Easy to reach

First, the 12th is home to some very important transit hubs for the Metro, the RER and even the TGV. The busy Gare de Lyon and its annex, Gare de Bercy, as well as the Place de la Nation and the iconic Place de la Bastille all play host to swarms of travelers, commuters and tourists on their way to and from Paris and its many sights.

Great dining 

Second, the emergence of numerous affordable quality hotels and the large number of good restaurants and cafes in the peaceful neighborhood provides visitors with very attractive gastronomic and leisure options. And these are only growing as an increasing number of business travelers choose to stay in the 12^th.

No shortage of entertainment

Third, various places of great artistic, “green”, historical, sporting and commercial appeal add some interesting allure to the 12th. For example, the avant-garde Opera Bastille, the Cinémathèque Française in Bercy; the Musée des Arts Forains; the unique combination of the Viaduc des Arts and the Promenade Plantée; le Bois de Vincennes (the largest public park in Paris); the Palais Omnisport de Bercy; the Bassin de L’Arsenal and the cozy shopping center Bercy Village are all in the radar of locals and visitors alike.

Unique shopping options

The arrondissement is also renowned for its specialized commercial quarters that mix modernity with history. These are devoted either to the fabrication or restoration of certain traditional crafts (i.e. furniture at the Faubourg St. Antoine) or to shops selling more contemporary items (i.e. electronics and computer items at Boulevard Diderot and rue de Charenton; hip boutiques at rue de Charonne).

Budget hotel picks

The number of very good affordable hotels in the 12th arrondissement is indeed high and, I believe, deserving of perhaps attention by EuroCheapo’s editors. Here are some of my picks (which I’d encourage the editors to check out for consideration in their guide to cheap hotels in Paris):

For a property of its quality, the Hotel du Printemps’ rates are almost impossible to beat.

Hotel du Printemps
80 Boulevard de Picpus
Doubles from €108

Its past guests have justly called Hotel du Printemps “the hotel with the best value around Paris.” How else would you label a hotel “de charme,” with such an outstanding staff; offering comfortable, clean, and nicely decorated rooms; situated in a leafy boulevard near the Metro, RER and numerous restaurants? And all this with prices starting as low as €92 for singles and €108 for doubles?!

Hotels with half of these qualities in Paris typically charge two or three times those prices. Additionally, whenever you need to write to hotels requesting for rate information or reservations, the Printemps is among the first to reply, in a thorough and transparent fashion, along with its neighbor, the Lux Hotel Picpus.

Lux Hotel Picpus
74 Boulevard de Picpus
Doubles from €60

This little gem of a hotel is one of a select group of properties in the city that always ranks at the top of “quality/price” rankings by guests. It provides room service, minibar, ensuite bathroom, hairdryer, safe, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV and phone—all in an ultra-clean and charming environment. Additionally, the Lux has one of the most professional staffs of any property in its category.

And would you believe that its rates start at €60 for singles and doubles? Indeed, there’s not a better candidate for the “SuperCheapo” category.

The Hotel de la Porte Dorée offers nifty décor at prices that don’t sting.

Hotel De La Porte Dorée
273 avenue Daumesnil
Doubles from €126.

Located in the vicinity of the Bois de Vincennes and just outside a Metro stop, the Hotel De La Porte Dorée is rightly celebrated for its comfortable rooms, which are individually decorated, air-conditioned and soundproofed as well as equipped with free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV and ensuite bathroom. This tastefully decorated property also has an elevator.

Grand Hotel Doré
201 avenue Daumesnil
Doubles from from €130

Close to Daumesnil Metro station, this is another comfortable property staffed by courteous, friendly and resourceful people and equipped with a lift. Fully renovated, it’s run by one of the oldest families in the Paris hotel business and offers a 24-hour reception and rooms with private bathroom, free Wi-Fi and a satellite TV. Rooms from €130 per night.

The recently renovated Hotel de Reims offers exceptional value.

Hotel de Reims
26 Rue Hector Malot
Doubles from €100

A favorite budget place of travelers who use the busy Gare de Lyon, the quiet, friendly and recently renovated Hôtel de Reims offers all the customary creature comforts and consistently gets laudatory comments by past guests on account of location, service, and staff. A very good value for money, its doubles start at just €100.

Sport Hotel
258 Avenue Daumesnil
Doubles from €111

The Sport is a very sought-after hotel in the Bercy quarter, close to a Metro station. Regularly praised for its location and overall comfort as well as its superb breakfast, cleanliness and peacefulness, and professional (even “fantastic”) staff.

Le Quartier Bercy Square is a well-priced hotel that offers a convenient location near the Omnisport.

Le Quartier Bercy-Square
33 boulevard de Reuilly
Doubles from €98

A stylish property, close to a Metro station and to the Omnisport, this hotel receives high marks for its comfortable and modern rooms, its helpful and professional staff and its overall tidiness. Double rooms start at €98.

Hotel Bel Air
6 rue de la voûte
Doubles from €135

This comfortable design hotel is also located in the Bercy quarter and within walking distance of the Bois de Vincennes and the Château de Vincennes. Each soundproofed and stylish room is equipped with a flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, a safety deposit box and an ensuite bathroom with free toiletries and a hairdryer. In addition, the property has a nice garden and its guests can access a kitchen area with various useful facilities.

Alfa Hotel Nation
12 Rue Guénot
Doubles from €47

This hotel—officially located in the 11th arrondissement but geographically gravitating resolutely towards the Place de la Nation area—is a popular budget sleep in the “SuperCheapo” vein. Located on a quiet residential street, it’s not only cheap but cheerful. All of its rooms are accessed by a lift and have ensuite bathrooms. They are all equipped with free Wi-Fi as well.

Doubles start at the astonishing price of €47 (those with TV are slightly more) and triples at €65! Its faithful clientele commend its excellent value, relaxing atmosphere, cleanness and special deals (for example, a seventh night is offered free to those guests that stay for six nights). And we thought it couldn’t get cheaper!

More hotels to consider

The list doesn’t stop here. Below are several more hotels in the 12th that consistently get high marks:

Hotel Viator
1 Rue Parrot; Doubles from €124

Exceedingly well located, just a five-minute walk from the Gare de Lyon, this clean and comfortable hotel is another find in the area. Guest rooms at the Viator have a private bathroom and are equipped with flat-screen satellite TV and a telephone. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.

Hotel Palym
4 Rue Emile Gilbert; Doubles from €105

Another good, tidy budget hotel with a prime location near Gare de Lyon. A great value.

Hotel Nouvel
24 Avenue du Bel air; Doubles from €98

A charming and comfortable little hotel near Place de la Nation, the Nouvel has been run by the same family for three generations. Among other nice details, its garden provides a quiet oasis. A real bargain.

Hotel Jules Cesar
52 Avenue Ledru-Rollin; Doubles from €111

This tidy and snug little hotel with soundproofed and air-conditioned rooms, located between Gare de Lyon and Place de la Bastille, offers a solid value.

Hotel Helvetia
28 Boulevard Diderot; Doubles from €80

Yet another convenient budget option near Gare de Lyon, the serviceable Helvetia offers en suite accommodation, an elevator, and rooms equipped with TV and free Wi-Fi.

Hotel Corail
23 Rue de Lyon; Doubles from €95

Praised for its professional staff and low rates, this is another cheap option near the Gare de Lyon.

Hotel Adriatic
6 Bis Rue de Lyon; Doubles from €85

A popular budget hotel in the proximity of the Gare de Lyon and the Place de la Bastille. A solid value.

Do your stay in the 12th?

Do you enjoying staying in Paris’ 12 arrondissement? Tell us why you choose it–and where you choose to stay. Leave a comment below.

The post Paris: Our “under the radar” list of the 12th arrondissement’s best budget hotels appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

From 19th-century beauties to 20th-century marvels, everyone’s got their favorite.  I tried to rank them from best (“First Place”) to worst (“Sixth Place”) and highlighted the glowing qualities in each one, whether it be history, beauty, or destinations serviced.

First Place: Gare de Lyon
Best Overall Station

Built for the 1900 World Fair (just like the then-station-now-museum Orsay), the Gare de Lyon maintains its functions as one of the busiest stations in Paris.  Recent renovations have spruced the place up, but the soaring halls and sizable clock tower are features that make this place feel downright romantic.

The restaurant “Le Train Bleu” is one of the classier places to eat inside any Parisian train station.  Also, the TGV to the south leaves from here, meaning that people are often cheerful, having either returning from a sunny vacation or eagerly anticipating arriving on the Cote d’Azur.

Click, click, clack goes the departures board in the Gare du Nord. Photo: EuroCheapo

Second Place: Gare du Nord
Notable for: Old-School Charm

This impressive piece of architecture is a beauty in an otherwise not-so-charming part of town.  Still, the Gare du Nord will send you, as the name implies, north to destinations like London, Brussels, and Amsterdam, making it a lively international hub.  The main hall and the clicking split-flap departure board ooze old-world France, making it one of the most visually appealing ways to enter Paris – at least until you head downstairs to take the Metro or outside to be greeted by less-than-charming sex shops.

Still, you can’t help being enchanted by the Gare du Nord while waiting for the board to change, the letters and numbers whirling until your platform is posted and your next adventure begins.

Third Place: Gare de l’Est
Notable for: Secrets and Mystery

The little sister of the Gare du Nord, the Gare de l’Est is just down the street, is equally as striking, if just a bit smaller.  We’re still always confused as to why these two stations are practically next to each other, but with services to the east of France, like Strasbourg, it’s a bit calmer and slightly more imposing than its more international counterpart.  The underground shopping mall takes away a bit of the allure, but that doesn’t stop this writer from cutting through the station’s hall from time to time en route to the nearby Canal Saint Martin.

Also below the station are abandoned Nazi bunkers from the 1940s that are off limits to the public, but add a bit of mystery to the station.

Fourth Place: Gare Saint Lazare
Notable for: Artsy Throwback

Located not far from the busy Opera district, the Gare Saint Lazare is the second busiest station in the city, largely servicing areas around Paris to the north including Normandy and Monet’s gardens at Giverny.

Monet, as well as Manet and other artists, famously immortalized the hub in paintings, and even Emile Zola wrote about it.  A beauty on the outside, it’s a bit less romantic on the inside with an extensive shopping mall and other amenities housed in the 19th-century building, but it’s a fun way to watch locals during their daily routine (if you don’t get whisked away with the 450,000 daily commuters that ride these rails).

Fifth Place: Gare Montparnasse
Notable for: Wine lovers

The Gare Montparnasse is the Paris’ equivalent of New York’s Penn Station – a modern hub built on the remains of a beautiful old station that just “needed” to be torn down.  The monolithic Montparnasse tower on top at least makes it the easiest station in Paris to find, as it’s one of the only skyscrapers in town.

While not a favorite in any capacity for the structure, the station does win points for housing services to Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, meaning wine aficionados will be familiar with the locale. It was also the station featured in that iconic photo of a derailed steam engine protruding through the original building’s wall, so it’s paid its dues to history, right?

Sixth Place: Gare d’Austerlitz
Notable for: Still existing

While its name evokes one of Napoleon’s biggest conquests, this 19th-century artifact is anything but triumphant.  With local trains that run to places like Tours and Orléans, there’s not much interest for tourists at the Gare d’Austerlitz, but a renovation set to end in 2020 could change all of that.  A new high-speed TGV service will be set in place and the area around the station is being revamped, including the part overlooking the adjacent Seine river.  Hopefully the facelift will help revitalize this otherwise characterless corner of the Latin Quarter.

Your favorite stations in Paris?

It’s time for you to have your say! What are your favorite (and least favorite) train stations in Paris? Rank them for us in our comments section!

Related article: Planning your trip to Paris and confused about which train station you’ll be using to get out of town? Check out our handy article on Paris train stations by destinations.

The post And the award for “Best Train Station in Paris” goes to… appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.