Paris is a very large city with a lot of different areas to see. There are iconic landmarks all over the city in different neighborhoods. Before we left we knew we needed to learn a little about each neighborhood to figure out where to stay in Paris. In this blog post we go through the two different arrondissements we stayed in during our time in Paris. We also go over some additional details about the layout of the city so you can find the neighborhood that best suits you!
Anytime we are traveling to a new city for the first time there are always questions about what the different neighborhoods of the city are, what each is like, and which of those do we think we want to stay in.
**Many of these details depend on your budget, travel preferences, and the actual location within each neighborhood that you stay**
What We Look For
Generally when we are looking at neighborhoods within a large city like Paris we look for a couple things before booking a place to stay. We know everyone has preferences and different things that are higher or lower on their priority lists so this may not align perfectly with everyone. Our hope is maybe this makes you think about something just a little bit more.
1. City Location
Some people would argue outside of the city center is cheaper and allows you to get a bigger place and sometimes boasts more amenities inside the building. However, if we are in a city only for a couple days we usually like to be in the center in order to be close to all the attractions we know we want to see. Our preference is always to stay in a much smaller place for a better location.
In Paris no matter where you are you are going to have to walk a distance or take the Metro to get around the city. Our target area was somewhere that was close enough to be a ~10 minute Metro ride or 30 minute walk from our accommodations.
2. Walkable to restaurants, bars and shops
You won’t usually find us clubbing until all hours of the night. But we do often look for neighborhoods that are energetic and walkable . By walkable we mean we can walk around and find restaurants, bars, and shops open and with a blend of both tourists and locals.
Our strategy around meals usually includes walking around and finding a restaurant or place to eat that looks good based on how hungry we are. Honestly this strategy does not always work well especially when we are both hungry and cranky but I digress. We loved all the outdoor cafes of Paris and enjoyed simply walking through all the streets and seeing what we found.
We also like to go to a local grocery store to get snacks and some food items especially when staying in an apartment. It’s nice to have places like these close by when needed.
3. Safety
Admittedly we don’t do a ton of research on this but we do try to read a few reviews just to get a feel for the overall safety of some different areas. Knowing, of course, that things can happen anywhere in the world and in any neighborhood but if something can be avoided we try the best we can.
4. Overall “feel”
This is more subjective and depends on your travel style and your personal preferences. But often we’ll research a little about the overall feel of a neighborhood. Specific questions we ask are is it a really touristy neighborhood, or a quieter more residential area, or area known for its loud nightlife? These are not necessarily deal breakers but things that we do take into account. For example in #2 we said walkability to restaurants is important to us so a more residential area might not have as many options available.
5. Cost
After looking into location, walkability, safety and overall feel we start looking at possible places to stay. Now sometimes those 4 things together mean very expensive options when looking at hotels and apartments. If we never had a budget that would be fine but usually we like to save money on accommodations to use it on experiences and attractions. So sometimes this means changing the neighborhood we were looking at slightly to find a less expensive place to stay.
Where We Stayed
In Paris we stayed in both the 6th arrondissement and the 17th arrondissement.
We chose the 6th arrondissement for its central location. It is close to many of the sights we knew we would be going to and found it easy to walk back to after a full day. We felt safe and found there was an abundance of restaurants and bars available to choose from.
- On the left bank of the Seine River, you’ll find the Luxembourg Gardens and many restaurants, bars and shops.
- It’s about a 15-30 minute walk from the 6th to the Notre Dame Cathedral and close by Saint Chapelle.
We chose the 17tharrondissement from a recommendation from a friend and its proximity to the Arc de Triomphe. A quant, quiet neighborhood the 17th has a less busy, less touristy feel than the 6th. While there we definitely felt more like we were living amongst the locals. Again we always felt safe and we had an amazing balcony with a view of the top of the Eiffel Tower.
- In the corner of the 17th is the Arc de Triomphe and the surrounding area, called Ternes, was where we stayed.
- There are nearby Metro stations that we easily took to other parts of the city to see the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Sacre Coeur Basilica.
Our Preference
Between those two we preferred the 6th arrondissement.
We say that knowing we only stayed in each of them for a couple days and of course acknowledging there may be things we missed in both places. However, there were two main reasons why we really enjoyed the 6th arrondissement and would look to stay there again.
1. More Walkable Restaurants
We found while walking around both neighborhoods that the 6th had more restaurants, outdoor cafes and just more people out and about. We like having a lot of options especially that are walkable so this is something that we really liked about the 6th arrondissement.
2. Closer to the City Center
This depends on where you plan to go or what you are looking to do while you’re staying in Paris. We were planning to go to some of the big highlights like Notre Dame which is closer and more convenient from the 6th arrondissement. Our advice would be to also think about what you plan to do within the city and where those things are located.
Other Paris Arrondissements
Here are some of the other arrondissements in Paris and some of what you will find in each one.
1st Arrondissement
- Considered the city center
- Contains the Louvre and many tourist attractions
2nd Arrondissement
- Contains the Bourse or the French Stock Exchange
- Primarily local businesses
3rd Arrondissement
- Marais and Beaubourg– areas within the 3rd known for their historical charm
- Walk through the 3rd and 4th to see the more historical side of Paris
- Contains the Picasso Museum
4th Arrondissement
- Contains Notre Dame Cathedral and Hotel de Ville (City Hall)
- Known for its nightlife and iconic highlights
5th Arrondissement
- Referred to as the “Latin Quarter“
- Contains The Sorbonne (The University of Paris) which means the 5th hosts many students and young people
6th Arrondissement
- Saint Germaine neighborhood
- As its evolved its now known for being somewhat expensive
- Contains the Luxembourg Gardens
7th Arrondissement
- Contains many Paris icons such as the Eiffel Tower, the Musee d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum
- Check out our First Time Guide to the Eiffel Tower
- Almost entirely tourists
- Places to stay will be significantly more expensive in the 7th
8th Arrondissement
- Contains the Champs-Elysses and Arc de Triomphe
- Near the Champs-Elysses you’ll find many upscale shops but the neighborhood changes throughout
10th Arrondissement
- Younger neighborhood
- Consider checking out the Canal Saint Martin area
- Contains the Gare du Nord- one of the biggest train stations in the city
11th Arrondissement
- Contains the more modern New Opera
- Known, by students and a younger crowd, for having most of the city’s best nightlife
14th Arrondissement
- Montparnasse area
- Contains the Catacombs of Paris and the Montparnasse Tower
16th Arrondissement
- Directly bordering the 7th, the 16th has a similar affluent feel
- Right on the other side of the Seine river, you can get amazing views of the top of the Eiffel Tower from the 16th
17th Arrondissement
- The western part of the 17th, near the Arc de Triomphe is similar to the 16th
- You will find more and more restaurants and bars as the 17th has grown in popularity
18th Arrondissement
- Montmartre area
- Contains Sacre Coeur Basilica
- Because of its location, you get outstanding views of the Eiffel Tower and the rest of the city from places like the Sacre Coeur in the 18th
9th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 19th and 20th Arrondissements
- These arrondissements are all much more residential
- You will find
- Opera Garnier (Paris Opera) in the 9th arrondissement
- Gare de Lyon (train station) in the 12th arrondissement
- Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement
- Marche (markets) in the 15th if you are looking for a local Parisian experience
- Cite des Sciences et de L’Industrie (Museum of Science and Industry) in the 19th arrondissement
- Parc de Belleville in the 20th arrondissement
Wondering how to fit it all with only a couple days? Read our 4 Day Travel Guide to Paris
If you have been to Paris, which arrondissement did you stay in?
