Travel Guide to Hotels in Paris

Paris is probably one of the most famous cities in the world and has over 30 million visitors every year just wishing to experience this diverse city, but for obvious reasons, anyone travelling to Paris will need to think about some form of accommodation and there are thousands of hotels to choose from.

As with any city, there are the very basic hotels, then you get the ones rated from 1 Star hotels up to the exceedingly luxurious 5 Star hotels, yet incredibly, there are actually more 3 Star hotels in Paris than any other type.

But please bear in mind that in some of the basic hotels they do not have their own bathrooms and some have no washing or toilet facilities within a room at all, and therefore these are shared between several rooms.

Plus Paris is renowned for having smaller hotel rooms than those you would find in places like the UK and especially America where space is often considered a priority, and therefore many budget hotels will often have quite small rooms.

Now when it comes to travelling to Paris, most people will arrive via train or plane and then either use the underground or get a taxi to their desired hotel, but if you are thinking about arriving by car, then bear in mind that parking is a major problem and there are actually very few hotels in Paris that do have their own car parking area. Yet if you are driving into Paris, there are some hotels that do offer preferential rates for public car parks located close by and these can range in price from 20 Euros upwards per day.

Another point you may not have thought about, is that in Europe it is rare to get facilities for making a cup of tea or coffee in your room, so do not be disappointed if you do not have a kettle, etc, but the hotels that do provide this service usually make a point of saying so.

Also, most hotels in Paris do not quote a price with breakfast included as this is usually an optional extra charged per person, but some basic hotels and one star hotels do not serve any breakfast.

Many hotels state a Continental Breakfast, which usually consists of things such as cereals, rolls, croissants, jams, fruit juice and coffee, although some will provide a basic buffet breakfast. It is not usually until you get up to 3 star hotels and 4 star hotels in Paris that they are likely to provide a fuller buffet style breakfast as well as a Continental style breakfast option, yet luxury hotels tend to have a variety of different types of breakfast to suit International tastes.

Paris is an animal friendly city with lots of hotels allowing you to bring your dog with you, although there is often an additional charge for this, plus lots are now catering more for families. So rather than requesting an extra bed within a room you have a great choice of hotels that have triple rooms or quadruple rooms available, which does mean more space to move around!

Being a city renowned for its history, there are numerous hotels that are located within very old buildings and have lots of character, yet many have been modernised to include facilities such as satellite or cable TV and a lift for those of us that are less able or just too lazy to carry the luggage up the stairs!

Visiting Paris on business is also easier now as many Paris hotels have internet access or WiFi available not just in common areas, but also within the rooms, yet some do charge for their use, so it would be wise to check prior to booking if you wish to take your laptop with you.

And the last thing we feel you need to consider when booking a hotel, is where it is located. Obviously some areas are more costly than others, like being near to most famous Paris monument, the Eiffel Tower but if you are willing to be a little further out like in the business district, then you can get a far better deal on the same quality hotel.

About the Author:

Martyn Davis www.placesinfrance.com - For all your French holiday needs and travel guide to Paris and France, with tourist information, landmarks and attractions