Libertel Gare de L'Est Francais

If you're arriving in Paris via train from the north (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, etc.), there is a chance that the Gare du Nord will be your first impression of Paris. The station itself is located in the 10th arrondissement. It's the grandest of the 19th century train stations, boxed in by major traffic thoroughfares the Boulevard de Magenta and the Boulevard de La Chapelle. The area has little to offer on the cultural or historical front. It does, however, boast an abundance of transportation options and budget hotels. The incredible diversity of the neighborhood is also reflected in its exotic shops, where anything from plantains to halal meat to organic groceries can be found.