Autumn in Paree
July 7, 2011 5:59 PM   Subscribe

Looking for places to stay in Paris in October.

My sister and her friend are planning a trip to Paris in late October, and based on previous AskMe questions I thought there might be some good suggestions here.

Details:
  • They'll be staying in Normandy initially, and will go in to Paris for 5-8 days. First time in Paris.
  • Two middle-aged women, kind of crunchy Berkeley types, friendly and open to new people and new experiences. The kind you might run in to at a hostel anywhere in the world.
  • Don't want to stay anywhere that might be unsafe.
  • The lower the cost the better.
  • Doesn't have to be at all fancy, but dirty isn't good.
  • They'd love to be located down in the middle of the city. Being able to walk to major sites is a plus, and having a nice boulangerie around the corner would be nice too.
  • Interesting is good.
They have some resources, but if you know of some hidden jewel, or places you've stayed in the past that sound like a fit, love to hear about them.
posted by benito.strauss to Travel & Transportation around Paris, France (18 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
I had a really good experience with airbnb, can't recommend it enough. Since they have a bit of time before the trip, they can start looking for a place and get in touch with potential owners. They may get a fully-furnished place for cheaper than a hotel, and better located (that's what I got at least)...
posted by ddaavviidd at 6:05 PM on July 7, 2011


We stay at Hôtel de la Paix Montparnasse. The rooms were small but comfortable and well-priced, the staff were lovely and it was very close to a metro stop. I recommend they take a look at Trip Advisor.
posted by smithsmith at 6:38 PM on July 7, 2011


I stayed there in 2003, but unless things have changed dramatically I recommend the MIJE hostel Maubuisson. About two minutes walk from the Île de la Cité, and this is what it looks like from the outside (it's the ivy-covered townhouse in the centre of the picture).
posted by Paragon at 6:48 PM on July 7, 2011


Response by poster: Great suggestions. If you remember the approximate cost that would be nice. (I know some people who would describe a $175/night hotel in New York City as 'well priced'.)
posted by benito.strauss at 7:07 PM on July 7, 2011


If you're crunchy Berkeley types, you might enjoy Couchsurfing. I've had a lot of great experiences, both hosting and surfing, and it's a great way to meet new people (locals!) while staying in places without spending money.
posted by jeffmshaw at 7:28 PM on July 7, 2011


We stayed in a clean and modern apartment for 4 people (one room with double bed and one hide-a-bed in the living room) for $130 CAD per night in May. It would have been cheaper for 2 people, though, I think something around $105-110. Weekly prices were also much cheaper in many of the places we looked at. We were right near Gare de Montparnasse, a few metro stations from most sights and activities.
posted by ddaavviidd at 7:41 PM on July 7, 2011


Somewhere in Montmartre. We just recently stayed in a VRBO apartment on the same tiny square as le Bateau Lavoir. MoMar is quiet but busy, tourisy but local, close but far. Everyday starts and ends at the Abesses Metro. The cafes are wonderful.

Man I wish I was there now.
posted by humboldt32 at 7:52 PM on July 7, 2011


Last summer I crashed a couple nights at St. Christopher's Hostel. I shared a dormitory room with a pack of young men, but for your situation I'd recommend the non-dormitory rooms. It was inexpensive, clean and in a lovely location, right on the canals featured in Amelie.
posted by Sara Anne at 8:30 PM on July 7, 2011


Maubuisson ranges from 30 to 49 euro a night, plus a 2.5 euro membership fee to the MIJE.
posted by Paragon at 8:33 PM on July 7, 2011


There is a solar-powered hotel in the 14th at Denfert-Rochereau. Granola, new, clean, and in a safe, classically Parisian neighborhood (yet not totally fully of tourists). Lots of great shopping and food nearby, plus easy access to transportation and airports and several train stations. Supposed to be 60EUR/night, including breakfast and wifi.

22 rue Boulard
01 43 21 08 20
posted by whatzit at 2:43 AM on July 8, 2011


There are quite a lot of options for short let apartments in Paris. I have stayed in a couple of different ones - which can be fun as you can do the boulangerie / charcuterie / fromagerie breakfast more easily than a hotel.
posted by mary8nne at 5:34 AM on July 8, 2011


Mama Shelter seems to have all of that except for the walking distance; you're trading that for design and price. But there's a bus nearby that takes you everywhere you want to go. Haven't stayed there yet, so can't report personally, but reviews seem good.
posted by troywestfield at 5:56 AM on July 8, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll check with my sis to see if any of them fit her needs.
posted by benito.strauss at 7:31 AM on July 8, 2011


I've stayed at Hotel Castex twice. The staff is very friendly and speaks at least rudimentary English. It's close to a Metro station with 3 lines and in a very interesting, walkable area including multiple cafes and boulangeries. I did not feel at all unsafe walking around alone after dark (I'm a petite woman). Plus it's fairly inexpensive by Paris standards.
posted by desjardins at 8:36 AM on July 8, 2011


The Hotel de Lille is super-central (across the Seine from the Louvre), pretty nice, and relatively cheap (~ €130 for a renovated double, €108 for a double with older decor) if you book more than 45 days in advance.
posted by lisa g at 10:57 AM on July 8, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your recommendations. My sister says "I LOVE YOUR METAFILTERS!" (she means MeFites). And you've all made me wish even more that I was going as well.
posted by benito.strauss at 4:07 PM on July 9, 2011


Hotel Le Clos Medicis, looks pretty fancy pants, but it's actually very reasonably priced. I stayed there last October and found it to be in the perfect part of Paris for me--right around the corner from Odeon, accross the street from Sorbonne, and very near everything in the central part of the city. It's maybe a 15 minute straight walk to Notre Dame. Best breakfast I had at a hotel in France (aside from one particular place in Arles). I can't recommend this place enough.
posted by kaiseki at 10:47 AM on July 10, 2011


Also, it's worth noting that no matter where you are in Paris, you are not far from a great boulangerie. The little walking neighborhood immediately surrounding the hotel is full of narrow alleys crowded with tabacs, cafes, tiny shops and boulangerie. Feel free to mail me concerning cool places in the area if she decides on that particular hotel.
posted by kaiseki at 10:49 AM on July 10, 2011


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