What's Central Paris?
Forget all that rubbish about hotels near the 'city centre'. Paris is huge and sprawling and doesn't have a centre.

Or rather, it has lots of centres. Rich, jewel-encrusted old ladies call the Grands Boulevards (designer shops) the centre. Bohemian students call the Oberkampf area (cheap bars) the centre. Gays, lesbians and eccentrics call the Marais (trendy bars) the centre.

So forget about staying near the 'centre'. Many of the cheaper hotels and more authentic restaurants and bars are on the outskirts of the city, with quick metro links to anywhere you want to go. Stay outside to save a fortune and - almost certainly - have a more 'French' experience.

Top tips are the 13th and 19th arrondissments - one of the funkiest hotels in the 13th is La Manufacture.

Stay Away From...
Anywhere in the so-called 'Golden Triangle' around the Champs Élysées. These places will do serious damage to anyone's wallet....if you're dying to see what they're like, pop in and use the loos instead.

Check Out...
Mini-chains and individual small-time hotels like the LGH group. You'll get friendlier treatment and a smaller bill at the end.

Railway Stations
We're not suggesting you stay in a train station. In fact, we strongly advise you not to stay anywhere in the vicinity of a train station. Being near a train station (Paris has six) is a signal to hoteliers to double their prices and treat their guests like tramps, on the grounds that they'll be disappearing the next day on the fast train to Strasbourg.

Breakfast
Breakfast's a funny call in Paris. Sometimes you'll get a free buffet spread with every kind of animal, vegetable and fruit on offer. Other times you'll pay an extra €30 and get a soggy croissant, a plastic tub of strawberry jam, and a watery cappuccino out of a machine. So find out what your hotel's breakfast policy is and either prepare yourself for an early fuel-up or skip it and spend the dough on a slap-up lunch instead.

[Photo: ChrisMetcalfe]

Related Stories:
Paris Sightseeing on a Budget (Fodor's)
Paris Hotels Guide: Budget Stays