Where to stay in Paris? Tips & hotel recommendations

Planning a trip to the French capital and wondering where to stay in Paris? Captain Ulysses has listed all his tips and recommendations to help you find the perfect pied-à-terre in the “City of Light”!

Which arrondissement to stay in Paris?

Wondering where to stay during your Parisian getaway? Captain Ulysses highly recommends:

• The Opéra district: with its countless theaters, department stores and restaurants, it is most definetely a safe bet in the French capital!
• The area around Place Vendôme and the Tuileries Gardens is also a really nice area, but be warned, it’s a rather posh neighborhood!
• The Marais with its trendy boutiques and numerous bars and restaurants is one of Captain Ulysses’ favorite neighborhoods in Paris.
• Montmartre: how not to mention Montmartre, with its famous Moulin Rouge and its breathtaking view of the City of Light?
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés : famous for its luxury boutiques and historic cafés, Saint-Germain-des-Prés is also a district that Captain Ulysses is particularly fond of.

If you prefer to stay in a less touristy (and therefore less expensive!) area, Captain Ulysses recommends :

• The Place de la Bastille, where you’ll find many bars and restaurants
• or the Place d’Italie and the Butte aux Cailles (that’s where Captain Ulysses would personnally choose to stay 🤫).

👉 Check out a selection of the best accommodations in Paris.

The most emblematic hotels in Paris

The Ritz Paris: this is without a doubt one of the most famous hotels in the French capital. Built in 1898, it has hosted countless celebrities over the years (Marcel Proust, Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich and Lady Di). The hotel offers impeccable service and luxurious rooms, as well as several renowned restaurants and a renowned spa.
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Le Bristol: located in the 8th arrondissement, near the Champs-Élysées, this historic hotel opened its doors in 1925, almost a century ago. Here too, the service is of the highest quality and the rooms are chic and elegant. The Epicure restaurant is also very popular with gourmets.
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The Plaza Athénée: also located in the ^8th arrondissement, this splendid palace is just a few steps from Avenue Montaigne and the Eiffel Tower. Opened in 1913, the hotel offers impeccable service, very luxurious rooms and a 3-Michelin-starred restaurant (Le Dôme).
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Hôtel de Crillon: located Place de la Concorde, the Hôtel de Crillon is one of the oldest hotels in Paris. Built in 1758, it boasts several renowned restaurants as well as a renowned spa.
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Recommendations of youth hostels in Paris

St Christopher’s Inn Paris Gare du Nord: this hostel is located (as its name suggests!) near the Gare du Nord, in the ^10th arrondissement. It is known for its central location, friendly atmosphere and comfortable rooms.
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Generator Paris: located next to the Canal Saint-Martin, this hostel is close to many bars, stores and restaurants. It is appreciated by travelers for its warm atmosphere, friendly staff and modern facilities.
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The Loft Boutique Hostel: located the Pigalle district, a few steps from the Moulin Rouge and the Sacré-Coeur, this hostel has made a name for itself thanks to its central location, its comfortable rooms and its pleasant atmosphere.
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Affordable hotel recommendations in Paris

L’Hôtel de Roubaix: this modern and welcoming 2-star hotel offers excellent value for money. It is ideally located next to the Réaumur-Sébastopol metro station, less than 1 km from the Place de République, Les Halles, the Hôtel de Ville and the Marais.
📅 See rates & availability

Motel One Paris-Porte Dorée: more out of the way, this modern and elegant “Motel” is located in a pleasant area, a stone’s throw from Lac Daumesnil and the Zoological Park. This is an opportunity to discover a less touristy, more authentic side of Paris.
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Hôtel du Printemps: while it may appear off-center when looking at a map of Paris, this charming 2-star hotel has the advantage of being located a few steps from the Place de la Nation, one of the biggest intersections of the Parisian metro.
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Recommendations of 3 and 4 star hotels in Paris

Le COQ Hôtel Paris : located a stone’s throw from the Place d’Italie (from where you can easily go pretty much anywhere in Paris) and the Butte-aux-Cailles district, this 4-star hotel with a modern and trendy interior design offers a very good value for money.
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Oh la la! Hotel Bar Paris Bastille The main strengths of this beautiful 3 star hotel? Its simple and elegant decoration and its ideal location close to the bars of the Place de la Bastille. Perfect if you want to enjoy the Parisian nightlife. If not, better to stay away and look for a quieter area.
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Hôtel Le Ballu: this beautiful 60’s inspired hotel located a few steps away from the Moulin Rouge can boast of collecting excellent customer reviews. On the plus side, the hotel even has a small indoor pool and a sauna. Could it be any more perfect?
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How much are hotels in Paris?

The average price of a hotel in Paris depends of course on several factors, among which the season, the location and the standing of the hotel. That said, here’s an idea of what you can expect for a hotel room in Paris based on price range:

• Youth hostels: the average price of a youth hostel room in Paris is about 30 € per night.
• Affordable hotels: the average price of an affordable hotel room in Paris is about 70 € per night.
• Mid-range hotels: the average price of a mid-range hotel room in Paris is approximately €110 per night.
• Luxury hotels: the price of a luxury hotel room in Paris is minimum 220 € per night.

When is it cheapest to travel to Paris?

Unsurprisingly, if you’re on a budget, it is best to travel to Paris during the low season (in January, February and November in particular).

Remember that it is always better to book in advance and to be flexible on travel dates to find good deals (the same applies for airline tickets by the way!). Find here all of Captain Ulysses’ tips to find cheap flights)

👉 Skip the lines in Paris: book your tickets and tours in advance!

👉 Looking for advice and recommendations? Here are all of Captain Ulysses’ suggestions!

🛏️ Accommodation: Looking for an accommodation in Paris? Good news: there are plenty of options in the French capital. To book your hotel in Paris, Captain Ulysses highly recommends the website Booking.com. From cheap hostels to luxury palaces, you’ll have plenty of options to chose from. As for the localisation, it depends both on your budget and on what you’re looking for. If you can’t afford staying in the most expensive areas of the capital, the Captain recommends that you look for a hotel in the 12^th or 13^th arrondissements: they’re not as central, but are very well connected to the centre of Paris. The Buttes au Cailles, which looks just like a small village, is one of the Captain’s favourite neighbourhoods in Paris. If you’d rather stay in a chic and sophisticated hotel, here are the best 3 options according to the Captain: the St. James , the Dokhan’s and the Metropolitan .

🎟️ Activities : in order to book skip-the-line tickets, tours and activities in Paris, Captain Ulysses highly recommends GetYourGuide and Civitatis. Guided tours, entrance tickets, cruises, unusual activities: there’s plenty to chose from. If you want to avoid queuing to get into museums and monuments, the Captain suggests opting for skip-the-line tickets.

⛵ City cruises: Can you really visit Paris without going on a cruise on the Seine? The Captain loves sailing on the river and admiring the emblematic monuments of the French capital, especially at nightfall. You will find a large selection of cruises in Paris here.

🎫 City cards : If you’re planning on staying in Paris for a few days, you should definitely consider investing in a city card giving access to the capital’s top museums and landmarks. which includes access to the most famous monuments in Paris.

🚐 Transfers: the parisian airports are located outside the city and getting to the city centre can be quite expensive.
If your budget is tight, the Captain recommends the RATP shuttles that will drop you off at Opera if you’re coming from Roissy airport and at Denfert-Rochereau if you’re coming from Orly airport.
But for a few extra euros, you can book a transfer that will take you directly to your hotel.
If you are traveling in a group, this option is all the more interesting. Find out more here.

🚌 Transports: While you’ll be able to explore part of the city on foot, you will have to use the parisian public transports to explore some of the capital’s landmarks. In order to avoid accumulating (and losing) metro tickets, the Captain recommends opting for an unlimited transport pass. You can buy it directly at in any metro station.
Open tour buses (audioguides included) are also a good option.
If you’d rather explore Paris on a boat, you will love the batobus, a river shuttle on the Seine !

✈️ Flights, trains & buses : Good news: getting to Paris is quite easy! If you’re planning on flying to the capital, the Captain recommends Skyscanner, an online comparator which is perfect for finding the best deals. If your dates are flexible, you can even compare prices over several weeks. Paris is also easily accessible by train and bus. To book your tickets, the Captain highly recommends Omio, which integrates the offer of 207 train and bus companies in 44 countries.