A lot of students (I%26#39;m a student myself)like Montmartre, it seems to me. But when I look at the map, it looks that it is pretty far from the major attractions. I found a nice hotel in Montmartre, but I don%26#39;t want to spend a lot of time traveling to attractions..Also, is there a good night life in Montmartre? Merci! Albina.
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Monmartre is a special area for me as well
and I tend to visit there each time I am in
Paris.
Although you can travel from Monmartre to
the core arrondossements by metro, it is
not the same as being in the 4th, 5th or
6th where you can walk out your front
door and be in the middle of a great many
things within a few minutes walk.
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I like Montmarte but I never stay there. Although it is not actually very far away, it just seems less convenient to stay there, than in other areas of the city. You are young and have more energy than we do so it probalby will not be a problem for you. I%26#39;ve also heard the young people prefer the nightlife in the Latin quarter over that in Montmarte. Other than the Moulin Rouge and the s*x shows in Pigalle I can%26#39;t think of anything else to do at night there. Perhaps, one the experts has more knowlege aboutthe night life.
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Montmartre will generally be 20 to 30 minutes time away from the major attractions if you take the subway, adding in the time walking to/from, waiting at the subway station, and actual time riding the train.
That may not seem like much, but it can add up. Personally, I%26#39;ve learned I prefer staying in the Latin Quarter, where most of what I want to see and do is quite close by.
Hope this helps.
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Hmmm, I always thought Montmartre WAS a major attraction!
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Montmartre _is_ a major attraction. So is Pere Lachaise cemetery.
However, both require that you leave the central Paris area where many major attractions are near each other. That geographical separation is an issue for some people, not an issue for others.
I always walk the Ile St. Louis when I go to Paris, I never miss it. But Montmartre gets my time/attention only about every 3rd trip. If I was a tourist going to Paris just once, I%26#39;d definitely go to Montmartre. But if I was going to Paris twice in my life, I probably would pass on Montmartre the second time.
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Hi Albina -
If it is your first visit, I think you might be happier nearer the center. Not that I don%26#39;t like Montmartre, but, judging from your post, I just don%26#39;t think it would be right for you.
These days, I think the %26#39;hip%26quot; night-life scene is mostly around the Oberkampf/Bastille area in the 11th arrondissement. The 5th arrondissement nightlife has struck me more and more lately as being too much of the %26quot;wander the streets because we have no money and can%26#39;t think of anything better to do%26quot; kind, or the %26quot;drink too much and get rowdy because we we have some money and can%26#39;t think of anything better to do%26quot; kind. (Perhaps I am just getting too old for the place St Michel/St Andre des Arts scene.)
Lots of Parisians - mostly not students - live in Montmartre, but I don%26#39;t think of it as having the kind of night life I think you are looking for.
I would suggest that you look for a hotel in the 4th (Marais) which has its own youngish crowd (and some of the gay culture of Paris) and is within easy walking distance of both Oberkampf/Bastille and the river, the islands, the Latin Quarter and Notre Dame etc.
Less touristy than either the touristy bits of Montmnartre or the lower part of the Latin Quarter, it still has (for the most part) a genuine Paris neighborhood feel to it as well as a lot of fun and lively and not over-expensive cafes and restaurants.
That%26#39;s my €0.02 at any rate...
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I am one of the few people here who likes staying in the Montmartre and also there is a ton of nightlife there as well. I happen to like the fact that it%26#39;s removed from the %26quot;attractions%26quot; as it is a neighborhood of locals and it is significantly cheaper than other neighborhoods closer to the center of the city. Also IMO the metro ride times are exaggerated, you can get pretty much anywhere from Montmartre (based on leaving from the r. Abbesses station) in about 15 minutes, further reaches of the left bank, 20 minutes tops. I think it%26#39;s important for tourists to know that there are places that are just as good as the Latin Quarter in Paris.
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I wouldn%26#39;t stay in the Latin Quarter, and don%26#39;t often recommend it to anyon else either.
Montmartre IS a place I recommend, but not to just anyone. It%26#39;s like most other things - there is no one %26quot;best%26quot; area for everyone. I don%26#39;t even often recommend my own favorite area because I know that it wouldn%26#39;t work for a lot of people - especially first time visitors.
I%26#39;d be interested in more specifics about the night life in Montmartre. Since I%26#39;m rarely up there after dark I know very little about it...
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%26lt;Other than the Moulin Rouge and the s*x shows in Pigalle%26gt;
I guess I regard the Pigalle and the Montmartre as different things/places. They are also different (albeit neighboring) arrondissments too. People tend to lump them together and for me at least, there is a very big distinction between the two.
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%26lt;I wouldn%26#39;t stay in the Latin Quarter, and don%26#39;t often recommend it to anyon else either.%26gt;
Do you realize that the above statement is akin to blasphemy on this forum? LOL
As for nightlife, I guess it depends on what you define as nightlife. Montmartre is full of lots of great cafes and restaurants and any day of the week they are packed with locals having a good time. There are also places to see live music, including a jazz club on r. Lepic that is a lot of fun. Another place I%26#39;ve really enjoyed in the past is La Pomponnette at 42 rue Lepic. It is a restaurant and also has live music and performance artists.
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