Dreaming of going to Paris and feeling like a local? Over 30 million tourists visit Paris every year with the same dream. For most, that dream disappears when enticed by hotels offering rooms with views of the Eiffel Tower or being within walking distance of the city’s museums and galleries. Whether you’ve going to visit for the first time or if you’re a repeat visitor to complete that dream, let us tell you where to stay in Paris to feel like a local.
If you’ve been following our blog you’ll know that we prefer to travel simply by staying in areas where the locals live. Read on the learn about several wonderful areas in Paris that we’ve discovered where you can live and eat with the locals, and be a tourist.
Chatelet-Les Halles
Chatelet-Les Halles is easily accessible from the airport via the RER and Metro. We exited the station directly into The Forum des Halles, a modern shopping mall. The streets were quiet, and the shops and cafes were still closed. It was still early morning. We learn later in the day why it is one of the locals’ favourite areas.
Chatelet-Les Halles, known as the “belly” of the city has a history dating back over 800 years. A large fresh food marketplace once stood where the shopping mall has been built. Fresh fruit and vegetable were sold during the day in a magnificent building of huge steel arches and, at night, the markets revived selling meat and fish which made it a focal point of the city.
Beaubourg
Our apartment is in the Beaubourg district in the 4th arrondissement. Beaubourg sits on the border of Chatelet-Les Halles and many Parisians claim it to be part of Marais. We have stayed in both areas and prefer to say it’s in Chatelet-Les Halles. Read further in this blog to learn about Marais.
Our apartment windows looked out over the Centre Pompidou, a large public library and the largest gallery of modern art in Europe. The building is eye-catching and it has a lively square where Parisians gathered in the afternoons and evenings.
Our favourite feature of the arrondissement is the atmosphere created by stalls selling all types of goods set up among shopfronts and people milling about. Portrait artists and musicians set up in front of the Centre Pompidou in the evenings. Parisians love to linger in the area after dining at one of the many wonderful eating establishments here.
Another benefit is the area’s proximity to many places to see in Paris. It’s within easy walking distance to the beautiful City Hall, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf crossing over to the Left Bank. You can stroll along the banks of the River Seine to the Louvre and surrounding sights. All wonderful ways to experience the Parisian lifestyle.
Marais
Les Halles was a hit for us. And so was neighbouring Marais. We stayed in the district on our last visit to Paris and were impressed. A short distance from Les Halles, Marais is famous for its cobblestone streets, and hidden gardens and is full of cafes, grocers’ fruiterers and bakeries.
Built on marshlands, it established itself in the 17th and 18th centuries as a popular place to live for the city’s nobility and well-to-do Jewish community who created the stunning mansions. The area lost its appeal when it was slowly overtaken by the shopkeepers, immigrants and the poor. Those times have passed and the area has now re-established itself as a trendy and upmarket area to live in.
Quartier St Paul
Our tiny and expensive apartment was within a small apartment block in the Quartier St Paul area of Marais. However, it allowed us to stay in the heart of the arrondissement and explore further afield once we had discovered the area’s grand buildings and small neighbourhoods. One of the great advantages was that Marais is within a short walking distance of Paris’s Hotel de Ville (Town Hall), the Notre Dame and the banks of the River Seine.
Our favourite spot in the area was Place des Vosges. Hidden off the main road and easily accessible through a side street, the square is one of the oldest in the city and the prettiest. Surrounded by aristocratic buildings, the park is popular with the locals to congregate for picnics on summer evenings. We picked up provisions from the local deli and bakery and joined them one Sunday afternoon. A memorable experience.
St Germain
Not as lively as the Marais and Les Halles-Chatelet areas, staying in the St Germain area was a great way to explore the Left Bank. The area was quieter and more gentile. However, it was the middle of the summer holidays when Parisians leave the city and may be different when the locals are in town! The area is historically linked to renowned literary and artistic identities.
Many patisseries and dining establishments were closed for the three-week summer break. As were the beautiful antique stores. We made do with window shopping!
Shopping in the district’s designer boutiques was not on our agenda. St Germain was the perfect place to base ourselves to see the Musee d’Orsay and St Germain-des Pres, stroll the paths above the River Seine marvelling at the grand buildings lining Quai Voltare and Quai d’Orsay, take in the view from the top deck of the Eiffel before the tourist crowds arrived, and wander leisurely through the Jardins du Luxembourg with the locals on a Sunday afternoon.
Our recommendations
- Grab a crusty baguette, some good French wine and cheeses from the host of retailers in Marais and head to Place des Vosges. We had a great time people-watching while enjoying a relaxed evening away from the tourist crowds. Stroll around the square afterwards and take a peek at #6 where Victor Hugo lived while he wrote “Les Miserables”.
- From Les Halles-Chatelet or Marais, take a walk to Canal St Martin. Built in the early 1800s, the area was home to the working class in times past. It has evolved to become a trendy area to live where locals come to sit on the banks, cruise on the canal or enjoy an aperitif on summer evenings.
- From St Germain, take a morning walk through the backstreets. Have Paris to yourself and end up at the Eiffel Tower before the tourists so you can savour the captivating views from the top without lining up in queues or vying for space on the platform.
- Based on either the Left or Right Bank during the spring and summer months and close to Ile de la Cite? Grab a nice bottle of French wine with some nibbles and wander to Pont Neuf. Follow the steps down to Square du Vert Galant, a pretty green space to join the locals.
- We benefited from spending a wonderful afternoon with a Stroll Buddy (previously called Global Greeters). Pascal took us on a walking tour of the Left Bank seeing inside and behind hidden entrances that only a local will know about.
- Want to go shopping? The Forum shopping mall has all that you might need. However, you’ll find the small boutiques in Chatelet-Les Halles, Marais and Canal St Martin more interesting and full of unique products.
- Visit the beach in Paris. In the summer months, the banks of the River Seine are created into artificial beaches They become a place to escape the city crowds, and enjoy the activities, entertainment and festive atmosphere that comes with Paris-Plages. Created for the city residents who cannot escape the heat of summer, it has become a hit with locals, tourists and travellers.
What do you think?
We hope we have whet your appetite to be a traveller, to see more and feel like a local in Paris!
Let us know in the comments below and if you found this post useful, feel free to share.
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