Cheap hotels in Montmartre (18th), Paris

Main attractions: The wedding cake of a church that is the hilltop Sacré-Coeur basilica is this area’s most recognizable monument, and those who climb up will be rewarded with an incomparable view overlooking Paris. Montmartre's winding streets have inspired generations of starving artists and bohemians. That charm now co-exists with a theme park of the original village, centered on the Place du Tertre, complete with touristy restaurants and bars, and "artists" offering to sketch your portrait or sell you their lurid oil paintings (don’t be surprised if this offer includes a date).

Neighborhood atmosphere: Some of Montmartre still resembles a country hamlet, replete with ivy-clad cottages and cobbled squares. Take a walk along the lovely rue des Saules to see the tiny vineyard and the legendary restaurant-cabaret Au Lapin Agile, the headquarters of the arty crowd circa 1900, where Picasso paid for a meal with one of the Harlequin paintings. The 18th also includes what has long been thought of as Paris’ grittiest neighborhood in the area around Barbès, which has a large North African immigrant population. But gentrification of the areas nearby is changing the atmosphere of this lively noisy corner of town.

Affordability: Prices vary in the neighborhood but include plenty of budget-friendly options. Place des Abbesses has a picturesque square and leads onto the rue des Abbesses and its lively eating and drinking scene, although it’s become a bit of a hipster paradise in recent years with rising prices to match.

Stay Here If: You enjoy being in a romantic, village-y neighborhood overlooking the city.

Stay Elsewhere If: You do not enjoy walking up stairs and hills (or the site of tour buses) or want to be in a more central neighborhood.