Good but cheap hotels in Paris?

I'm going in the fall to Paris and want to stay in a decent hotel in a good location, nothing too fancy nor expensive, I just want to avoid the shady parts of town, which areas/neighborhoods do you recommend? Which should I definitely avoid?
merci!!!

My favorite inexpensive, centrally located hotel is the Hotel St. Andre des Arts. http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75006...

Arrondissements 4 (the Marais), 5 (the Latin quarter) and 6 (St. Germain) are usually the most convenient for tourists.

You will find this website useful if you choose to look for yourself: http://www.eurocheapo.com/paris/

There are, by the way, no "gites" in the center of Paris nor "bed and breakfast" establishments in the sense the term is used in Britain and America.

EDIT:@Millie...I know of bed and breakfasts outside Paris but none actually IN Paris. At least nothing that I would consider a B&B. For me a B&B is usually in a converted private house in a garden setting where the principle attractions are antique furnishings, quaintly named rooms (one of which is always called "The Rose Bedroom"), and big hearty breakfasts usually featuring either an English fry up or, in the States, something with blueberries (pancakes, waffles or muffins), eggs and bacon.

As for the term "gite" maybe its because I'm not a native French speaker but I've always thought of a "gite" as connected with a farm or other rural establishment and consisting of a cottage, converted barn, or renovated farm house.

Buy a book with bed-and-breakfast inns for the area.These are usually cheaper and most are rated by the government. Not as fancy as a hotel,more like staying at a friends. The rooms are private and breakfast is included. If you really like your own bathroom make sure it has one ensuite or you'll be sharing with others.Also no elevators. They are also called pension or gite.

nothings cheap in paris just gat back on 18th, i seen one off autoroute 13 near trappe for 30 euro per nuit

I just gave a thumb up to Rillifane for the advice on hotel location and the website as I agree with those but I have to correct what he said about B&Bs: there are a few dozen bed and breakfasts in Paris (in the same sense of the term as in Ireland, the UK and US based on my experience but less business-oriented) and they are indeed often cheaper than hotels (especially based on double occupancy).

Also there are a lot of apartment rentals and a few "g卯tes" (parts of a house or of an apartment with private entrance that are rented out) in Paris. It is also often cheaper than hotels if you stay a week or more.

If you are interested I have dozens of links in my computer to rentals and B&B in Paris, otherwise the Eurocheapo website is a good start, as well as http://www.paris35.com/
Although the 4th to 6th arrondissements are my favorite, you can also add the eastern parts of the 7th and 1st arrondissements and the southern part of the 3rd for central locations if you want to expand your options.

Avoid the north-east (not as safe and a little run down in places) and going too far west (expensive and isolated from major sites and street life).


@ Rillifane: for "g卯tes", you're right, the term is mostly used in rural or semi-rural regions and rarely in cities (but not necessarily on a farm, it can be an attached house in the middle of a village or small town center). The term is also used when referring to an independent section of someone's house (so there are only a handful in Paris, it's mostly regular apartment rentals as I said above).

As for the B&Bs, I was actually talking about those in downtown Paris only, otherwise I wouldn't have said a few dozens (outside Paris there are several hundreds in Ile de France region only). I have stayed at numerous B&Bs in Ireland and France and I don't find any difference, except for the price (much cheaper in France). I have stayed at a couple of B&Bs in New England and yes, in America they are fancy, quaint and very expensive places, but apart from that the concept is the same: you rent a room in someone's home and breakfast is included in the price (of course American and Irish/British breakfasts are far more substantial than the tiny French, Italian or Spanish breakfasts). In France it is a very cheap alternative to hotels so I think chezvira was right to mention them as people traveling on a tight budget should know that they can get a single room for 40 euros or a double for 60 breakfast included in downtown Paris (outside Paris you can stay in a beautiful ch芒teau or manor with period furniture for the same price also). I am not writing from home but I have the links in my home computer if you are interested. Let me know.

I stayed at the Hotel Magendie in the 13th for two weeks during a study abroad trip. It was comfortable, and the nightly rate was fair and included a small breakfast buffet. This hotel is very convenient to 3 metro stations and walking distance to the Latin Quartier.

I've also stayed at Appart Valley hotel in the 5th for a few days. The advantage of this place is that it was like an efficiency apartment so I could prepare meals in my room when I didn't want to go out.

On my other trips, I rented an apartment from a friend of a friend. If your stay is a week or longer, renting an apartment might be a good option for you, too. There are a host of vacation apartments listed online, so just google the phrase. Unfortunately, my friend's friend sold her apartment and moved to another country, so I can't refer you to her.

try:
http://www.paris-hotels.org/english/hote...
http://www.albe-paris-hotel.com/English/...
http://www.hotel-de-roubaix.com/
http://www.journeypod.com/paris.cfm
http://www.paris35.com/
Just remember: you get what you pay for. This should be a comfortable place for you to rest and be ready to go the next day! I always try to budget for a nice place to stay as that will affect your mood by getting a good nights sleep (on a good mattress), having breakfast at hotel (so I can eat and am energized to take on the day and don't have to wander around 'finding' some food -- it is there and you can leisurely take your time eating and planning), clean place, nice bathroom for a bath or shower, and quiet to get away from the craziness.
I stayed here and it is comfortable, beautiful, and has very caring and helping and gracious people working there to help with directions, etc. http://www.filfranck.com/Hotel_de_l_odeo...

You can search and choose hotel information, rates and availability for free in over 200 countries world wide at my profile.

Avoid Paris if you can only do cheap.

choose paris35.com by far cheapest and best average quality/price @site

Try http://www.cheaphotel-s.com . Its suppose to search from 30 online booking websites, lets you compare and choose from 77,000 hotels.

Give it a try and let us know if it was usefull. Do inform us if you find other websites

Do you want something cheap or a good hotel? Usually you can't have them both...

I always stayed at the Gotty Opera in the 9th district. Been there six times and am not disappointed! Cheap, clean and in a good, safe area!