How to choose a hotel in Paris?

Choosing a hotel is one of the longest stages of travel preparation. After all, there's so much to consider. Today we'll talk about Paris, or rather, how to choose a hotel in the city of lovers. Before choosing a hotel, it's worth understanding the administrative-territorial division of Paris. The cost of accommodation depends not only on how far the hotel is from the center, but also on which arrondissement it is located in.

Which arrondissement of Paris to choose?

There are 20 arrondissements in Paris. If you look closely, you'll notice that the city developed in a spiral, and the map of the arrondissements somewhat resembles a snail's shell:

Price information is taken from booking.com. Hostels, apartments, and 1* hotels were not included in the calculation.

1st and 2nd arrondissements - the oldest and most expensive areas. Here you'll find the Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, and of course, some of the most expensive hotels in Paris. Budget accommodation options in this area start from 4000 rubles per night, which, to be honest, is not budget-friendly at all, especially for the hotels offered in this price category. Slightly cheaper, from 3500 rubles/night, you can find a hotel in the second arrondissement. 3rd arrondissement - the Marais district, a place for lovers of designer items. The Jewish community of Paris lives in this arrondissement, and since the late 70s, it has also become popular with representatives of non-traditional sexual orientations. There are no particularly popular attractions here, but nevertheless, the price for accommodation starts from 4000 rubles/night. 4th arrondissement - a more popular place among tourists. Part of the area is still the Marais. The fourth arrondissement is home to attractions such as Notre Dame, the Centre Georges Pompidou, and the Victor Hugo House Museum. Accommodation prices start from 4000 rubles/night. 5th and 6th arrondissements - this is the famous Latin Quarter, the oldest district of Paris. Here you'll find the Sorbonne, the Luxembourg Garden, and the Church of Saint-Sulpice. Hotel prices also start from 4000 rubles/night. But in the 6th arrondissement, it's slightly cheaper than in the 5th, although the difference is small. 7th arrondissement - the political center of France. This area houses most ministries and embassies, as well as the most famous and visited attraction - the Eiffel Tower. The seventh arrondissement is home to the Musée d'Orsay, the Champ de Mars, and Les Invalides, where Napoleon's tomb is located. The price per night for accommodation is from 4500 - 5500 rubles. 8th arrondissement is famous for the most popular shopping street in the world - the Champs-Élysées. Accordingly, accommodation prices here are also the highest, from 4500 rubles. 9th arrondissement - the Opéra district, where the department stores Printemps and Galeries Lafayette are located. This is one of the most popular areas for tourists to stay. Prices here, although not super-low, are quite affordable, from 3500 rubles/night. But if you book well in advance, you can find a decent option for 2000 rubles per night. 10th arrondissement - not particularly remarkable for anything, except for the fact that it houses two train stations, Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est. And like in any other city, Paris's train stations attract less affluent segments of the population. Unaccompanied women should avoid walking through this district at night. 11th arrondissement is famous for being home to the Place de la Bastille. One of the most informal districts of Paris, there are few tourists, and hotel prices are pleasing - from 2000 rubles/night. 12th and 13th arrondissements are unremarkable, and there are also few tourists here, as there are almost no attractions in the area. Hotel prices start from 2000 - 2500 rubles/night. 14th arrondissement - the Montparnasse district, very popular with tourists, borders the Latin Quarter. Naturally, the closer to it, the higher the prices, but overall, the average cost of accommodation is from 3500 rubles/night. 15th arrondissement - one of the tallest buildings in Paris, the Montparnasse Tower, is located here. The area is very popular with tourists, and it also borders the 8th arrondissement, where the Eiffel Tower is located, but accommodation in the 15th is slightly cheaper, from 3500-4000 rubles/night. 16th arrondissement - the most expensive district of Paris. Living here is the dream of any Parisian; it's a beautiful, clean, and quiet area, which naturally affects accommodation prices. Of course, you can find a hotel for 3500 rubles/night in this area, but on average, hotel prices start from 5000 rubles per night. 17th arrondissement is unremarkable for anything other than being far from the center. Strangely enough, hotel prices here are not the most budget-friendly - from 3500 rubles per night. 18th arrondissement - one of the most controversial districts of Paris. Here you'll find the famous Montmartre, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, and the Moulin Rouge cabaret. The area is predominantly inhabited by immigrants, mostly from Africa. Perhaps this is why the 18th arrondissement has some of the cheapest hotels in the city. Nevertheless, rumors about the danger of the area are greatly exaggerated. Yes, it's dirty here, there are many pickpockets, beggars, and other people looking to profit from tourists, but if you don't fall for standard tricks, like being given "free" bracelets, keychains, etc., don't flash your wallet, and don't leave your camera or bag unattended, i.e., take normal precautions, then your trip will not be spoiled. Hotel prices here are among the most budget-friendly, from 2500 - 3000 rubles/night.

Please note that Montmartre is a rather high hill, and if you decide to stay there, be prepared for frequent walks uphill.

19th arrondissement - although it's quite far from the center, the area is good and quiet, except for the quarters adjacent to the 18th and 20th arrondissements. Accommodation prices in this arrondissement start from 3000 rubles per night. 20th arrondissement - one of the most unreliable districts of Paris. The only attractions here are the Père Lachaise and Belleville cemeteries. Overall, the area is not the best for living - it's far from the center and has many immigrants. Hotel prices start from 3000 rubles per night. So, we've covered the districts. Now you know what budget to expect if you want to live in the center. By the way, the most affordable of the central areas in terms of accommodation cost turns out to be the Opéra district, the 9th arrondissement.

How to book a hotel in Paris?

There are no problems with booking hotels here. The main thing to always remember is that the earlier you book, the cheaper the hotel you'll find. You can book a hotel on booking.com, ostrovok.ru or oktogo.ru.

You can find more details on how to book a hotel on booking.com here.

What to pay attention to when choosing a hotel in Paris?

Paris is a very old city; naturally, there are very few new buildings in the center, so you will most likely be staying in an 18th-19th century building. Here is a list of what tourists most often complain about in Paris hotels:

• rooms in most hotels are small. Consequently, corridors and bathrooms are also very small. A more or less spacious room can be found in 4-5* hotels.

• not all places have an elevator, and if they do, it fits 1 person + a suitcase or two slim people :)
• narrow staircases. In some buildings, they are spiral; you can experience all the "charms" of this design if you try to drag a suitcase up to the 5th floor;

• poor sound insulation;
• not all places have air conditioning;
• many hotels haven't been renovated for a very long time, so be prepared for not-so-fresh furniture and plumbing;
• view from the window. As we wrote above, many buildings in Paris were built in the 18th-19th centuries, at which time most buildings were built in the shape of the letter "P" or with a courtyard enclosed on four sides. Naturally, some rooms will face the inner courtyard, but unfortunately, there's nothing to see there :(

• modest breakfasts. Hotels in Paris offer their guests continental breakfast, which is known for its lightness.

Typically, the menu includes coffee/tea/juices, a croissant or other pastry, baguette, portioned jam or honey, muesli/cereals, milk, and yogurt. Eggs and ham are less common; in more expensive hotels, they might prepare scrambled eggs or an omelet, but only if you paid for breakfast :)

For those who are used to eating a hearty breakfast in the morning, it's better not to overpay for hotel breakfasts, but to go to a restaurant outside the hotel.

If you want something more, but your budget doesn't stretch to a 5* hotel, then consider apartments.

How to rent an apartment in Paris?

One of the most reliable ways is to go to Airbnb.com. There you can find an amazing apartment, spacious, with new furniture (usually IKEA), and even with a view of the Eiffel Tower from the window. However, when renting apartments, note that by default, a maid is not included in the price, so no one will change towels, linen, or clean up after you. Unless you have discussed this with the owner in advance and paid for it. Now let's talk about the apartments themselves. The number of rooms in Europe is counted differently than in our country, by the number of bedrooms. For example, what we consider a two-room apartment with a bedroom and a living room is a one-room apartment in Paris. Therefore, the description will indicate the number of bedrooms, not the total number of rooms in the apartment. In addition, studios are popular in Europe. This is a small apartment consisting of one large room, where the kitchen is not separated from the bedroom-living room. As a rule, in studios, you have to sleep on a sofa bed.

If you are going to Paris by car, don't forget to ask the owner about parking. Parking can be problematic in some areas.

On many apartment rental websites, you might have problems finding a suitable option if you are staying for less than 7 days. As a rule, check-in and check-out are on Saturdays. Fortunately, with the advent of Airbnb, this problem has faded into the background; on this site, you can easily find accommodation even for 1 night. And one more remark about other websites. Be sure to clarify with the owner whether bed linen and towels are provided. It might seem strange, but these "luxuries" are not available in all apartments, or rather, they might not be included in the price.