But where should you stay in Paris to travel in style but without breaking the budget? Don’t worry, EuroCheapo has got you covered.

Related: Our review of the new Generator Hostel Paris

Paris hip hostels guide

Smack dab in the middle of a charming neighborhood, Village Hostel is an affordable and cozy find. Photo: EuroCheapo

Monmartre

Village Hostel

20 rue d’Orsel
Shared room rates from €30
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Village Hostel is friendly backpacker’s haunt in the heart of the much coveted Montmartre neighborhood. With a relaxed vibe and plenty of common spaces, this is a great spot to meet other travelers or cozy up with book and a café au lait. Charming and modern, Village Hostel reflects the bohemian roots of its surroundings, and includes nice touches like a book corner, impressionist-style fresco paintings and a pub that showcases artwork. Selling points include a terrace with views of the Sacré Coeur, and the attached “Bazaar Pub” that has reasonable prices and a pretty decent happy hour.

Hip spots nearby:
•  Soul Kitchen: A cozy and chic restaurant in the heart of Monmartre. Try the delicious baked goods in the afternoon or the confit de canard!
•  Le Bleu Club: The newest spot to go out in Paris—a night club in Barbès to see and be seen.
•  Glass: A hip new cocktail bar from the owners of Candelaria.

Guests will enjoy bright (and never boring) rooms with ensuite bathrooms at The Loft Hostel. Photo: Courtesy of hotel

Belleville

The Loft Hostel Paris

70 rue Julien Lacroix
Shared room rates from €35
Website

The Loft Hostel Paris is definitely a hip spot. With colorful walls, fresh, geometric patterns, floor-length windows and high ceilings, you might feel more like you’re staying in an artist’s loft than a budget hostel. Outside of the well-decorated bedrooms, the Loft Hostel also boasts a friendly lounge bar and an outdoor patio so you can unwind in style. While you could spend all day chilling out here, don’t forget that you’re in the heart of one of Paris’s trendiest neighborhoods: Belleville. Wander around and explore the charming cafés and funky bars, or take a short walk to what is surely Paris’s hippest park—le Parc des Buttes Chaumont.

Hip spots nearby:
•  Le Rosa Bonheur: One of Paris’s best kept secrets, this chic bar is located inside le Parc des Buttes Chaumont.
•  Cafe Cherie: A classic cafe that is perfect for a break. Take a seat in one of the red chairs on the terrace and enjoy an espresso while watching the world go by.
•  Le Perchoir: A new bar in the 11th that has a stunning rooftop patio. Have an aperitif here with friends before a fun night out.

The stylish and always social communal area of Oops! Hostel offers free Wi-Fi access. Photo: Dan Cunningham

Left Bank

Oops! Hostel

50 Avenue des Gobelins
Shared room rates from €34
Website

Oops! Hostel is a quirky, quiet hostel near the Latin Quarter with funky interiors and all the perks (free WiFi, breakfast, linens… the works). As you enter Oops! from the busy streets of Place d’Italie, you’ll find a modern oasis with bold colored wallpaper and chic furniture. With no more than five beds per room and attached bathrooms, you’ll have more privacy here than at most Paris hostels. If you manage to score a room on the top floor, you’ll be able to enjoy one of the elegant balconies, which have tables and chairs looking over the Latin Quarter—perfect for that evening bottle of rosé to make you feel like a true Parisian. Lots to see and do in Paris? Oops! Hostel is probably the best value for its central location, with direct metro lines nearby to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Marais, Arc de Triomphe, Monmartre and the Champs Elysées.

Hip spots nearby:
•  Shakespeare and Co. : Paris’s famous independent, English-language bookstore. Grab a book and read on the Seine.
•  Le Piano Vache: A cozy little pub with great jazz music and all sorts of vintage photographs and posters on the walls.
•  Sugarplum Cake Shop: Your spot for delicious coffee and patisserie. Bonus points: super-friendly, English-speaking staff!

The view of Canal St-Martin from a top bunk at Peace and Love Hostel. Photo: Chrissy Hunt

Le Canal St-Martin

Peace and Love Hostel

245 rue la Fayette
Shared room rates from €27
Website

If all you need for your stay in Paris is a bed, a bar and a great location, then Peace and Love Hostel is the perfect spot for you. Located in the heart of Canal St-Martin, this hostel is situated away from the iconic tourist spots of Paris, and in the thick of the local nightlife. But don’t worry, you’ll still be just a five minute’s walk from two of Paris’s biggest train stations: Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord, as well as major metro stations. Peace and Love Hostel is the ideal place to meet young travelers. Grab a pint at the ground floor pub, and you’ll be sure to find some companions for a great night out. Don’t expect too much space though—although recently renovated, this hostel focuses more on the social aspect of traveling than the comfort!

Hip spots nearby:
•  Ten Belles: A super-hip cafe  just off the Canal with amazing coffee and two freshly-made sandwich options each day.
•  Jules et Shim: The best bi-bim-bap you’ll find in Paris, with a cute interior to boot. Grab a meal to-go and have a picnic on the Canal!
•  Le Comptoir General: An eclectic and eccentric bar and venue that has it all—couches for lounging, a dance floor to get down, a tiki bar for tropical drinks (fresh-squeezed ginger juice, anyone?), a snack bar and even a thrift store upstairs.

The post The hippest hostels in Paris: Affordable lodging with style appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

To see:

The one big attraction in the neighborhood is the Père Lachaise cemetery. It’s famous, it’s beautiful, and it’s worth a trek to visit the resting places of Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde, among others. You’ll see plenty of tourists around, but they don’t stick around for much else in the neighborhood. Plus, Parisians habitually stroll around the tombs as well, and many will come and tend the graves of loved ones, often laying flowers.

Or if you’re feeling a little nostalgic for the music of one of the cemetery’s most famous guests, consider taking a tour of Edith Piaf’s house. Call ahead for a guided visit of the Little Sparrow’s home in the heart of the 20^th.

Chez Yu offers €3 sandwiches packed with meat and vegetables if you want to eat on the go. Photo: Akuppa

To eat:

While there are plenty of places to eat in the 20^th, the cuisine of the ethnically diverse Belleville neighborhood is the best place to go. Parisians pack the little Vietnamese and other Asian restaurants that serve up quick and easy fare and cheap prices. (See our favorites in our guide to cheap eats in Belleville.)

For those looking for something a bit more traditionally or at least un-Asian, head to the Mama Shelter for some jazzed up French cuisine or a fantastic pizza. No matter which you choose, your wallet won’t hate you at the end.

To do/drink:

Check in at the Bellevilloise, the hipster hangout that serves as a great bar, concert hall, and event venue.  Look for vintage flea markets or funk concerts on their schedule of events. Or just head there for late night drinks to rub elbows with Converse-clad young Parisians. (19-21 rue Boyer)

Wander down rue Dénoyez, the graffiti-covered street that also houses many of Belleville’s artists’ studios. Don’t hesitate to knock and enter one of the studios to see what the local painters and sculptors are up to these days. You might even be able to buy a piece of art. Look for the Portes Ouvertes, or open doors, in May when all of the artists in the neighborhood invite you in for a peak.

Spend the afternoon or evening at Aux Folies, the 20^th’s other famed hipster hangout, on rue de Belleville. Tables fill the street and alleyway as locals knock back inexpensive wine and beer late into the evening. (8 rue de Belleville)

To stay:

There aren’t many hotels  in the 20^th worth suggesting, but these two have our stamp of approval for price and quality.

Mama Shelter is a trendy design hotel that won’t break the bank, even if your room may feel chic. The restaurant downstairs is a happening place for brunch on Sunday.

Hotel les Chasonniers is a funky old-world hotel that is charming and comfortable. It’s just down the street from the cemetery.

The post Paris: A Cheapo Day in the 20th Arrondissment appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

History first

Belleville was actually a wine-growing town outside of the Paris city limits. Incorporated into the city during a geographic growth spurt in 1860, its working class population rebelled actively against the government, especially during the Paris Commune of 1871.

View from the Parc de Belleville

The generally liberal neighborhood welcomed a slew of immigrants during the last century, notably Armenians, German Jews, Algerians, and Tunisian Jews. A heavy concentration of Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants gives the entire area a “Chinatown” vibe, although the multicultural influences remain present in stores, religious establishments, and restaurants.

A cheap place to live for many students and immigrants, Belleville also offers the budget-conscious traveler plenty of ways to enjoy an afternoon in Paris. Head up rue de Belleville from the Belleville metro station, serviced by lines 2 and 11, and let the exploration begin!

Cheap eats

Local eateries in Belleville reflect the various ethnicities of its inhabitants, but the Asian cuisine is one of the biggest draws. Just below the metro station Belleville, on rue Louis Bonnet, several Vietnamese/Chinese restaurants (because one ethnicity is just too limited) offer classic dishes like pho and bo bun for well under €10. Tin Tin (17 Louis Bonnet, 75011) is a personal favorite.

Heading up the rue de Belleville, there are countless Asian places to choose from:

Restaurant Gui Xing (47 rue de Belleville, 75019) offers homemade dumplings, called raviolis. A filling plate of 15 pieces costs just €6 and you can watch them be made by the grandmother in the kitchen.

Chez Yu (40 rue de Belleville, 75020) offers €3 sandwiches packed with meat and vegetables if you want to eat on the go.

Rouleau de Printemps (42 rue de Tourtille, 75020) serves up filling dishes for around €5-7 off the main drag.

The Little Sparrow

One of the most iconic cafés in the neighborhood, Café aux Folies (8 rue de Belleville, 75020), is a happening place on weekends, especially in warmer months when the terrace fills up. France’s most famous singer, Edith Piaf, known as the “Little Sparrow,” once performed here early in her career.

A local celebrity in Belleville, Piaf was allegedly born under a lamppost at 72 rue de Belleville in 1915. Her legend lives on through her music (and in Marion Cotillard’s 2007 Oscar-winning performance in La Vie en Rose) but, sadly, the lamppost is gone.

A Bit of Culture

Soak up a little culture by exploring the bohemian vibe of Belleville. The rue Dénoyez is a legalized haven for graffiti artists with ever-changing murals and installations. The small street is home to several galleries and tucked away cafés as well.

Just up the street is the Cabaret Populaire (103 rue Julien Lacroix, 75020, Web site), a creperie, bar and slam-poetry venue. English speakers are welcome to perform or just kick back and listen with relatively cheap drinks in a friendly environment. Performances range from dance and poetry to acoustic blues and stand-up.

Shopping and Markets

Every Tuesday and Friday the boulevard de Belleville, starting at the Belleville Metro station, becomes a huge outdoor market. Influenced heavily by its Asian and North African residents, the market offers an enormous selection of food from all over the world, but the prices are what attract most market-goers. Incredibly inexpensive fresh produce and fish packs in the crowds, but the pushing and shoving doesn’t seem to bother the locals very much.

Heading up rue de Belleville, the street is lined with stores and bazaars selling everything from cookware and Asian decorations to art supplies and American-style Halloween costumes. If you need something, you’ll probably be able to get it at one of these stores for the best price in town.

At the end of the adventures, if you aren’t too tired from walking up and down the steep rue de Belleville, head to the Parc de Belleville, a tiny patch of green. Take a seat and soak up the city’s rooftop views. It’s a great way to round off the afternoon.

Looking for more neighborhoods? Read our post on best neighborhoods by activity.

The post Paris: The shops, sights and cheap eats of Belleville appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.