Jeff Mills Coastal Vacations Club Blog

You can hardly wait to leave for Paris, the capital of France .  You’ve gotten your
href=”http://www.paris-web.com/paris-vacation-day-trips.php”> discount flight to Paris, France , now you are considering some wonderful sounding deals on accommodation for Paris, France . Here’s a guide to Paris’s neighborhoods or arrondissements so you can learn more about what parts of Paris the hotels you are thinking about are in . It’ll help you see where in Paris you want to be and where you don’t!

The ideal of living in Paris can be an extravagant one. It’s quite easy to begin picturing luscious living – canopy beds, pure crystal antique chandeliers , silken sheets – before coming to terms with the reality of cost . Paris is an expensive place . And living like a king or a queen isn’t possible for most visitors . Furthermore, Paris is a diverse place . It has a wealth of different arrondissements, and sections of the city .  Some that might suit a married couple and two youngsters might not work for the trendy young person traveling alone , adventure seekers , or the older couple celebrating their golden anniversary. So before you finally select which Paris hotels near the Eiffel Tower are for you , or which 5 star hotels in Paris you want to stay in , or which Paris hotels in the Latin Quarter make the most sense for you, you should also consider the ambiance and milieu of the neighborhood you’re about to stay in. This is vital if you are to get the best hotel in Paris for you and your companion. Remember it’ll be your home away from home 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 or accommodation decision. Neighborhood is always an important consideration for accommodation for Paris, France even if you are looking at hotels in Paris city centre.

A Rough Guide To Price

By and large, nice Paris hotels on the Right Bank in elegant districts like the 8th and 16th arrondissements are the most expensive of any hotels anywhere . 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 perhaps not to the same extent . Less pricey areas include more residential, student-y , or less central arrondissements. Boulevard St. Michel – though perhaps over-crowded, is pretty value oriented, 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 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 Paris’s Velib bike-rental system.

Your Guide To The Star Rating System For Accommodation

The idea behind the star rating system is mathematical – 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 1 – four 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 far more charming than its “four-star” counterpart .

Choosing A Paris Neighborhood

 

For the most part, the first , eighth, 16th, and seventh arrondissements are the most “elegant,” with the seventh by and large more aristocratic, residential, and refined, and the eighth , first and sixteenth more opulent, catering to business men and government officials. The 6th is also upscale, but in an artsier, more bohemian fashion. For young, trendy travelers , the Marais (third and fourth) is the best place to be, although for student tourists 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 13th, 12th, 14th, 15th, and seventeenth are prime areas for families looking rent out an inexpensive Paris apartment and experience “neighborhood life.” Seedier areas include bits of the second , the ninth , 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 more dangerous   neighborhoods. Staying in the banlieus – suburbs- is not recommended .

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