Sunday, September 12, 2010

Irish College Paris

Paris is not renowned for good value hotels – you can pay through the nose for a hotel you’d turn that same nose up at elsewhere. This makes the Irish College Paris, or the Centre Culturel Irlandais to give it its proper title, well worth checking out.

Located in the historic Latin quarter of Paris, in the 5th arrondissement, it is a short walk from the Pantheon and the Sorbonne and easily accessible by public transport, connecting directly with Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports, as well as the Gare du Nord.

The college offers short-term accommodation to both Irish residents and visitors with an interest in Irish culture, subject to a minimum stay of two nights.

This month, rates are €74 a night for a single and €103 for a double. Prices come down the longer you stay, meaning you can get a double room for a week for €502.

And you get much more than just a room. There’s a series of cultural events ongoing at the centre. Time it right this autumn and you’ll be there just in time for an audience with novelist John Connolly – admission free, reservation recommended.