Last verified: September 28, 2026. Where to stay in Paris comes down to price, and prices here move every week. The hotel counts are INSEE’s for January 1, 2026. The 3-star prices are Booking.com results I read on September 28, 2026 for two sample nights. The fares, taxi fixed fares and tourist tax are the official 2026 rates. I re-check the prices every quarter and the transport and rental rules every month, and update the date above each time.
Where to stay in Paris is the first real decision of the trip, and most people make it with the wrong map. In 2025 Paris hotels sold 47.2 million nights and were 80.1% full, their best year since 2010 (INSEE, hotel occupancy in Île-de-France in 2025, March 2026). Yet the 1st to 7th arrondissements, where nearly every guide sends you, hold only a fifth of the city’s hotel rooms.
So I built this around numbers you can check. You’ll see how many hotels each area has and what a 3-star room cost there on two real nights. You’ll also see how you’d reach each airport, and the one rental rule worth knowing. It’s the Paris chapter of my guide to where to stay in France, and it pairs with the Paris travel guide for what to do once you’re there.
Disclosure: Some links in this guide may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.
Key Takeaways
- First trip? Book the 5th or 6th for walkable history, or the Marais for evenings.
- Paying less: 3-star doubles in six outer areas ran about €67 a night below the 1st to 7th on one November night (Booking.com, observed).
- Pick your bank by airport: the taxi from CDG is cheaper to the Right Bank, from Orly to the Left.
- Budget for the tax: €5.53 per adult per night at 3-star.
Table of Contents
Where to Stay in Paris: The Short Answer
For a first visit, stay central: the 5th or 6th for history on foot, or the Marais for evenings. In 2026 Paris has 1,629 hotels with 87,546 rooms, and the 1st to 7th hold only 18,023 of them, or 20.6% (INSEE, tourist accommodation capacity, Paris, January 2026). That central fifth is still worth it.
That’s the short answer. What suits you depends on the trip, so here are the eight areas I’d shortlist, with the same facts for each. Hotel counts come from INSEE. Prices are the median of the first 20 three-star hotels Booking.com showed for each area, for a Tuesday in November and a Friday in June.
| Area | Arrondissement | Best for | Hotels (rooms) | 3-star median, Nov 17, 2026 | 3-star median, Jun 11, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Quarter | 5th | A first visit on foot | 83 (3,091) | €221.50 | €272 |
| Saint-Germain | 6th | Cafés, the Luxembourg, first visits | 105 (3,743) | €233 | €297 |
| Le Marais | 3rd and 4th | Evenings, food, Sunday shopping | 75 (2,353) | €250 | €344.50 |
| Louvre and Palais-Royal | 1st and 2nd | Being in the exact middle | 127 (6,477) | €236.50 | €325 |
| Eiffel Tower and Invalides | 7th | The tower, quiet nights | 65 (2,359) | €256.50 | €370 |
| Opéra and South Pigalle | 9th | Central value, shopping | 183 (8,633) | €167.50 | €217.50 |
| Bastille and Oberkampf | 11th | Food, lower prices, a second trip | 72 (3,294) | €161.50 | €235 |
| Montmartre | 18th | Views, the lowest winter prices | 65 (4,222) | €139 | €232.50 |
Four more are worth a line each. The 10th sits on Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est. Gare de Lyon anchors the 12th, for the trains south. Next door to the 7th, the 15th is the Eiffel Tower for less. And the 8th is where the luxury is, which I’ll come back to.
Whichever you pick, pick one. I’ve made the case for one base instead of three in my Paris guide, and nothing in these numbers changes it. Paris is small enough that a good base does the work of two.
Left Bank or Right Bank? South of the river, the Left Bank is quieter and more literary. It covers the 5th, 6th and 7th, and further out the 13th, 14th and 15th. North of it, the Right Bank has most of the hotels, most of the nightlife and most of the metro lines. Neither is wrong. As you’ll see further down, the airport you land at is a fair tiebreaker.
Is Saint-Germain or the Latin Quarter Better for a First Visit?
Either works, and the Latin Quarter costs a little less. On Booking.com in September 2026, a 3-star double for November 17 had a median of €221.50 in the 5th and €233 in the 6th. Between them, INSEE counts 188 hotels and 6,834 rooms in 2026, mostly 3 and 4-star.
This is the Paris most people picture before they arrive. You can walk to Notre-Dame, then cross the river to the Louvre. Between the two areas sits the Luxembourg garden. If a museum morning is the core of your trip, book your Louvre tickets early and pick a room you can walk there from.
They feel different, though. Around the Sorbonne, the Latin Quarter has student cafés, bookshops, and busy streets near Saint-Michel that quieten a block away. Saint-Germain is more polished, with the famous café terraces and galleries. With 105 hotels, 8 of them five-star, the 6th has the deeper top end. The 5th has 83 and only one five-star. Does the extra polish cost much? About €11.50 a night in November, and €25 in June (€297 against €272).
Both sit on RER B, which runs straight to Charles de Gaulle from Saint-Michel and Luxembourg. Both are on the Left Bank, where the taxi from Orly is cheapest. And the Batobus stops at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, if a Seine river cruise beats a metro carriage.
Book it if it’s your first trip and you want to walk everywhere. Skip it if you’re after late nights, because both areas go quiet well before the Marais does.
Paris Centre: Is the Marais Worth the Price?
Yes for the evenings, less so for the sleep. On Booking.com in September 2026, a Marais 3-star had a median of €250 for a November night, second only to the 7th. INSEE counts 202 hotels and 8,830 rooms across the 1st to 4th. Those four merged into one sector, Paris Centre, on July 11, 2020, with postcodes unchanged (Ville de Paris, all about Paris Centre).
The Marais covers the 3rd and 4th, and it’s the smallest hotel supply in the centre: 35 hotels in the 3rd and 40 in the 4th. That scarcity shows in June, when the median rose to €344.50. What are you paying for? Streets still busy at 11pm, shops open on Sundays, and falafel queues on the Rue des Rosiers. If food is the point, a Paris cooking class starting in the Marais fits right in.
Would I sleep there? On a short trip, yes, but I’d ask for a room on the courtyard. The same streets that make the evenings good make the front rooms loud.
For pure practicality, pick the 1st or 2nd. The Louvre, the Palais-Royal gardens and the Rue Montorgueil market street are all here, and the 1st has 17 five-star hotels. Its 3-star median was €236.50 in November. Châtelet is the main reason to stay: Metro 14 runs from there to Orly, and RER B to Charles de Gaulle.
One more thing about the centre. In October 2025, 9.6% of all homes in Paris Centre were listed on Airbnb as whole flats, against 3.5% across Paris. In the 2nd it was 12.5% (APUR, furnished tourist rentals in Paris, note 281, January 2026). Those key boxes on the doorways aren’t your imagination.
Should You Stay Near the Eiffel Tower?
Only if the tower is why you came. The 7th has 65 hotels and 2,359 rooms (INSEE). On Booking.com in September 2026 it was the most expensive area on both nights, with a €256.50 median in November and €370 in June. It also had the fewest 3-star hotels to choose from, only 18 and 15.
The case for it is real. You get the Musée d’Orsay, the Invalides and the Rodin museum, and the tower sparkles on the hour after dark. Around Rue Cler there’s a proper market street. The case against is just as real. The 7th is residential and calm, and after dinner it’s very calm indeed. Want a bar at 11pm? You’ll be taking the metro to find one.
One arrondissement over, the value is better. The 15th has 107 hotels and 7,704 rooms, more than three times the 7th’s, and not one five-star hotel. Its 3-star median was €188 in November and €217 in June. That’s €68.50 and €153 a night less than the 7th. The tower is still walkable from its northern edge, and it takes the same Left Bank taxi fares. Watch the event calendar, though. In summer 2026, hotel occupancy near the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre rose 2.9% during the Esports World Cup (Paris je t’aime, summer 2026 report, September 2026).
Book the 7th if you want the tower from your window and a quiet night. Book the 15th if you want the tower in the morning and your money for dinner.
Where Do You Get More Hotel for Your Money?
In the 9th, the 10th, the 11th and the 12th. All four had November 3-star medians between €161 and €174.50 in my September 2026 sample. With 183 hotels, the 9th has the most of any arrondissement. The 14th, 15th and 17th together hold 22,420 rooms, a quarter of the city’s total (INSEE, 2026).
Here’s the whole pattern in two numbers. I pooled the six outer areas I sampled: the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th and 18th. On the same November night, their median 3-star double was €166, against €233.50 across the 1st to 7th. In June the gap grew to €323 against €219. So a June night outside the centre cost less than a November night inside it. Of everything I found, that’s the most useful.
If I had to point most people to one area, it’d be the 9th. It covers the Opéra Garnier, the Galeries Lafayette and South Pigalle’s restaurants, and it’s a short walk to the 1st. Saint-Lazare, on its edge, has Metro 14 to Orly and the trains to Normandy.
The 11th is where Parisians actually go out to eat, around Bastille, Oberkampf and Rue de la Roquette. Its November median was €161.50. But it jumped 46% in June, to €235, so it’s best as an off-season deal.
With 5,640 rooms and no five-star hotels at all, the 12th is a quiet workhorse. It sits on Gare de Lyon, which matters if Paris is the first stop of a longer trip (more on stations below).
What about the 8th? It’s the luxury arrondissement: 44 of Paris’s 117 five-star hotels and 3,853 five-star rooms. At the other end is the surprise. Its 3-star hotels, which in my sample clustered near Saint-Lazare, had a November median of €217. That’s cheaper than the 5th, 6th or 7th.
Is It Safe to Stay Near Gare du Nord, Pigalle or Montmartre?
Yes, on the right streets. In 2026 the 10th, the arrondissement around Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, has 117 hotels and 5,794 rooms. Montmartre’s 18th has 65 hotels and 4,222 rooms (INSEE, 2026). Thousands of visitors sleep there every night. What matters is the block you pick and how you arrive after dark.
I don’t use the crime rankings you’ll find online. The ones I’ve seen have no traceable source, and I couldn’t find official figures by arrondissement to replace them. So here’s practical advice instead. Around the two big stations, stay on the lit main streets, don’t hang around the station exits at night, and take a licensed taxi if you arrive late. Keep your phone and bag close in the station concourses and in Châtelet’s long corridors. My guides to whether France is safe and the scams that target visitors, including the fake taxis at CDG, go further.
Walk a few minutes from the stations and the 10th calms down. Canal Saint-Martin is the base I’d pick for a second trip, with its footbridges, bakeries and wine bars. Across the 10th, the 3-star median was €161 in November.
Montmartre is the one that surprises people. It was the cheapest area in my November sample, at €139. The views are real and the village streets around Sacré-Cœur are lovely early in the day. But the hill is steep, you’re a long way from the river, and on a four-day trip that distance adds up. Pigalle, at its foot, is nightlife, so ask for a quiet room. In June the 18th’s median rose 67%, to €232.50. It’s a winter bargain, not a summer one.
Which Area Is Best for the Airports and Trains?
Châtelet and the Left Bank for Orly, the Right Bank and the 10th for Charles de Gaulle. Since June 24, 2024, Metro 14 has run from Châtelet to Orly in about 25 minutes (Région Île-de-France, Line 14 puts Orly 25 minutes from central Paris). In 2026 the airport ticket costs €14 and a metro ride €2.55 (service-public, transport fares from January 1, 2026).
For Charles de Gaulle, RER B takes about 30 minutes from central Paris. Trains run from about 5:00 to midnight, every 10 to 20 minutes (RATP, RER B to Paris CDG). Stations include Châtelet, Saint-Michel, Luxembourg and Gare du Nord. Check the late trains, though. For most of 2026 the line has been closed from 22:45 between Châtelet and the airport on many weeknights, with replacement buses (Ma Ligne B, upcoming works). If you land late, plan on a taxi.
The taxi is where the bank matters. Paris airport taxis charge fixed fares, and the price flips depending on the airport. In 2026 it’s €56 from Charles de Gaulle to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank. From Orly it’s €45 to the Right Bank and €36 to the Left Bank. Booking adds €4, or €7 in advance (service-public, taxi fares for 2026, January 2026). Flying into Orly and staying in the 5th? That’s the cheapest cab in Paris.
One change is coming. CDG Express is scheduled to open on March 28, 2027, running from Gare de l’Est to Charles de Gaulle in 20 minutes. Trains leave every 15 minutes, a single costs €25, and it’s free up to age 16 (CDG Express). From spring 2027 that makes the 10th the fastest base for Charles de Gaulle, which handled 72.0 million passengers in 2025 (Groupe ADP, December 2025 traffic, January 2026).
Trains are the other reason to pick a base. If Paris is your first stop, stay near your departure station. Which one is yours? Gare de Lyon in the 12th serves Paris to Provence. Montparnasse, on the 14th and 15th, serves Bordeaux and Brittany. Saint-Lazare serves Normandy, and Gare du Nord serves Lille and the Eurostar. My guides to day trips from Paris by train and getting around France have the routes.
What Does a Night in Each Area Really Cost?
Paris hotel rooms averaged €239 a night across 2025, at 82% occupancy (In Extenso results via L’Hôtellerie Restauration, February 2026). On Booking.com in September 2026, the area moved the price about as much as the month did. For the same November night, a 3-star double ran €139 in the 18th and €256.50 in the 7th.
Even so, the month matters. In August 2026 Paris hotels averaged €342.97 a night. On CoStar’s panel it was their best August for occupancy since 2015 (CoStar via Hotel News Resource, September 2026). The all-time monthly record was June 2025, at €514.05 (CoStar via Hospitality Net, July 2025). On INSEE’s count, June was also the fullest month of 2025, at 83.6%, and August the emptiest, at 64.9%. So for June, book as early as you can. If you can move your dates, the best time to visit France explains why June costs what it does.
Then add the tourist tax, charged per adult per night on top of the room. In 2026 Paris charges €5.53 at 3-star, €8.45 at 4-star and €11.70 at 5-star, surcharges included (Ville de Paris, tourist tax rates from January 1, 2026). For two adults in a 3-star, that’s €11.06 a night. It matches the “+€11 taxes and charges” Booking shows on those listings. My guide to France’s tourist tax has every band.
Put it together and four November nights for two in a Latin Quarter 3-star come to about €986, before breakfast. Breakfast is often extra in Paris, so check the listing. For the rest of the budget, see what a France trip costs.
Hotel or Apartment: What Paris Allows
A hotel, for most first trips. In 2025 Paris cut the time a host can rent out their own home to 90 nights a year (Ville de Paris, furnished holiday rentals rules). A 2024 planning rule also bans any new tourist rentals in the 1st to 11th arrondissements and part of the 18th (APUR, 2026). The legal supply in the centre is shrinking.
That gives you a simple check. Any whole-flat listing in Paris should show a registration number. In the 1st to 11th it should also be the host’s main home. New tourist lets are banned there, and only 548 homes have won permission to switch since 2010 (APUR). If the listing looks like a full-time rental, be wary. My guide to the Airbnb Paris rules has seven checks to run before you book. The national registration system is due in the fourth quarter of 2026. Until then, numbers issued by the town hall stay valid (DGE, API Meublés, updated July 2026).
Supply is still large. In October 2025 Airbnb listed 82,045 Paris homes, 48,322 of them whole flats available to book, at a median of €162 a night (APUR). That median runs from €252 in the 8th to €110 in the 20th, so a flat isn’t always cheaper than a 3-star room in the same area.
The middle ground is an aparthotel: INSEE counts 92 tourism residences in Paris, with 16,914 beds and a kitchen. At the budget end, a bed at HI Paris Yves Robert started at €30.60 for an October 2026 night when I checked in September. Budget hotel chains fill the gap in between. On a November Tuesday, an ibis budget around Paris cost a median of €87 for two and a B&B Hotels room €110, as my comparison of budget hotels in France shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best area to stay in Paris for a first visit?
The 5th or the 6th, for history you can walk to, or the Marais in the 3rd and 4th for evenings. A 3-star double had a median of €221.50 in the 5th and €233 in the 6th for a November 2026 night on Booking.com. INSEE counts 188 hotels across the 5th and 6th.
Should I stay on the Left Bank or the Right Bank?
The Right Bank has more hotels, more nightlife and the cheaper taxi from Charles de Gaulle: €56 against €65 in 2026. The Left Bank is quieter and has the cheaper taxi from Orly, €36 against €45. If you’re torn, let your airport decide.
Is it safe to stay near Gare du Nord?
Yes, on the main streets, with care around the station exits at night. The 10th, the arrondissement around Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, has 117 hotels and 5,794 rooms. Canal Saint-Martin, a few minutes away, is its calmer side. The 10th’s 3-star median was €161 for a November night.
How much is a hotel in Paris per night?
Paris rooms averaged €239 a night across 2025 (In Extenso) and €342.97 in August 2026 (CoStar). On Booking.com for November 17, observed in September, 3-star doubles had a median of €233.50 in the 1st to 7th. In the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th and 18th it was €166. Add €5.53 tax per adult.
Can I rent an apartment in Paris instead of a hotel?
Yes, if it’s the host’s main home, rented for no more than 90 nights a year, and it shows a registration number. New tourist rentals are banned in the 1st to 11th. Airbnb whole-flat listings had a median of €162 a night in October 2025, according to APUR.
The Bottom Line
Where to stay in Paris is really three choices: the area, the bank and the month.
- First trip: book the 5th or 6th, or the Marais if evenings matter most.
- Value lives in the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 15th. With the 18th, those outer areas ran about €67 a night below the centre in my November sample.
- Flying into Orly? Stay on the Left Bank. Into Charles de Gaulle, the Right.
- Add the tax: €5.53 per adult per night at 3-star.
- Renting a flat means checking the registration number and, in the 1st to 11th, that it’s the host’s own home.
Once you’ve picked the bed, plan the days with the Paris travel guide, then choose your next base in my guide to where to stay in France.
