Trip to Paris-my daughter and I are planning a trip in May. I need advice on Hotels centrally located.?

Question

Need nice hotel but not expensive, perhaps small & quaint and within walking distance of Eiffel Tower and other tourist attractions. Also advice on where to eat, shop, etc. thanks!

Answer 1

The Eiffel Tower is in the west part of the city and, in a sense, is not in the "center" of the city. But all the major tourist sights are in a fairly compact area and the Metro will get you to anyplace with relative ease.

My favorite hotel is the Hotel St Andre des Arts at 66 rue St Andre des Arts in the 6th arrondissement. Its central and within a few minutes walk of Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Luxembourg Gardens, among others.

It is definetly not expensive but I should also tell you that it is NOT the Holiday Inn. No TV, no elevator, no minibars, no room service and no magnetic key cards. (The keys are as medieval as the building itself which was constructed in 1601).

But is is charming, very Parisian, and owned and operated by a former philosophy professor. I also promise that it is clean and has modern en suite bathrooms facilities.

You can view it here: http://www.123france.com/123/en/hotel.ph...

Where to eat is always a huge question because there are so many marvelous places to eat in Paris. If you stayed at the hotel I've suggested then you'd find a very pleasant restaurant right next door that serves classic french food at moderate prices. Down the street about 50 yeards is Allard, an old-time bistro, opened in 1931, that is a bit pricier (prix fixe 32€ dinner) but a Paris classic. Walk the other way up the street and there is Le Conti, a convivial cafe serving food typcial of such an establishment, terrines, sandwichs, omelets and such. (here's a little vieo of it: http://www.paris-zoom.com/place.asp?P=Le... The Cafe Buci, much the same, is a few additional steps away (Here's their video: http://www.paris-zoom.com/place.asp?P=Le...

There are at least another dozen places to eat all within a half block of the front door of the Hotel and that is hardly an unusual situation.

I tell people to just wander and read menus (French law requires that they be posted in the window). Find your own special place. its part of the adventure.

Answer 2

Go to www.accorhotels.com

They have 4 brands of hotels available in Paris and most of EU. These include Formule-1, the lowest priced, followed by budget Etap, slightly higher priced Ibis and the business/ luxury brands Novotel, Sofitel and Grand Mercure, among others.

You'll find Etap hotels all over Paris and the website gives details of where they are exactly located on the link 'Area Information'.

Shopping in Paris tends to be more expensive as compared to other places in Europe, due to local taxation. If you are loaded, Champs Elysee is the place for fashion wear etc but other cheaper places can be found across the city.

French food is best at traditional, streetside restaurants again located all over Paris.

Be careful of theives and pickpockets and beggars who rob foreign tourists. Extra caution with passports, air tickets and credit cards/ cash etc. Robbers there are experts.

Paris has an excellent railway network and they usually give away free maps of the city which shows what locations are near which railway station. They also show where you can connect for a train to your destination. Day passes are available at EUR 3 per person and valid on RER buses as well.

Answer 3

We stayed at a Best Western hotel in Rue de Therese, which is in the 1st arrondisement. A short walk from the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay and near a few shops on the main street heading to the Opera house, but it's not easy to hitch a cab around there at night.

Answer 4

Hi from a french

You will see Paris is realy wonderfull.

For find an hotel not to expensive for a good quality I advice you to go on the web site www.aparthotel.com

Answer 5

You can also try tripadvisor.com

Answer 6

I'd also recommend trip-advisor.