I'm no expert, but I'll get the ball rolling so the Paris experts will see this post.

I think the location depends on the ages/interests of the girls. Of those above, I would prefer one of the two in the St. Germain area. I may be very wrong, but I don't think of the 1st/7th having as much activity after dark (and I don't mean clubbing--just lots of open restaurants, people walking around, etc.). Though if that killer view of the ET is going to be important to your group, go for one of the apts in the 7th.

Also, I notice you haven't listed any apartments in the 3rd/4th (Marais) or 10th--areas that I think have more clubs, etc. for the younger age group (again, not knowing your age range). If you are going to be staying out late, keep in mind that the Metro closes at 1:15(wkdys)-2:15(fri/sat), so you might want an apartment close to the areas where you think you'll be going out.

Good luck with your hunt! In your price range I'm sure you won't have trouble finding something nice and well-located. And there are people on this board that can tell you exactly how many steps to the closest Monoprix from any of these apartments

Thanks. Maybe I should not have used the term "girls" - we are way past the clubbing age but we are active and young at heart!
We want to be in a good neighborhood that is safe, and that has little food stalls, markets, shops, restaurants and such.
I have never been to Paris before so I consider anyone who has been a few times or knows the areas well to be an expert compared to me. I welcome any and all opinions please!

I will look for the link but this past summer we stayed at an amazing apartment just steps from the Eiffel Tower. It was sooo nice and in your price range. Look at homeaway. com and the apartment is a two bedroom on rue de montessuey. Awesome.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p213025


Here is the link!
LOVE the apt and locations!!!!

I use the term "girls" for my girls, too (at 40-ish), so I get you! Generally, any of the apts you listed look good and are in good areas. Again, I'll let others who know the neighborhoods better comment on proximity to markets, shops, restaurants, etc. I'll just say that Paris, especially central Paris, is generally very safe (typical tourist precautions for pickpockets aside), so don't worry about safety in the area of any of the apts you show above, or any others you might find in central Paris.

All of us who love Paris have our favorite locations to stay. Ours is Ile St. Louis. It's so concenient to The Seine, the Metro, so many sights and restaurants on both the Left and Right Banks. The streets are lively at night and quite safe.

This is the service we've used with great success. Check out some of the 2 bedrooms, some of them are in your price range.

http://www.guestapartment.com/

Having a view of The Eiffel Tower is beautiful, but we prefer to be close to The Seine.

The homeaway apartment in the 1st that you chose has been recommended by a few Fodor's posters. If you do a search for Anselm Adorne's trip report, you'll find some nice descriptions of the apartment and the neighborhood. It was a few years ago.

We stayed with parisvacationapartments in the Palais Royal 3-bedroom. I can't say enough about the agency. The apartment was even better than it looked on-line. We liked the 1st though people often say it's too quiet at night and not residential. We didn't find this to be true necessarily, though it is more quiet than parts of the 4th-6th, there are lots of restaurants and you're within walking distance to many sites. Their apartment in the 6th looks very nice.

You've chosen beautiful places but unless you're set on an Eiffel Tower view, stay in a more central location than the 7th.

These apartments all look very nice. We have rented from Parisvacationapartments and ParisPerfect in the past and, in fact are renting from both this September, and were happy with both agencies. We have been communicating with the owner of the homeaway apartment recently for a vacation next year and have found her to be very responsive.

With 4 women, look at the configuration of the beds. We travel at times with our adult daughters and they prefer not to share a bed (if necessary, they'll share a king). Perhaps that may help to make a decision.

I like the Parisvacationapartment best. I like the idea of three bathrooms and three bedrooms with four women...where is the fourth person going to sleep?
It is a great company, great service, love the area the apartment is in,nicely decorated, I'd love to stay there with three friends!!

Thanks for all the comments and opinions - Keep them coming!! I will expand the search to other areas as well. Yes, the bed configuration is an issue. One person wants to have her own bed but others of us may be willing to share if the beds are king. The parisvacation apartments have great looking bathrooms! I sort of like the idea of a separate toilet and sink WC that could be used while others are in the shower. But the toilets need to be convenient because we are at the age where we have to get up in night.

I stayed with my family in a Paris Perfect Apartment and was very happy all the way around. We stayed in Chateau La Tour and there were five of us. A queen in one, 2 twins in another and a sleeper sofa in LR. NOT like the horrible sleepers with the metal bard in your back, but like a twin hiding in a sofa. The balcony stretched the length of the apartment and had an amazing view of the ET. We found it very conveniently located, but with young kids had no need for night life. We thought the thrill of the view would be enough for them and it was. All of us could see the ET twinkling at night from our beds. Plenty of room, wonderful apartment and building. I would use them again in a heart beat. Enjoy whatever you decide.

Well, I have looked some more and found these to add to my list:
http://www.parisperfect.com/apartments-for-rent-in-paris/chassagne.php This in the 6th

and this one in the 5th
http://www.parisperfect.com/apartments-for-rent-in-paris/chassagne.php Has anyone stayed here??

I found Anselm's thread about the homeaway apt and it sounds good too. And the neighborhood sounds fine to me.

Being close to the metro and having neighborhood restaurants is important to us as well.

OOPS _ I was careless with my cut and paste! I meant to ask if anyone has stayed in the Paris Perfect Chassagne apt?

And I meant to say I found this nice one in the 5th
http://www.guestapartment.com/properties/2_bedrooms/gloriosa.html Has anyone stayed here??

Keep those comments and suggestions coming! I appreciate your help!

I've stayed in the Chassagne apartment. It is in a great location. We loved the location!! Sleeping for 4 women might be a challenge, though, as the master bedroom has a queen sized bed and the second bedroom has a queen which can be separated to twins but the room is extremely small. Our adult daughters had this room and had to keep their luggage in the dining room. The room basically only contained the beds.
With 4 women I would try to find an apartment with 2 somewhat equal bedrooms. Have you looked at parisvacationapartments other apartments. They seem to have more real king sized beds which make sharing more palatable.

Hi Sara, I've stayed at both PP's Paulliac and HomeAway #143450. They are both beautiful apartments indeed, with excellent management. I much prefer this area of the 7th to the 1st for strolling to restaurant dinners and ease of marketing, but if les grands magasins are more your thing, then the HomeAway flat is just a stone's throw. Truly, both are central with good access to bus or metro. With four women, you'll want to look carefully at the floor plans and make sure the 2 baths and 2 wc are conveniently located. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have specific to these two flats. Have fun in your search - EJ

Thanks Judy and ElsieJune for your replies. I didnt realize that the Chassagne apt was that cramped as the sq footage seems rather spacious compared to some of the others. One of the challenges I am facing is that one of the ladies wants her own bed. If there are just 2 kings in the place, there needs to be another bed or sofabed or something for her to use.

Yes, Judy I have been looking at the parisvacation apts and some of them are great.
http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/index.php/en/our-apartments-pva-paris/2-bedroom-paris-pva-paris/64-palais-royal-luxury-2-bedroom-3rd-floor.html This one would work and the floor plan looks okay although I don’t think the BRs or baths are as pretty as some of the others.

This one would work I think (someone might need to sleep on the couch!)and the baths are convenient to the BRs. http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/index.php/en/our-apartments-pva-paris/2-bedroom-paris-pva-paris/66-saint-germain-charming-2-bedroom.html

The Invalides/St Germain one is pretty but the bathrooms/WC are all the way across the apt from one of the BRs and there is no sofa bed or extra bed for the one who wont share a bed…..

The one where you stayed is really nice but alas, out of our budget!

ElsieJune - I can barely see the floor plan of the Homeaway Apt but it looks like one bathroom is ensuite and the other is across from the second bedroom. Is that correct? Did you or any of your group sleep on the sofabed?

Re the Paulliac, it looks like there is an extra powder room by the kitchen - is that correct? And did the apt feel crowded for 4 people? Two would be in the king bed and the other two in the twins. It says it has 1450 sq feet which is twice the size of some of of the PP apts with the Eiffel view!

I know we have lots of time to find an apt so not concerned about it but I love looking! I have a Portugal/Spain trip this May that I should be researching but somehow this seems more fun on a cold day!
Thanks!!

We stayed in the Paris Vacation Apartments Palais Royal 3rd floor, 2 bedroom and LOVED it! We would stay there again. in a heartbeat.

Configuration: It is a 2 bedroom with Queen beds. The two baths are both very nice. I usually pick the large or nice one for me and give the kids the other... and I debated between both! Ended up using the one opposite the 1st bedroom as we used that as the master. The couches - we never folded them out - instead, they were very deep and we just gave the kid that slept there a blanket and pillow and they made a little bed and snuggled in.

The building is great - you have to go in from the street, but when leaving, there is a door that leads directly into the Palais Royal - I loved coming home at night walking through Palais Royal before cutting back into the street at one of the entrances to then walk into the building. We felt very safe and secure and didn't notice any particularly loud neighbors. We did hear the upstairs apartment one evening - but nothing loud, just footsteps.

I love this area - I just feel so central to many places in Paris. I also love to photograph at night, so we would put kids to bed and I'd sneak out at sunset to the Louvre for photos (see my profile). It is also easy to stop during the day and drop things off.

There is wireless! and a washer/dryer (which I used nightly). About 2 blocks away - through some side streets is a Monoprix with groceries in the basement floor. We've shopped there a few different times and it is a nice option to have it so convenient.

Paris Vacation apartments ? I thought they were great - they were waiting for us at the apartment and she apologized and had noticed a few lightbulbs that had burned out. The maintenance guy stopped by the next day to fix them. They also left fresh croissants and flowers which are a nice little 'welcome to Paris' treat! The last day, we had special ordered a taxi since we were five people. They came to check us out and take the keys and he waited with us until the taxi came to ensure that it was one that could handle 5 people and we wouldn't be stranded. I was impressed with that.

Overall, we thought it was a great apartment - it is nice to have the kitchen open to the living space and the kitchen table is right there, so you can converse with others while you are cooking/putzing in the kitchen. It also has a dishwasher, which is nice, because who wants to wash dishes ?!? The seating/couches are very comfortable and can handle 4 people easily - that is one caution I will give you. When I was looking at other apartments, some will really only have one couch and others need to sit at kitchen chairs. We also liked the entrance - there was a little space and shelves to drop keys/books, leave shoes etc. Some apartments are so tight there really isn't room, and this was great.

Sorry for the rambling, but we were very happy with them and the location!

Thanks for the review,Surfmom! Lots of people like that agency.

Were there lots of restaurants, stores, galleries around that area? And was it close to Metro?

Also the website says (twice) that there are king beds but you say that they are really Queens?

sara, I'm not sure about bed size - if they say they are Kings, I would imagine they are. I honestly don't pay attention - I just know that we weren't squished!

Restaurants, stores, galleries ? Not sure how to answer that - because we ate in at night and were out and about during the day. I would say that there is less to do in that area than the Marais, but more to do than the 7th.

Le Grand Vefour is right there and gets great reviews - there is also a restaurant on the ground floor, so it would be a great place to stop nightly for a drink and appetizers.

this might be it ? http://www.restaurantdupalaisroyal.com/?action=galerie

http://www.grand-vefour.com/en/navigation.htm

There is an Italian place at the end of the street, where the road turns. Finally, you are about a block from Galerie Vivienne, which is a wonderful little covered gallery with some neat shops in it.

http://www.galerie-vivienne.com/

Obviously, you can head to rue Saint Honore -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_Saint-Honor%C3%A9

I can't say how far of a walk it is, since I have kids and I don't get time to shop! Here is also information about rue du Faubourg Saint Honore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_du_Faubourg_Saint-Honor%C3%A9

sara_j, I didn't mena to imply that the Chassagne apartment was cramped. It is one of the most spacious we've ever rented, just the bedrooms are small, one with a queen and one with twins that are right next to each other.
We've rented the Paris Vacation apt on the Palais Royal second floor. It had a queen and a true king as advertised. I believe if they say king it really is! We are renting their apt on Ile St Louis this fall with 2 kings.
The problem, to me, with someone using a sofa bed, is that you've lost the common space which is why most of us rent apartments. If someone gets up early or want so stay up late reading, that option doesn't work.

Shouldn't post before coffee! "mena" is mean and "want so" should read wants to.

Sara, you may want to ask PVA about the beds. The kings "may" be two twins together. I can't remember. All I remember is that I slept very well.

Sara, The HomeAway apt. has a very nice floor plan. We were 5 adults and very comfortable. One used the study as a bedroom, mother/daughter slept in the 1st bedroom (bath w/wc across the hall) and one couple slept in the master (w/ensuite bath). This meant that the living room was always tidy and available. The beds, however, are all queen-size, if memory serves. Truly beautiful planted balconies, with a view on rue des Petits Champs. The Paulliac is on a lovely quiet street right off the busy rue St.Dominique, with a small balcony and top of the Eiffel Tower view. There's plenty of room for 4 people, as the living room space is quite large (with sofabed if needed). One bedroom has two twins made into a king if desired and the other bedroom has a queen with bathroom ensuite. This bathroom has only shower and basin - the wc for this bathroom is really what looks like the powder room next to the kitchen. The second bathroom (across the hall from both bedrooms) is a full bath. BTW, although the configuration might not be the best for 4 people, these are the loveliest bathrooms I've seen in apt rentals. Hope this helps. EJ

Thanks you guys.
Yes, Judy you are right about the sofabed and would like to avoid that if possible. And I will ask the agencies about space for luggage and drawers or amoires/drawers to store clothes....
cw, Yes good idea to check with PVA about the bed configuration and whether any of the kings split into two beds.
Thanks ElsieJune for answering the questions. Not sure either the Homeaway or Paulliac would work due to the bed and/or bath configurations.

I found this one today which would work (Both beds convert to singles and the baths are close by the BRs)
http://www.athomeinfrance.com/ah116.htm Shown here too
http://www.vrbo.com/206290
It is not as gorgeous as some others I have seen but location sounds okay and definitely in price range.

I will keep looking and working on my list - I am sure we will find something to make everyone happy! Meantime, if you think of any more please let me know!!

Thanks for the help!!
Sara

That apartment looks like it has everything you need!

Here's another. We've considered this apartment before. Once a year I usually spend a week with my adult daughters and an occasional friend in Paris and have several requirements....separate beds, good location, AC if it might remotely be needed, comfortable seating for the number of people going and good lighting.

http://www.vrbo.com/124960

Gorgeous is great if you can get it(and I certainly prefer it) but functional is more important for me

Thanks Judy, that one looks good too and I will add to my list. I think that I have not been focused enough on the basic needs for 4 women re the beds, convenience of baths etc and was more into how pretty the apt was and whether it had a view or a balcony. You guys have helped me reset the priorities and have been very helpful!

Sara_j of all that you are looking at, if you have 2 of your group that don't mind sharing a bed, the homeaway 143450 would be my choice. It has the requisite beds, central AC, fair price, good location, very nice decor AND a balcony. Just don't book it when I want it!

Yes, I love that apt and it is one of favs but the beds are only 140 cm which is 4'7". That is smaller than my queen bed and a lot smaller than my king. Don't think anyone would want to share a bed if it is smaller than a king. BUMMER!
The search continues!

It looks like the GLORIOSA apt. you were looking at from Guest Apartment has the beds and baths you were looking for.

IMO, you will LOVE being right on The Seine and again Phillipe and Tom at the service are great to work with. Their office is right on The Ile and they will help with any reservations, tours, etc. From the original email on the service was top knotch.

Good Luck!

Yes, thanks, it is lovely and I like it alot. It is on my short list which has gotten very short after I reviewed the bed and bath configurations of some I picked out earlier! Love the views!

I just found this one this looks pretty nice too:

http://www.vrbo.com/56696 2 King beds, one can be twins, also room with bunks - not sure a adult could use? It is spacious with 1600 sq feet, a sitting room, wi-fi and a computer, plus a family room with sofas. WC is down the hall a little bit from the bedrooms but otherwise looks very good. Close to the Seine and the views and neighborhood look nice to me but I don’t know much about Paris! I really like it from what I see and it gets good reviews.

Another good location, but given the choice, I'd be closer to Notre Dame. Just my opinion, of course.

Thanks TPAYT, and BTW I enjoyed your trip report from 2008! Sounds like you had a great time and ate some delicious dinners!

I haven't looked at the others you are considering, but want to put in another strong recommendation for the Paris Vacation Apartments third floor deluxe double. We stayed in the three bedroom on the top two floors w/our 5 children (all in their 30s, one couple, 2 girls that shared a room, and one single on the sofabed). It was like we died and went to heaven. Four bathrooms, if you counted the powder room.

While there I looked at the two bedroom on the third floor and was equally impressed - it's beautiful. One of the things I particularly liked was the way that the bathrooms were located. The closest to the living area was across the hall from the bedroom, and the second bath was across from the second bedroom - with a door that could be closed off to make it an en-suite. That would work well for several women, as you could leave the "suite" door open and anyone could use both bathrooms (if you look at the floorplan you'll see what I mean).

The location is fabulous, so close to the #1 line along the river and easy to get almost anywhere. We felt perfectly safe and frankly pampered staying there. We ate at an Italian place on the garden (I think it was called Cafe Corrazza) which was very nice, cost in 2006 was 77 euros w/wine for 2 people. We're going to Paris in April and I'm looking at Willi's Wine Bar and the Restaurant du Palais Royal, both next to this PVA apartment.

And right around the corner on the Rue des Petits Champs is a wonderful little jewelry store called Babylone which I love! I hope it's still there.

Wow, have a great time planning this trip! What fun.

I can't help you with this, but would just recommend that if a king vs. queen is very important to you (which I think it is), you really need to ask the agency/landlord the size of the bed, don't just take their word for the size. It should be in cm, and a king is around 180 cm and a queen 160 cm in France. The problem is a lot of French agencies/hotels call bigger than usual "double" beds (which are 140 cm) "king" sometimes even when they are queen. They don't distinguish between those two terms sometimes. And two twins pushed together are not the same size as two twin American beds pushed together, it will probably be 180 cm, two 90 cm mattresses together (which are smaller than a US twin size bed).

Thanks Christina, good to know about the bed sizing and I will keep that in mind and ask more questions about the beds before we book. I did email PVA about whether the "king" beds could be separated and Clara responded that they could make them up separate (sheets) but not physically apart. She said that they could bring a fold out twin bed. I have asked if that is a rollaway or cot. Not sure if that option would be acceptable.

Iwan2GO - It sounds like you stayed in the Royal Luxury apt which is $5200/week in high season. I agree that is beautiful but it is about 700 over the max amount we think we will pay which is around 4500.....And we are really hoping to find something for around 4000 or so.

I kind of like these apartments too (except for the beds)

http://parisvacationapartments.com/index.php/en/our-apartments-pva-paris/2-bedroom-paris-pva-paris/129-saint-germain-luxury-2-bedroom.html

http://parisvacationapartments.com/index.php/en/our-apartments-pva-paris/2-bedroom-paris-pva-paris/66-saint-germain-charming-2-bedroom.html My favorite part of this one is the bathrooms - they look great!!

Thanks for your responses - I appreciate all the opinions and suggestions.

sara_j, I may have mentioned that I do a "girl's trip" once a year with my adult daughters and friends. None of us likes to share a bed, though my daughters will share a true king....I think they put extra pillows or blankets down the middle so the more restless sleeper stays on her side of the bed!

We were renting the PVA 2 bedroom apartment on the 1st floor (2nd American) I had the queen room and my daughters had the king. At the last minute a friend wanted to join us and PVA delivered a twin rollaway bed (had spring base and real mattress) Once opened it did look like a "real" bed.

The agency is great to work with.

I've never rented this apartment but did have it bookmarked as it can have 4 twin beds, has AC and a great location.
http://www.vrbo.com/124960

Thanks Judy - I have asked CLara to clarify if the rollaway has bedsprings and a mattress.

On the VRBO place, it does look nice but in the description it mentions AC in the living room. One or two of us may need it at night in the bedrooms due to our ages and the accompanying biological changes! I know, TMI......

sara-j - you may have already made your selection, but if not, you may want to take a look at this apartment on Rue Malar in the 7th:
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.php?location=malar-2nd-floor
We stayed there with another couple for a week in October and highly recommend it. THe neighborhood is very safe and quiet with great restaurants nearby. It's about 2 blocks from the Seine with close by Metro stations. At least one, but I think both beds can be made into twins. It's also FAR less expensive than any Paris Perfect apt that we've looked at. The same agency has other apts available including one 1 floor higher than this one in the same building. Good luck!

Thanks Janice! No decisions made yet as we prabably aren't going till spring or fall of 2013 now (like to plan ahead!) Just gathering information and saving it to a word document.
That apt looks nice as well as the other 2 BR in the same building.
I also really like this one with the nice terrace!
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.php?location=rue-du-champs-de-mars
It is on VRBO too and has a lot of good reviews http://www.vrbo.com/55374

Adding to my list for sure!
Thanks,
Sara

I'm not sure when you plan to reserve an apartment for your September 2012 or 2013 vacation but my wife, 12 year old granddaughter and I will be staying in Pauillac for a week this June. After a fairly extensive search and for a variety of reasons (location, layout, decor, balcony, A/C, huge size, rental agency) we felt Pauillac was right for our situation. I will definitely post a trip report describing our experience at Pauillac for you to consider if you haven't made a decision by then.

Thanks John! I will be very interested to read your trip report and your impressions of the Pauillac. As you know, researching apartments is a really time-consuming task, especially when you are trying to please several people!!
Have been looking at my list again and rethinking some of them. I believe that we need to get as much living space as we can afford. I know that after a day of sightseeing, we will want to relax and have a glass of wine and snacks before dinner (or a couple of nights we might want to eat in). There are some apts where I can see us doing that and other apts where it would not be as pleasant due to size of the LR/dining room.

I've been to Paris half a dozen or more times in September, which I prefer for the nicest weather, during my 50's. It's highly unlikely you'll need air conditioning. I can recall only one day it would have been nice to have, but only if we'd spent the afternoon in our apartment with southwest exposure late afternoon when the sun was shining in.

As you can see, four twin beds will be a challenge. Your options are greater if someone won't mind a sofa bed or you can all agree to rotate.

While shopping for apartments is great fun, know that September, in particular, is very popular and typically booked way ahead. I have experience with Paris Perfect and know reserving more than a year in advance is often necessary, especially for a specific property.

Know that calendars on rental websites, VRBO specifically, are not usually kept up to date. So, when you get serious about booking, you have to inquire and not assume availability.

Note also that a deposit of 50% of the total rental is typically required (with properties at this level) to confirm a booking and is generally non-refundable.

A tricky aspect of selecting dates for an apartment booking that far ahead is that you have fixed travel dates, which gives you less flexibility with air fares.

Travel insurance is highly recommended when booking an apartment, though it does not cover everything.

Just some things to think about.

The trip will most likely be Sept of 2013 due to various commitments and significant anniversaries a couple of us have. Spouses would most likely be cranky if we missed an anniversary for a girlfriend trip!
Oh, yes I am firm believer in travel insurance as I have had to use it on a couple of trips so will definitely get that.
There are a couple of us who are willing to share queen or larger beds and maybe sofabed would also be option for someone. I have found several now that I think will work thanks to some of the suggestions here.

I recommend you try Untours:
http://www.untours.com/

We have used then 4 times (twice to Switzerland, and twice to Paris). I highly recommend this company. Check out their apartments.

Take a look under Luxury Apartments at vacationinparis.com
The apt # ID210 is on Rue St. Andre des Arts in the 6th Arrondissement (St. Germain). We usually stay in a 1-bdrm on this street. it is a great location -- close to wonderful bistros, cafes, restaurants, market, Notre Dame & ND Plaza (lots of street entertainment - free!), the Seine, and the Latin Quarter, the metro, the RER train, etc. I'd love to go with another couple to stay in this apt. Have rented from this group before and very pleased. They are out of New Jersey.

Thanks for your suggestions - will look into those.
Sara

I haven't stayed in any of the apts, since they are WAY out of my budget, but, I go to Paris every year and have to agree with several people, the more central the better. My FIRST choice of arrondissements would be the 3rd, 4th or 5th. Second choice would be 1st, 2nd and 6th. That's IT. Many, many of the sites you want to see will be within walking distance, and since you are starting in the center, nothing is very far. All of these areas are extremely safe and lively (2nd is probably the least lively at night and would be my last choice of the ones I mentioned above). Selection of restaurants and shopping will be wider in these areas. And, Sept is usually my favorite time time to go -- weather is usually warm and sunny (but not too hot). This year it was awful! Rained every day and it might have gotten up to the 60s ONE DAY (out of 15). Mostly in the 30s and 40s. That is very unusual, but be forewarned. -Ronda

I haven't stayed in any of the apts, since they are WAY out of my budget, but, I go to Paris every year and have to agree with several people, the more central the better. My FIRST choice of arrondissements would be the 3rd, 4th or 5th. Second choice would be 1st, 2nd and 6th. That's IT. Many, many of the sites you want to see will be within walking distance, and since you are starting in the center, nothing is very far. All of these areas are extremely safe and lively (2nd is probably the least lively at night and would be my last choice of the ones I mentioned above). Selection of restaurants and shopping will be wider in these areas. And, Sept is usually my favorite time time to go -- weather is usually warm and sunny (but not too hot). This year it was awful! Rained every day and it might have gotten up to the 60s ONE DAY (out of 15). Mostly in the 30s and 40s. That is very unusual, but be forewarned. -Ronda

Sara,
I have been in the rentafrance/rue-du-champs-de mars apartment and feel that the living area is a little too tight for 4 persons. I have stayed in the ParisPerfect Romanee, St Emilion and Bordeaux(there is an internal spiral staircase in this apartment) and feel that these may better fit your needs.I have also seen the Sancerre and that might work for you, I just don't remember the bed situation. Also, there are a multitude of very good, affordable restaurants in the 7th and the transportation is also great for the busses and the metro.
Have fun planning.

Mrs. Laidback

Thanks Mrs Laidback – I agree that the living/dining room area of Rue-du-Champs is too small for 4 of us. I have that on a contingency list for 2 people. There are 2 of us for sure who are going and we have 2 or 3 more who are very interested. But we will see if they drop out when it comes time to cough up the $$$ for the deposit and travel insurance!
For the 4 of us, right now I really like the Paulliac because the sofabed area can be curtained off to make a private sleeping area. From the description of that location, it sounds pretty lively to me and near the metro. The Bordeaux is also on my list but I am wondering how tricky that staircase could be after a couple of glasses of wine. The Bordeaux could work although the square footage is much smaller than the other two. I also like a few of the PVA ones very much as well for 3 or 4 of us.
I think the Gloriosa from Guest Apartments is fabulous too but Philippe told me they do not rent more than six months in advance. That wouldn’t work for us because we need to book our FF miles 330 days in advance or something.
There are a couple I like from VRBO that are managed by www.parisdeluxeapartments.com . They are probably quite legit but can’t find many reviews out there for them so think I would prefer to deal with one of the larger well-known agencies.
Anyway, I have a good list for the 4 of us and will be discussing it with my friend who is going for sure. After we decide on a couple of them we will figure out how much money needs to be put in right now and see if the others are willing to commit with their $$$! Hope so!!
Thanks for all the help and opinions, suggestions.
Sara

In addition to the Bordeaux, I also meant the Merlot could work although smaller. The other PP places didnt work due to beds or WCs or prices.....

Update on this thread! We have booked an apartment for Sept 2012 and I am so excited! This is the apt we chose: http://www.vrbo.com/206290 and also here:
www.parisdeluxerentals.com

We like it because the beds all separate into twins and it has 2 baths, one full one is ensuite and the other across the hall from the other B/R with a shower and sink and a separate wc with toilet and another sink which will be good for 4 women getting ready to go out.
I found several good reviews of the apt and agency on Tripadvisor and a good detailed review of the apt here
http://www.ourparisforum.com/index.cgi?board=apartments&action=display&thread=3940

Next step will be booking FF award tickets in Oct and then lots of reading these boards and researching guidebooks etc.
Thanks, just wanted to share this apt news with everyone!

Sara