Best area to stay

A friend and I are planning a trip in late June, 09. I haven%26#39;t been to Paris for 20 years, and then I went with a tour group. Can anyone recommend the best area/region of the city to stay if we%26#39;ll only be there three or four nights? We%26#39;re looking for a safe place that is close to public transporation.

Thanks.

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The best, IMO, is the 6th arr - St Germaine de Pres (sp?). I was in Paris for 2 weeks in July/Aug this year, 1 week alone. I stayed at the Citadines St Germaine. It%26#39;s right on the Seine and close to several Metro and bus stops, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and all the cafes and shops.

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The more central the better, especially if you only have a few days. The Ile de La Cite/Ile St Louis (in the 4th) would be my first pick, folowed by the Marais (also 4th), the Latin Quarter (5th) around the area of the Musee du Moyen Age and and the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area (6th).

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agree re the 6th.. we stayed right next to the BAC metro station and found it was ideal. We also loved the Marais and the Latin Quarter so any would be fine. The thing is that in Paris you will WALK and WALK and also catch the metro because it is such a great transport system. Anywhere central is fine really but I did love the StGermein Boulevard and the great shopping !

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Another vote for the 6th.

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Thanks to everyone for the advice. I%26#39;ll check out these areas. A friend tells me I should stay in the 4th. What do you think about that?

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I stay around Bastille. It is next door to 4th but the hotel rooms are much cheaper. It is in a resident area so there are local cafe and grocery stores for snack. On Richard Lenoir Blvd you are next to two subway stop. There is a great food etc market on Sunday.

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Another vote for the 6th!! Extremely safe, full of character, and centrally located.

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Our favorite area is the Marais, 3rd and 4th. Take a look at their web site. Nice links to hotels, restaurants and cultural tips. We love the old architecture, much older than other parts of Paris.

http://www.parismarais.com/index.htm

However, you will not be disappointed staying in the 5th or 6th arron. They are all safe, close to transportation and central to many of the tourist sites.

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I%26#39;m another fan of the Left Bank neighborhoods of the upper-6eme-Saint Germain des Prés. These neighborhoods are convenient, interesting and the whole area %26#39;flows%26#39; almost seamlessly along the Seine into the other in interesting neighborhoods of the upper-5eme, 4eme and 1er. Check out any good street map of Paris.

But any of the %26#39;..core..%26#39; arrondisements..%26#39;--1er-Louvre/Tuileries, 3eme-upper-Marais or 4eme-Îles/lower-Marais on the Right Bank or the upper-5eme-Latin Quarter or upper-6eme-Saint Germain des Prés--will do almost as well. On either Bank, the closer to the Seine the better. If you want to expand this %26#39;core%26#39; a bit, you could also include the 8eme--Arc de Triomphe/Champs Élysée and lower-9eme--Grand Bouldvards/Madelaine/Opéra on the Right Bank and the 7eme-Invalides/Ecole Militaire/Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank. This general %26#39;core%26#39; region probably includes well more than 1/2 of all registered hotels in Paris...so if you do a bit of research, there%26#39;s no way that you don%26#39;t find a hotel within this area to suit your own personal preferences, priorities, special needs or budget to a tee.

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Hi --

First of all, safety really isn%26#39;t a concern if you can avoid the traffic and Vespas. Pickpockets are around, of course, but I%26#39;ve never heard about them being violent.

Paris is a very safe place, much safer than any major city in the US, I%26#39;m sad to say. The only place to avoid is the Bois de Boulogne after dark. It isn%26#39;t only a centre for the ladies of the evening. In the daytime, however, it%26#39;s lovely and perfectly safe.

You%26#39;ve had some good recommendations, but I say, read a couple of guide books - unfortunately, one is never enough, and decide which area most interests you and see what sort of accommodation is there. It depends greatly on what your budget is, but you can probably find something affordable in almost any area of the city.

The beauty of public transportation in Paris is that it%26#39;s hard to get very far away from it. I think you%26#39;ll find the Metro and bus routes will be handy to any hotel that interests you.

Bonne chance.