Paris hotels

A friend asked me for some hotel suggestions in Paris for a first-time visitor. It's been a while since I've checked prices. Whew...the weakened dollar is really a game-changer when it comes to good value. At the current exchange rate of $1.50 to one euro, a 100 euro hotel room is $150. 


Given that, here are three tried-and-true recommendations:

-- Hotel Du Levant - Latin Quarter, near St. Michel metro stop. This is a very convenient location in the heart of the Latin Quarter, a few mintues walk from the Seine, Notre Dame etc. You can take the RER directly here from either airport. http://www.hoteldulevant.com  Rates start at around 100 euros.
-- Two favorites in the Marais. The Marais is on the Right Bank but it's a "Latin Quarter'' type of neighborhood, very hip with lots of little restaurants, shops etc., close to Bastille area. It's also near a convenient Metro line.
--Hotel Jeanne D'Arc - Small, classy little hotel near a pedestrian square. Rooms are small. http://www.hoteljeannedarc.com/ Starts at 90 euros
--Hotel Castex: Same area as Jeanne D'Arc. Big discount for booking online. A very good deal for Paris. http://www.castexhotelparis.com/  Starts at 82 euro.
  Check them all out at http://www.tripadvisor.com. Whatever you decide, don't pay extra for breakfast. Most hotels charge an arm and a leg for coffee and bread. It's much cheaper and more fun to go to a local cafe.
 B&Bs can be a good way to go. The rooms are usually comfortable, have private bathrooms, include breakfast and offer the opportunity to meet locals. 


This one gets great reviews on Trip Advisor. http://www.aroominparis.com  It's near the Gare du  Nord. It's a busy area, but people don't seem to mnd. 

Here are two reliable B&B agencies with online pictures and descriptions of the rooms they have to offer:

http://www.parisbandb.com/

http://www.goodmorningparis.fr




By the way, there's an interesting program call Paris Greeters - You arrange to meet up with a local person for a few hours, and they show you around one of their favorite neighborhoods. Best part: It's all free:  http://www.parisiendunjour.fr/

Roll the dice and take a red-eye

  Red-eye flights are my new favorite way to travel. They're usually cheaper (consider my recent round-trip from Seattle to Fort Myers, Florida via Detroit for $225), and if you an sleep on planes (I can), you gain an extra day to enjoy your destination instead of wasting it getting there. There are a few more advantages. Security lines are non-exisitent at 11 p.m. in most airports. There's a better chance at a first-class upgrade for members of airline elite programs since most people who can afford to actually buy a first-class tickets rarely choose to fly at night. And, you'll have the airport restaurants and bars mostly to yourself.

I started out my trip breezing through security in less than one minute at Seattle-Tacoma Airport the other night, then spent a relaxing hour and a half at the Vino Bello wine bar before boarding my plane for Detroit, and hearing the news that I'd been upgraded to first-class on the onward flight to Florida the next morning. Breakfast included. With so much to complain about these days re the airlines, it's nice to know there are times when flying can still be cheap, fun and hassle-free. Kind of like winning the lottery.