©2023 Karis Tavernier-Nicholas
For many, a trip to Paris is a dream come true. Going to the city of love fills many with great excitement and romanticism, and why wouldn’t it? Paris (in my humble opinion!) is one of the best cities in the world.
But figuring out where to stay in Paris can be difficult to say the least. Working out if you want to stay in a central location or further out, whether you want to base yourself near an iconic landmark or have access to a good metro line… the choices are endless!
To help you out, I’ve complied my guide to the best areas to stay in Paris, from first-time visitors to families with young children.
best places to stay for First-time visitors to Paris
1. Le Marais, 4th arrondissement
Centrally based, Le Marais is a charming area filled with vintage shops, cute narrow streets, great patisseries and restaurants. Basing yourself here, it’s very easy to walk around the city. Interesting places in Le Marais include Hotel de Ville, Victor Hugo’s house, Pompidou centre and Place des Vosages.
©2023 Karis Tavernier-Nicholas
2. Near the Louvre, 1st arrondissement
Situating yourself near the Louvre museum, you have an abundance of famous landmarks and tourist attractions around you. This area has a great transportation network to take you all over the city, but being this central it’s very easy to walk around the city. Because of its location, you will be spending a bit more in hotel prices.
Interesting places in this area are the Louvre museum, Palais-Royal and Jardin du Tuileries.
3. Opera, 9th arrondissement
Opera is a classic, elegant area in Paris. It houses the Palais Garnier Opera and is known for its theatres. It has very good restaurants, boutiques and has the great department stores Galleries Lafayette and Printemps.
Best areas to stay in Paris for a romantic break
1. Near the Eiffel Tower, 7th arrondissement
It’s a beautiful area and obviously houses the iron lady herself. Hotel des Invalides and the Musée du Orsay are also some of the highlights of this area. It’s very upper class, and having a hotel with a great view of the Eiffel Tower only adds to the romance. I recommend you check out the famous Rue Cler which is a very famous shopping street in the city and will give you a real taste of Paris.
2. Montmatre, 18th arrondissement
It can be quite romantic, with its quaint narrow streets, sweet little cafes and restaurants, and spectacular views overlooking Paris, Montmatre is a must. The area has a lovely village-feel, and hosts some of the prettiest streets in Paris.
If you try to stay away from the more touristic area of Sacré-Coeur and go off the beaten track, you’ll find some wonderful quiet areas to explore. In the evening, you can check out the Moulin Rogue, the most famous cabaret in the world.
3. St. Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement
This area is very elegant and has a great café culture. Two of the most famous cafés are located here: Café de Flore and Les Deux Maggots. These were the regular haunts of the artistic and literary people in the 19th century, and fans of Emily in Paris may have spotted Café de Flore featured in one of its episodes. It also hosts Église St. Germain-des-Prés and the renowned Église Saint-Sulpice, as well as Serge Gainsbourg’s house.
©2023 Cher Tavernier-Nicholas
best areas to stay in Paris with kids
1. The Latin Quater, 5th arrondissement
This is a great area to stay with children. It’s fun and vibrant, holding the Panthéon, Cluny Museum, Roman Arena and Jardin des Plantes, and is central enough to walk around the city. You’ll never be short of things to do.
2. St. Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement
I’ve already mentioned this area as a great place to stay in Paris, but this really is a family-friendly district with lots of shops, restaurants and great transportation links.
3. Vincennes, 12th arrondissement
This area is a little bit further out than the city centre, but it has lots of green space for children to play with Bois de Vincennes nearby. The area hosts football pitches, horse-riding, play areas and the Paris zoo.
best areas to stay in Paris on a budget
©2023 Karis Tavernier-Nicholas
We usually stay central when we visit Paris, but on our last trip we decided to stay on the outskirts of the city. Not just because it’s cheaper, but also to get to see the real side of Paris, not just the touristic side.
We stayed in a lovely suburb east of Paris called Sainte Mandé. This area is great as it also has the metro line 1 which will take you into central Paris very easily. It’s a cute, affluent suburb just outside the peripheric, and there are lots of local amenities and is near to Vincennes which hosts Chateau de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes.
Being outside of the city, it was cheaper and gave us a great idea of Paris life. We stayed in a small, family-run hotel which I feel gives you that classic Paris charm as opposed to staying in a big chain hotel. But be warned: a lot of Paris hotels, outside and in the city centre, do not have lifts/elevators, so it will be very difficult if you have mobility issues.
