i am thinking about booking a surprise birthday present of a romantic few days in paris for my gf but i have never been to paris before.what area of the city i the best to stay at,somewhere close to the eiffel tower,the tourist attractions and the bars and restaurants.i dont want somewhere that we need to get a taxi too just to get to the main area,want everything within walking distance
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Ile St Louis! Very romantic and central - and a pretty wide range of hotel prices for a tiny island.
You can easily get to/from the Eiffel Tower for the 1 trip you will probably make there.
I never take taxis in Paris. I%26#39;ve probably been in 1 cab in 10+ trips and that was to Orly in the 80s! There is no need to take cabs. Great metro or bus system that%26#39;s very easy to navigate.
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%26quot;everything%26quot; isn%26#39;t within walking distance... most first-timers do like to stay in the %26#39;inner%26#39; arrondissements, which are single-digit numbers, ex. the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th are most popular - the 7th has the Eiffel and a couple museums, but it%26#39;s a little bit %26#39;off center%26#39; (still, very popular).
Arrondissements:
http://xcelrents.com/plan_paris.png
www.halldis.com/content/documentLoad.action…
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FWIW, we%26#39;re in Paris now and are staying in a small studio apartment which I like a lot. It%26#39;s definitely walkable to some nice sights, like Palais Royal, the Seine, and the Louvre. (http://www.francefriend.com)
But it may not be the most romantic setting for your purposes. It%26#39;s a small room but very clean and a great bargain for Paris.
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I agree with Evening. L%26#39;Isle St Louis would be ideal for a romantic few days, and is a just stroll across a bridge to the Marais or Left Bank areas, which are teaming with restaurants, bars, etc. It is walking distance to most tourist sites, other than Montmartre, which is far from everything except Montmartre. More romantic than staying near the Eiffel tower would be taking an evening boat ride or dinner cruise, or a long walk along the banks of the Seine, and seeing the Eiffel tower in it%26#39;s lighted splendor. And make sure you are in view of it at the top of the hour at night, when it explodes with sparkling lights.
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We truely enjoyed the Rue Cler area in the Eiffel Tower area (7th) more for the hustle %26amp; bustle of the shops setting up in the mornings, the boulangeries, fruit markets, etc and the closed street, open air markets of Rue Cler. Loved wondering around every morning just soaking up the beginning of a typical day as the fish market, butcher shop, produce market, etc set up for the day.
In the evening, the cafes %26amp; restaurants come alive and the atmosphere was wonderful %26amp; charming. Stayed at the Relais Bosquet Hotel but there are many in the area.
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Some great advice so far, Jock. You won%26#39;t do better for a birthday/romantic/brownie points trip than Paris. Pick up a travel book (Lonely Planet/Rick Steves/Michelin/etc.) and book some seats on a flight. I%26#39;m partial to the 7th arrondisement but lots of choices out there and I%26#39;m old so different standards. You won%26#39;t do better than the best room at the Hotel Muguet and make sure you tell them why you%26#39;re there.
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We were in Paris 2 weeks ago and stayed at the Hotel du Louvre. It was a fantastic location and a magnificant hotel. We couldn%26#39;t have asked for anything better. We found it to be centrally located for all of our sightseeing.
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L%26#39;Isle St. Louis is certainly an excellent choice for the type of venue you%26#39;re seeking. However, my personal favorite is the 6th District of the left bank -- very close to St. Louis. The 6th is ripe with cafes, shoppes, winding streets, and the feel of %26quot;the Paris we all seek%26quot;. A great home-base to see the rest of the city, it%26#39;s walkable to many sites and well-serviced by the Metro to the others. The area bounded by Blvd St. Michel, Rue Bonaparte, Blvd. St. Germain, and the Seine is the heart of this most desireable district. Have a great trip!
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Paulalala,
The apartment you%26#39;re renting right now in Paris sounds great - I%26#39;m looking for budget accomodations for a week in March. I looked at the website for the studio...can you tell me what street it is on before I inquire further?
Thx
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