When I last went to Paris (admittedly, about 6 years ago now), I stayed in the
Hotel du Cygne - which is slap bang in the
middle of the 1er arrondisement. It's a lovely wee hotel - it probably only rates 2* because of a lack of facilities - no 24h front desk, no pool, no gym etc. etc. I recall the room we stayed in being really lovely - clean, tastefully decorated and with a big bath.
In terms of location, you'll struggle to get much better than this - it's only a couple of minutes' walk from the Forum des Halles, which has an RER station as well as a metro. The RER from Gare du Nord to Chatelet-Les Halles (if you're travelling by Eurostar) takes less than 10 minutes.
A double room costs €92 per night, or €644 for a week - that's £570 at today's exchange rates.
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I've not stayed at
Hotel Henri IV, but I'd be sorely tempted to. Locations really don't get much better - it's on the
Ile de la Cite, right in the middle of the Seine - the island on which Notre Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle are located. The rates are tremendous too - €76.80 per night for a double with bath, which for a week comes out at €537.60 for the week - £475 at today's rates.
The downside is that the hotel looks on the basic side - it's certainly not
haute luxe - but according to
Time Out Paris the rooms are clean, it's Paris's "best budget hotel", and as a result the rooms get booked out a long time in advance.
Bonne chance!
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One final one to chuck into the mix... if you're a fan of modern design and architecture, the Philippe Starck-designed
Mama Shelter looks incredibly sleek and trendy. At €89 per night (€623 / £550 for the week), it's good value as well.
The compromise is location -
it's in the 20th, which is hardly in the centre of town. In fact, it's not a part of Paris I know at all!
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As for stuff to do... well, do all the cheesy stuff, because it's great and it's worth it - Sacre Coeur and Montmartre; Arc de Triomphe & the Champs-Elysees; the Eiffel Tower; Notre Dame; the Musee D'Orsay.
Of the less well known stuff to do...
* If it's a sunny day, visit Sainte-Chapelle. The stained glass windows are jaw-dropping. On a cloudy day, it's just not the same, so wait for a sunny day, and (if my memory serves me correctly) go in the afternoon.
* If you like Monet, go to not only the Musee de l'Orangerie, which is in the Place de la Concorde (to see some massive lillies frescoes); but also go to Musee Marmottan-Monet, which is way out in the 16th. If you're a Monet fan, it's 100% worth the trip - it's a fabulous museum.
* Foodwise, I heartily recommend
Le Gros Minet -
The Fat Kitten! It's a proper French local restaurant which happens to be in the 1er arrondisement, near Les Halles. Excellent French food and, generally, extremely competitively priced. If you're a fan of rugby, it's a bit of a rugby shrine - lots of six nations shirts and cartoons, betraying the South-Western origins of the owner. For something a bit more exotic,
Chez Omar in the 3eme is a good bet... the Couscous Royale is
enormous... you could probably share it between two of you!
* Other than that, my main recommendation would be to take a good pair of shoes and walk as much as you can. Central Paris is much more compact than (say) central London, and so if the weather is nice, just go a-wandering. Le Marais is a beautiful area (take in Place des Vosges, for instance), as is the Left Bank and the
Quartier Latin - the Pantheon is worth a visit, as is the Jardins des Luxembourgs.
* Try and speak a bit of French if you can - the locals will love you for it, and will treat you much more nicely (and practise their English on you) if you've at least had a go in French.
* And that's it - have a great trip; it's a wonderful city.
:)
