We'll be getting to Paris on Saturday at 4pm and leaving either Monday morning or Tuesday morning. Just long enough to get a taste of Paris. My girlfriend has never been so I want to show her as many highlights as possible. I know how to navigate the subway very well so I'd like to cram in Notre Dame, The Lourve (not going inside), Eiffel, Arc, Champs with plenty of meandering in between. There are just a MILLION hotels though and I don't know where to begin.

Since our time is so limited, I'd like to be as close to the heart of the inner city and river as possible.

Oh, and under $200/night please!!! :-)

I used hotwire and got Le Meridien which was a bit of a walk from the heart of the city but not a big deal IMO

I think it was 128 + taxes which I think was a great deal for what I got

anywhere along the Champs you're paying north of 300 euros/night - when I lived in Switzerland and was working in Paris I'd often stay in Le Neuilly (sp) - which is in between the Arch de Triumph and La Defense - was about a 10 minutes walk thru really nice area to get to the metro. Otherwise I was on the company dime and didn't care what I paid...

I love Ibis Hotels 80€ per night I figure in Paris. I was there in 2007, it sits direct above the La Defense Metro station. La Defense is a concrete wasteland, but I could see the Eiffel Tower and the Seine from my hotel window and it was really quick to hop on the metro and get around town. The biggest problem with Paris is how early the metro stops and that is the biggest disadvantage of staying somewhere outside of the center of town.

We did a weekend and it was really a whirlwind tour, but yeah .. it was okay, except for the fact that my mom and brother were afraid of the metro alone, they are southerners and dont understand funny yankee things like trains

Anyhow, seriously .. Ibis Hotels are super, basic room, no surprises, clean, simple and everything you need, and you dont pay for anything you arent going to use .. like marble or something. Im not rich or snobby, so I dont know what those people desire, but for my simple taste, I always stay in a hotel that gives me "good enough" for a good price and Ive stayed now in at least 10 different Ibis Hotels throughout Europe and would recommend them in every city except for Nürnberg, or at least the Nürnberg one that wasnt inside the city walls .. it just wasnt as good as the others .. for the price it was still reasonable, but yeah I wouldnt recommend it. The one in Paris however is quite nice.

I layover in Paris on occasion and would recommend staying in the St. Germain area as it is pretty close to all of the action. I have stayed at Hotel St. Germain or something like it several times with out any problems. Lots of hotels in the area, also check out trip advisor for recs.

so you'll be in Paris this Saturday and have yet to get a hotel? Do you have your airline tickets?

Ideally you want to stay on the Left Bank in/near the Latin Quarter (5th arrond). It will place you within walking distance to the museums and Notre Dame. Try also the St. Germain area or Montparnasse.

Weather permitting, spend one evening with your wife picnicing along the left bank of the Seine near Notre Dame. Buy a blanket and goto the market and buy a bottle of wine, a baguette, butter, cheese, strawberrys, etc. and watch the sunset. It is an awesome scene that will always be etched in my mind.

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I have seen the enemy, and he is us.

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Losers make excuses while winners go home with the homecoming queen.

[This message has been edited by Danger Mouse (edited 3/24/2010 11:50a).]

Yes I remember the Latin District came highly recommended last time I was there. Better nightlife than most areas of Paris apparently. I definitely like the idea of staying there.

I seem to remember stumbled upon some amazing cathedral that I want to say was maybe a mile south of the seine & notre dame. There was NO one there, even though it was better than anything I'd seen in America. It had a big statue of a head and a hand in front of it. The streets between this cathedral and Notre Dame were just buzzing with markets and cafes. I'd really like to find that place again.

Last year I rented a flat for two weeks last year right along the Left bank on the Quai de la Tournelle. It was 3-4 blocks south of Notre Dame.

I intend to bring my daughter to Paris sometime this year or next.

____________________________________
I have seen the enemy, and he is us.

____________________________________
Losers make excuses while winners go home with the homecoming queen.

i spent 10 days on my honeymoon at a hotel called abbatial st. germain in the latin quarter. great location, very reasonably priced. very clean, and very helpful people at the front desk. i wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

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abbatial st. germain in the latin quarter

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Damn dude. I called Hotels.com to talk to someone, told him about where I wanted to stay and for what price range and this is the exact hotel he recommended. I'll definitely give it a close look.

great minds think alike.

Booked it. That hotel looks sweet and it's in the PERFECT location. Only 381 euro for 3 nights with best room they offer.

You da MAN, man.

there's a nice bakery down the street that me and the wife hit up for breakfast every morning on our way out. we would eat our pastries on the metro. it's on the same side of the street down towards the metro stop. (i think the stop was maubert mutualite) my favorite was a slice of something they helpfully translated into "apple crumble." looks like an apple pie with struesel on top. we actually bought a whole one to take home to the folks. i carried that damn thing the whole plane ride home. also, the pan au chocolat is always a favorite.

there's some great street vendors selling crepes near there as well. they have little booths out on the sidwalk but are attached to the cafes in the building behind. my favorite is a nutella crepe. sweet jebus those are good.

Try that crepe with Nutella and bananas next time. Even better! Make sure they are actually making them fresh and not simply throwing pre-made ones on the griddle to heat up like they tend to do close to the big tourist spots. I love those crepe stands.

For others we used Venere.com to book places we stayed in Europe and really liked the website and recommendations

We stayed here in Paris and really liked the location...room was okay small but nice. great bang for buck in our opinion

http://www.hoteljardinodeonparis.com/index.html

Man I'm ready to go back

We stayed at the Hilton Arc de Triumph. Was great location on the Champs-Elysées and not too far from the Seine. Was a great hotel.

Plenty of good hotel recommendations here, so I will just throw this out: if you have no mobility issues you can see everything you mentioned in a single day without using the metro. I highly recommend walking inParis whenever possible.

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if you have no mobility issues you can see everything you mentioned in a single day without using the metro. I highly recommend walking inParis whenever possible.

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This.

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Plenty of good hotel recommendations here, so I will just throw this out: if you have no mobility issues you can see everything you mentioned in a single day without using the metro. I highly recommend strolling inParis whenever possible.

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This

If you need to use public transport, instead of the metro, use the bus system when possible. It's a good way to still see the city while getting across town. But, yes I agree, Paris is best experienced at a stroll.

George V is the spot..
It only 2-3 nights so splurge a bit and enjoy it..

George V is a great hotel for 2-3 nights and the location can't be beat. Concierge is really good.

abbatial st. germain

Sold out for our trip in july...

Hotel du Champs de Mars

Located in rue cler area

Hotel du Champs de Mars

Located in rue cler area

I usually stay at the Le Walt when I go to Paris for work and the location is awesome as its right next to the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately it isnt part of a major chain so no points but the staff is very nice and the breakfast is good.

Oh and go eat at Pottoka.