Twinroom city guide to Paris. Hotels, sightseeing and attractions


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Paris City and Hotel Guide		Book a hotel in Paris

Main sightseeing attractions

Known as the "city with a 100 villages", Paris is divided in 20 districts (known as arrondissements) although most visitors to the city see just a few. With a very fast and clean underground system (Metro) you may find this is a great way to travel around the city and most hotels are within easy walking distance of a Metro station. However the centre of Paris is also very accessible by foot and there are plenty of cafes around the city where you can pause to refresh yourself. Since it is impossible to define where the "real" Paris is, the best is to choose your destination according to what you'll want to do and which ambiance you want to experience during your trip.
Hotel rooms in Paris are smaller than those found in many other countries. Hotels are more expensive on the Right Bank (Champs Elysees, Opera, Louvre) than on the Left Bank (Saint Germain, Latin Quarter, Invalides) where rooms are typically smaller.
There's been a great deal of renovation of hotels in Paris in the recent years and most of the hotels that we recommend have all the modern amenities (except for A/C due to the short hot season needed only in July/August). Not all hotels have restaurants/room service but Paris has an amazing number of restaurants so you'll never be far from one. Most hotels offer continental breakfast (with croissant and café crème!) which are usually not included in the room rate.

The districts in detail
Louvre - Bourse (1st and 2nd Districts) Home to one of the world's greatest museums, the area around the Louvre is a favourite among the millions of tourists who visit Paris every year. In the 1st arrondissement you'll find the Palais-Royal, the Place Vendôme, the Rue de Rivoli, the Châtelet (Paris' main subway hub). Further north, you'll find the financial and garment districts, two of Paris' busiest neighbourhoods during the day, and among the quietest at night-time. Most hotels tend to be close to the Louvre and around the rue de Rivoli, and they are well located for sight-seeing and shopping.

Opéra - Madeleine (8th & 9th Districts) The perfect district to mix department-store shopping with sight seeing. The area dates back to the 19th century and owes its classic architecture and wide avenues to the genius of the Baron Haussmann.

	Marais - Ile St-Louis (3rd and 4th Districts) The oldest part of town and one of the best-loved neighbourhoods. You'll get lost in its tiny streets, oozing with old-world charm, and will love every minute of it! Very centrally located, this area is full of smaller and charming neighbourhoods (Jewish quarter, Les Halles,...) , beautiful "Hotels Particuliers" (aristocratic town houses), many museums and places of interest.

Etoile - Champs-Elysées (8th District) Besides being the most famous avenue in Europe and the number one tourist spot in Paris, the Champs-Elysees does not necessarily make for the best location for your stay. Business and corporate visitors, however, may find this to be their best bet especially in the 4 stars Luxe category that is very well represented here. However leisure tourists should know that once night falls and offices close, the side streets are next to deserted.

Trocadéro (16th District) One the most upscale Parisian residential neighbourhoods, the Trocadéro is home to a number of good hotels that are slightly less expensive that those near the Champs-Elysées, few minutes away. Not central for sight-seeing (except for the Trocadéro itself where you'll witness one of the most beautiful sights of the Eiffel tower), you'll most probably enjoy its posh boulevards (Avenue Foch, for example) and upscale buildings.

Montmartre (18th District) The area where Renoir, French Cancan and Van Gogh (among others) all came of age. Still a little village in the big city, Montmartre borders the Red Light district (Pigalle) to the south, and the less than tourist-friendly Saint-Ouen neighborhood to the north. Therefore caution is needed when making hotel arrangements. No trip to Paris would be complete without visiting the Sacré-Coeur and the beautiful streets around the Place du Tertre, but whether this is where you want to establish your base in Paris is open to debate.

LEFT BANK

Latin Quarter (5th District) This district quite close to Saint Germain dates back to the 13th century when the Sorbonne was built. Throughout the centuries it has remained the centre of France's intellectual life. Today it's a mixture of Roman ruins and bohemian style cafés. All in all a great and fun place for the younger crowd and those who want to be in lively surroundings. The area spreads from the Seine to the Panthéon (the final resting place of France's great men and women).

	Saint-Germain (6th District) Old world charm (XII-XVIIth century), tiny streets and a mixture of local Parisian and tourists venues. This is probably the Left Bank's most colourful neighbourhood. It's also the heart of France's publishing world, a great mix of artist sensibility and upscale living. Many good shops can be found in the small streets of Saint Germain, and the Jardins du Luxembourg offer a great respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. The area goes all the way to the Seine river, and is home to many good 3 stars hotels. Don't miss a stroll down the "quais" overlooking the Seine river and Notre-Dame cathedral.

Invalides (Eiffel-Orsay) (7th District) If what you want is not to miss the Eiffel tower don't worry, you won't! Whether you stay next to it or anywhere else, the "Iron Lady" is ubiquitous and viewable from everywhere. The area around the Tour Eiffel is a tree-lined, quiet upper middle class neighbourhood, and can be a very good base to explore a not too touristy part of the city. American expatriates can be found around the rue Cler, and many hotels take advantage of the proximity to Paris' most famous monument.

Montparnasse (14th District) Montparnasse is less central than St Germain, yet hotels here are more affordable than in the trendier neighbourhoods. Artists and writers who've lived here encompass most of the 20th Century art world and you may bump into the next Picasso or Hemingway at one of the numerous cafes, brasseries and night-clubs bordering the Boulevard du Montparnasse.