I’ve been to Paris twice, and I’d have to say, staying at St Christophers Inn Gare du Nord was the best decision I’ve made on my second trip. The first time I went to Paris, even though I loved my stay, I was pretty disappointed by the French capital. However, last summer, I made amends with the city of lights, and staying at St Christophers Inn had a major role in that. 

So, if you’re a solo traveler like moi, or just a traveler on a budget, hoping to enjoy Paris to the fullest, here’s why this is your go-to hostel. I wrote down a full, honest review on St Christophers Inn Gare du Nord to help you with your booking process if you’re still contemplating where to stay in Paris on a budget. 

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St Christphers Inn’s Booking Process 

You can book any of the St Christphers Inn hostels at ease via their official website. Personally, I love booking via Booking.com or Hostelworld for a seamless booking experience. The platforms’ mobile apps make it super easy to book and to get in touch with the hostels. I booked via Booking.com and I remember receiving messages from the hostel for confirmation, pickups, and they were also pretty responsive when I had any questions regarding my stay. And if you’re part of Booking.com’s Genius loyalty program like me, then you’ll get yourself a decent discount!

St Christophers Inn’s Paris Location(s)

There are two branches of the multi-award-winning hostel in Paris actually; St Christophers Inn Paris Canal and St Christophers Inn Gare du Nord. I personally stayed at the latter, so that’s the one I’ll be reviewing. 

The hostel is located in the heart of Paris on Rue de Dunkerque, a walking distance from the Gare du Nord station, where there’s a train station and 3 Metro lines. So, whether you’re traveling via train, taking the RER to and from the airport, or just getting around Paris, transportation is pretty easy.  

Now, I know that staying in the Gare du Nord area isn’t widely recommended, safety-wise, but here’s my experience:

The proximity to Gare du Nord makes it safer to get around the city as the area is super busy during the day, and it’s a bustling hotspot. So, why do people say it’s unsafe? Simply because it gets emptier at late hours, increasing chances of petty theft, which is, sadly, a very common thing in Paris. St Christophers Inn Gare du Nord is very close to the station though. So, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all walking back to the hostel at night from there. Just stay alert and vigilant – and follow my Paris solo travel safety tips here. However, it’s worth mentioning that I didn’t feel super comfortable walking in the direction of Barbes-Rochechouart, so if you do need to take this route, try to take extra safety precautions. 

As for accessibility, the hostel has everything you might need nearby; supermarkets, bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants, you name it. 

Useful information:

• Phone number: +33 (0)170085222
• Address: 5 Rue de Dunkerque, 75010 Paris, France
• Check-in: 3 pm / Check-out: 11 am

Accommodation

There are both dorm rooms and private rooms available at St Christophers Inn. The dorms have modern interiors and have POD bunk beds with big metal drawer-like lockers that can fit an entire suitcase. If you’re sleeping on the bed right next to the door though, you need to be careful because the drawer blocks the door when open. Also, it can get quite disturbing whenever anyone slams the door on their way out. I asked to change my bed for those reasons and the hostel made the switch without trouble. 

The biggest plus for me was that there are female-only dorms available. As a solo female traveler, this usually comes on top of my criteria when booking a hostel for safety reasons.

Rooms aren’t ensuite, but there are shared bathrooms on each floor that were always super clean. There’s also a small sink in the room, so that’s a definite plus as I didn’t have to walk to the bathroom if I just wanted to wash my hands or brush my teeth. 

If you’re traveling during the summer though, it’s worth noting that there are no ACs in the dorms, so it can get incredibly hot. The paper fan I got for AfroNation came in handy!

The Atmosphere at St Christophers Inn

St Christophers Inn offers a fantastic party atmosphere – they offer weekly hostel events, and Belushi, the hostel’s very own bar (known for their juicy burgers and fun cocktails), is always a thrill. And aside from that, there’s always something happening, from pub crawls to free walking tours. 

So, whether you’re a party animal or a solo traveler looking to meet people, St Christophers Inn is a great place for that! Personally, I met a lot of fun people from all over the world at both Belushi and the dorm room. It’s also worth mentioning that the staff was always friendly and super helpful; whether the bartenders at Belushi or the receptionists. 

Available Facilities 

• There are two elevators for easier access to the top floors.
• Belushi bar offers a wide selection of food and drinks. Hostel guests can also benefit from special discounts: 25% off all food and sweet deals on selected drinks.
• Breakfast is available from 8 am to 10 pm.
• Weekly events such as Quiz Night, Beer Pong Night, live music events, and more.
• There are vending machines in case you’re craving a midnight snack.
• There’s a travel kiosk available if you want to book tours. 
• Rooms get cleaned every day and the housekeepers seemed trusted.
• There’s a laundry room available on site. 
• Free WiFi is available on site so you can save up on international mobile data plans. But you should invest in an eSIM for when you’re out and about anyway. Snatch a 10% discount off Airalo via my promo code here. 

Value for Money

I paid around 70 euros a night back in the summer of 2023. In comparison to the prices I paid for hostels in Europe (Paris included) a few years back, it seemed pretty expensive. However, given that summer is a high season and that price ranges in Europe, in general, had gotten so much pricier, it was a good deal. In fact, it was the cheapest hostel in Paris at the time! So, considering the strategic location the hostel’s quality of service, and what it has to offer, it was definitely good value for money. Just gotta blame inflation!

Bear in mind that prices are subject to change, so make sure to check out the updated prices depending on your dates. It’s also worth mentioning that that will be a small additional cost for the city tax, which will amount to approximately 1 euro per night. 

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Final Verdict

My overall experience at St Christophers Inn Gare du Nord was pretty cool. I stayed in Paris for a week, which meant I got to meet a lot of people in my dorm room only. Lucky for me, when I went, it was the hostel’s anniversary, and the celebrations were insane – Belushi was on fire! I highly recommend hanging out at this bar, especially if you’re a solo traveler. Whether you’re there to grab lunch or for a party, you ought to make some new friends.

It’s also worth mentioning that the interiors and aesthetics were very fun too. The whole place had a modern, youthful feel, and my favorite aspect is hands down the murals by the staircase – there are colorful murals of different Parisian attractions between floors.

Most of the staff members I’ve dealt with were sweet and helpful – my favs were those who worked at Belushi though. Also, did I mention that there were security guards on the door all day, and not just during parties?

So, final verdict, in case you still couldn’t guess, I give this hostel a solid 9/10 and would highly recommend it. 

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• Staying in a Hostel: How to Pick and Book
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