Where To Stay In Paris: 10 Best Areas & Places To Stay | Anywhere We Roam

Pick from a luxurious hotel, a cozy boutique stay or a budget-friendly hostel in an area that’s just right for you. Find your perfect accommodation with our guide to the best places to stay in Paris.

LAST UPDATE: 5 Dec 2023

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Finding the right place to stay in Paris can transform your visit.

There are many different areas each with their own personality. Some are blessed with a timeless charm that radiates from cobbled lanes, others are bursting with an energetic vibe.

Paris is a walkable city in the center, but with districts that spiral out from the central hub, you have the option to stay further out to keep the costs down. 

Our guide to the best places to stay in Paris covers all the main areas of the city along with hotel recommendations for different budgets.

PARIS NEIGHBOURHOODS & AREAS

The different areas of Paris can be split up in several ways.

Firstly, the Seine River cuts Paris roughly in half as it flows from east to west across the city. The Left Bank, or Rive Gauche in French, is the area to the south of the river. The Right Bank, or River Droite in French, is the area to the north of the river.

Paris is also split into 20 arrondissements (administrative districts). These districts spiral out from the center of the city – with 1 being the most central. Each arrondissement is then split into smaller boroughs.

Finally, there are several distinct neighborhoods, each with their own vibe that sometimes cross into multiple arrondissements.

MAP | PARIS NEIGHBOURHOODS

This map covers the 10 best neighborhoods to stay in Paris. We have also marked some of the best things to do in Paris, to help you decide on an area.

PARIS ACCOMMODATION PRICE GUIDE

In each area, we have recommended 3 hotels roughly corresponding to different price ranges.

BUDGET | $ ($125 – $225)

MID-RANGE | $$ ($225 – $350)

LUXURY | £££ ($350+)

Bear in mind that Paris is an expensive city for hotels, so even the budget hotels may not seem that cheap. The hotels are busier and more expensive in the summer months.

The odd bargain can be found between November and March. Some neighborhoods are generally cheaper than others, which we will highlight below.

The very extensive Paris metro system means you can stay anywhere and quickly shuttle between the different sights. For assistance in planning your trip check out our 3-day Paris itinerary.

Best overall place to stay in Paris

Le Marais is the old medieval center of Paris. Pretty, leafy, squares are surrounded by cobbled streets. Grand architecture is mixed with boutique shops and pavement cafes.

There’s a whole host of interesting museums to explore during the day, while the evenings can be spent in cool bars or trendsetting dining. It’s a microcosm of Paris with a little bit of everything. It’s a great place to stay for first-timers visiting the city.

Highlights are the stunning square of Place des Vosges, the modern inside-out Centre Pompidou, and the covered food market at Les Enfants Rouges.

The only downsides are hotels book up well in advance and it can be pricey.

Île de la Cité, Louvre, and Bastille are all walkable from Le Marais. The Eiffel Tower & Arc de Triomphe are about a 25-minute metro ride away.

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BASTILLE & OBERKAMPF (11th & 12th Arrondissement)

Best for street markets & people-watching

Although Bastille is only a short walk east of Le Marais, it is much less touristy. Fantastic open-air markets and vintage shops line the streets. Pavement cafes are the perfect place for people-watching.

Towards the northern end of Bastille is Oberkampf. Attracting a young crowd, it has a bustling nightlife and a great live music scene. It’s also known for its vibrant street art.

There are not many major sights in the area, and you will have to jump on the metro each day to explore the city. However, it’s a great local hangout and one of the cheaper places to stay in Paris.

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LATIN QUARTER (5th Arrondissement)

Best for experiences young bohemian Paris

The Latin Quarter is a historic and lively neighborhood. Home to the Sorbonne University, the student population gives it a young bohemian vibe. Narrow lanes wind between intriguing bookshops, student-friendly cafes, and budget eateries.

Its grand churches and imposing university buildings provide a dramatic Parisian backdrop of classical facades. The Latin Quarter has some of the best things to do in Paris.

Highlights include the Catacombs, the Panthéon, and the Shakespeare & Company Bookstore. Just a few minutes’ walk north is Île de la Cité, home to Notre Dame and Saint Chappelle. While to the west is the café scene of Saint Germain des Prés.

It’s a very good Paris neighborhood if you’re on a tighter budget, but still want to be within walking distance of some major sights. 

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SAINT GERMAIN DES PRÉS (6th Arrondissement)

Best for Paris’s quintessential café scene

Saint Germain des Prés is our favorite place to stay in Paris. Elegant and graceful, its maze of narrow cobbled lanes conceal independent stores. Curious antiques and independent fashion labels rub shoulders with tiny art galleries and rambling bookshops.

It’s a lovely and quiet place to stroll during the day. In the evening, it has the best café scene in Paris.

Highlights include the impressionist works at the Musée d’Orsay, the pretty gardens of Jardin du Luxembourg, and the cafés along Rue de Buci and Cour de Commerce Saint-André.

The neighborhood is both very quiet and very central with many of the best sights in Paris only a 20–30-minute walk away. Hotels can be a bit pricier than in other areas, but it’s an excellent place to stay.

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EIFFEL TOWER (7th Arrondissement)

Best for glorious views of the iconic landmark

The area around the Eiffel Tower is dominated by large boulevards and iconic landmarks. One of the most visited parts of the city, it’s often packed with tourists and lacks the neighborhood feel of other areas of Paris.

However, it contains some of the best sights in the city and it can make a good base if you’re only staying 1 or 2 nights.

Highlights include the Eiffel Tower, the wonderful sculptures at the Rodin Museum, and Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides.

There are some wonderful food options on quirky Rue Cler. In the evening, twilight strolls along the Seine and over Pont Alexandre III are breathtaking.

There’s a wide range of hotels at different price points in this area. At the western end of the neighborhood, you might find the odd bargain, while the center is more luxurious.

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CHAMPS-ELYSÉES (8th Arrondissement)

Best for exploring Parisian grandeur

Nowhere showcases the splendor of Paris more emphatically than the area around the Champs-Elysées.

Grand tree-lined boulevards connect triumphal arches and opulent palaces. Refined fashion houses rub shoulders with sophisticated restaurants and celebrity chefs.

The Golden Triangle, delimited by the avenues Montaigne, Georges V, and the Champs-Elysées, is the destination for luxury shopping, while Sainte Honoré attracts cooler boutique brands.

Highlights include the views from atop the Arc de Triomphe, strolling down the Champs Elysées, and exploring the museums of Modern Art & Yves Saint Laurent.

This is Paris at its most splendid and where you will find many of the grandest hotels. However, just a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe prices drop quickly.

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LOUVRE & LE SENTIER (1st & 2nd Arrondissement)

Best for being in the center of everything

These two neighborhoods are an enticing mix offering all the majesty of Paris alongside a regenerated neighborhood.

The area around the Louvre is all pomp and grandeur. Formal gardens, boutique arcades, and grand palaces packed with masterpieces.

Whereas Le Sentier has been gentrified in recent years. Its heart is Rue Montorgueil, a pedestrianized street with a diverse array of markets and great cafes.  

Highlights include the Louvre, the opulent Paris Opera House, grand shopping at Galleries Lafayette and strolls through Jardin Tuileries.

Located in the 1st & 2nd Arrondissement these diverse neighborhoods are the most central in Paris. Many of the city’s best sights are in walking distance.

Hotels around the Louvre are generally opulent and in the luxury range, but head north into Le Sentier and you can find more budget-friendly options.

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MONTMARTRE (18th Arrondissement)

Best for a romantic fairy-tale stay

Perched on a hill and cut off from the rest of the city, Montmartre is more like a medieval French village than a district of Paris. This fabled hilltop is the stuff of movies, with several, like Amélie, filmed here.

Its cobbled stoned streets have a rich artistic legacy. Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec all lived and worked here. More current artists gather in Place de Tertre, where you can pick up a picture or get your portrait painted. It’s an idyllic and romantic place to stay.

At weekends, Place des Abbesses is great for brunch and the second-hand market is ideal for a slow amble. Other highlights include the Wall of Love and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur.

It’s a very pretty place to stay, but it has its downsides. The steep hill can make it difficult for some people to get around. The location on the northern edge of central Paris means you’ll need to take the metro or taxi to the other attractions in Paris. The only place you can easily walk to is Pigalle. 

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SOUTH PIGALLE (9th & 10th Arrondissement)

Best trendy bars and raunchy nightlife

Pigalle used to be a very seedy part of Paris. The brash neon lights of Moulin Rouge cabarets, peep shows, and sex shops still light up the slightly dingy main streets.

But in the back streets, it’s a whole different scene.

South Pigalle – or SoPi to the cool kids – is home to fusion bistros and concept hotels. At trendy cocktail bars you can sip unique creations to the tunes of a resident DJ. Rue des Martyrs has turned itself into a foodie heaven and you’ll find many of the best coffee shops in Paris.

The neighborhood has some of the most affordable accommodation in the city. It’s a great destination for wild nights out and Montmartre is only a short walk up the hill. However, the area can be extremely noisy on Friday and Saturday nights, and you’ll need to hop on the metro to get to many of the best sights.

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BELLEVILLE (19th & 20th Arrondissement)

Best budget destination with indie vibe

Belleville is a neighborhood on the eastern edge of Paris. Except for Père Lachaise cemetery, there are no major sights here, and it is a 15–20-minute metro ride into the city centre.

However, what Belleville has is a diverse and vibrant character. Home to a mix of Chinese, North African and Jewish people, its multi-culturalism, and strong connection to the artistic community have created an indie vibe.

Street art, murals and graffiti reflect the neighborhoods’ alternative spirit and there is food from all corners of the globe.

Belleville is the Paris equivalent of Hackney in London, or Williamsburg in New York.

Being out of the center you get much more bang for your buck here. For the same price rooms are bigger and hotels smarter, but you couldn’t find a luxury suite if you tried.

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