You can hardly wait to leave for Paris .  You’ve gotten your flights to Paris, France , now you’re considering some great looking specials on hotel accommodation for Paris, France. Here’s a guide to Paris’s arrondissements or neighborhoods so you can learn more about what sections of 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 vacationing in Paris is an extravagant one. It’s quite easy to begin picturing indulgent living – canopy beds, crystal chandeliers, silken sheets – before waking up to the reality of cost . Paris is an expensive city. And living like a king or a queen isn’t possible for everybody . Furthermore, Paris is a diverse city. It has an assortment of different arrondissements and neighborhoods , and areas.  Some that might suit a married couple and four youngsters might not work for the trendy young couple , the group of backpackers, or the older couple celebrating their golden anniversary. So before you finally decide on which Paris hotels near the Eiffel Tower are for you , or which 5 star hotels in Paris you think is best , 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 essential if you are to select the best hotel in Paris for you and your family . Remember it’ll be your home away from home while 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 France accommodation selection . Neighborhood is always an important consideration for accommodation for Paris, France even if you are looking at hotels in Paris city centre.

General Guide To Price

As a rule of thumb, nice 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 expensive , though perhaps not to the same extent . Less pricey areas include more residential, student oriented, or out-of the way 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 studenty, though perhaps a bit touristy, Rue Mouffetard, and the residential Portes d’Orleans/Alesia area. These areas tend not to be a five minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, but it’s easy to get around on Paris’s Metro or through Paris’s Velib bike-rental system.

General 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-rating measures not the quality of the hotel but the quantity of its amenities. The one- 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” a four star hotel .

Selecting A Neighborhood

For the most part, the 1st, 8th , sixteenth , and seventh arrondissements are the most “elegant,” with the seventh by and large more aristocratic, residential, and refined, and the 8th, first and sixteenth more opulent, catering to businessmen and government officials. The sixth is also upscale, but in a more artsy , more bohemian fashion. For young, trendy visitors , the Marais (3rd and 4th) 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 18th) is a great bet, as is the slightly more picturesque Latin Quarter ( 15th). Quiet residential arrondissements like the 13th, twelfth , fourteenth , fifteenth , and 17th are wonderful for families looking rent out an inexpensive Paris apartment and experience “neighborhood life.” Seedier areas include bits of the 2nd, 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 seedier , or even dangerous  neighborhoods. Staying in the banlieus – suburbs- is not suggested .