Where to Stay in Paris: Complete Neighborhood Guide for First-Time Visitors

You've booked your flight to Paris. Now comes the hard part: where the heck should you stay?

Paris has 20 arrondissements (neighborhoods), and picking the wrong one means starting every day with a 30-minute metro ride, coming home to sketchy streets at night, or staying somewhere so quiet you miss the entire Paris vibe.

The "best neighborhood" isn't about being close to the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre (the metro gets you anywhere). The best neighborhood might even differ from person to person. Ideally, you want to match your travel style fo the arrondissement that’s best for you.

For instance, if you’re looking for late night bars and trendy restaurants, stay in the 11th. If quiet cafés and bookshops are more your vibe? Perhaps the 5th would be best. Want to shop in small boutiques and don’t mind crowded streets? The Marais has you covered.

Jay has lived in Paris for years and helped hundreds of visitors find their way through this city. Here, we’ll break down where to stay based on what you actually want from your trip, plus which areas to avoid (spoiler: the Eiffel Tower area is one of them).

Our Rule of Thumb: Central is Best

If you want to have the best time in Paris, central is best. Find Notre-Dame on a map and draw a circle around the surrounding districts. This is prime real estate for your visit. There's decent variety in the center and much of Paris (though not all of it) is very walkable from here.

Do Not Stay Near the Eiffel Tower

Now that we’ve put that in bold, you can stay near the Eiffel Tower if you really want to, but you should know that the Eiffel Tower is considered the edge of Parisian civilization to we locals. More stuff is popping up in that part of the city, but there still remains little to do other than eat in overpriced restaurants and wander endless residential streets. It is much farther from the vast majority of Parisian sites and activities than most people think.

Understanding Paris Neighborhoods

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral outward from the center like a snail shell. The 1st arrondissement is smack in the middle (home to the Louvre), and the numbers increase as you move outward in a clockwise spiral until you hit the 20th in the east.

Each arrondissement has its own personality, and even within a single arrondissement, you'll find wildly different vibes depending on which metro stop you're near. That's why most locals (and this guide) talk about neighborhoods by metro station names rather than arrondissement numbers.

A few things to know:

• The metro connects everything. You can get from any point in Paris to another in about ~30-40 minutes.
• Left Bank vs Right Bank doesn’t matter as much as you think it might. The Seine river splits Paris, but these days the distinction doesn't mean much beyond vague vibes (Left Bank = historically literary/intellectual, Right Bank = historically commercial)… yeah not exactly true anymore.

For a deep dive into each specific arrondissement, check out our all of neighborhood posts where we break them down into details with various recommendations for each. Or, better yet, grab our guide for every recommendation we have to offer!

Where to Stay Based on What You Want

As mentioned above, when we talk about neighborhoods, ultimately we wind up talking about Metro stops and famous squares (which are often one and the same). Generally assume that the names we use here are going to be very easy to put into Google Maps. Try to find accommodation near one, not necessarily right on top of it.

Better Nightlife, Restaurants, and a Youthful Energy

Parmentier/Oberkampf (One of our Favorites)

Located in the 11th arrondissement, this is the beating heart of Paris' current food and nightlife scene. You'll find incredible restaurants, craft cocktail bars, natural wine spots, and a young, energetic vibe without the pretension. The 11th has taken the crown from the Marais as the spot for food and culture, and if you're here to eat and drink your way through Paris, this is where you want to be.

Best for: Foodies, nightlife lovers
Budget: Mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 11th Arrondissement

Bastille

The eastern edge of the Marais spilling into the 11th and 12th, Bastille offers great nightlife, tons of restaurants, and easy access to both the trendy Marais and the up-and-coming eastern neighborhoods. The Place de la Bastille itself is a major transport hub (lines 1, 5, 8), making it incredibly convenient.

Best for: First-timers who want nightlife + convenience
Budget: Mid-range to upscale
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 12th Arrondissement

Pigalle

Once Paris' red light district, Pigalle has cleaned up considerably while maintaining its edgy charm. You'll find great cocktail bars, live music venues, and the beautiful Rue des Martyrs cutting through the 9th arrondissement with great food shops and cafés. It's grittier than Oberkampf but in a way some people love.

Best for: Music lovers, people who want an edge, late-night types
Budget: Mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 9th Arrondissement

Moderate Nightlife, Good Restaurants, and Shopping

The Marais (Saint-Paul/Hôtel de Ville)

The 3rd and 4th arrondissements make up the Marais. It's charming, walkable, packed with boutiques, galleries, and museums. The northern part (Haut Marais in the 3rd) skews trendier with galleries and design shops, while the southern part (4th) is more touristy with classic Parisian charm.

Best for: First-timers, shoppers, culture lovers
Budget: Mid-range to upscale
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 3rd Arrondissement | What To Do in Paris' 4th Arrondissement

Saint-Germain-des-Prés

The 6th arrondissement is classic Left Bank Paris, with cafés, high-end shopping, art galleries, and beautiful streets. It's typically a little quieter than the Marais but equally beautiful, plus you have Luxembourg Gardens nearby for morning runs or afternoon picnics.

Best for: Romantic trips, literary/art lovers
Budget: Upscale
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 6th Arrondissement

Odéon

Straddling the 5th and 6th arrondissements, Odéon gives you proximity to the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain, and Luxembourg Gardens. It's got great bookstores, cinemas, cafés, and a more studious vibe than Saint-Germain while still feeling quintessentially Parisian.

Best for: Book lovers, students, people who want central
Budget: Mid-range to upscale
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 5th Arrondissement | What To Do in Paris’ 6th Arrondissement

Saint Georges/Place Gustave Toudouze

A lesser-known gem in the 9th arrondissement, this area offers charming squares, good restaurants, proximity to department stores (if you're into that), and Rue des Martyrs. It's less touristy than the Marais but still central and well-connected.

Best for: People who want to feel like locals, repeat visitors
Budget: Mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 9th Arrondissement

Atop Montmartre (Abbesses/Lamarck-Caulaincourt)

The 18th arrondissement is famous for Sacré-Cœur and the artists’ square. Staying up here puts you in cobblestone streets and a fabulous aesthetic… but be aware that it’s a metro ride to most other places you’ll want to go. It's touristy during the day but quieter at night, with some excellent wine bars and restaurants tucked into side streets.

Best for: Romantics, Instagramers, walkers
Budget: Higher range
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 18e Arrondissement

Chill and Friendly (Local Vibes, Less Touristy)

Filles du Calvaire

Technically in the 3rd arrondissement, this area sits between Oberkampf and the Marais. It's got local cafés, small parks, and a residential feel, but it’s still near the action. Perfect if you want proximity to nightlife without living on top of it.

Best for: People hunting for that local vibe + good food & drink
Budget: Mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 3rd Arrondissement

Censier-Daubenton

In the 5th arrondissement, this area is the Latin Quarter without the tourist crush. You're near the Jardin des Plantes, the Natural History Museum (with dinosaurs!), and Rue Mouffetard's market street (though that’s a bit overrated in our opinion). It's got student energy from the nearby universities but feels more authentic than the areas around the Sorbonne.

Best for: Budget travelers, students
Budget: Budget to mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 5th Arrondissement

Guy Moquet / Jules Joffrin

Up in the 17th and 18th arrondissements, these residential areas give you real Paris without much tourist infrastructure. You'll find local markets, neighborhood bistrots, and Parisians going about their actual lives.

Best for: Repeat visitors, people who want authentic Paris
Budget: Budget to mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 17th Arrondissement | What To Do in Paris’ 18th Arrondissement

Cardinal Lemoine

Another gem in the 5th arrondissement, Cardinal Lemoine sits between the Panthéon and the Seine. It's residential but charming, with good cafés and lots of walkable things to do and see. Ernest Hemingway lived here, if that sort of thing matters to you.

Best for: Literary fans, people who want quiet + central
Budget: Mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris’ 5th Arrondissement

Calm, but Not-so-central

École Militaire

In the 7th arrondissement, this puts you near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides but in a much quieter, more residential section. You'll have fewer restaurants and bars to choose from, but if you want calm streets, this is your place.

Best for: Families, people who want calm, Eiffel Tower proximity
Budget: Upscale
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 7th Arrondissement

Père Lachaise (Near Side)

The eastern edge of the 20th arrondissement near the famous cemetery is quiet and residential. You're a bit out of the center, but the metro will get you where you need to go. Great if you want a real neighborhood feel.

Best for: Cemetery fans (it's beautiful!), budget travelers, people who want real Paris
Budget: Budget to mid-range
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 20th Arrondissement

Batignolles (Brochant)

In the 17th arrondissement, Batignolles feels like a village within Paris. There's a lovely park (Parc Martin Luther King), a covered market. Don’t hang around for the night life, though, as there’s not much happening.

Best for: Families, people who've been to Paris before, long-term stays
Budget: Mid-range to upscale
Read more: What To Do in Paris' 17th Arrondissement

Areas to Skip for First Timers

If it’s your first time in Paris, we’d recommend skipping The entirety of the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th, and most of the 19th and 20th.

As a general rule for any city really, avoid staying around train station. These tend to be less safe late at night. This means avoiding: Gare de l’Est, Gare du Nord, Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare Montparnasse, and Gare d’Austerlitz… so many stations in this city!

Even though some of these neighborhoods (like the 19th and 20th) have really great parks and pockets of cool stuff, there are lots of areas within them that will force you to do transportation gymnastics just to get anywhere interesting. You'll spend more time on the metro than experiencing Paris.

If you're dying to stay on the canal, because it’s amazing, we’d advise you to hit the 10th. The 19th can be ok, but you're more likely to get it wrong than right.

For hundreds more specific recommendations on where to eat, drink, and explore across all 20 arrondissements, grab our Guide+. That little + gets you three full-day itineraries and walking audio tours in addition to everything in the Base Guide (aka, enough restaurant recs to eat well for months)