Need help in deciding where to stay in Paris

Hi,

I%26#39;m a student going on a 2 day visit to Paris in March. Which is the best place to stay in the city? Should I consider staying near the airport (considering I have two large suitcases to lug around) or should i stay near the city center? How much can I expect the cab to cost from the airport to the city center?

Does anyone have good recommendations for hotels near the attractions? Should I try to find a hotel near the Eiffel tower? Or near the Louvre?

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My budget for the hotel room is less than US$130 per day.

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Oh, Billywilly! Don%26#39;t stay near the airport, pleeasse! I recommend the Latin Quarter. It is a young, hip area for a student with inexpensive hotels, lots of small cafes, great atmosphere, and great nightlife. It is very central to everything and you can walk a lot. Many think the Eiffel tower area will be good, but for you I don%26#39;t recommend it. There aren%26#39;t many metro stations in the area and nightlife is almost non-existant. Some will recommend the Marais area. It has a great atmosphere and good nightlife too, but I rate Latin Quarter first.

Check out the Hotel College de France there. My friends and I will be staying there March 22-29! Great location only a block 1/2 from two metros, 5 minutes walk to Notre Dame and rooms are 97E!

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Oh, in terms of getting to city center- I might recommend van service if you are on a budget and by yourself and have luggage. The metro is tough with luggage and a taxi is convenient but will run a minimum of 39E one way. check out www.bluvan.com

For 22E you each way you can get the service to pick you up if you pre-book roundtrip online. That is price for one person. It is 29E for two one way. I used the service and they were fine. You may have to wait around for them, or even call them if they don%26#39;t show, but they don%26#39;t charge you until they pick you up so there is no risk in losing your money.

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Best way to go to town if you are on a budget is one of the airport buses (Air France bus or Roissy bus). Find a hotel near their terminal.

Avoid staying at the depressing budget hotels at airport.

A hotel near Louvre (or Opera if you take Roissy bus) is best.

Eiffel tower is a bit out of the way. Look at a map, it is too the left and not near center.

Plus you can see it from just about everywhere in Paris.

Taxi to town is 40 Euros moe or less.

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Thanks all. Question for waytogogirl - have you stayed in the hotel college du france before? How safe is the latin quarter ( I don%26#39;t need to worry about getting mugged there, right?)

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Hi, only a suggestuion that 2 suitcases will be a nuisance, especially if the room is small. I have travelled around the world with carry on luggage, what a relief not to have to wait for luggage at the carousel and no lugging of heavy bags

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Billywilly, I can honestly say the the Latin quarter is very safe. There are a lot of people who live in the Latin Quarter, so it does feel more residential than some areas of the city, but there are a lot of tourist areas too. I am female, travel without my husband to Paris some so this is a very big issue for me. Once I stayed in the Les Halles (1st arr.) and there was a HUGE difference in how I felt safety wise. You will really feel good in the Latin quarter, but always be mindful of yourself. I don%26#39;t suggest drinking too much and wandering the back streets alone anywhere in any big city!

Last time I stayed in Paris (November) I tried to make a reservation at the College De France based on recommendations. They were sold out! Very popular. So, I stayed at the Hotel St. Jacques, which I loved! I have a reservation now for March at the College De France. I researched the rooms a lot and have seen pictures of the public areas and rooms and walked by the hotel on Thenard. The location is perfect. The reason I recommended the College de France over St. Jacques for you is that I view the St. Jacques as a romantic boutique hotel and perfect for a couple. It is a bit more expensive. With the name Billy, figured you%26#39;re a young guy and I think the decor, ambiance of the College De France is going to be more to your liking. They have cheaper rates and it is located closer to the nightlife (only slightly).

I hope this helps!!

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Hello Billywilly. Latin quarter is the best as someoneelse said. A good adress at less than 130€ is the Hotel La Louisiane, in the heart of Saint Germain des Prés. 2 star hôtel, very good service, fresh orange juice and croissant for breakfast, free internet access. La Louisiane host well known, personnalities, because has an interesting history with artists (Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, etc.) About 75€ for a single I think. Direct access from the airport Charles de Gaulle (tube station : Saint Michel, 10 mn walks). wwww.hotel-lalouisiane.com.