Is Montmartre a Good Place to Stay? My Tips & Recs

Planning a trip to Paris and trying to decide if Montmartre is a good place to stay? Read on for my recommendations!

Montmartre is located on the northern edge of Paris proper, in the 18th arrondissement (neighborhood). I love this area of Paris – it has such a charming and chill vibe, with a fascinating history and culture.

I’ve had the privilege of spending quite a bit of time in Montmartre over my 7 different visits to Paris (including a 3-month stint in university where I lived there), and I’ve explored so many of the backstreets and hidden gems that fill the 18th arrondissement.

In this guide, we’re going to break down the pros and cons of staying in Montmartre, some of the highlights of the neighborhood, the best hotels, and helpful information.

Short on time? Here’s the TL;DR:
✔️Montmartre is a great place to stay – it’s a charming, safe area with many places to explore.
✔️It is farther from other main attractions in Paris, so you’ll need to take the metro to get around (which you’d need to do in most places you’re staying anyway).
And these are the top hotels in Montmartre:
✔️Hotel Monsieur Aristide: Gorgeous boutique hotel
✔️Terrass Hotel: Incredible views over Paris
✔️Timhotel Montmartre: Great budget-friendly option

A Brief Rundown of Montmartre’s Fascinating History

The name Montmartre means “Mount of the Martyr” and is named after Saint-Denis, the first bishop in Paris. He was beheaded in Montmartre, but legend says that he picked up his head and carried it 8 km north, where he finally died. (Today, the Saint-Denis Basilica marks the location where he finally passed).

For most of Paris’s history, the Montmartre area was actually outside Paris city limits. It originally was a neighborhood filled with vineyards, windmills (called moulins in French), and quarries, and it was quite pastoral.

Then in the 1800’s, the scene shifted and Montmartre became much more bohemian, attracting singers, dancers, artists, and writers, who all loved the village charm. Montmartre was officially incorporated into Paris in 1860, but has retained its distinct feel and vibe.

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Pros and Cons of Staying in Montmartre

Like any neighborhood in Paris, there are pros and cons to staying in Montmartre. Here are some that you should consider:

Pros

Prices: Generally speaking, hotel prices are a little bit less expensive in Montmartre compared to some other parts of Paris, notably the area around the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower.

Vibe: The area is very charming and, even though it’s become more popular over the years, still has a “village”-feel to it. The staircases in particular lend a very unique air to the neighborhood.

Attractions: While there are just a few major attractions in Montmartre, there are actually a lot of places to discover, tucked away in the little, winding streets.

Views: There are several spots with beautiful views over Paris, and even a couple of great Eiffel Tower viewpoints.

Cons

Proximity: Because Montmartre is on the north end of the city, it’s not in walking distance to many of Paris’ other top attractions (e.g. the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, or Eiffel Tower).

You will probably want to take the metro (or bus, Uber, or taxi) to get to these spots, as the Louvre is a 45-minute walk from Montmartre, and the others are even farther.

You can, however, walk to all the spots in Montmartre and some nearby attractions (Opera Garnier, Galeries Lafayette) as well as some underrated museums nearby like the Musée de la Vie Romantique (a free museum in Paris) and the Musée Gustav Moreau.

It is worth noting that no matter where you stay in Paris, you’ll need to take public transportation or an Uber/taxi to get around – Paris is large and there are many places to visit all over the city.

Red Light District: The southern edge of Montmartre borders the Red Light District of Paris (we’ll discuss this in more depth, below). It’s definitely possible to avoid that area and it’s not particularly unsafe, but it is relatively close by.

6 Best Hotels in Montmartre

For this section, I want to highlight the best hotels in Montmartre. These are all fantastic, top-rated properties (at least 8 of 10 stars, but most have 9 of 10 stars) and are in a great location in Montmartre – close to all the attractions and metro stations.

Beautiful Boutique Hotels in Montmartre

1. Hôtel Monsieur Aristide

2. Terrass Hotel

3. Hotel des Arts

✔️Charming rooms with lovely views over the courtyard or rooftops
✔️Absolutely wonderful staff and little amenities throughout the property
✔️Historically, the hotel was often a home for dancers of the Moulin Rouge
⭐Check rates and availability for the Hotel des Arts here

Best Aparthotel Option

4. Edgar Suites Montmartre

✔️An aparthotel gives you the best of both worlds: a bigger space with a small kitchen/living area, but with the amenities and staff attention of a hotel
✔️Hotel Is RIGHT around the corner from Sacré Coeur
✔️Suites are beautifully decorated with a modern touch
⭐Check rates and availability for the Aparthotel Adagio here

Budget-Friendly Hotels In Montmartre

5. Timhotel Montmartre

✔️The basic rooms are a good budget option in Paris, but some of the fancier rooms have an incredible Eiffel Tower view from the balcony
✔️Other rooms have a view over the rooftops, or a Sacré Coeur view
✔️The hotel sits right on Place Emile Goudeau, an adorable, tree-lined square in the heart of Montmartre where Picasso once lived
⭐Check rates and availability for the Timhotel Montmartre here

6. Hotel Litteraire – Marcel Ayme

✔️The Hotel Litteraire is themed around the prominent French author, Marcel Ayme, and there is a lot of book related decor and murals around the property
✔️Rooms are all uniquely designed and decorated
✔️Located on a quiet street away from crowds (but still very close to everything to see and do)
⭐Check rates and availability for the Hotel Litteraire here

What to See and Do in Montmartre

While I have an entire post dedicated to what to see and do in Montmartre, for this post, I’ll just highlight some of the top spots to visit:

Sacré Coeur

Sacré Coeur is the shining jewel of Montmartre, the impressive basilica with stark white domes that can be seen throughout Paris.

Sacré Coeur is beautiful, but it’s very busy – I’d highly recommend coming first thing in the morning (by 9am) to enjoy the greenspace and stairs in front of the basilica without hundreds of other people. The basilica is free to enter and dazzles with soaring domes, stained glass windows, and colorful murals.

The Domes of Sacré Coeur

Despite being on one of the most famous spots in the city, climbing up into the domes of Sacré Coeur is actually very much a hidden gem in Paris.

292 spiral staircase steps take you up to a little pathway on the rooftop of the basilica, and then up into the main dome, where you can walk the arched passageway and enjoy incredible 360° views over Paris.

And while you can’t see the Eiffel Tower from the base of Sacré Coeur, up in the domes, you can enjoy one of the best Eiffel Tower viewpoints in the city.

Stairs of Montmartre

Charming little staircases are scattered around Montmartre, providing access on some of the steeper parts of the hill, and are a well-known feature of the neighborhood. These staircases are very picturesque (and certainly are a fantastic photo spot in Paris) and discovering all the stairways is one of the most delightful parts of exploring Montmartre.

La Maison Rose

La Maison Rose has become a very famous café in Montmartre, located at the top of Rue de l’Abreuvoir. Founded in 1908, the restaurant is painted an adorable pink color, and used to host singers and artists who lived and worked in Montmartre and Pigalle.

Today, it’s a very popular photo spot and continues to be a working cafe serving traditional French dishes.

Rue Lepic

Rue Lepic is one of my favorite streets to stroll in Montmartre and really is the perfect Parisian walking street – generally few cars, a long, meandering, cobblestoned road, and beautiful buildings with stately doors.

A few notable areas include the area between Rue des Abbesses and Blvd Clichy, where Rue Lepic becomes a great market-like street. Here, you can find a fromagerie (cheese shop), A La Mère de Famille (a great chocolaterie + place to buy macarons), plus other bakeries, pastry shops, and cafes.

Rue Lepic passes Moulin du Radet and ends at the Moulin Rouge.

Moulin du Radet

Moulin Radet, built in 1717, is one of two remaining windmills in Paris, and is today associated with the Moulin de la Galette restaurant. (In French, “moulin” means windmill).

Fun fact: One of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s most famous paintings was inspired by these windmills – the piece being named “Le Bal de Moulin de la Galette.“

Place du Tertre

Place du Tertre is a café-lined square in the heart of Montmartre, where artists are out drawing, painting, and selling their pieces underneath leafy trees. This is a popular place to pick up a unique and beautiful artwork souvenir as a memory of Paris.

The Moulin Rouge

The Moulin Rouge cabaret is one of the most iconic features of the Montmartre area. The name Moulin Rouge means “Red Windmill”, although this windmill is entirely decorative. Still, it has become a well-known fixture in the neighborhood today.

Attending a show is certainly a popular activity in Paris and you can grab a ticket here.

Great Restaurants, Cafes, and Bakeries in Montmartre

There are many great places to eat in Montmartre. This list includes some of the most iconic spots, as well as some of our personal favorites:

• Gilles Marchel Patisserie: Specializes in madeleines
• Creperie Brocaliende: Savory (and some sweet) galettes (buckwheat crepes from the Bretagne region)
• Doris Lumé Boulangerie: Delightful bakery with kouign-amann and great baguettes
• La Boîte aux Lettres: Classic French bistro
• Le Consulat: Iconic cafe popular with artists such as Van Gogh
• La Maison Rose: The Insta-famous pink café
• Moulin de la Galette: Cafe featured in the film Amélie
• Le Café des Moulins: Home to one of Montmartre’s last windmills

Is Montmartre Safe?

Overall Montmartre is certainly a safe part of Paris, the area is monitored by police presence, and you should feel safe from violent crime here during the day and night.

There are a few things to know about this neighborhood, though.

Scams

The first is that the stairs and greenspace in front of Sacré Coeur (the Square Louise Michel) is often a location where scam artists attempt the so-called “Bracelet Scam.”

Young men will try to braid a bracelet onto your wrist (sometimes even grabbing your wrist to start tying on the strands), and then ask for money. Just watch out for the bracelet men and say no quickly and firmly.

Pickpockets

The second is that a few parts of Montmartre, notably Sacré Coeur, the street between the Anvers metro station and Sacré Coeur, and to an extent also Place du Tertre, are very touristy areas and see high crowds during the middle of the day.

Anywhere with a high concentration of tourists will draw pickpockets, so it’s a good idea to be extra careful with your belongings in these highly trafficked parts of Montmartre.

Red Light District

Finally, the red light district of Paris is sandwiched right between the 18th and the 9th arrondissement along Boulevard de Clichy, from Place Pigalle to Place de Clichy.

This is where you’ll find many cabaret bars, clubs, and sex shops. While it is not an unsafe area, the whole boulevard is essentially one long sex shop, so if that’s not your jam, just head north or south right away instead of walking along the boulevard. 

This area has been cleaned up considerably over the years and today is quite nice. Just a couple of weeks ago (in early 2024) I walked the streets just south of Boulevard de Clichy in Pigalle, and it felt just as nice as any street in Paris.

Even if you’re walking the Boulevard de Clichy, the area is totally safe during the day. During nighttime, you have a mix of people who are just enjoying a night out and people who are looking for a party, but overall, the vibe generally isn’t crazy-crazy.

So, the main takeaways are that most of Montmartre is as nice or safe as any area of Paris, but do watch out for pickpockets in touristy areas, know that the red light district is at the southern edge of Montmartre, and that some scam artists work the area in front of Sacré Coeur.

So, Is It Worth It To Stay in Montmartre?

I think so! Montmartre is one of my favorite arrondissements in Paris, there are some great things to see and do, the area is safe (and you can easily avoid the Red Light district), and there are some really fantastic boutique hotels.