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Spring Deals in Paris From Hotwire

Where: Paris, France

This week the dollar is flirting with a record low against the euro--as in it will take you $1.37 to buy one euro if you get the official rate. So Paris is looking like a pricey proposition, even before the summer high season kicks in. When Travelocity lists a 4-star hotel for $577 as a "Good Buy," you know the greenback is in trouble.

There are nearly always back door options, however, if you take some time to look around. We haven't used Hotwire for Europe because the coverage has been pretty spotty (some major tourist cities still don't have any hotels listed), but if you stick to Europe's tried and true capitals, like Paris, the selection can be pretty good. The MapQuest picture above plots where Hotwire's Paris hotel listings are located for the weekend of May 18. There are over 30 hotels in this central area to pick from.

How do they compare? Much easier on the wallet. Here are a few options:

4-star hotel in Champs Elysées - Trocadero: $134
4-star hotel in Eiffel Tower - Musée d'Orsay - Invalides: $149
3.5-star hotel in Montmartre - Moulin Rouge: $147
2.5-star hotel in Montmartre - Moulin Rouge: $89
3-star hotel in Louvre - Marais: $159
4.5-star hotel in Champs Elysées - Trocadero: $285

Unfortunately, the message board at Betterbidding.com is not as much help for Europe as it is in the U.S., so you're taking a wild guess on what some of these hotels will be unless you can deduce it from the listed amenities. Figure you're most likely to end up with a chain hotel brand from Hilton, Accor, or Starwood. (A new ad slogan: "With Hotwire you can get Paris Hilton on the cheap.")

As always though, Hotwire works best if your plans are solid (you prepay for the room) and a certain star level in the right neighborhood matters more to you than whose sign is on the building. You don't know where you're sleeping until it's booked. That uncertainty can easily save you a hundred dollars or more per night though, which will at least cover a meal or an airport taxi ride...