»

[NapoleonesPizzaHouse]

Im visiting Paris next month & im looking for a good hotel/hostel. There are so many online with alot of conflicting reviews/comments, i dont know what to go for. Im looking for somewhere quite central.

Anyone stayed in Paris? Have any recommendations, suggestions etc?

Any help greatly appreciated,

Thanks

[Johnny Mac]

I was in paris at the end of December and will gladly give you some info if you need it tomorrow?

I'm off home right now though.

PM me if you still need help.

[EchelonDivision]

Originally Posted by NapoleonesPizzaHouse

Im visiting Paris next month & im looking for a good hotel/hostel. There are so many online with alot of conflicting reviews/comments, i dont know what to go for. Im looking for somewhere quite central.

Anyone stayed in Paris? Have any recommendations, suggestions etc?

Any help greatly appreciated,

Thanks

We went last year and booked the flight and hotel through Expedia. We stayed at the Kyriad Brancion Hotel, near Georges Brassens park. It was quite small but very cheap. It's near the Porte de Vanves Metro station, you can get this to the centre of Paris (Invalides). The line also intersects with a lot of major lines. It's not too far out. Out hotel room had a nice view of the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Failing that, I recommend somewhere in the latin quarter.

Good luck and ENJOY! Paris is the most romantic place I have ever been to. I would highly recommend it.

[Cloud]

I know this isn't directly helpful, but it's what I do when looking for a decent place.

Go on http://www.hostelworld.com and look for hostels. Look at ones with a really good rating, then google their names to see if people have written about them elsewhere - perhaps people will have blogs with pictures/etc so you can get a good idea about the place. Also, look for places that have a lot of comments - I wouldn't personally risk anywhere that didn't have a lot of different comments praising the place - one or two negative comments are fine, but any more than that and alarm bells should go off.

Generally speaking, the more of a web presence a place has, the better.

I would recommend making sure that wherever you get is close to a Métro station - simply because it makes life far, far easier.

[EchelonDivision]

Originally Posted by Cloud

I know this isn't directly helpful, but it's what I do when looking for a decent place.

Go on http://www.hostelworld.com and look for hostels. Look at ones with a really good rating, then google their names to see if people have written about them elsewhere - perhaps people will have blogs with pictures/etc so you can get a good idea about the place. Also, look for places that have a lot of comments - I wouldn't personally risk anywhere that didn't have a lot of different comments praising the place - one or two negative comments are fine, but any more than that and alarm bells should go off.

Generally speaking, the more of a web presence a place has, the better.

I would recommend making sure that wherever you get is close to a Métro station - simply because it makes life far, far easier.

Yes, I would second that. Although, if you're in the centre of Paris, it's hard not to be near a Metro station.

Bare in mind that if you're only looking for somewhere to sleep, then you don't really need something too extravagant.

Good ideas though!

[NapoleonesPizzaHouse]

I went to the hostel site you mentioned previously. I was referring to that when i said about the conflicting reviews....Every hostel seems to have vastly contrasting reviews from people who have stayed in them.

Ill be in Paris for 2 nights, then ill be travelling to Angers & then Orleans & back again to Paris. I want to make the most of my time there and see all the attractions, so accomodation that will make this easier would be an attractive option. I dont want to spend much time in my hotel, just need somewhere safe to rest my head at night.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by EchelonDivision

Bare in mind that if you're only looking for somewhere to sleep, then you don't really need something too extravagant.

Yeah, I think it's a false economy to go for something that's really extravagant, especially as Paris isn't exactly the cheapest of cities.

I forgot another tip - don't go for a hostel that doesn't have lots of pictures online. Every hostel I've used has had a lot of pictures - and I've never had a bad experience (yet!). It's also wise to make sure that you have details of a backup place nearby - simply because if the one you're in turns out to be unsuitable for some reason, it's good to be prepared. Obviously if you're central, it's no big deal, but it's wise if you go for somewhere that's not dead central.

Also, don't restrict yourself to somewhere dead central - you might find an absolute gem of a place that's a short Métro hop away from the centre and is significantly better and cheaper. Being central in Paris isn't that much of a deal because there's so much that's not dead in the centre - a good trick is to get a rough idea of where you want to stay, then go hunting in that direction.

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by NapoleonesPizzaHouse

I went to the hostel site you mentioned previously. I was referring to that when i said about the conflicting reviews....Every hostel seems to have vastly contrasting reviews from people who have stayed in them.

I see what you mean, I went on and hardly any of them have glowing ratings. I'd go with the top rated ones, but double check on google before booking anything.

Ill be in Paris for 2 nights, then ill be travelling to Angers & then Orleans & back again to Paris. I want to make the most of my time there and see all the attractions, so accomodation that will make this easier would be an attractive option. I dont want to spend much time in my hotel, just need somewhere safe to rest my head at night.

Okay, what you should do is look at a tourist map (there's bound to be one online) and work out where you'd like to base yourself. Follow the crucial rule that you want to be near a Métro station, then go on hostelworld and see if there's any top rated hostels there. It's also wise to look at a Métro map and see how it all ties in - as I've found out, planning things in advance means you get a lot more done on a limited time scale, although you lose a lot of the charm of doing things "off the cuff".

[Val]

What's your budget?

If you can afford it, try to stay in the Latin Quarter. A 2 star hotel there should be about 70 euros for a single. In terms of getting around, that's by far the best option. If not, try to get a hotel near a RER station. The best line is the A because it cuts right across Paris. A chain hotel, like Etap or Campanille is usually fairly good value; and are always close to a station. For example the Etap at Vincennes will cost you 48 euros a night, or at Val de Fontenay its 45 euros. But do your research, shop around, and you'll usually find something at an ok price. French hotels, as a rule, are much less expensive than British ones, and so you might find a better deal in a hotel than a hostel, if you're lucky. If its a small independant hotel, then its worth trying to haggle a bit too.

Just don't have breakfast in the hotel, the boulangeries are always better!

The RER from Vincennes/Val de Fontenay to Chatelet normally takes 15 minutes max, but often more than double that in the rush hour.

Another consideration to make is that transport to zone three will be slightly more expensive, it's around 1 euro 50 for a single journey into Paris, and once you're in zones one and two use t tickets or walk, which is perfectly possible!

If you need any more info, I'll dig out my Paris Pas Cher and have a look in there.

etap... gotta be an etap, they are basically the travelin of europe, and are always pretty near a metro, which will take you anywhere... they are usually located just on teh outskirts