Choosing A Paris Hotel
In Paris, hotels can be overpriced and far from the city center. However, I'm going to teach you the tricks to finding a good value hotel that's actually in the city center.
Tip #1: Check the post code. If a hotel is actually in Paris, it will have a post code (zip code) that starts with "750".
France is divided up into "departments" each department has a number. Paris is department 75. This means any building in Paris must have a postcode that starts "75". Any hotel outside Paris will start differently (usually with a 9).
So, tip #1 is only stay at hotels with a code 75. To find the code, look for a 5-digit number between 75001 and 75020. This is the post code and will tell you the hotel is actually in Paris.
Tip #2: Central hotels in Paris have the lowest postcodes.
Just as France is divided into "departments", Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements. Each of these arrondissements has a different post code (or zip code) which is 75001 (for the 1st) to 75020 (for the 20th).
These arrondissements are numbered in an outward spiral, starting from the center.
Click here to see this: Paris arrondissements.
When choosing a hotel, try to avoid the highest numbers as you will find yourself away from the excitement and beauty of central Paris.