Where to Stay in Paris: Best & Worst Areas (by a Local)! 

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Back again to say I stayed in Belleville a few weeks ago based on Lucile’s recommendation and it exceeded my expectations. And don’t let the distance from the center of town fool you, it was very easy to get around from there.

Since you never stop hyping up the Batignolles (despite my incessant appeals for keeping this treasure hidden from the masses 😅😅), on the top of all amazing French food options, I got a some recommendations of nice spots for international eating, both for you and anyone visiting: - Cafuné ( 61 Rue des Batignolles) : A cute and cozy Brazilian cafe, ran by my good friend Taciana(you can tell her Vitor and Talita sent you - you wont get any discount, but we might😂😂). You really shroud try the cheese bread(pão de queijo) and the tapioca crepe. - La Monella( 2 Rue Lemercier): AUTHENTIC Neapolitan style pizza! Doesn’t get any better outside Italy, worthy of a visit! They even got the traditional Neapolitan wood fire oven. - Pastelaria Belem (47 Rue Boursaut): Really nice Portuguese bakery, but they also got lunch options such as cod fish(bacalhau), grilled chorizo and many sandwiches and finger foods. The decorations, with the withe and blue ceramic tiles really reminds Portugal - MELT Batignolles (83 Rue Legendre): American style barbecue. Even if you don’t want to eat there, come for the smell😅😅😅 its awesome

BEST CONTENT ON PARIS SO FAR!!! keep the vids coming :) would love one on public transport local tips covering metro, buses, trams and trains!

So interesting that areas in Paris can vary so much in just a 5 minute walking distance!

My first trip to Paris in 2000 I stayed in the Canal St Martin area and explored Le Marais. On my recent trip this year, I stayed in the Necker neighborhood. And I ended up spending most of my time exploring Passy. I did get the Mabillon and to the Jardin du Luxembourg. I walked about 25,000 steps each day for three days - and I was so tired!

You got a new follower, Lucille! I've been to Paris few years ago and we didn't do proper research. We stayed at Le Marais and I liked it. Close to a lot of places and stations too :) Can't wait to be back this summer!

I live in the states and every time I watch your videos, it makes me want to visit Paris!

You always make me feel like I am on a professional tour around Paris, showing well me all the personal information I need to have a fun safe time! Thank you.

Thank you Lucille! Currently trying to plan another trip to Paris.. ill definitely looking in to the neighborhoods u recommended!! Appreciate all of your local input!

Thanks Lucile! This is very helpful as I'm never quite sure where to stay or visit when I'm in Paris. I plan to come again in December for the opening of Notre Dame so you've given me some good ideas.

Thank you Lucile. As a Parisian so in line with your selection on bad or good areas.

I'm going to Paris for the 2nd time in a couple months. I found the French people to be so kind and friendly, even though mon français est vraiment mauvais LOL. I'm taking the Euro Star from London and you are right, that train station has some dodgy people about.

🥂 Cheers , excellent! Been looking for this .

Can't wait to try these top 2 neighborhoods on my next visit!

I went to Paris the summer 2023 and stayed in the Trocadero area just off of Av Kleber. Perfect place to stay and within walking distance to most everything. I am planning to return summer 2025.

Lucile, your presentation and accent are first class. Nice short visit to Paris informative thanks. 🍷

Bonsoir Lucile ! I just came across your channel (actually via a video by Théo in Paris). I see we have a lot in common with our love of Paris, and presenting Paris to visitors (and that you've been doing really well with RU-vid for quite a while now). Good videos on your channel, a lot of interesting stuff!

When I was 15 I attended a summer school at Lycée Chaptal, Boulevard des Batignolles and I totally loved it! That was a very long time ago and I’m glad to see it’s not changed much in all that time ❤️. My experience there just solidified my love of France, French culture, French literature and, of course the French!!!! So much so that I spent a lot of my life working and holidaying in all parts of France and have spent the last 22 years living happily in Brittany amongst a beautiful community of Bretons and French 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇫🇷

Hi Lucille! I hope that you and Bobby are enjoying your spring time. Don't work too hard! I so enjoy your tips to preferred places in Paris! Locals are the best at what's best. I love your informative videos and kind nature. You give great advice. ❤ If I ever get the chance to come to Paris with my folks...i'd love the chance to meet you. I've watched your videos for a long time.. you travel to amazing places.. Do you have any destinations still that you'd like to travel to? Or dream destinations? Safe travels to you. Hope your weather is good.

Bravo Lucile ! Belle vidéo ❤

Belleville! I lived there for a year in the cheapest studio I could find in all of Paris. But I had that view from my bed, and from the balcony I could even see Montmatre. Loved the diversity in that area.

Very interesting video. We were taken to La Cave de Belleville by a local several year ago & always go back as it's such a great area. We walk round that area quite happily & it's very interesting. Back there in July. :)

Hi Lucile, I loved your comment about the comparison to ratatouille.(too Funny) I always look forward to your videos and hope to be back in Paris soon to try out all your wonderful recommendations & suggestions. Thanks for all your tips and great smile.

Il faut d'urgence visiter la rive gauche Mademoiselle :) Le réduire au jardin du Luxembourg, ça fait court. Moufetard, Bute aux Cailles, rue Daguerre, cité Florale, square Montsouris, Parc Montsouris, Montparnasse et ses brasseries, rue de la Gaitée, le jardin des plantes, la Mosquée (même si c'est devenu très touristique, mais pas plus que Luxembourg). Liste non exhaustive :)

Just used this to book my roooooom💖

Yessss!!! Big shout out to Batignolles! I used to go there as a teenager in the 90s and 00s (probably before you were born!) and it always struck me as the real Paris with easy access to the centre and all the sights, it was so cheap to stay there too still love the place ❤❤❤

You are right about les Batignolles, I have friends who have lived rue Nollet for about 30 years now and I love the area when I come to visit. In fact for the Pentecôte I will be around, looking forward to the market & apéro in The Lush.

Great info. We were able to get into North Marias great ABB on Rue des Archives. Thanks for the recommendation

Any chance to see something similar of Toulouse (where to stay, local recommendations, etc.)? :) We're visiting Paris and Toulouse in October and getting inspired by your videos. Thanks a lot, Lucille.

I can endorse two of your opinions from personal experience. Across from the Gare du Nord (long ago) I experienced my only serious attempted mugging in a lot of travel to a lot of countries. And in recent times I have stayed in the north Marais on three separate occasions and really enjoyed the neighbourhood and how central it is.

thanks for all these. planning a solo trip in July and your videos have been extremely helpful. wish I could buy you a croissant while I'm there to say thanks =)

We’ll be coming to Paris this summer and are staying at the Drawing House. And it’s our first visit with our family. And we have no idea if this is a good area to stay or not. But I so appreciate you doing these videos.

I just got back from Paris and my studio apartment was on Rue St Ouen. I LOVED Batignolle. It was so nice to get away from tourists and just sit in a cafe (L'Endroit!) and people watch. And the little shops were fantastic.

Bonjour Lucile. Thanks for another fantastic video. My favourite place in Paris is Mont Martre - I accidentally ended up in the north part of it and fell in love. I also climbed up to the top of the cathedral & was in like a secret spot. My hotel concierge (in the Marais) suggested I go to Bellville. It was so interesting in that it seemed to have sections dedicated to specific nationalities. I must say though, that there was one section that made me as a woman feel very uncomfortable. You probably have guessed which part. Anyway, I'm planning to visit France later this year with my husband & am saving your videos for reference. Merci ❤

A few years back, my wife and I stayed at a little hotel on a side street off Batignolles. We loved the area!

Paris really does have alot to it rather then just one big place . Thanks foe your info and knowledge and fun Lucille I never get bored. You just make my day when I see you 👀 I bet tou would be the best mom 👩 ever ! Know dought in my mind ! Always a pleasure Lucille love ❤️ you buddy your always in my heart ❤️ along with sara God bless you jamie 😊

Thanks so much for making this video! My husband and I are coming in September and we’re staying in Belleville. Well it’s like right on the edge, like a block on the outside, not even really a whole block. I hope that is still good! I really appreciate your recommendations. Which park are you wandering in Batignolles?

Terrific video!!

Argentinian living in Paris since 2019 and 100% agree with these, I live in Montmartre and I mess with tourists but I know all the hidden spots there without tourists that's amazing ! Only thing: Republique is okay ! Nearby are many vintages shops, restos, bars and theaters and a big part of authentic Parisian life happens there, including protests, don't be afraid !!! And in Batignolles le Parc Luther King is the best ! I go always I can when there's a little bit sunny to have some mate 🧉see you there :) Belle découvert ton channel ! PS: We can see how there's nothing interesting in South Paris, yep

Just booked a week stay in Belleville and I’m so excited! Would love to know of any good open mics or music venues (particularly ones that encourage participation or dancing) in Paris that you know of or recommend-I’m staying there after a music residency and you’ve been my North Star ⭐️ for planning so far 😅🤩

This is great information. Thanks. I'll be there in November and I haven't picked a spot yet. My wife will be at a conference, so I'm going to be mostly alone for a week, and want to make sure I'm somewhere that's nice to walk around, sit at a café or in a park, and relax. I've only been to Paris once before, back around Christmas of 2019, and we stayed a couple blocks from the Musée de la Vie romantique, though I don't think I ever even saw it. We definitely didn't visit. I liked the area, but I think my wife wants to stay on the other side of the Seine this time, just to get a different experience with the city. I've taken notes.

So I am from Scotland and working in Paris on the Olympics, staying in Saint Ouen and am looking for places to go on my day off, which is only Sunday. I went to Monmatre yesterday, absolutely rammed with tourists, however I found a nice quiet cafe in North Monmatre not far from the tube station you mentioned and that was great. A friend recommended Belleville so I will go there and also Battignolles is not that far so I will check that out. Thanks for the tips.

Hi Lucille. I am shocked with 2 things. 1st that you do not like Republique! It’s my fav place to stay in Paris. If there are protest, just walk up or down and reach another station in 5mins. The neighbourhood vibes are so good but it’s being gentrified, several of my fav neighbourhood restaurants are replaced with fancy wine bars. 2nd-Belleville. No one had ever recommended Belleville and I am so glad you did. I love that there are so little tourist there and the cultures and the vibrant areas. I love it!

Need to save this video. Thank you!

My husband and I stayed in an apartment in the Marais and couldn’t have imagined a better location for our short but wonderful time in the most beautiful city in the world.

back in the 1980 we moved to Paris due to my father studying dermatology at Hopital st louis close to canal st martin. I remeber we bought a place next to park Monceau for for years. It was a pretty nice area. strangely the areas that you mentioned are nice, back then was horrible and and a bit scary. specially pigalle, marais or belleville. I remember neuilly-sur-seine was a nice area. whenever I go to Paris usually I go to the areas that you did not mention specially sceaux since I attended the school there at Cours Colbert

I stayed in Belleville the one time I went to Paris. I didn’t know ow much about the neighborhoods but the reviews of the apartment were good. Looks indeed a bit run down but it was safe with nice little shops and restaurants and the metro station was around the corner and so it was easy to get to the center.

I lived in Le Marais student in the 1990s and loved it.

Thanks for the great video! What do you think about La Villette area? Do you think it is similar to Stalingrad? I stayed around La Villette last year, and it looked gentrified, but vibrant. Lots of restaurants and cafés around the canal! I thought it was interesting, but it did have that big city vibe you talked about when referring to Stalingrad. I was lucky to be very close to a metro station.

I always stayed in the Pigalle. Once I said, "J'ai oublie ma clé" when I forgot my key and the woman was so nice in helping me.

Thank you!!!

You can tell shes so nice and bright. What a lovely woman

I've stayed in various parts of Paris and environs and my least favorite is probably right next to Gare du Nord. Not much charm, feels a bit sketchy at night and quite noisy. But it is convenient if your train arrives late or leaves very early in the morning. I only stayed there because I missed a connection for an overnight train to Amsterdam close to midnight and didn't feel like schlepping all over Paris for just the one night. I've also stayed outside the Peripherique, with friends, in a cookie cutter apartment block. Not much to recommend it but when you're staying with friends you don't really have much choice. It did though give me a feel for how lower income and working class Parisians who can't afford to live in Paris proper live. I've actually stayed in the Gare du Nord area, but around a 10 minute walk away, on a nice and quiet side street that could have been anywhere in Paris. It was far enough away that it didn't feel at all seedy and we rather enjoyed our stay there, with plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops nearby. Same for the Arc de Triomphe area, also around a 10 minute walk that was sufficiently far from the touristy parts and fairly quiet. Lastly I've also stayed with a friend in the 13th Arrondissement, not far from the Place d'Italie. Not necessarily the most exciting place to stay but it's close enough to the Sorbonne, Jardin des Plantes, Seine and Bibliotheque National (which made it a good place to go running) to more than make up for it, and there was a nice farmer's market held several days a week. It also had a certain unpretentious "real Paris" vibe to it. Really almost any part of Paris will do for a short stay, especially if you're on a budget. The Metro and bus system is excellent and you're not that far from the sights and interesting neighborhoods. And agreed that staying far outside Paris to save money on lodging is a bad idea, unless you have an early flight and want to be close to the airport, or are only there for a day or two and are flying in and/or out. Long commute and you miss that Parisian vibe.

I stayed in the 6eme for two weeks on the Jardin du Luxembourg and I found it nice but it’s a bit sleepy. If you want something a bit more exciting I’d check out the 5eme!

Stayed in Paris on 4 occasions from Australia over several years and agree Republic has its problems. Our last visit was in Saint Paul on Rue Saint Paul and recommended it. Centrally located but away from tourist crowds and with a real local character.

Great information, Lucile.........can you provide any recommendations for hotels in Batignolles?

We had a trip planned to stay in South Pigalle in 2020 but had to cancel due to COVID. One day we will come back!

I stayed in Gambetta at an airbnb I loved the area.

I was in Paris last week and stayed close to Odeon and I love that area. I lived in Paris for a few years when I was elementary school back in the 80s in the Boujee 16th by Rue de Passy but that area is a bit too quiet for a visit so I really like central Odéon/Mabillon area

Would love to know of any open mics/jams/good jazz clubs! I’m coming for a music residency in fall and am having a hard time finding info about room’s people can participate/play in but would even settle for good live music

I just returned to the states from Paris (May 10). I stayed in at an Airbnb in North Montmartre, near Jules Joffrin Metro. Not touristy at all, it was a very local vibe.

Hello Lucile, great info! How is the area near the Place de la Bastille? Any ideas of how to spend New Year’s with my extended (19 pax) family in Paris? Thanks!!

I would balance the Gare du Nord / Gare de l’Est comment a bit more for a few reasons. First, if you’re into South Indian cuisine, some of the very best restaurants are right next to Gare du Nord (thinking of Saravanaa Bhavan or Krishna Bhavan), as well as some of the best "cash & carry" supermarkets. Second, rue de Dunkerque, ie the main street connecting both stations has seen some cool redevelopment lately, with a cute suspended garden, and one of my most recommended cafe/restaurant in the area, ie the Café les deux gares, which imho has the best crème brûlée of all Paris (with vin jaune from Jura and hazelnuts from Piemont). There are other cool things in that neighborhood, such as the Marché Saint-Quentin, or pretty chill restaurants like Mamagoto, Chez Marius or even Hotel grand amour. The area to be avoided is really the street right in front of Gare du Nord, which has become a mess more so because of the insane taxi/Uber car trafic than its constant dodgy people. The street in front of Gare de l’Est is not as dodgy but a bit sad, it is one of the largest night bus hub of Paris, and so this is where you get to see the really poor working class going home every day, the people who struggle and who we so often do not even notice in our daily lives enjoying the perks of a wealthy city.

Interesting. Boulevard de Belville was one of the cheapest places in Monopoly. When I first moved to Paris in the late 60s I stayed in a hotel on Rue Lecourbe (2nd cheapest in Monopoly) for two weeks. I loved that area.

Je suis du Québec et la seule fois que je suis allé en Europe, je suis allé au Sud, en Provence. Mais, la prochaine fois, je veux aller à Paris!! ❤ J’ai fait Ratatouille à WDW en tout cas… 😂😂 T’es vidéos sont vraiment intéressantes (de Paris ou autre). ☺️

Paris is so beautiful and there are many old buildings preserved in time. Is the France oldest country in Europe?

I'm confused. Is Montmartre a place one should visit or not visit? I stayed there for almost a week and loved it. I actually had a tough time leaving Montmartre, it was so dreamy.

I'd "have a more authentic French experience at Ratatouille in disney" you're too funny😂😘

Thanks!

I will be in Paris my first time mid August! It will only be for 24 hours. What do you suggest I do in that amount of time to get the full experience? 😊

i enjoy your videos. I have lived in Paris (and Italy and Portugal) as well. Your videos remind me a bit of the videos posted by the Frugal Travelers. You have similar ideas about exploring and respecting the local cultures- and not overspending. I regret the death of Anthony Bourdain as he also had this perspective. Cheers!

What about Rue Charrone in the 11th ARR? Is that a nice area to stay?

Très bon choix pour les Batignolles...

Awesome job Lucia drop a like

1:23 - I've visited Paris twice and both times stayed in that area (once in a hotel and once in an Air BnB). Never really ate in the area though.

Lucile has to get her monument in Belleville for what she does for that neighbourhood

How about La Défense? I stayed in the Sofitel 14 yrs ago and found the area very decent. There was one office worker who was obviously a bit depressed...and refused to communicate even in French...

4:53 Oh yes !!! 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾

i stayed in north Marais and I loved it! you can walk or cycle everywhere from there and the roads are so cute on the way ❤

I'll be staying near the cross streets of Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud and Rue Saint-Maur. It seems like a good place in the middle of metro stations. Are there favorite places around the area i should go to in terms of eating, sights to see, museums, and parks?

Lucy best ever.

0:24 Montmartre late at night "when there's noone there" sounds like a good plan to get mugged 🤔 6:05 Staying in Le Marais... nice area indeed, but rooms there may be more costly than the above-mentioned mugging

La dernière fois que je suis allé à Paris j'étais à Ménilmontant et j'ai vraiment aimé

Do you accept PayPal gifts instead of memberships?

What is the best area in the 3rd or 4th Arr?

I live near the Canal so I pass by Republique a lot. I remember some months ago when I was sitting casually in the square eating a Popeye's sandwich and next thing I know a protest crowd shows up and I'm now running from the police as tear gas canisters explode around me. But even if you like that sort of excitement (as I do) you still have the transit getting closed in that area all the time because of the protests. So still not ideal to stay if you're visiting.

Bellville it is : )

Bonjour Lucile! Thank you for this video. I believe my husband and I will be staying at a hotel in that area you marked off in the Latin Quarter (not 100% sure, I'll need to ask him and compare it to the map on this video). What exactly is wrong with that area? Is it unsafe or is it that it's gotten to tourist-trappy? Merci!

What do you think of this neighborhood? 39 Rue de Nantes. Thanks!

Merci pour vos vidéos super informatifs! Que pensez-vous de Montparnasse? Ça me semble bien comme coin non?

@LuicleHR can you do a vedio about vegetarian french food??

Your opinion about Saint Geirmain des Pres neighborhood, please.

Fabulous

Where would you say is the best place to find une copine ❤😊who is a Spanish-speaking French? My guess would be south France closer to the Spanish 🇪🇸 border but I would like hear the thoughts of a 🇫🇷 native.

Invitingly so 👍

Do u like the shoe shop Bobbies because of its name? 😜 Thanks for the share btw! 😍

I ate at Bouillon Pigalle and the meat was like rubber, super tough and over cooked. In this case cheap is not better. Don’t expect a good steak meal at this price at this restaurant. I went at the beginning of the dinner service when it was not crowded, so there was no excuse for such a poorly cooked meal.

I like ❤

Bastille, same trouble at night.