Left bank or right bank: where to stay in Paris, from the 7th

By ·

Quick response

Left bank or right bank, the choice mainly depends on what you want at your feet in the morning. The left bank, especially the 7th, puts you by the Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, the Invalides, the Rodin Museum and the Orsay Museum, in a residential and ministerial area that’s fairly quiet at night. The right bank gathers the Louvre (1st), the Marais (3rd and 4th) and Montmartre (18th), with more shops, nightlife and more scattered monuments. We are at 5 avenue Duquesne, left bank: we recommend this side to those who want to walk rather than take the metro, and the other side to those coming for evenings.

The Eiffel Tower and the Seine, left bank, in Paris.

The real question isn’t which side is prettier

The useful question is: what do you want to find when you step out in the morning, and how do you want to get back in the evening. The Seine cuts Paris into two halves that aren’t visited the same way, and the side you choose mainly decides how much of your stay you’ll do on foot.

We are left bank, at 5 avenue Duquesne, in the 7th. Let’s be clear up front: we have a side. But it’s not for everyone, and we prefer to tell you before you book rather than after.

Left bank: monuments are clustered

What changes here is density. The 7th packs the Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, the Invalides, the Rodin Museum (77 rue de Varenne, closed on Mondays) and the Orsay Museum into a hand‑span. You can chain two or three of these visits in a morning without ever going underground. For a first stay in Paris, or a short stay, that’s the biggest argument.

The other characteristic of the area is its function. The 7th is a residential and administrative district: ministries, École Militaire, Invalides. The streets around us aren’t exit streets. If you’re looking to walk five minutes to a late dinner in a lively quarter, this isn’t it, and we won’t pretend otherwise.

Right bank: more city, more metro

On the other side, things are more spread out. The Louvre is in the 1st, the Marais in the 3rd and 4th, Montmartre in the 18th: three very different neighborhoods that you can’t link on foot in a single day. You gain shops, late‑open restaurants and evening choices, and lose the ability to do everything on foot. The metro becomes a reflex rather than a backup.

It’s the right choice if you already know Paris, if you’re mainly coming for shopping and evenings, or if you stay long enough that travel time doesn’t weigh heavily.

And crossing from one side to the other

It’s easier than you think. From the Invalides esplanade, the Alexandre III Bridge drops you directly onto the right bank between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais. It’s 152 m long, inaugurated on 14 April 1900 for the World’s Fair, and listed as a historic monument since 1975. It’s the crossing we most often recommend at reception: it’s shorter than the map suggests, and it’s better than a metro ride.

CriterionLeft bank (the 7th, our place)Right bank
Monuments within walking distance Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, the Invalides, Rodin Museum, Orsay Museum, Seine quays: all in the same arrondissementThe Louvre (1st), the Marais (3rd and 4th), Montmartre (18th): three separate hubs, linked by metro
Neighborhood character Residential and administrative: ministries, École Militaire, InvalidesCommercial and outgoing, with very different quarters from one arrondissement to another
Evening Quiet. We dine early, return on footMore late‑open venues, more people on the streets
Shopping and market Rue Cler, a few streets away, for food shopsDepartment stores and shopping streets, more dispersed
Part of stay spent on foot The largest part, if you stay two or three daysLess: metro becomes the default mode
Best suited for First stay, short stay, couple travel, museum visitsLong stay, second or third visit, shopping and evenings

Left bank, in the 7th

Benefits
  • Major monuments are grouped within a single walking radius
  • Quiet neighborhood in the evening, pleasant after a day on your feet
  • Views of the Eiffel Tower are possible from the high rooms
  • Rue Cler for food shops
Cons
  • Little nightlife in the immediate streets
  • Right‑bank neighborhoods require a trip

Right bank

Benefits
  • Much more choice for late dinner
  • Concentrated shops and department stores
  • Very distinct neighborhoods, from the Marais to Montmartre
Cons
  • Monuments are far apart from each other
  • More metro, so days feel more fragmented

When to choose what

Choose Left bank (the 7th, our place)

Choose this side if it’s your first time in Paris, if you’re staying only two or three nights, or if you’re coming for museums and monuments. You’ll spend your days on foot and return without taking the metro. It’s also the right choice for a couple’s stay: our high rooms and our 28 m² Junior Suite overlook the Eiffel Tower, and the neighborhood is quiet after 10 p.m.

Choose Right bank

Choose the other side if you already know the major monuments, if you’re mainly coming for shops, galleries or evenings, or if you stay a week or more. On a long stay, travel time dilutes and the availability of late‑open venues weighs more than museum proximity.

Book your stay at Derby Eiffel Hotel