💡 The Short Version: For a first visit, stay on either side of the river in the middle: Le Marais on the Right Bank, or Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter on the Left. From the hotels below in all three, Notre-Dame is within about 1.2 km and the Louvre within about 2.3 km. The Left Bank areas have the RER B, the direct train to Charles de Gaulle, at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame. For the most central base, stay by the Louvre and the Palais-Royal, on metro line 14 to Orly. Arriving on the Eurostar, stay by Gare du Nord, where the RER B leaves for Charles de Gaulle too. Whatever you book, the hotel adds a tourist tax of €2.60 to €15.93 per adult per night.
The areas, compared
| Area | Walk to | Transport | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Marais (3e, 4e) | Notre-Dame, the Place des Vosges, the Picasso Museum, the Seine | Metro 1 (Saint-Paul), 1 and 11 (Hôtel de Ville) | Old streets, cafés and shops on the Right Bank, within a walk of Notre-Dame |
| Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6e) | The Luxembourg Gardens, the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre across the Pont des Arts | Metro 4 (Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Odéon); RER B and C at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame | Cafés, bookshops and galleries on the Left Bank, with the Louvre just across the river |
| The Latin Quarter (5e) | Notre-Dame, the Panthéon, the Jardin des Plantes | RER B at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame and Luxembourg; metro 10 | Student streets round the Sorbonne, and the direct train to Charles de Gaulle |
| Louvre and Palais-Royal (1er, 2e) | The Louvre, the Tuileries, the Palais Garnier | Metro 1 and 7 (Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre); 14 (Pyramides) | The most central base: the Louvre on the doorstep and metro 14 to Orly |
| The Eiffel Tower (7e) | The tower, the Champ de Mars, Les Invalides, Rue Cler | Metro 8 (École Militaire); RER C | A quiet, residential base by the tower; further from the Marais and Montmartre |
| Montmartre (18e, 9e) | The Sacré-Cœur, the Place du Tertre | Metro 2 (Blanche, Pigalle), 12 (Abbesses) | Hilltop streets and views, with steps; Notre-Dame is about 4 km away |
| Gare du Nord and République (10e, 11e) | The Canal Saint-Martin, the Place de la République | RER B to Charles de Gaulle and the Eurostar at Gare du Nord; metro 4, 5 | The Eurostar and the airport train at the door, and the Canal Saint-Martin a walk away |
The hotels
Each hotel’s address is from its own website, read on 30 September 2026. Distances are in a straight line from that address; the walk is longer. The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com.
Le Marais
The Place des Vosges, Le Marais. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc Le Marais
3 rue de Jarente, 4e · 3 stars · about 1 km from Notre-Dame · Hotels.comad
A three-star hotel on a side street a few minutes’ walk from the Place des Vosges.
Hôtel Emile Le Marais
2 rue Malher, 4e · about 870 m from Notre-Dame · metro 1 Saint-Paul a minute’s walk away · Hotels.comad
A boutique hotel between the Rue de Rivoli and the Place Saint-Paul. Some rooms have a balcony looking onto the church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis or the Marais streets, and Saint-Paul station, on metro line 1 to the Louvre and the Champs-Élysées, is a minute’s walk away.
Le Pavillon de la Reine & Spa
28 place des Vosges, 3e · spa and garden · about 1.2 km from Notre-Dame · Hotels.comad
On the Place des Vosges itself, set back among shaded gardens, with a spa and fitness room, a restaurant and a bar.
For more Marais hotels, by street and with room sizes, see where to stay in Le Marais.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Relais Christine
3 rue Christine, 6e · Guerlain spa · about 790 m from the Louvre · Hotels.comad
On a narrow street between the Rue Dauphine and the Rue des Grands-Augustins, a few minutes from the Seine and the Pont Neuf. It has a Guerlain spa and garden suites.
Hôtel d’Aubusson
33 rue Dauphine, 6e · 5 stars · 20-metre pool · about 740 m from the Louvre · Hotels.comad
A five-star hotel on the Rue Dauphine, near the Pont Neuf, with a 400 m² spa and a 20-metre swimming pool. The Louvre is across the river by the Pont des Arts.
Hôtel Récamier
3 bis place Saint-Sulpice, 6e · 24 rooms · about 1.2 km from the Louvre · Hotels.comad
A 24-room hotel on the Place Saint-Sulpice, beside the church, a short walk from the Luxembourg Gardens and the shops of Saint-Germain.
The Latin Quarter
The fountain at the top of Rue Mouffetard, Latin Quarter. Photo: Guilhem Vellut, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Hôtel des Grandes Écoles
75 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, 5e · garden · rooms 10 to 25 m² · about 860 m from Notre-Dame · Hotels.comad
Fifty-one rooms and a garden, up the hill from the river towards the Panthéon. Rooms run from 10 to 25 m², so check the size of the one you book.
Hotel Monge
55 rue Monge, 5e · 4 stars · about 930 m from Notre-Dame · Hotels.comad
A four-star hotel between the Jardin des Plantes and Notre-Dame. Several rooms look over the Arènes de Lutèce, the remains of the Roman amphitheatre.
Hotel Design Sorbonne
6 rue Victor-Cousin, 5e · 38 rooms · about 760 m from Notre-Dame · Hotels.comad
Opposite the Sorbonne university, a minute from the Boulevard Saint-Michel and a short walk from the Luxembourg Gardens. The RER B stations at Luxembourg and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame are both close.
Louvre and Palais-Royal
Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal
4 rue de Valois, 1er · 5 stars · terrace and spa · about 280 m from the Louvre · Hotels.comad
A five-star hotel of 59 rooms and suites beside the Palais-Royal garden, with a terrace on the quiet Place de Valois and a spa. Some rooms have balconies. The closest hotel to the Louvre on this page.
Hôtel Thérèse
5–7 rue Thérèse, 1er · family rooms · about 540 m from the Louvre · Hotels.comad
On a quiet street off the Avenue de l’Opéra, between the Palais-Royal and the Opéra, with family rooms. Pyramides station, on metro line 14 to Orly, is a few minutes’ walk away.
Hôtel Bachaumont
18 rue Bachaumont, 2e · 4 stars · 49 rooms · about 900 m from the Louvre · Hotels.comad
A four-star hotel of 49 rooms designed by Dorothée Meilichzon, just off the Rue Montorgueil, the pedestrian market street of food shops and cafés.
The Eiffel Tower and Rue Cler
Hôtel du Cadran
10 rue du Champ-de-Mars, 7e · 4 stars · spa · about 860 m from the Eiffel Tower · Hotels.comad
A four-star hotel a few steps from the Rue Cler, the market street between the Champ de Mars and Les Invalides, 190 m from École Militaire station on metro line 8. It has a spa with a whirlpool bath and a sauna; the family rooms have walk-in showers. For more hotels within a walk of the tower, and the rooms that see it, see hotels near the Eiffel Tower; for hotels that sell the view as a room category, see Paris hotels with an Eiffel Tower view.
Montmartre and Pigalle
The climb to Sacré-Cœur from Place Dalida, Montmartre. Photo: Vlad Shtelts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Hôtel des Arts Montmartre
5 rue Tholozé, 18e · family-run since 1960 · about 580 m from the Sacré-Cœur · Hotels.comad
A family hotel, now run by the third generation, on the Rue Tholozé, which climbs from Blanche towards the Moulin de la Galette.
Terrass” Hotel
12–14 rue Joseph-de-Maistre, 18e · rooftop bar and restaurant · about 730 m from the Sacré-Cœur · Hotels.comad
On the west side of the butte, with a rooftop bar and restaurant looking out over Paris, which also serves brunch. The Moulin Rouge is at Blanche station; see Moulin Rouge tickets and the other cabarets.
Maison Souquet
10 rue de Bruxelles, 9e · 5 stars · 20 rooms and suites · about 920 m from the Sacré-Cœur · Hotels.comad
A five-star hotel of twenty rooms and suites with a spa, between Blanche and Place de Clichy stations, at the foot of Montmartre.
Gare du Nord, Canal Saint-Martin and République
25hours Hotel Terminus Nord
12 boulevard de Denain, 10e · opposite Gare du Nord · Hotels.comad
Opposite exit 3 of the Gare du Nord, for the Eurostar, the RER B to Charles de Gaulle and metro lines 4 and 5. Rooms are decorated in colours and patterns inspired by Africa and Asia; the smallest have single beds, and some larger ones have balconies over the station.
Hôtel Providence
90 rue René-Boulanger, 10e · 4 stars · 75 m² planted terrace · about 1.3 km from Gare du Nord · Hotels.comad
A four-star boutique hotel with a French restaurant and a 75 m² planted terrace, by the Porte Saint-Martin. Strasbourg–Saint-Denis (metro 4, 8, 9) and République (3, 5, 8, 9, 11) are the nearest stations.
Generator Paris
9–11 place du Colonel-Fabien, 10e · hostel, shared and private rooms · rooftop bar · Hotels.comad
A hostel with dormitories and private rooms, some with their own terrace, and a rooftop bar. It is 15 to 20 minutes’ walk from Gare du Nord, or metro line 2 from La Chapelle to Colonel Fabien.
Hôtel Fabric
31 rue de la Folie-Méricourt, 11e · 33 rooms · Hotels.comad
A 33-room hotel between République and Bastille, in a street of bistros, about 2 km from Notre-Dame.
Le General Hotel
5–7 rue Rampon, 11e · 4 stars · 46 rooms · Hotels.comad
A four-star hotel of 46 rooms a minute from the Place de la République, where five metro lines meet (3, 5, 8, 9 and 11).
Before you book
- The tourist tax is extra. Every hotel adds the taxe de séjour per adult, per night; under-18s pay nothing. The City of Paris says the 2027 rates are the same as 2026’s (taxedesejour.paris.fr, 30 September 2026).
| Where you stay | Per adult, per night, 2026 and 2027 |
|---|---|
| Palace hotel | €15.93 |
| 5-star hotel | €11.70 |
| 4-star hotel | €8.45 |
| 3-star hotel | €5.53 |
| 2-star hotel | €3.25 |
| 1-star hotel, hostel or B&B | €2.60 |
- Check the room size. Sizes vary within one hotel: the Grandes Écoles lists rooms from 10 to 25 m².
- Airport days: the RER B runs from Charles de Gaulle to Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les-Halles and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame for €14; metro line 14 runs from Orly to Gare de Lyon, Châtelet and Pyramides. The RoissyBus stopped on 1 March 2026. See Charles de Gaulle to central Paris for every option.
For where to eat once you are there, see where to eat in Paris; for what to book once you have the hotel, see what to book before you go in Paris; for days out, day trips from Paris leave from Montparnasse, Saint-Lazare, Gare de Lyon and the RER C.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Paris for a first visit?
Le Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Latin Quarter or the streets round the Louvre and the Palais-Royal. From any of them Notre-Dame and the Louvre are within about 2.3 km in a straight line. The Left Bank areas are on the RER B, the direct train to Charles de Gaulle; the Louvre area is on metro line 14 to Orly.
Is it a good idea to stay near Gare du Nord?
For the Eurostar and the RER B to Charles de Gaulle, yes: both leave from the station, and the 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord is opposite exit 3. Notre-Dame is about 3 km away.
How much is the tourist tax in Paris hotels?
Per adult per night in 2026: €15.93 in a palace hotel, €11.70 at 5 stars, €8.45 at 4 stars, €5.53 at 3 stars, €3.25 at 2 stars and €2.60 at 1 star, in hostels and in B&Bs. The City of Paris says the 2027 rates are the same. Under-18s pay nothing.
