Which arrondissement in Paris woudl you recommend?

Help! With the "tourist" attractions of Paris so spread out how do you pick the best place to base yourself?

I'd like to see all the well know sights. Am not fussed on designer shopping - prefer quirky market type stalls or small shops. Like to visit cafes (not super flash ones), not into nightlife - would rather have dinner with friends than partying till 3am. Prefer pretty, village style buildings to large, imposing posh hotels. Would like a location close to the river and also close to a Metro stop.

From what I've read I'm leaning towards the 7th or 6th arrondissements. Would this be the best match for my interests or is there a hidden gem of a neighbourhood out there that you would recommend?

thanks for your replies!

(PS. Sorry for the double post. I missed selecting France before.)

Hi

Hello PerthGirl. Is that Scotland? This is a PerthBoy, Western Australia :-) The Latin quarter (5th or 6th) is your best bet. We stayed in the 7th. It was nice (isn't all of Paris?) but not as central to the main sites. OK the metro is fantastic but we will stay in the Latin quarter next time (X fingers) and walk to the attractions. Here's a link for info on markets - http://www.v1.paris.fr/en/Living/markets/default.ASP, Have a great trip.

The 6th and 7th are in the middle of tourist country with not much left that is authentic. I'd say to go a little away from the center to experience more of the real Paris. The 10th and the 11th are still quite central but have a lot more to offer in atmosphere. Anyway, Paris is extremely compact -- you are never far from the metro and you almost never far from the center.

The Metro system is so good that as long as you aren't too far from a stop, you won't have any issues getting to tourist sights. I love the 7th. It feels neighborhood-y, the river is close as are 2 or 3 metro stops, and there is a pedestrian market street every day (on Rue Cler), tons of cafes where you can watch the action on this lively street, amazing food shops, and some very good restaurants (I'd highly recommend any of Christian Constant's restaurants on Rue St Dominique.

And like I said yes there are plenty of foreign tourists, but it doesn't feel touristy-I wanted to buy some postcards one day and could not find a single shop that sold them (which I thought that was kind of cool). A lot of TT'ers like the Latin Quarter but to me that FEELS touristy, full of foreign college students and cheap restaurants.

The "village style buildings" are in the 18th arrondissement, as well as some sections of the 19th and 20th.

Anything along the Seine screams tourist trap.

Personally I like 7th - a bit quieter but everything in Paris is close with the Metro.

7th.

If you like cafes, try the Latin Quarter. Other good places are the Marais, Bastille, and Montmartre.

First of all: don't worry about tourist sites being spread out: the metro gets you anywhere and there's always a stop nearby. For a village style feel: go to the 13th (Butte aux Cailles). Lots of little restaurants and cafés - no discos or anything. It's a 3-min walk to metro Place d'Italie and a 10-min walk to the Latin Quarter. Stay clear of the 18th (Montmartre) - nothing villagey about it! Just tourist hassle!

Le Marais is also nice. Close to the river and the major sights, but still a quirky neighborhood. Good luck!

The 18th is not only Montmartre - minutes away from the awful tourist hassle of the place du Tertre there are indeed some neighborhoods that still have a villagey feel...

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).