love, love either Le Marais or the Latin Quartre. I'd stay in either place over the other two you listed.

[Deleted]

We've always stayed in the Latin quarter near Luxembourg. The RER has a stop there with an escalator, which makes for a nice cost effective to/from CDG. It's a good base camp and walkable to many of the major attractions.

[Deleted]

Agree with others on Le Marais or Latin Q.

Have so much fun, envious and want to see many, many pictures.

[MrsE]

Mar 8, 2014 22:07:12 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Mar 8, 2014 21:34:00 GMT -5 mlvmd said:

I feel like you wouldn't go wrong with any of those areas. Paris is so easy to get around, either by walking or the metro. 

Yes!
We stayed in the Champs-Elysees area.
I remember walking almost everywhere, or taking the subway to and from George V. 

All of this.

[Myrrhine]

My priority is to stay near a metro stop which is not hard to do! I remember that there were some cool places in the Latin Quarter that I eliminated because they were a longer walk to the metro. (Not unwalkable just not as close as I prefer.)

[agnes]

Mar 9, 2014 11:44:28 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

My priority is to stay near a metro stop which is not hard to do! I remember that there were some cool places in the Latin Quarter that I eliminated because they were a longer walk to the metro. (Not unwalkable just not as close as I prefer.)

Now how close/far are you talking about?  There's one hotel that is practically ontop of the metro.  And then there are others that are within 400 yards or less of at least one metro or RER, and then there are ones that aren't very close to RER but close to a bunch of metro stops. 

[Deleted]

I don't want to totally hijack this thread but I leave on Thursday night and could use a few food recs around the champs - louvre area. Something cheap to midrange, nothing super expensive or fancy.

[agnes]

Mar 10, 2014 10:32:54 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

I don't want to totally hijack this thread but I leave on Thursday night and could use a few food recs around the champs - louvre area. Something cheap to midrange, nothing super expensive or fancy.

You should start a new thread so I can bookmark it.

[mcsangel2]

Mar 10, 2014 10:25:42 GMT -5 agnes said:

Mar 9, 2014 11:44:28 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

My priority is to stay near a metro stop which is not hard to do! I remember that there were some cool places in the Latin Quarter that I eliminated because they were a longer walk to the metro. (Not unwalkable just not as close as I prefer.)

Now how close/far are you talking about?  There's one hotel that is practically ontop of the metro.  And then there are others that are within 400 yards or less of at least one metro or RER, and then there are ones that aren't very close to RER but close to a bunch of metro stops. 

Yeah...we stayed in the Latin Quarter (5 minutes door to door to Notre Dame). We were next to 2 metro lines and 2 RER lines. Super convenient!

[agnes]

Mar 10, 2014 10:34:08 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

We stayed near the Eiffel Tower (this hotel - Hotel Duquesne Eiffel and I thought it was great. Fairly small, not crazy prices, rooms a decent size by European standards and the staff were really nice and helpful).

The hotel was near a metro but we walked nearly everywhere.

Trip advisor has a ton of great pictures of the view from the rooms.  But it's just out of my price range. 

[Myrrhine]

Mar 10, 2014 10:46:53 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Mar 10, 2014 10:25:42 GMT -5 agnes said:

Now how close/far are you talking about?  There's one hotel that is practically ontop of the metro.  And then there are others that are within 400 yards or less of at least one metro or RER, and then there are ones that aren't very close to RER but close to a bunch of metro stops. 

Yeah...we stayed in the Latin Quarter (5 minutes door to door to Notre Dame). We were next to 2 metro lines and 2 RER lines. Super convenient!

I didn't mean to suggest that this isn't possible, just that it is desirable (ETA: to me, I mean!)

[agnes]

Mar 10, 2014 11:40:11 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

Mar 10, 2014 10:46:53 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Yeah...we stayed in the Latin Quarter (5 minutes door to door to Notre Dame). We were next to 2 metro lines and 2 RER lines. Super convenient!

I didn't mean to suggest that this isn't possible, just that it is desirable.

So how close is desirable to you?  Like only steps to metro and RER or with in 1/4 of a mile close?

[CloudBee]

It's very walkable. We always stay by the Eiffel Tower because family had (just moved, boo!) a penthouse apartment on that block. When we go back on our own we will probably always stay in that area. It has a nice residential feel, yet you're steps away from some amazing sights.

[YahYahs]

We stayed in the Latin Quarter (Hotel Atmospheres) and easily walked everywhere. We spent most of our time in St. Germaine, so I'd probably stay there next time.

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2014 14:39:42 GMT -5 agnes said:

Mar 10, 2014 11:40:11 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

I didn't mean to suggest that this isn't possible, just that it is desirable.

So how close is desirable to you?  Like only steps to metro and RER or with in 1/4 of a mile close?

Last time we went to Paris, we stayed in the 6th (near St. Germaine des Pres -- probably around the second hotel on your list?) and did not take the metro at all.  We did take the RER to Versailles, and took a cab to/from Montmartre and a dinner or two, but otherwise our feet got us everywhere.

(Granted, we like to walk, but still... it is a lovely city to walk around and you really can cover a lot of ground on foot if you'd like).

[Myrrhine]

Mar 10, 2014 14:39:42 GMT -5 agnes said:

Mar 10, 2014 11:40:11 GMT -5 Myrrhine said:

I didn't mean to suggest that this isn't possible, just that it is desirable.

So how close is desirable to you?  Like only steps to metro and RER or with in 1/4 of a mile close?

I personally like to stay just a few steps (like less than 3 short blocks) from the metro. I still walk around plenty, just on my way to everywhere else, not in between the hotel and the metro. Several times I have been in town for work or shorter trips, and I feel like it helps me to maximize my time. I know there are hotels in the Latin Quarter that are super close to metro stops. I just remember seeing a number of appealing ones that weren't as super close as I like to be.

[agnes]

Mar 10, 2014 15:51:56 GMT -5 v said:

Mar 10, 2014 14:39:42 GMT -5 agnes said:

So how close is desirable to you?  Like only steps to metro and RER or with in 1/4 of a mile close?

Last time we went to Paris, we stayed in the 6th (near St. Germaine des Pres -- probably around the second hotel on your list?) and did not take the metro at all.  We did take the RER to Versailles, and took a cab to/from Montmartre and a dinner or two, but otherwise our feet got us everywhere.

(Granted, we like to walk, but still... it is a lovely city to walk around and you really can cover a lot of ground on foot if you'd like).

I have been watching the price on where you stayed.  La Belle Juliette, IIRC.  There's one hotel just a street over that I have my eye on. 

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2014 19:27:32 GMT -5 agnes said:

Mar 10, 2014 15:51:56 GMT -5 v said:

Last time we went to Paris, we stayed in the 6th (near St. Germaine des Pres -- probably around the second hotel on your list?) and did not take the metro at all.  We did take the RER to Versailles, and took a cab to/from Montmartre and a dinner or two, but otherwise our feet got us everywhere.

(Granted, we like to walk, but still... it is a lovely city to walk around and you really can cover a lot of ground on foot if you'd like).

I have been watching the price on where you stayed.  La Belle Juliette, IIRC.  There's one hotel just a street over that I have my eye on. 

Yup... that's where we stayed.  Lovely area.  If you end up near there, ask anna7602 for her boulangerie recommendation near there.  I missed out on it because I didn't find out about it until after 

[anna7602]

I will rank order your options:

1) St Germain/Montparnasse - my favorite area, by far.

2) tie between Marais and Latin Quarter, they're both equally walkable/public transportation-accessible to most of what you want to see

3) The Opera/Louvre- staying on the Right Bank does not really appeal to me outside the Marais

If you go with v's hotel recommendation, I can recommend lots and lots of specific things around there as it's my old neighborhood. The boulangerie Poilane is not to be missed (check out back issues of the New Yorker for a long article on the fascinating history of this particular place). Another article (linking here) will give you an idea of the lengths people will go to obtain this bread outside of France:

www.marketsofnewyork.com/2013/01/french-bread-in-the-city-procuring-poilanes-famous-miche/

I am also a fan of the outdoor market on Blvd. Raspail in that neighborhood and of the gourmet market at Le Bon Marche. Both will give you good food for a picnic at the Jardin de Luxembourg.

[agnes]

Mar 11, 2014 10:02:12 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

I will rank order your options:

1) St Germain/Montparnasse - my favorite area, by far.

2) tie between Marais and Latin Quarter, they're both equally walkable/public transportation-accessible to most of what you want to see

3) The Opera/Louvre- staying on the Right Bank does not really appeal to me outside the Marais

If you go with v's hotel recommendation, I can recommend lots and lots of specific things around there as it's my old neighborhood. The boulangerie Poilane is not to be missed (check out back issues of the New Yorker for a long article on the fascinating history of this particular place). Another article (linking here) will give you an idea of the lengths people will go to obtain this bread outside of France:

www.marketsofnewyork.com/2013/01/french-bread-in-the-city-procuring-poilanes-famous-miche/

I am also a fan of the outdoor market on Blvd. Raspail in that neighborhood and of the gourmet market at Le Bon Marche. Both will give you good food for a picnic at the Jardin de Luxembourg.

I may or may not be paging or PMing you a ton in the near future!