How much does a hotel in Paris cost for a weekend with the C5 Aircross?

[Cally]

Hi, I'm planning to drive up to Paris next month in the C5 Aircross, just a 3 day weekend trip to test out the car on a longer drive than my usual ones. The thing is, I have no idea what prices are like there, and honestly, how much does a hotel in Paris cost in a decent neighborhood... because I’ve seen prices ranging from 80 euros to like 300 a night for places that aren’t necessarily amazing. I’m used to traveling light, but with the SUV I have plenty of space, so that changes my packing habits quite a bit. What also worries me is parking, because parking a C5 Aircross in Paris can quickly become a headache, I suppose. Do you have any areas to recommend, or realistic price ranges for staying somewhere without breaking the bank? For those who’ve made the trip in the same model, I’m really interested in your feedback.

[mickthemaverick]

Just two comments from my experiences in Paris, 1 Be very choosey where you park, the locals think nothing of dinking or scraping your car as they pass on bikes or with shopping trolleys.
2 If you decide to drive round L'arc de Triomph keep your wits about you and beware approaching vehicles from unexpected angles!!

As for hotels, check out https://www.trivago.com/

[Richard_C]

I use accorhotels in France and many other countries, they own a few chains/brands from ibis budget up to Sofitel and Pullman. I usually go for mid market (Mercure, Novotel, Ibis styles) but in the UK I avoid Mercure because it's a load of old Jarvis hotels under invested. If you search on the accor (all.com?) website rather than the individual brands it will offer you a huge range of hotels and prices. A lot of their city hotels in France have secure underground parking, well worth Eur15 or so a night.

You will need a crit air sticker for Paris and some other cities to comply with pollution rules. Your car will be fine but you must have the sticker. Check it out online, but take care to use the official French government website to buy one, cost about EUR 4 plus postage so all in less than 6. Many pretend intermediary sites charge you 10 times that. It's car specific so once you have one that's it, no need to renew or replace.

Why Paris? Long time since Ive been but even 10 years ago it was long queues for everything and expensive. Crowded too. These days for a short trip I look for walkable cities with good galleries and buildings. And restaurants. Of the recent ones Caen was really good, Lille great, perhaps via the Louvre outpost in Lens, if you fancy Belgium then Ghent is brilliant. Rouen good, and Arras (much smaller, one day is enough).

An evening and full day in Caen and divert via Deauville on the way home for a bit of seaside? Castle, old town, 2 abbeys, harbour, gallery or two. Bit further than Paris but probably quicker.

[Vic Evans]

I've stayed here a few years ago. https://www.hoteldelesperance.fr/en/
It's in the Latin quarter with most attractions well within walking distance.
Very clean with obliging staff.
Only breakfast if I remember but who wants to eat other meals in hotel with all Paris has to offer?

[Cally]

Thanks everyone, that's really useful.

The parking advice is noted! I hadn't really thought about bikes and shopping trolleys being as much of a risk as the traffic itself. And I think I'll admire the Arc de Triomphe from a distance rather than test my nerves driving around it. The Accor suggestion is a good one too. Secure underground parking for around €15 sounds well worth paying, especially with the C5 Aircross. I'll also make sure to get the Crit'Air sticker from the official French site.
As for Paris itself, I know it's busy and expensive, but that's partly why I want to go. I've done plenty of smaller cities and thought a long weekend would be a good opportunity to give the car a proper motorway run.
Regarding accommodation, I was trying to work out how much is an hotel in paris and found this guide helpful. It gave me a better idea of realistic prices depending on the area and the level of comfort, which makes the huge differences between listings a bit easier to understand.
The Latin Quarter recommendation sounds interesting as well. Being able to walk to most places is definitely appealing, and I'd rather spend money enjoying Paris than sitting on the Metro all day.

And thanks for the alternative ideas too, Caen and Ghent are now on my list for future trips!

[Rp0thejester]

Am I the only one that thinks the title should of been worded definitely? I had to read it a couple of times, I'm all for loving cars but jeez....