Staying in Paris

I have visited Paris several times and stayed in different places, some good and some not so good. I feel that you will enjoy your stay more if you choose one of the centrally located Hotels in Paris rather than one that is situated out in the further arrondissements. If you search online you can filter the hotels according to location. When you stay in the center you can stroll along the Seine by night and see the lights reflected in the water, looking across to the futuristic skyline of La Defense and of course take a nightcap at one of the pavement cafes in the Champs Elysee.

Hotels in France are not really expensive by international standards, there is a very good government-run rating system and they are obliged to offer a 'prix fixe' meal in the hotel restaurant. In the countryside this is important as there might not be another restaurant from miles. The fixed price menu usually features local dishes and plenty of fresh produce. I would always check this out, they are popular with all diners and are not just invented for tourists.

Your Paris Hotel is unlikely to have its own restaurant unless you stay in a three star establishment or more. When you eat outside look for cafes that are used by Parisians themselves. There are plenty of these is you move off the main boulevards into the narrow streets running up to Sacre Coeur or around the Pompidiou Museum at Beauborg. Finally, do not miss the Musee d'Orsay, which is located in a former railway terminal.