Budget Hotels in Paris: Where to Stay for Less
Paris has a reputation for expensive hotels, and in the very centre it is deserved. But you do not need to pay €300 a night to sleep well and walk to the sights. The trick is to pick the right neighbourhood, book at the right time and know what a fair price looks like. This guide covers the best areas for budget hotels in Paris, realistic prices per night, hostels and value hotels worth checking, and the mistakes that cost travellers the most. Still choosing an area? Start with our guide to where to stay in Paris. The numbers in brackets below are arrondissements; our Paris arrondissements map shows where each one is.
Budget hotels in Paris: quick picks
Best value overall: Bastille and Oberkampf (11th)
Cheapest near the centre: Canal Saint-Martin and République (10th)
Most atmosphere: Montmartre, on the Abbesses side (18th)
Quiet and local: Butte-aux-Cailles and Place d'Italie (13th)
Best for trains: Gare de Lyon and Bercy (12th)
Best for hostels: Belleville (10th, 11th, 19th and 20th)
Avoid: airport hotels and far-out suburbs to save a few euros
How much does a budget hotel in Paris cost?
Prices in Paris depend more on your dates than on the hotel. The same room can cost twice as much in June or during a big trade fair as it does in January. As a rough guide for one night in high season:
Rough prices per night in high season
Hostel dorm bed: about €35 to €70
Private room in a hostel: about €90 to €160
Simple 2-star hotel (double room): about €100 to €160
Good-value 3-star hotel (double room): about €140 to €220
Expect a third less from November to March, except at Christmas, New Year and during big events.
Two extra costs catch people out. The tourist tax (taxe de séjour) is charged per person, per night, on top of the room rate, and it has risen sharply in recent years, so check whether your booking includes it (the official Paris tourism website explains how it works). And hotel breakfast often costs €12 to €20 per person, when a coffee and croissant at a bakery costs a few euros.
The best areas for budget hotels in Paris
1. Bastille and Oberkampf (11th): best value overall
Ten minutes by metro from the Marais, the 11th has some of the best-priced hotels in central Paris. The streets around Bastille, Oberkampf and the Rue de la Roquette are full of bistros, wine bars and bakeries, and one of the city's biggest open-air markets fills the Boulevard Richard-Lenoir on Thursday and Sunday mornings. Metro lines 1, 5, 8 and 9 put you a few stops from the Louvre, the Marais and the Champs-Élysées.
Best for: couples, food lovers, first visits on a budget
Watch out: Oberkampf and the Rue de Lappe are noisy late at night, so ask for a room at the back
2. Canal Saint-Martin and République (10th): cheapest near the centre
Iron footbridges, cafés along the water and a young, local crowd. Hotels and hostels here cost less than in the Marais, a 15-minute walk away, and République is one of the best-connected metro stations in Paris, with five lines. Generator Paris, one of the city's biggest design hostels, is a short walk from the canal.
Best for: budget travellers, repeat visitors, nightlife
Watch out: the streets right around the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l'Est are better avoided late at night
3. Montmartre (18th): best for atmosphere
The painters' village on the hill has small, affordable hotels with real character, especially around the Place des Abbesses and on the quieter streets towards Lamarck-Caulaincourt. You get village evenings, views from the Sacré-Cœur and restaurants that cost less than in the centre. See what to do there in our 3 days in Paris itinerary.
Best for: couples, photographers, slower trips
Watch out: steep streets and stairs with luggage, a longer metro ride to the main sights, and Pigalle and Barbès at the bottom of the hill at night
4. Butte-aux-Cailles and Place d'Italie (13th): quiet and local
Just south of the Latin Quarter, the 13th is where many Parisians actually live. The Butte-aux-Cailles is a small hilltop village of cobbled lanes, street art and cheap bistros, and the hotels around the Place d'Italie are often well priced, with metro lines 5, 6 and 7 to the centre.
Best for: families, longer stays, travellers who want a local feel
Watch out: few big sights on your doorstep, so plan on the metro or a 20 to 30-minute walk into the Latin Quarter
5. Gare de Lyon and Bercy (12th): best for trains
If you are taking the TGV to Provence, the Riviera or the Alps, staying near the Gare de Lyon saves time and money. The area has plenty of modern hotels at fair prices, including citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon, and the fast, driverless metro line 14 runs straight to Châtelet in the centre. For an evening walk, the Coulée Verte, a planted walkway on an old railway viaduct, starts nearby, and the colourful little Rue Crémieux is just round the corner.
Best for: train travellers, short stays, families
Watch out: busy and functional right around the station
6. Belleville (10th, 11th, 19th and 20th): best for hostels
Multicultural, creative and hilly, Belleville has some of the best hostels in Paris and some of its cheapest beds, plus one of the best free views of the city from the top of the Parc de Belleville. Chinese, Vietnamese and North African restaurants keep food costs low.
Best for: solo travellers, backpackers, groups on a budget
Watch out: further from the classic sights (about 20 to 25 minutes by metro) and lively streets at night
Compare prices for your dates. The best-value rooms in good areas go first, especially from May to September. Search hotels and flights for your trip.
Budget hotels and hostels in Paris worth checking
These are well-known, well-located options in the areas above. Prices change every day, so compare them for your dates before you book.
Generator Paris (10th): big design hostel near Canal Saint-Martin, with dorms, private rooms and a rooftop terrace
The People – Paris Belleville (11th, formerly Les Piaules): stylish hostel with a rooftop bar overlooking Belleville
St Christopher's Inn Paris Canal (19th): backpacker hostel on the Bassin de la Villette, with private rooms too
citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon (12th): small, smart rooms and a 24-hour canteen, steps from the TGV
Mama Shelter Paris East (20th): playful design hotel with a popular restaurant, often good value
Hôtel des Grandes Écoles (5th): family-run hotel with a garden in the Latin Quarter that books up months ahead
Where not to stay to save money
The biggest budget mistake is booking far out to save €30 a night. Hotels near Charles de Gaulle airport, around Disneyland or in distant suburbs look cheap, but you pay it back in long RER rides (often 45 minutes or more each way), extra tickets and lost evenings. A simple rule: stay inside the Périphérique ring road, a short walk from a metro station, ideally on line 1, 4 or 14, which cross the centre. Our guide to where to stay in Paris compares all the central areas, and the RATP website has the metro map and fares.
Tips for finding cheap hotels in Paris
Travel off-season: November to March (except Christmas and New Year) has the lowest prices; see our guide to the best time to visit Paris.
Book early, with free cancellation: the best-priced rooms in good areas sell out first, and a flexible rate lets you rebook if prices drop.
Avoid big-event dates: Fashion Week, major trade fairs and big concerts push prices up across the city.
Check the room size: budget doubles are often 10 to 12 square metres, so look for the size in the listing.
Look for a lift and air-conditioning: many older budget hotels have neither, and summer heatwaves are now common.
Skip the hotel breakfast: a bakery coffee and croissant costs a fraction of the price.
Families, try an apartment-hotel: a studio with a kitchenette often costs less than two hotel rooms.
Plan your days by area: our 3 days in Paris itinerary and 5 days in Paris itinerary group the sights so you walk more and ride less.
Budget hotels in Paris: FAQ
What is a good price for a hotel in Paris?
For a clean, central double room, about €100 to €180 a night is a good price in high season, and less from November to March. Under €100, look at private rooms in hostels or hotels slightly outside the centre near a metro line.
Which area of Paris is cheapest to stay in?
Belleville, Montmartre, Canal Saint-Martin and the 13th usually have the cheapest beds inside the city, while Bastille and Oberkampf (11th) offer the best mix of price and location.
Are cheap hotels in Paris safe?
Most are, if you choose the area well. Read recent reviews, avoid the streets right around the Gare du Nord and the bottom of Pigalle late at night, and keep valuables in the room safe or with you, as in any big city.
Are hostels in Paris only for young travellers?
No. Newer hostels such as Generator and The People have private rooms with their own bathrooms, and they are popular with couples, families and solo travellers of all ages.
What is the cheapest way to visit Paris?
Travel between November and March, stay in a well-connected outer district (see our Paris arrondissements map), use a Navigo Easy card on the metro, picnic in the parks, and plan around free sights such as Notre-Dame and the free first Sundays at some monuments in winter.
When is the best time to book a hotel in Paris?
Book two to three months ahead for spring and summer, ideally on a free-cancellation rate, then check prices again closer to your dates and rebook if they drop. Avoid dates with big trade fairs, Fashion Week and major events, when prices jump across the city.
Book your budget stay in Paris
The best-value rooms in good areas sell out first. Compare hotels and flights for your dates.
More for your trip: where to stay in Paris, our 3 days in Paris itinerary, the best time to visit Paris and our guide to travel insurance for France.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Rue Crémieux and the July Column by DiscoA340 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Canal Saint-Martin by DimiTalen (CC0); Place des Abbesses and Parc de Belleville by Guilhem Vellut (CC BY 2.0); Butte-aux-Cailles by Mbzt (CC BY 4.0); Gare de Lyon by Nicolas Vigier (CC0).
