Paris Districts
 

My girlfriend and a will be visiting Paris for 3 nights in June of 2015. She has never been and it's been over 20 years since I visited and I know that there have been many changes.

As I research hotels the starting place seems to be which district(s) / area(s)should we look at. I am finding lots of information about hotels and what to do, but am interested in some information about the districts and what each might offer and ones that don't lend to a short tourist visit.

A little about is. We are in our mid 40's and active and adventurous and would like to pick a safe area with good choices of places to walk to for something to eat or drink in the evening, while not requiring long transit times during the day to the tourist sights (taking a reasonable Metro trip is not a problem)

Any advise or links to threads that I might have missed is appreciated

To make things easy, consider hotels in the 5th or 6th arrondissements (districts), particularly the area known as the Latin Quarter. Near well known land marks, these are lively areas that appeal to most tourists.

You will not be able to visit all 20 arrondissements in only 3-4 days but staying in a central location will give you flexibility to easily reach the areas of greatest interest to you. There are numerous books that you might find interesting, including the Michelin Green Guide for Paris as well as various travel sites with information specific to Paris:

http://tinyurl.com/d3p85
http://tinyurl.com/mohlsvb

Actually one of the great and amazing things about Paris is that it hasn't changed in the last 20 years. Or 30. Or 40, etc. If you are able to remember your visit from 20 years ago, you'll find that it is mostly the same.

All of central Paris is reasonably safe and has plenty to eat in all prices ranges. And easy public transportation is ubiquitous.

A few pointers:

* Paris districts (arrondissements) are numbered from 1-20, clockwise, starting in the center, so most interesting sights are located in districts 1-10

* On the right side of the river (rive droite): No. 1 contains the church of Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum. No. 8 has Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe and also the "Triangle d'Or" with upscale designer shops. No. 9 has the large department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Printemps). No. 4 has the Marais quarter with Place des Vosges, the Picasso Museum, and many nice little shops. No. 16 is an upscale residential area.

* On the left side of the river (rive gauche): No. 7 has the Eiffel tower and the Hotel des Invalides.

* In terms of areas to stay in: I like the area around Place Vendome (No. 1). There are many luxury/upscale hotels clustered there (Bristol, Park Hyatt, Westin, ...) but also others. I also like the area around Place des Vosges (No. 4) - Hotel Pavillon de la Reine gets good feedback on FT, although I haven't staid there. If you are into luxury shopping, you could also choose one of the hotels in/close to the Triangle d'Or (Four Seasons George V, Peninsula, Plaza Athénée, Shangri-La), but I would say the general area is a bit less interesting and generally pricy (although very nice and quiet).

* Regarding the Latin Quarter: The overall area (districts No. 5/6) is certainly nice, but the Latin Quarter proper to me feels a bit like one big tourist trap. Not sure if I wanted to stay there.

Thanks for all the input. Exactly the information I was looking for.

Minor correction: Notre Dame is actually in the 4th. My arrondissement :)

3rd and 4th are my favourites to stay in. Less touristy feel than the Quartier Latin, very central and there's a lot to do and see there. Anywhere a couple of blocks north of the Rue de Rivoli is good.

The arr 1-20 fan out clockwise but in snail shape.
I think most of Paris proper is safe and relatively close to everything.
I do prefer the 6th arr because of the nightlife; tons of restaurants, shops and bars open till late.
The Latin Quarter is a bit touristy and noisy but does have a few nice places to hang out and even a few nice places for an inexpensive simple meal.
As far as hotels, usually you get what you pay for.
Prices have increased significantly in the last 20 years even though the property may have NOT been remolded in the last 20 years.
PM me if you want any more specific suggestions.

In considering the location of Paris hotels, I suggest looking up the actual street. Many hotels use names (eg 'Opera' 'Eiffel', etc) suggesting proximity to sites that are nowhere nearby.

We stayed in two hotels in Saint Germain, near Odeon, two weeks back. It's our second trip, having stayed in the LQ last time.
Very lively area, that had an excellent jazz band playing on the footpath in Rue de Buci from about 8-11pm each night. Our hotel windows were double glazed, but we could open the windows to listen, as we were nearby. Unfortunately, our search for better quality (& healthier) brasserie food in the area went unanswered.

There are plenty of great options in that area! I would have sent you to the Bistro Mazarin for starters.

Thanks, maybe next trip. Couldn't escape large servings of french fries on every plate.

You have to stay away from the touristy places on the big boulevards. Eat where the locals eat, which is mostly in smaller places on smaller side streets.