choosing an apartment: great view,comfort or neighbourhood?
Dec 17th, 2006, 02:36 PM
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choosing an apartment: great view,comfort or neighbourhood?
I am trying to prioritise what I would like in an apartment, and would love to hear any of your thoughts on what makes a great place to stay.
We have a budget of 800 euro max/week(preferably 600).A washing machine and internet are must haves, and a lift or second floor only, but after that, would you forgo comfort(real bed and extra lounge or armchairs)for a great view?
Do you really need a tv ?
Does the immediate area around your hotel/apartment affect the enjoyment of your stay, or do you just sleep there and explore elsewhere during the day?
How far would you walk for good coffee and croissants in the morning?
I ask about the view because I found this apartment with a great view in an area central to where I want to explore, but it only has a sofabed and am unsure about the immediate surroundings.
paris attitude apt. #1658
www.parisattitude.com/apartment-selection.asp
I have looked up many streets on pages jaunes, but it hasn't helped me decide.
We have a budget of 800 euro max/week(preferably 600).A washing machine and internet are must haves, and a lift or second floor only, but after that, would you forgo comfort(real bed and extra lounge or armchairs)for a great view?
Do you really need a tv ?
Does the immediate area around your hotel/apartment affect the enjoyment of your stay, or do you just sleep there and explore elsewhere during the day?
How far would you walk for good coffee and croissants in the morning?
I ask about the view because I found this apartment with a great view in an area central to where I want to explore, but it only has a sofabed and am unsure about the immediate surroundings.
paris attitude apt. #1658
www.parisattitude.com/apartment-selection.asp
I have looked up many streets on pages jaunes, but it hasn't helped me decide.
Dec 17th, 2006, 03:28 PM
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The question is do YOU really need a TV. No one else can answer that. Regardless of where you stay in Paris, you're never far from a cafe for bread and coffee in the morning. Personally, I want a neighborhood that I feel safe in and is very close walking distance to the city center. I don't need a view. I also like a bed as opposed to a pull out couch. Nothing like trying to walk 8-10 hours a day with a catch in your back.
Dec 17th, 2006, 03:29 PM
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I forgot, for me this is up there with the rest of them..it needs to be fairly quiet at night as I am a light sleeper.
But you need to decide what your requirements really are. Everyone is different.
But you need to decide what your requirements really are. Everyone is different.
Dec 17th, 2006, 08:01 PM
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Looks pretty good to me, and I know exactly where this place is located - we stayed about a block away earlier this year and liked the location. You are close to the Bastille metro (several major lines) and the Quai de la Rapee metro (line 5). The immediate neighborhood is fairly quiet but not a tomb. The view is great.
And the term sofa bed is actually pretty broad. In the US it conjured up nigthmares of those godawful fold-out things with a metal bar in your back, but the one in the photo actually looks more like what in the US we would call a daybed, or in some parts of Europe a click-clack bed. Price is good, too.
And the term sofa bed is actually pretty broad. In the US it conjured up nigthmares of those godawful fold-out things with a metal bar in your back, but the one in the photo actually looks more like what in the US we would call a daybed, or in some parts of Europe a click-clack bed. Price is good, too.
Dec 17th, 2006, 09:28 PM
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I would never forgo the comfort of a real bed, for a sofa bed. Not if it were free and on top of the Eiffel Tower.
I like a quiet neighborhood. Most hotels have coffee but if they don't my little heating coil and a couple of coffee bags. I really bring this along for a cup of herbal tea at night.
If the city has a good transportation system I choose the nice and quiet neighborhood a little out of the center other than one that is in the center of the action.
If an apartment didn't have television, I wouldn't miss it.
I like a quiet neighborhood. Most hotels have coffee but if they don't my little heating coil and a couple of coffee bags. I really bring this along for a cup of herbal tea at night.
If the city has a good transportation system I choose the nice and quiet neighborhood a little out of the center other than one that is in the center of the action.
If an apartment didn't have television, I wouldn't miss it.
Dec 17th, 2006, 09:46 PM
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I think it depends on the sofabed. I have one and have slept on it from time to time when I have given houseguests my bedroom. My sofabed is very comfortable and if I had a studio apartment I could sleep on in nightly and be quite happy. I say that as someone who really needs a comfortable bed!
Priority for me besides a comfortable bed would be a clean apartment and a safe location. Washing machine and internet connection would not be on the top of my list..but we are all so different. I would never forgo a comfortable bed or comfortable armchair for a view as much as I adore beautiful views. A TV would be a priority but not on the top of the list. A quiet neighborhood is not on the top of my list either..I can sleep through anything. But again we are all so different so what would be imporatant to one person would not be to another. For me, yes the immediate area is quite important. FYI, I would not be interested in the apartment you indicated, to me it looks cold and uncomfortable kaz. Best wishes to you with your decision.
Priority for me besides a comfortable bed would be a clean apartment and a safe location. Washing machine and internet connection would not be on the top of my list..but we are all so different. I would never forgo a comfortable bed or comfortable armchair for a view as much as I adore beautiful views. A TV would be a priority but not on the top of the list. A quiet neighborhood is not on the top of my list either..I can sleep through anything. But again we are all so different so what would be imporatant to one person would not be to another. For me, yes the immediate area is quite important. FYI, I would not be interested in the apartment you indicated, to me it looks cold and uncomfortable kaz. Best wishes to you with your decision.
Dec 17th, 2006, 10:11 PM
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Dec 17th, 2006, 10:23 PM
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this one is in your price range and is on the Isle St. Louis.
http://www.parisattitude.com/apartme...mProduit=1730#
http://www.parisattitude.com/apartme...mProduit=1730#
Dec 18th, 2006, 03:12 AM
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Thankyou for your honest answers.
The main reason I liked this apartment was obviously for the view. As loveItaly said it seems cold and uncomfortable, but I kept thinking I could put up with that if I could have that view to come home to and to wake up to.
I don't really need a tv.This apartment just didn't have one and I wondered if I might miss it.
I am planning this trip for myself and my husband for our 10th wedding anniversary, and thought the view would be an added WOW, but I guess comfort and just being in Paris is WOW enough.
The apt.#1730 looks nice and is in a great area, but is on the 3rd floor with stairs and unfortunately I don't think I could manage Paris all day then 3 flights of stairs.
I have found a couple of other apartments on the Ile saint louis and in the marais which will suit our needs. They don't have views but they are in neighbourhoods that are probably better suited to the first time tourist like I am. I just seem to be drawn to the Bastille area for some reason, and I do love a nice view.
Thankyou again everyone.I know it's up to me, I just need to hear opinions, and seeing it in writing seems to help it all sink in and hopefully will help me make a decision.
The main reason I liked this apartment was obviously for the view. As loveItaly said it seems cold and uncomfortable, but I kept thinking I could put up with that if I could have that view to come home to and to wake up to.
I don't really need a tv.This apartment just didn't have one and I wondered if I might miss it.
I am planning this trip for myself and my husband for our 10th wedding anniversary, and thought the view would be an added WOW, but I guess comfort and just being in Paris is WOW enough.
The apt.#1730 looks nice and is in a great area, but is on the 3rd floor with stairs and unfortunately I don't think I could manage Paris all day then 3 flights of stairs.
I have found a couple of other apartments on the Ile saint louis and in the marais which will suit our needs. They don't have views but they are in neighbourhoods that are probably better suited to the first time tourist like I am. I just seem to be drawn to the Bastille area for some reason, and I do love a nice view.
Thankyou again everyone.I know it's up to me, I just need to hear opinions, and seeing it in writing seems to help it all sink in and hopefully will help me make a decision.
Dec 18th, 2006, 04:15 AM
#12
The washing machine and internet are good features but would not rule a place out for me if they weren't there.
A TV is a real plus; part of my enjoyment of being in a foreign place is being surrounded by the language and seeing what there is on TV is part of that. Trying to understand it, getting an idea of what people watch in other countries, even watching American movies or TV shows dubbed into another language is fun.
The immediate neighborhood is important to me. It really affects the flavor of the visit. And I want to be able to walk to and from restaurants in the evening when I don't feel up to seeking out something farther away. A nearby bakery for croissants is a big plus as well.
View is less important to me, but perhaps that's just because I haven't actually rented a place with a great view in Paris so I don't know what I'm missing.
A sofa bed would probably rule a place out for me, at least if I was the one who had to sleep on it. Although the one in that apartment looks like it could be OK, it's hard to know without trying it.
Comfortable chairs are important; I don't want the couch or bed to be the only option, especially if I am with my husband who will be lying down on the couch.
And in order to stay in a studio apartment, I would have to see that it had at least some place where one could get away to read if the other person was sleeping. For me, one of the chief advantages of an apartment over a hotel room is the ability to go into another room if one person wants to sleep, so I prefer apartments with a separate bedroom and living room.
A TV is a real plus; part of my enjoyment of being in a foreign place is being surrounded by the language and seeing what there is on TV is part of that. Trying to understand it, getting an idea of what people watch in other countries, even watching American movies or TV shows dubbed into another language is fun.
The immediate neighborhood is important to me. It really affects the flavor of the visit. And I want to be able to walk to and from restaurants in the evening when I don't feel up to seeking out something farther away. A nearby bakery for croissants is a big plus as well.
View is less important to me, but perhaps that's just because I haven't actually rented a place with a great view in Paris so I don't know what I'm missing.
A sofa bed would probably rule a place out for me, at least if I was the one who had to sleep on it. Although the one in that apartment looks like it could be OK, it's hard to know without trying it.
Comfortable chairs are important; I don't want the couch or bed to be the only option, especially if I am with my husband who will be lying down on the couch.
And in order to stay in a studio apartment, I would have to see that it had at least some place where one could get away to read if the other person was sleeping. For me, one of the chief advantages of an apartment over a hotel room is the ability to go into another room if one person wants to sleep, so I prefer apartments with a separate bedroom and living room.
Dec 18th, 2006, 04:33 AM
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That bed looks like a futon type bed to me so better than a sofabed, but for an anniversary trip, it would NOT be what I'd want.
It's pointless to ask others what's important to them since a view is obviously important to <i>YOU</i>. Keep looking and see if you can find something else with a view that has a decent bed. Happy anniversary!
It's pointless to ask others what's important to them since a view is obviously important to <i>YOU</i>. Keep looking and see if you can find something else with a view that has a decent bed. Happy anniversary!
Jan 29th, 2007, 02:49 PM
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Thankyou everybody for your input.
I have booked the Bourg Tibourg apartment with Paris Bestlodge.It doesn't have a view, but it looks comfy, is in a central neighbourhood and has a nice, helpful owner.
I am looking forward to staying in Paris, and will report on the apartment after my trip.
www.parisbestlodge.com
I have booked the Bourg Tibourg apartment with Paris Bestlodge.It doesn't have a view, but it looks comfy, is in a central neighbourhood and has a nice, helpful owner.
I am looking forward to staying in Paris, and will report on the apartment after my trip.
www.parisbestlodge.com
Jan 29th, 2007, 05:37 PM
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Luhimari- thanks. yes, for those of you in the US,this apt is on the 3rd floor ( I wish it was the US 2nd floor), but hopefully I will manage it or else my husband may be getting more of a workout than he'd planned.
Jan 29th, 2007, 05:47 PM
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I really liked this 5th floor Marais studio with a small balcony for 600 E/week (there's an elevator):
http://www.vrbo.com/28993
It's not nearly as sleek as Thierry's apartments but the studio is nicer than it appears in the vrbo ad, it's very reasonably priced, and the owners live upstairs and are very helpful. Here are my pics of the apt and neighborhood:
http://tinyurl.com/ykgk29
http://www.vrbo.com/28993
It's not nearly as sleek as Thierry's apartments but the studio is nicer than it appears in the vrbo ad, it's very reasonably priced, and the owners live upstairs and are very helpful. Here are my pics of the apt and neighborhood:
http://tinyurl.com/ykgk29
Jan 29th, 2007, 05:58 PM
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I don't care about the view or internet, but a washer/dryer would be top of the list. TV is nice but not a must.
Location is not so important for me. In Paris, you can generally take the Metro wherever you want to go and there are interesting places to eat in almost any neighborhood.
For home exchanges, I take them where I get them.
Location is not so important for me. In Paris, you can generally take the Metro wherever you want to go and there are interesting places to eat in almost any neighborhood.
For home exchanges, I take them where I get them.
Jan 29th, 2007, 06:19 PM
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kaz,
Thierry's places (parisbestlodge)always look really nice and he seems very nice via email -- I always check his places out before ultimately deciding on something a little cheaper. One day, I might splurge...
Thierry's places (parisbestlodge)always look really nice and he seems very nice via email -- I always check his places out before ultimately deciding on something a little cheaper. One day, I might splurge...
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