St. Christopher's Inn - Paris is easily the best hostel in Paris, and there are plenty to choose from. If you're set on staying in a hostel here, we'd pick this one.
The Location
To get to the hostel from CDG take the RER B in whatever direction it goes (the airport is the end of the line, so the train only goes in one direction) and get off at Gare du Nord. Keep your ticket to get out of the turnstiles. From there take the metro line 5 (orange) in the direction of Bobigny/ Pablo Picasso and get off at Laumière (you can use the same ticket you used for the RER). Follow the signs for exit #1 and when you get out at street level keep walking in the direction you're facing down Avenue Jean Jaurès. Turn left onto Rue de Crimée (look for the sign saying "Bassin de la Villette") and follow that until you cross over a little bridge and the hostel is right there on the left at 159, rue de Crimée.
The hostel is located toward the fringes of the city in the 19th arrondisement on Le Bassin de la Villette, right on the water. It's not too hard to get to considering Paris's excellent public transportation system. It's located pretty close to a few different metro lines and stations and there's a night bus that stops not too far away. There isn't much to see in the neighborhood itself, but the quality of the inside of the hostel more than makes up for that. The area surrounding the hostel isn't the nicest but it's also far from the worst, so exercise caution at night.
Rooms and Bathrooms
When you check into the hostel, be prepared to speak English -- not many of the staff are actually French or speak fluent French. The hostel uses electronic key card access for all the room doors and for the main door if you arrive after a certain time at night. The rooms themselves are very nice, clean, spacious, and modern -- this hostel is fairly new. The size of the rooms varies but in the dorms each bunk bed is in a separate compartment with a private light, outlet, and curtain to shut out the outside world. There are also under-the-bed, pull-out lockers, for which you must provide your own lock. The way the latch works, a tiny lock wouldn't fit and a padlock is difficult to close. The room also has a table and a few chairs, a sink, a mirror, and some hooks for hanging things to dry.
The bathrooms for the dorms are down the hall and there are separate facilities for men and women. The bathroom has three stalls, four showers, and four sinks. The bathrooms are clean by hostel standards but are by no means spotless. The showers are push button "in order to save money." In each separate shower stall is a compartment for changing and keeping clothes and towels with a bench and some hooks and then a compartment with the actual shower separated by a curtain.
Common Spaces
This hostel has several common rooms including a Belushi's bar/restaurant that is attended by locals and has some outdoor seating. In the basement there is another common room where guests can chill and drink and chat or whatever -- no outsiders allowed. Lastly, there is a café where people can get drinks, buy used books, or use the internet (for a price). The thing to note about the computers is that they can be used only for the internet and not for transferring pictures/Skype. Breakfast is included in the price of the bed and includes a baguette with jam or nutella and coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange juice -- it is pretty standard. In terms of atmosphere the hostel is pretty social but it seems as if not many guests venture out on their own to bars or clubs but rather stay in house at the bar.
Summary
This hostel is the one to stay in within the actual city limits of Paris. Although it's not in the city center it's conveniently located by public transport. The staff all speak English so if you're looking to practice your language skills on someone who has to listen, this isn't the place -- they won't understand you. The elevator makes getting to the top floors with your pack a breeze especially considering this is Paris and you can fit in the elevator with your baggage at the same time. The bar closes sometime around 2 a.m. and on certain nights you might find live music or karaoke. If you're lucky and you're not packing a laptop for the free Wi-Fi, the staff might be nice and give you fifteen free minutes of internet use.
— Informe exclusivo de Hostelz.com
July 2009
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