14th arrondissement of Paris

Getting there

The station 1 Denfert-Rochereau 4 6 B makes for a good entry point. Adjacent to the RER railway station there is a namesake metro station. 2 Gare Montparnasse, is in the north-east corner of the 15th arrondissement, just north of the 14th, and is a terminus for TGV and regular trains from the west and south-west of France: Tours, Brest, Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Hendaye. Métro: Montparnasse-Bienvenüe. Gare Vaugirard is an extension of Gare Montparnasse.

See

1 Les Catacombes de Paris (Catacombs of Paris), 1 place Denfert-Rochereau (Denfert-Rochereau 4 6 B ). Tu-Su 09:45-20:30; last admission 19:30; closed M and public holidays. One of the most eye-popping sights of Paris, the catacombs represent a network of labyrinthine tunnels, first excavated in the Roman period, that now house the remains of over 6 million burials removed here from the various overcrowded cemeteries and charnel houses all over Paris in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Well worth a visit: the atmosphere is suitably morbid and gloomy (without being too scary), the dark tunnels containing neatly stacked piles of skulls and long bones. There is a limit to the number of visitors allowed within the Catacombs at one time (200 persons). So, if you arrive just after opening, you must wait until someone exits, approximately 45–60 minutes, before anyone is admitted. Steep stairwell on the exit of the catacombs. Can be challenging for the elderly or the unfit. Tickets can be purchased online at a small premium (€29, includes audioguide), allows you pick a date&time and to skip the long line Adults (audioguide incl.): €29, Reduced rate (audioguide incl.): €27, Children (4 to 17 yo): €5; Adults (same day “last minute”): €15, Reduced rate (same day “last minute”): €13, Children (under 18): free; Audioguide: €5. (updated May 2022) 2 Cimetière de Montparnasse (Montparnasse Cemetery), 3, boul Edgar-Quinet (Métro: Edgar-Quinet, Raspail), ☏ +33 1 44 10 86 50. 16 Mar-5 Nov: M-F 08:00-18:00, Sa 08:30-18:00, Su 09:00-18:00; 6 Nov-15 Mar: M-F 08:00-17:30, Sa 08:30-17:30, Su 09:30-17:30. The burial place of existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, feminist Simone de Beauvoir (both of whom lived nearby); musician Serge Gainsbourg; artist Man Ray; the poets Charles Baudelaire, Guy de Maupassant, Charles Sainte-Beuve, and Marguerite Duras; the founders of the Theatre of the Absurd Samuel Becket and Eugene Ionesco; the sculptors Constantin Brancusi and Ossip Zadki

Eat

There are a number of cheap eateries around Montparnasse, especially Breton crêperies. The district is also known for its traditional bistros.

L'Amuse Bouche, 186, rue du Château (Métro Mouton Duvernet), ☏ +33 143353161. Closed Su M and 1-20 Aug. The cheese soufflés (soufflé au fromage) and Soufflé au Grand Marnier are highly recommended. €35+. L'Assiette, 181, rue du Château (Métro Mouton Duvernet), ☏ +33 1 43226486. Closed M Tu, 3 weeks in Aug. Reservation recommended. €35-55.

Le Bis du Severo, 16, rue des Plantes (Métro Mouton Duvernet), ☏ +33 1 40447309. Closed Sa evening, Su and M lunch, 2 weeks in Apr, Aug and 24 Dec-3 Jan. €25 (lunch at weekdays), €30-60 (dinner a la carte). Bistot du Dôme, 1, rue Delambre (Métro Vavin), ☏ +33 1 43353200. Closed Su M in Aug. Seafood. €50. La Cagouille, 10, place Constantin-Brancusi (Métro Gaité), ☏ +33 1 53220901. Menu €38 including drinks, a la carte from €35-60. La Cantine du Troquet, 101, rue de l'Ouest (Métro Pernety), ☏ +33 1 45400498. Closed Sa, Su. €30. La Cerisaie, 60, boul E. Quniet (Métro Edgar Quinet), ☏ +33 1 43209898. Closed Sa Su, mid-Jul-mid-Aug, 20 Dec-4 Jan. Reservation recommended. €32-40. La Coupole, 102, boul du Montparnasse (Métro Vavin), ☏ +33 1 43 20 14 20. 08:30-01:00, closed Su. The famous Art Deco brasserie, convenient for a quick meal before or after a train journey to or from Montparnasse station. Average plate €35-40, all cards accepted. Le Dôme, 108, boul Montparnasse (Métro Vavin), ☏ +33 1 43 35 25 81. Closed Su M in Jul and Aug. €75-140. Le Duc, 243, boul Raspail (Metro Raspail), ☏ +33 1 43 22 59 59. Closed Su M, 3 weeks in Aug, 24 Dec-3 Jan. Set lunch €49, dinner a la carte €60-150. Les Grillades de Buenos Aires, 54, rue de Montparnasse, ☏ +33 143215674. Lunch 12:00-14:00, dinner 19:45-23:00, closed Su. Small and intimate Argentinian restaurant. Amazing steaks. Everything about the food is wonderful. €28 per main. Le Moulin Vert. Le Zeyer, Place d'Alesia (Métro

Sleep

Budget Hotel Formula 1, 23, av de la Porte de Chatillon (go to Porte d'Orleans metro, then 3 blocks west and one block south). Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. Very cheap private rooms, close enough to the metro to make it worth it. Rooms are very clean, and have TV, free Wi-Fi, and washbasin only. Shared showers and toilets. The showers are fine, but, there are no toilet-seats and no urinals (thus, the shared toilets get very nasty, very fast and people have to go back to their rooms to wash their hands in their washbasin), so the quality of the bathrooms may keep this hotel chain out of reach for serious germ-a-phobes. It is, nevertheless, cheaper for two people to stay here than just about any youth hostel in Paris. Nice and safe neighbourhood, too, with several supermarkets and kebab vendors for eats. €48.

Mid-range Voco Paris Montparnasse (IHG Hotels), 79-81, av du Maine, ☏ +33 1 43 20 13 93. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Contemporary style, central location, eco-friendly design, secure indoor parking. Wheelchair accessible rooms. €156-218. (updated Jan 2023) Hotel Aiglon, 232, boul Raspail. Bunuel and Giacometti stayed in this hotel, which has good views, just next to the metro. 1 L'hôtel du Lion, 1 avenue du Général-Leclerc, ☏ +33 1 40 47 04 00, [email protected]. An independent hotel on Place Denfert-Rochereau, near Montparnasse. From €70. 2 Hotel Le M, 20 bis, rue de la Gaîté (100 m from Gare Montparnasse and Tour Montparnasse, very close to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Luxembourg Gardens), ☏ +33 1 40 47 48 49, [email protected]. The hotel offers 59 fully renovated, comfortable and soundproofed rooms, in an elegant designer setting. €125-250. Hotel Sophie Germain, 12, rue Sophie Germain (near Place Denfert-Rochereau, a few minutes away from Montparnasse train station and the Latin Quarter), ☏ +33 1 43 21 43 75, [email protected]. From €90. 3 Helzear Montparnasse (Suites & Hôtel Helzear Montparnasse), 40 Rue Li