Paris Accommodation

Hostels in Paris: Update for Spring/Summer 2008

Courtyard at 3 Ducks Hostel
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2008

First, let me be clear on one thing - I’ve never slept in a Paris hostel, but after the last week of visiting a few of the popular hostels in Paris, I can tell you this, you can find a hostel to meet just about everyone’s taste. Clearly, some hostels outshine others when it comes to tidiness and others are better places if you’re a party animal. Each hostel has its pros and cons.

I haven’t visited all the hostels in town, but those that I’ve seen are quite different from one another - the parts of town are quite different, the ambiance is different, and the rules are different - some have curfews, some don’t. Some include breakfast. Some have bars. Some have free internet - others offer paid internet. Some provide sheets. Some, you have to pay for your sheets and towels. You’ll want to ask all these questions before booking, and also, be sure to ask about deposits. Some will not provide refunds if you decide to leave early. Be sure to book as early in advance during the summer season. Rates can range from 24 Euros for an 8 to 10 person dorm to 80 Euros for a single room with shower and toilet.

Date: May 6th, 2008 | No Comments

Choosing a Hostel in a Safe Neighborhood

Often a concern for single travelers is choosing a neighborhood that’s safe and convenient. Just to give you an update on some of the hostel neighborhoods - You’ll find that the majority of hostels tend to be concentrated in working-class neighborhoods, somewhat removed from the city center.

The Paris hostels I’ve most recently visited are located in the Montmartre neighborhood (18th) and Gare du Nord/Canal St. Martin neighborhood in Paris’s northeastern sector. This is the same area (Gare du Nord) which was the site of disturbances back in 2005, but I found this …

Date: April 24th, 2008 | No Comments

Hostels and Budget Hotels in Montmartre

Lamia at The Hotel New Montmartre (2 stars) (This hotel has recently been renovated)

An important part of making your stay here pleasant is finding a Paris hostel or hotel where the reception staff is kind and helpful. Because we already have lodging in Paris, I can’t give you an account of the sleeping experience at some of these hostels and hotels, but I can tell you about the neighborhood and what you might expect for a front-desk reception.

Please remember to check out customer reviews and their experiences. This post is intended primarily to give you some photographic views of hostels and hotels and is definitely no substitute for talking with those who’ve actually stayed at these locations. You’ll find, particularly with hostels that guests’ impressions vary dramatically depending on their expectation level.

First of all, the Montmartre neighborhood has plenty of charm - especially if you distance yourself from the hill-top and Place du Tertre jumble. Of course you’ll want to hike up the steps to enjoy the great view of Paris, and look at the artists’ sketches & paintings displayed on Place du Tertre, but you’ll be happy to find sleeping accommodations farther down the hill, away from the tourist crush.

Date: April 22nd, 2008 | No Comments

Hotels Near the RER B

One of the least expensive ways to get from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport to central Paris is by taking the RER B line of the SNCF/RATP public transport. It costs 8.20 Euros.

French visitors to Paris find the city just as expensive as foreigners do - the 50 Euro-a-night hotel is almost history, so Huguette and I were really delighted to stumble into the one-star Hotel Floridor, right next to the Denfert-Rochereau exit for the RER B line.

Because the hotel was doing some construction work, …

Date: April 4th, 2008 | 1 comment

Honeymoon Hotels in Paris

Hotel Regina, located on the Rue du Rivoli is right across the street from the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. This is the place you want to be if you plan on spending a great deal of time on the Right Bank, especially at the museum or visiting boutiques on Rue St. Honore.

You may be making a splurge like this once in your life - so you want to get it right.
It’s been about twenty years since my ‘then fiance/now husband’ treated me to a hotel splurge in Paris - and he must have picked the right hotel- because we’re still here! By the way, he hedged his bets and picked two Paris hotels (two nights at each hotel) just to make sure.

However, the hotel industry has gone through major changes in the past twenty years. No longer can the icons of Paris’s luxury hotels rest on the laurels. The rapidity of word-of-mouth, thanks to sites like Trip Advisor customer reviews lets you know soon enough, if the $900-per-night establishment is going to nickle and dime you for internet service.

Because we live in Paris, I can’t give you a first hand (recent) account of staying in any of the hotels I’ve earmarked for you, but here are the hotels I would choose if a special someone might suggest it’s time to celebrate twenty years of traveling together through the world - and through life.

By the way, honeymoons can be celebrated anytime you’re feeling romantic (the hotel doesn’t have to know you’ve actually been married for ten or twenty years - or you’re not ‘quite’ married).

So if the question comes up - where would you like to stay for a night? Here are my choices:

Date: March 10th, 2008 | 2 comments