Hotels around Gare du Nord Train Station

The first question you should be asking yourself when considering a hotel in Paris is the safety of the neighborhood. Quite honestly, the Gare du Nord (10th arrondissement) neighborhood would not be the place I’d suggest for anyone coming to Paris for the first time. Today’s walk around the Gare du Nord only confirmed my feelings.

That being said, it is also the sad fact that this is where the famous Eurostar arrives from London. I guess when they were building the Chunnel they had enough money to dig a tunnel underneath the English Channel but not enough to change the tracks so that the Eurostar might pull into a flossier part of town.

But seriously, if you do have to get a hotel close to the Gare du Nord train station, there are a few:

I stopped in at the Mercure Paris Terminus Nord which is part of the Mercure and Accor Hotel chain. It’s listed on their brochure as Hotel Mercure Paris La Defense 5 (which doesn’t seem to have much to do with Paris Gare du Nord!) This 3-star hotel is about the closest quality hotel you could find (but be sure to book this hotel in advance). Weeknights can be totally booked during winter months (as they were tonight). The hotel rates change - but a one -bedroom on Sunday night started at 148 Euros, breakfast not included.

The breakfast room on the upper level was attractive and Wifi access appeared to be available everywhere.

Another much more low profile hotel, and a few steps farther from the train station was Hotel Cambrai
at 129 bis Blvd. Magenta. They also were completely booked but the front desk clerk seemed very nice.

Then I ran into a British couple who were headed toward the station. They had chosen a budget lodging about a 5 minute walk away at Hauteville Opera. They explained that they had been looking for a place to lodge their whole family and that they were satisfied with their stay.

If you are a regular visitor to Paris and simply need a place to hang your hat for the night, these hotels should serve you well, but please try to book a hotel closer to the more central neighborhoods of Paris - if this is your first trip. Other train stations such as the Montparnasse neighborhood will offer you comparable values in more animated (and probably safer) parts of town.
You can either take the Metro directly from Gare du Nord (the direct line is the no. 4 Porte de Clignancourt-Porte d’Oreans line, direction Porte D’Orleans.)

Mercure Paris Terminus Nord
12 Boulevard de Denain
75010 Paris
Reservations: (33) 1 42 80 20 00
Fax: (33) 1 42 80 63 89
IN the US 1 (800) MERCURE

The English couple’s choice:
Hotel Hauteville Opera
HOTEL HAUTEVILLE OPERA
41, rue d’Hauteville - 75010 PARIS
Reservation department (rooms start at 95 Euros)
Tel 33 1 70 619 002

Hotel Cambrai
129 vis, Blvd. Magenta
75010 Pris
Tel. (33) 1 48 78 32 13
Their rates are posted on their site and start at 46 Euros. Rooms are very petite! But so are the prices.