Paris districts: where is the best place for a Russian-speaking tourist to live?

1. Paris districts
2. Names of Paris neighborhoods
3. Getting to know Paris
4. Where to stay cheap?
5. What are the prices of budget hostels or hotels?
6. The criminal districts of Paris

 

“London is an enigma.

Paris is a clue.”.

Chesterton, Gilbert Keith

Paris is an amazing city. The most convenient way to start sightseeing is with a sightseeing tour of Paris. A Russian-speaking guide will introduce you to the city sung by poets.

Paris arrondissements (arrondissements)

Many guidebooks add information about the county in which the restaurant or hotel is located in their descriptions.

What is a county? It is a district and administrative unit of the city of Paris. Each arrondissement has its own characteristics and its own administration. In ancient times, the individual arrondissements were small villages that eventually became part of Paris.

This map clearly shows that Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements. The district numbers start from the right bank of the Seine and their order increases in an imaginary spiral around the center of Paris.

Names of Paris neighborhoods

Getting to know Paris

If this is your first visit to Paris, you will probably want to stay close to the Seine. Around the banks of this river are concentrated all the main attractions that tourists come to the capital to visit. Experienced travelers will advise you to stay in the 4th, 5th or 6th arrondissements. The 4th arrondissement is known for its expensiveness and a large number of architectural, historical sights. It includes the neighborhoods of Beabourg (Beaubourg), Marais and Ile Saint Louis. In the 5th arrondissement is the historic center of the Latin Quarter. It is home to such world-famous landmarks as the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, and the Jardin des Plantes botanical garden. In the 6th arrondissement is the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. If you have managed to settle in this district, consider yourself very lucky.

One famous writer called these arrondissements “the enchanted ring of Paris.”

Where to stay in Paris cheaply?

Paris is an expensive city, so it is not easy to cope with the task of inexpensive accommodation. But there are options. In group tours, operators try to find a “golden mean” between the remoteness of the hotel from the main sights and an affordable price. Russian tourists often settle in the 9th arrondissement, which can be called quiet and relatively inexpensive. Here is located the Grand Opera House, and shopping enthusiasts can visit the Galeries Lafayette (Galeries Lafayette). The 11th arrondissement is also popular with Russian tourists, but rather with young people – it is a place where nightclubs and bars work until morning. In the 13th district is located local China Town, but here are inexpensive and quite decent hotels. The 12th and 14th districts are also considered safe. District 17 is not very popular with tourists because of its distance from the center. If your budget is limited, but you have dreamed of seeing Paris all your life, an inexpensive hotel or hostel may well become a cozy nest for a while. A typical traveler in Paris returns to the hotel in the evening, and in the morning again goes to explore the city. Inexpensive accommodation in Paris is also often chosen by students.

How much can a budget hotel or hostel in Paris cost?

According to Booking.com, a place in an inexpensive hostel in a remote area can start as low as 20 euros. Although, most likely, this price will be higher. The cost of a single room according to the same service starts from 30-35 euros. So, for 33 euros you can stay at Hotel Luna Park (1 star), which is located in the 11th district. In the inexpensive 9th district for the same price you can rent a room at Hotel Des Arts (1 star).

The criminal districts of Paris

Paris has long been one of the largest megacities in the world. Here you can meet representatives of practically all countries and nationalities. Such cultural diversity has a downside: a tourist must be constantly on guard, otherwise he or she may be left without money and documents. The traveler is an easy prey for dirty criminal subjects, of which there are plenty in Paris. Thus, in the 10th arrondissement is located North and East Station, which increases the criminogenicity of the neighborhood. In the 18th arrondissement is the world-famous “red mill” – Moulin Rouge. The neighborhood is considered moderately criminogenic, thousands of migrants have found refuge here. However, often their neighbors are quite prosperous citizens. The 19th arrondissement, where the famous parks of Butte-Chaumont and La Villette are located, cannot be called calm either.

The movie will tell the story of Paris.

The movie Paris, I Love You consists of 18 short films, each of which takes place in a certain district. However, for some reason, the movie anthology lacks two districts – there should have been 20 episodes.

Recommended visit:

• Excursion to Versailles
• Excursion to Champagne
• Excursion to Fontainebleau