Going to Paris on the 29th, where to stay?

[boyabouttown]

I'm taking my girlfriend to Paris over new years, my christmas present to her, but I have no idea where in Paris you should stay. Never been to Paris before. Anyone knows about any good hotels? Just remember, I'm paying for the whole thing so no designer-hotels please

Also, where's the best shopping, around Le avenue des champs-élysées? :confused:

Thanks!

/Magnus

[Doublethink]

Stay in a hostel you will spend less, meet more people and have more fun. The best shopping is around colette. bar none.

hostelbookers.com

[Mickael]

First, you should tell us your price ranges !

Of course, colette is a must if you're about this kind of things, slightly expansive and made for dumb people.

[isoform]

hostels in paris are shit and overpriced and have some bullshit rules if i remember correctly..stay in a budget hotel. it's cheaper or the same price and ok ...this is what i did and ended up rooming with two kiwi girls (so its like a hostel anyway, i forget what it was called)--i do remember that there were a lot of decently rated cheap hotels near bastille (11eme Arr/marais). you could if you were really bored walk to the louvre, champs elysees or the major toursit and shopping spots in paris from marais/11eme Arr. I'm not rich, but everytime i've paid to sleep in Paris it was in this neighborhood.

also new year's in paris can be scary (beatdowns, drunks attacking ladies, thieves)...at least i remember the stories of more than a couple of other travellers that i met a week or two after dec31/jan1 in switzerland and france.