Is Eiffel Tower a good place to stay in Paris?

The Eiffel Tower area is a good base if you want a calm, elegant part of Paris with the city's most famous landmark at the end of the street. The Champ de Mars, Les Invalides and the Musée Rodin are all within walking distance, and École Militaire, La Tour-Maubourg and the RER C at Champ de Mars connect you to the rest of the city. It suits families, couples and anyone who prefers quiet evenings.

The area is the smartest part of the Left Bank: wide avenues, grand stone apartment buildings and well-kept squares. Rue Cler is the local high street, a pedestrian strip of bakeries, cheese shops, greengrocers and café terraces, and rue Saint-Dominique has bistros and small shops. The lawns of the Champ de Mars are where Parisians picnic in summer, with the tower rising above them.

The downside is that it's quiet and a little removed. There's not much nightlife, many restaurants close early, and the Marais, the Latin Quarter and Montmartre all need a Métro or RER ride. Rooms are expensive for their size, and the streets right beside the tower are busy with crowds and souvenir sellers during the day.

What makes the Eiffel Tower area special is the feeling of waking up in postcard Paris. You can walk out for a croissant on rue Cler, cross the Champ de Mars before the crowds arrive and see the tower lit up on your way back to the hotel. For a calm, classic stay, few areas are as easy to love.