Which arrondissement in Paris woudl you recommend?

All around Jules Joffrin and Lamarck Caulaincourt in the 18th is the village atmosphere that many visitors dream about (while other visitors are dreaming about big stone buildings with wrought iron balconies and lots of money in the 7th).

When I've stayed in the 7th, I was happy there; I could walk to the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Musee Rodin, and Musee d'Orsay from my hotel, and found lots of relatively inexpenive cafes and bistros, and the daily market on rue Cler.
As others have said, the metro will take you elsewhere in Paris within minutes.

What you need is to write to my friend
friendlyfrenchy@wanadoo.fr
he works for the Paris tourism office, he is a lonely planet regular & speaks fluent english, he will help you find the perfect spot

I've stayed in many different sections over the years, and frankly all of them are fine. The metro gets you everywhere easily. I think too many people obsess overmuch on this issue. If you are in an area that seems to be a "tourist trap," then a few block's walk will almost certainly remedy the situation.

My technique is to find a hotel that looks good, is affordable, provides breakfast with the room, and is close to a metro station. I also try to get a room that is away from the street and thus quieter.

Thanks all for your helpful replys, links and email addresses. It's hard to really know how far things are from each other just looking at a map so it's great to read all the comments about the centre being compact and easy to get to via the Metro.

This will keep me busy for awhile!

PS. worldinabag, I'm a West Aust Perth girl 8 ). But I have been to Perth in Scotland (and Tasmania too for that matter).