Red Light District

Looking to visit Paris in May. Not been before so having a nightmare trying to find a hotel. Have seend a few I like near Opera Garnier and Madeleine.

However is this near to the red light area because heard a few horror stories about the area.

Can anyone advise?

Thanks

Simon

|||

I can%26#39;t imagine who you heard %26quot;horror stories%26quot; from, but I%26#39;ll bet they%26#39;re largely exaggerated. In any event, the Opera Garnier and Madeleine areas are perfectly fine locations to stay at for a visit to Paris.

|||

Thats great, thank you very much for the advice.

|||

What I would term %26#39;red light%26#39; districts would be rue Saint Denis(les Halles), the area around Pigalle(9th), and rue Gaite(14th)....

|||

These neighborhoods are usually %26#39;tacky%26#39;..sometimes %26#39;sleazy%26#39;, mostly funny but seldom inherent dangerous...unless you choose to hang out on street corners late at night....or are STUPID enough to try to %26#39;engage%26#39; some of the local denizens.

More times than not %26#39;horror stories%26#39; are just that %26#39;stories%26#39;, usually told by someone who heard from %26#39;..a guy..%26#39; (always a reliable %26#39;source%26#39;), who heard it from a friend (another unimpeachable %26#39;source%26#39;), who heard it from someone on a late-night, AM talk-radio, call-in program (the quintessential %26#39;reliable source%26#39;).

|||

Avoid the Bois de Boulogne and Avenue Foch!

|||

As I wrote in another post I was a 14 years old teenage boy when I visited Paris the first time, with a group of 45-75 years old from a village in South Western France led by the local priest. In those days farmers were by nature frugal, priests were barely paid and cash was the only form of payment for average people, so he found a %26quot;no star%26quot; hotel on rue Blanche (red light district). In the evening they all went to bed early so I sneaked out alone and went out around Place Pigalle and Place Blanche. I did see quite a few %26quot;ladies of the night%26quot; and some of them told me to have a quick look around the area and go back to the hotel and they did keep an eye on me. The area look tacky at night with too many neon signs about videos-sex shops but it is safe enough. In the bright daylight it looks like any other area. Most local people who live and work there have nothing to do with show or sex businesses. There are their grocery shops, drugstores, offices etc.

|||

Pigalle is tacky, but you wouldn%26#39;t have any horror story to tell even if you walked there at night (i have done it before). PLus, i live much closer (ten minutes walk) from there and i am perfectly fine.

You would stay much further away from it.

|||

I go alone quite often. I like my company. I stay at the Best Western Folkestone Opera on rue Castellane or Best Western Sydney Opera on rue Mathurins. Depends on availability. There are also several other hotels in that area, Cordelia, They are owned by the same people. They also own Royal Opera on rue Castellane, but that is a two star. The other two start about 135 euro if you book thru the 800 U.S. number and includes tax and services and breakfast which is very nice. Both of these streets are off rue Tronchet which connects the back side of the Madeleine and Blvd Haussman. A good area, no horror stories here.

Also if you go searching on the internet, rue Arcade is in the area with several hotels available.(I had a list but can%26#39;t find it) Hotel Massena is on rue Tronchet as is the Best Western Opal. Don%26#39;t know prices.

I have heard that the worst red light area is out by Bois de Boulogne. That area is good during the day but not at night.

|||

Stayed in heart of red light district in Montmartre Feb 09, like U wary but no probs, perfectly safe as lots of people around. Tacky sex shops %26amp; theatres but ignore the bouncers etc, they approach U but don%26#39;t pester you. Enjoy, Holl

|||

%26quot;Avoid the Bois de Boulogne and Avenue Foch!%26quot;

The hotel that we booked is near to Avenue Foch (Hotel residence Foch).

Most likely we have to walk on this avenue every night to get to our hotel.

Now I am concerned.