We are interested in Tripadvisor%26#39;s #1 rated rental property in the Monmartre section (18th arr.), Villa Montmartre, 11, rue Robert Planquette for 4 days early October. I have heard this is the red-light section of Paris and is not safe to walk around in, especially at night. It is supposed to be 5 minutes from the Moulin Rouge. This is our first time in Paris, we are in our 60s, and cannot walk 8 hours sightseeing each day. Any advice on the rental, or what other spot is good. Will pay up to $300 per night.
Thanks,
JudygReading_PA
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Judy, I can%26#39;t comment on the rental property you mention but really the first thing that comes to mind about Montmartre is this: it%26#39;s essentially a very steep hill. You will have to walk up a steep hill either coming or going each day you go out.
If this is your first trip to Paris, I think I%26#39;d opt to stay in a more central area of the city. Think the 1-9 arrondissements. The tourist sites you%26#39;ll most want to visit are in these arr.
For a subsequent visit, when you might spend more time in your neighborhood, Montmartre is wonderful. It%26#39;s full of real neighborhoods. I especially enjoy the back side of Montmartre and the Cligancourt areas. And btw, I don%26#39;t think there is any area, except maybe Pigalle, in which I wouldn%26#39;t confidently walk at night.
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Thank you for your very helpful advice. I think I will definitely follow it!
Judy
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I think you should consider staying in a more central area. My family and I rented a flat in the 4th arrond. It was very well located with all the facilities nearby - chemists, bakeries, cafes, supermarket, bookstores, bus lines and the metro (tube). We rented it through the internet, see the info bellow:
www.rentalfrance.com/index.php…
But if you insist on staying at Montmatre, ParisVacations has good offers.I%26#39;ve also rented a flat through them,near Eiffel Tower,which, unfortunatelly, is no longer available.
http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/
Bon voyage!
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%26quot;I have heard this is the red-light section of Paris and is not safe to walk around in.%26quot;
This sort of statement always intrigues me. I live in the 18th arrondissement very close to Montmartre, and I will be happy to tell you more about it if you will reveal your source of information and the specific complaints.
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Dear Judy:
I echo HappyGoin%26#39;s comments regarding Montmartre.
To locals it is known as La Butte, or The Hill, being the highest point in the City of Lights; on your way UP, this translates to steep walks, which can be energy-sapping.
By Square Willette, you can ride a funiculaire up to the base of Sacre Coeur, the famous white basilica.
The Red Light area runs along the foot of Montmartre, particularly east from Place Pigalle, along Blvd de Rochechouart, with peep shows, strip clubs %26amp; seedy sex shops; not for the faint of heart, especially after dark.
If you stay in an area other than Montmartre, by all means make the effort to visit here; despite the presence of fellow tourists, it is truly wonderful, stubbornly retaining the atmosphere of a village. Stroll around Place du Tertre %26amp; buy a painting from one of the many artists there: as a remembrance of your trip, this outshines a T-Shirt!
Morstan
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I think Montmartre is often confused with Pigalle,maybe because hotels will say there%26#39;re in the Montmartre area when they are just out of it.In the same way the suffix %26#39;Such and Such Airport%26#39; is added to a hotel name when it%26#39;s bloody miles from the place.
Montmartre stand aloft with its basillica and narrow streets, rising above a Pigalle sea of prostitutes, sex shops and second hand clothes shops selling stuff on the cheap that previous owners have probably died wearing. It literally rises above it all.
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Morstan, when were you last in Paris? The name of the Square Willette was changed to Square Louise Michel in 2004. Adolphe Léon Willette was a notorious antisemite.
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I wasn%26#39;t aware of the name change of the square at the foot of Sacre Coeur (from Willette to Louise Michel).
The 2006 edition of %26quot;Paris by Arrondissement%26quot;, does not reflect the amendment.
Morstan
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Guidebooks = trash can liners.
I received a free copy of Fodor%26#39;s France 2009 because I was quoted in it, and I was absolutely appalled by the errors and obsolete information.
I am ashamed to be in such a repository of outdated misinformation.
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Kerouac - have you walked past the Moulin Rouge lately? Some people would find the automated...um...tongue chair in the window a bit off-putting (especially if traveling with children) and that giant sculpture of the...um...athletic and erotically inclined couple likewise is something that some people might find...well, maybe seedy isn%26#39;t the word.
We loved it in Pigalle and Montmartre, all of it - including the hills, but we were not traveling with kids. I%26#39;ll put our pictures up soon - there%26#39;s no way to be polite and describe the chair thing all that well.
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