I often get the question, "Professor, where should I stay in Paris?". First of all, you want to avoid the area near the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees. They are way too touristy, are overpriced, and are crowded. The Champs Elysees is hardly "French" at all. However, there are a few neighborhoods in Paris I like to stay in. My criteria is based on convenience of getting to other sites I want to see, restaurants, transportation access, value, and overall pleasantness of the area. See my choices in today's blog post.
Whenever The Traveling Professor brings tours to Paris or whenever I travel solo to Paris, I always stay in an area on the Left Bank called the Latin Quarter. It is called the Latin Quarter because it is where schools like the Sorbonne are located. In the good old days, students spoke Latin. Hence, the Latin Quarter. In today's blog I will explain why the Latin Quarter is the best place to stay on a tour to Paris.
When going on a tour to Paris, take the opportunity to visit the varying neighborhoods of Paris. Some are sophisticated, some are smutty, some are charming and others are cheap. They all have an element of "je ne sais quoi" making each of them appealing in their own way. I have written about two neighborhoods to visit while on your tour of Paris, and I have listed one, that may be of a surprise to you, that I recommend avoiding.