7 Top Choices for Where to Stay in Paris Neighborhoods
Having rented multiple apartments in different areas of Paris, it’s clear that the City of Light stands out as particularly well-suited for live like a local stays. Thanks to a plethora of apartments renting to travelers for days, weeks and months, you have great choices for where to stay in Paris neighborhoods on the Right and Left Banks of the Seine River.
Due to the increasing demand from travelers looking to immerse in the Parisian way of life, you can find modest to luxury quality apartments in the most popular neighborhoods (arrondissements) such as the Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin), Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the Marais, Montmartre, Montparnasse, Champs Elysees, and the Louvre area.
Another option available in Paris, is a stay in an apartment-hotel which provides studio’s and one to three bedroom units with kitchen or kitchenette, front desk, and various hotel services. As with all apartment stays, you can receive significant discounts when you rent for weeks or months.
Near most of Paris’ major sights and the Seine River, the 7 neighborhoods listed below are very convenient for exploring central Paris by foot and, when preferred, there are metro stops nearby that will efficiently get you to your destination.
FYI, the Seine River splits the city into two sides, Right and Left Banks, with a total of 20 numbered neighborhoods (arrondissements) between them.
Eiffel Tower Area – 7th Arrondissement
On the Left Bank, at a bend in the Seine River, lies the acclaimed national symbol recognized by the world, the Eiffel Tower. The park-like surroundings hugging the Tower, the Parc du Champs de Mars, is also a popular spot, day or night, to picnic with a ham and cheese baguette and admire the grand landmark, easily spotted throughout Paris.
Well-positioned in the heart of the city, the Tower area is a hub of activity and enjoyment for locals as well as visitors. Steps away from the Tower are famous museums such as Les Invalides (Napoleon’s grave), Musee Rodin, and Musee d’Orsay. And, walking along the Seine you eventually arrive in the Latin Quarter area where you can shop, eat, and people-watch in a quintessential Parisian atmosphere.
Thanks to the Tower’s central location, you can explore both banks of the river. Just a short walk across the bridge to the Right Bank, you can shop the grand boulevard, Champs Elysees and relax at one of the cafés enjoying great views of the l’Arc de Triomphe. You can also stroll the Jardins du Trocadero, a nature oasis away from the city’s hustle and bustle.
Another perk is that since the Tower can be seen from almost anywhere in Paris I found it to be a great reference point whenever finding yourself a bit lost in Paris.
Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) – 5th Arrondissement
On the Left Bank of the Seine River, sits the Latin Quarter, known as one of the liveliest locations in Paris, boasting respected universities like the Sorbonne, Ecole Normale Superieure and the College de France.
The Quarter, dotted with cozy book shops (like the Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore), boisterous local café culture, and dusty antique stores adds a bohemian flair, thanks to student and artisan populations flocking to the popular Latin Quarter for exciting entertainment, robust dialogue, and traditional basic French food.
In the heart of the Latin Quarter’s quintessential Parisian atmosphere and charms, you can also find famous icons like the Pantheon where Victor Hugo and Voltaire are buried, as well as the Roman amphitheater, Arenes de Lutece.
I choose the famous Latin Quarter as one of the best areas for where to stay in Paris neighborhoods. The cobbled lanes and surrounding history reflect a bohemian type vibe, typical of Paris’ storied past.
For apartments in the Latin Quarter, see here.
For more Latin Quarter neighborhood info, see here.
Louvre-Tuileries Area – 1st Arrondissement
On the Right Bank of the Seine River, is the palatial Musee du Louvre, formerly a royal palace, adorned by handsome tree-shadowed gardens unfolding as you depart the esteemed Louvre towards the Champs Elysees.
This magical spot is always a joy to experience over and over again. The Louvre-Tuileries setting is a poignant reminder of past luxury-laden royal times and colorful storied history brimming with opulence, intrigue, and mystery.
Likewise, the enchanting neighborhood reflects a vibrant Parisian atmosphere with upscale boutique-filled streets and charming café-lined plazas.
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For apartments around the Louvre-Tuileries, see here.
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For more Louvre-Tuileries neighborhood info, see here.
Marais – 4th Arrondissement
No one seemed to notice that my sister had joined me for breakfast at the café across from our apartment – wearing lounging pj’s under her coat. Emboldened, we decided to just continue on with the day and headed for Le Bon Marche, figuring that obviously her extremely casual attire was totally OK in the Marais.
On the Right Bank, soaked in old-world charm with narrow cobblestoned streets winding throughout, Le Marais represents authentic ‘Old Paris’. Bursting with trendy boulangeries, galleries, food markets and specialty restaurants serving traditional fare – sometimes off-the-menu delicacies for the courageous – you can sample typical French fare.
Also, you can stroll Rue de Bretagne, the main street, and visit the city’s oldest market, Marche des Enfants Rouges and if you continue down to Place des Vosges, you can experience the city’s oldest square where you might find some locals having a game of petanque (boules).
Some neighbors of note in the Marais are the Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte-Chappelle on the Ile de la Cite as well as the contemporary art museum Centre Pompidou.
The Marais is one of my favorite neighborhoods when picking where to stay in Paris neighborhoods. The popular restaurants are known for their ‘authentic’ traditional cuisine and draws many locals as well as visitors.
For apartments in the Marais, see here.
For more Marais neighborhood info, see here.
Montmartre – 18th Arrondissement
As I patiently sat, surrounded by talkative and talented artists armed with color-splashed easels, little did I know that the poignant memory of being sketched at the Artist’s Square (Place du Tertre) in Montmartre that day, would last a life-time.
Seen from afar, the soaring Sacre-Coeur appears to be a white-blanched, multi-domed castle perched on Paris’ highest hilltop, overlooking the entire city below. But Montmartre’s crown jewel, the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre, is a basilica, not a castle. From the hilltop perched basilica, you can enjoy fabulous sweeping city views and if you go inside, you will find France’s largest mosaic glittering across the ceilings.
Not far from the basilica, you can experience a taste of Montmartre’s eclectic, bohemian-tinged neighborhood which was once the hangout for Paris’ bohemian crowd such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pissarro. The talented and intellectual crowd came to draw inspiration from the quintessential ‘Artist’s Square’, considered by some to be the heart of Montmartre.
Still today, visitors flock to Montmartre for that unique vibe found at the Artist’s Square rich in history and charm and lined with striped café umbrellas, checkered restaurant table cloths, and artisan shops.
And, if so inclined, you can have your portrait charcoal-sketched or water-colored by one of the square’s artists – preserving the memory of that day.
Montparnasse – 14th Arrondissement
On the Left Bank, just south of Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Latin Quarter, lies Montparnasse, a vibrant former artistic hub for starving writers, poets, sculptors and painters – where rents were cheap and where they could set up their workshops.
Well-positioned and a bustling central area, Montparnasse is known today for its small town, village atmosphere, close proximity to key Left Bank attractions and its Montparnasse Tower 59-floor skyscraper, rewarding visitors with riveting panoramic views over Paris.
Since many of the unknown artists from the past became wildly famous, you can follow in the footsteps of the ‘greats’ like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marc Chagall and Marcel Duchamp by visiting some of the places they frequented while living in Montmartre such as the cafés Closerie des Lilas, Le Dome, Café de la Rotonde, Le Select, and La Coupole.
Saint-Germain-des-Pres – 6th Arrondissement
Nestled in at the Café de Flore in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, savoring a large steaming café au lait and grand crusty croissant breakfast, my thoughts wandered back in time to when famous artists, writers, and intellectuals like Hemingway, Sartre, Picasso, and Camus sat right where I was sitting, decades ago.
The Quarter had earned a reputation as a rendezvous destination for Paris’ literary, artistic, and intellectual élite where they would while away hours on end, engaging their creative juices, seeking inspiration, and enjoying the comradery of like-minded colleagues, drawn to the bohemian Left Bank vibe.
Bursting with Parisian Left Bank vitality still today, legendary Saint Germain-des-Pres, reminiscent of yesteryears, remains a significant slice of authentic Paris, where the streets are full of life and you can experience true and trending Parisian daily life, as well as a treasure trove of iconic attractions like the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des- Pres, Luxembourg Gardens, famous cafés like the Deux Magots and le Procope, art galleries, antique book stores, and historic churches like the Eglise Saint Sulpice.
