tripgirl

Hi all!

So soon (2013 or 2014, yes 1-2 yrs is soon in my book) DH and I will spend May and June living in Europe for each year to come after that! ( we've worked hard for this!)

So of course we will start with Paris as it's our fav!

Now when we come to Paris we are patrons of Guest Apartment Services and Paris Perfect( just so you know what we have been doing) and there's nothing to add how fab both companies are, but for 2 months our budget of $3000(low end) to $5000 per month(tippy top) won't fly for renting from PP and GAS for 2 months in high season( we are set on May and June, not living in Europe in low seasons).

Soooo....

While on research initially for apartments that eventually led me to PP and GAS, I've sorted through a ton of other agencies plus VRBO and Homeaway. I know there will be an apt that will work from 1( or 2 or 3 or more!) of these other sources

So dear fodorites what I need from you is recommendations based the criteria below if you have SPECIFIC apartments to recommend to help supplement my own continued research.

Here is our criteria for a 2 month stay. In addition I do certainly realize that as years go by prices will increase as well as apartments will go off the market,agencies will go out of business,etc.

Criteria:

Location: For living I have settled on the Marais (3 and 4) and the 11th.

My much preferred streets:

Marais:4th:

St Paul area,but prefer small streets than settling on Rue St Antoine
The streets directly around Place d Vosges: Rue Birague, Cour Benard, Rue Turenne

Marais 3:

Streets behind Place d Vosges: rue Verlomme, rue de Foin, rue DES Minimes, rue St Gilles, rue DES Tournelles

Further up:

Rue Charlot, Rue de Saintonge, rue Debelleyme, rue DES Arquebusiers, rue de Poitou, and all those little streets in this area of the above streets

11th:

The streets sandwiched in between blvd Beaumarchais and Richard Lenoir by both Chemin Vert and St sebastien Froissart &Filles Du Calvaire metros. Also like rue Sedaine, Rue de la Roquette and the small streets surrounding them, but want to be sure we are not on top or directly next to a noisy bar or restaurant as I know this area is fun, fun, fun, but can be noisy.

The Apartment itself

50m2 or more but not too much less than50m2
1 bedroom with queen or king bed with nightstands with reading lights
Bedroom preferably facing courtyard,but not absolute requirement
Lots of storage space ( we are there for 2 months after all!)
A work desk would be great for DH as he'll be doing investment work and needs to work comfortably ( this 2 months is for living,not a typical vacation, so life has to go on with some of our daily routines will stay intact)
A good sized kitchen, but I can work in a small but efficient kitchen. Just need some counter space, an oven, at least 2 burners, frig can be a mini
1 good sized bathroom, a plus if there is another bathroom with a shower and sink, but not absolutely necessary
1 TV
Would be nice to have stereo system if possible
Couch and at least one good chair in living room
No IKEA furnishings
No loud colors, prefer softer shades of decorating
Modern or traditional decor is fine, we like both styles


Don't need:

Elevator. We can climb and if no elevator, try for a 1-3 floor
A/C: So I can open more possibilities and keep cost down, we can forgo this. I know at anytime it can get very hot, but really for May and June we will be ok. A few fans are fine.

So anyway, just let me know your thoughts with specific apartments for a $3-5K a month all-inclusive ( preferably less than 5K). We know that we might have to pay extra for housekeeping, thats fine as that will be just like here at home!

Thanks a mil....!!!!

tripgirl

I know you all like going " apartment shopping" so appreciate your input!

PRLCH

We stayed in a very nice apartment which meets most of your requirements:
Euro 2500 a month
Rue St Gilles
Bedroom faces onto courtyard
Sufficient storage I believe
Desk (with WiFi)
Eat in Kitchen - compact but well equipped and efficient
1 nice sized bathroom

Not sure if it is 50sq m - I am hopeless with size but I would think it would be at least that.

Possibly you may not like the "couch" in the living room ...???

http://www.vrbo.com/79965#features

Good luck.

denisea

Have only rented from Paris Perfect, so I can't help there. But I am excited for you and well, just flat out envious! Sounds like a dream come true. Congrats and ENJOY!

tripgirl

PRLCH: yes I've seen that one before and would consider it, but you right I'm not sure about the couch, can you tell what it was like for you??

Denise: you are so very sweet, what a lovely thing to say!!

blh

I was also going to suggest the same apartment as PRLCH. We enjoyed our stay there - very convenient, etc. I don't believe it has air conditioning. The couch is actually two daybeds or twin beds which is great for sleeping two extra people. We only had two - but had thought it would be wonderful if we had other family members along. It is probably not as comfortable for sitting as a regular sofa. So that would be something to consider. On the website, it says the size is about 600 sq. ft. Overall, we thought it was a great value.

tripgirl

Blh: thanks a mil....

What were the owners like to with? Are the day beds comfy? How did you fare with the kitchen? Anything else you can tell that worked well or did not work well

I love the location!

blh

Sorry I'm just now seeing your questions, tripgirl. The owners were great - they live upstairs and were very helpful. We didn't do any heavy cooking in the kitchen - but there seemed to be plenty of supplies for what we needed. We brought food in several times and always ate breakfast in the apartment. Just a half block to a good patisserie. Also a small grocery store on the corner.

The day beds were comfy enough - but not as good as a sofa for sitting, of course. From the looks of the photos on the website, it appears they have added a chair in the living area and some large pillows or bolsters to one of the day beds which would make it more comfortable. The apartment is very roomy - has lots of space - and would accomodate a family easily. The location was great - so convenient to the Metro.

PRLCH

Hi Tripgirl
This is what I wrote on my trip report when we got back

PARIS APARTMENT– We stayed in a lovely apartment in Paris near Place des Vosges (http://www.vrbo.com/79965 ). Once again, a great find, and we would definitely stay there again!! The apartment sleeps 4 – a master bedroom with a queen bed and two beds in the living room. It is equipped with lovely linen, has plenty of kitchen utensils, free WiFi and a “welcome pack” of fruit, chocolate, biscuits and soft drinks. One day Madame Jagou very kindly dropped off some French pastries for us too - yum! There is a bakery and a supermarket close by, the apartment is very quiet as it faces onto a courtyard, and it is well located to the metro – Chemin Vert is very close, although we often used to walk a couple of blocks further (still close by) to Bastille as it was a better connect line. There is also a bus stop almost out the front.

tripgirl

so many thanks

nancy1652

You might want to look at Airbnb. They have a lot of apartments in the Marais within your budget. I haven't rented from them yet, but am thinking about it.

Soljet

I second that. www.airbnb.com or try www.craigslist.org under sublet

Joanne67

These folks specialize in apartments in the Marias. We used them for a short stay and loved our place. Not sure how it works out for longer stays.

http://www.parisautrement.com/en/par...ent-apartments