trvlgirlmq

Ok, so we are trying to plan a trip to Paris for next Summer. Most likely early July. I have been searching through apartment threads and looked at many of the websites listed here on Fodors. We are 2 adults and 3 kids with a budget. We will cook all of our breakfasts and dinners in and eat lunches/treats on the cheap (if we can). Our plan is 10 nights so we can see everything we want on a slower pace. I, unfortunately, made a joke about Mickey in front of a 7 year old and we will be spending a lovely day at Disneyland. That's a huge chunk of our budget.

So I am asking all of our resident Paris experts about this address/neighborhood. Here is the link to the listing:

http://vacationinparis.com/apts/id_50.htm

The apartment itself is atrocious but it is within our budget. I would love to be able to stay somewhere a little nicer, better bathroom and kitchen but from my research we will save about $800 with this place as opposed to the apartment we actually like.

Thanks for any input.

Michel_Paris

Location wise, not bad. Good access to Metro. The market street Montorgueil is sort-of nearby.

Viajero2

Why do you say it is atrocious? It has a good review. They seem honest (state clearly there is no clothes dryer which traveling with a young child you need to rethink about that...).

Use Google Earth maps. Type in the address and get a street view. I did and it looks fine.... (?)

trvlgirlmq

I only say it is atrocious because the decor leaves something to be desired. I am not an Art Deco fan, the kitchen table has plastic chairs the bedspreads look very worn and the only seating I see in the living area is a futon. Also, the shower doesn't look inviting and is probably going to be a hassle having to share with a kid so they can have their hair washed.

I checked Google and did the street view but since I am not familiar with Paris I wanted some feedback. I noticed the small grocery next door which will be convenient.

Would this location be more convenient? It would be $400 more for the 10 days so not sure if it would be worth it unless the location/neighborhood is better/safer for 2 women and 3 kids.

http://vacationinparis.com/apts/id_03.htm

I had really wanted to stay in the 3rd/4th so we could walk to many museums/attractions. I also thought we would be better situated to find challah for Shabbat on the Friday we would be there.

sap

Hi, trvlgirl: Your post is interesting to me since we are in the same predicament (traveling early next June as 2 adults and 1 kid on a budget b/cause 3 other kids are in college - tuitions are killin' us). Fortunately, we might be able to squeeze into a studio, but the apartments I prefer are slightly above our range, too, so I feel for you on that.

This one you are talking about doesn't look too bad at all (though I couldn't find a photo of the bathroom or kitchen). I'm afraid Viajero's right about the dryer, though.

Please let us know what you decide and how it turns out. When do you think you might book? That's my own question (and sorry to sort of hijack your thread with it), but: "How early should one book a Paris apt?"

P.S.: What a sweet mom to give in on Disneyland. Hope they appreciate it!

sap

Oh, I see: "Click here for more photos." Duh. Well, in that case, the second apt looks much better for sure. Like Viajero said, try using Google Maps Street View to get a sense of the area (and it'll show what restaurants, etc. are in the neighborhood). I find that feature is invaluable for travel planning.

FWIW, I think I would prefer the 7th, but that's just me. There seems to be a wide range of Fodorite opinion on that!

trvlgirlmq

sap - I was thinking of booking next month so about 12 months out. The budget has been a killer. We know 5 airfares are going to be high so are trying to save on the ground costs fixed early and as cheap as possible. We have looked at so many apts and really care more about the location (safe, easy transport, etc) than the decor, well sort of. We do want to be comfortable! Haven't had much luck finding a dryer.

Yeah, I'm a peach considering we are going to Walt Disney World in Florida for school break in October. Why can't I keep my irreverent mouth shut? Those kids better put me in a good nursing home someday!

trvlgirlmq

sap - Wasn't sure about the 7th. I think it gets mixed reviews here. I know it's a Rick Steves fave because he touts Rue Cler. I thought the street area (especially the park) was nicer in the 2nd. My mother, the other adult, didn't like it for some reason. It did look kind of quiet.

We have about a month before we want to make our decision.

trafaelwyr

Hi trvlgirlmq!

What sort of budget do you have for you lodging choices? The reason I ask is that with all the apartment sites out there (vrbo, vacationsinparis, etc), there might be another option out there for you. I'm headed over to Paris in July and really had to weed through A LOT of choices (where is the apt located? what floor is it on? how many people can it sleep? etc). It became so much so that I had to create a spreadsheet with a breakdown of a variety of things to help me decide. But it was all worth the effort in the end. I thought there were going to be 4 people going, but it's only 3. That being said, this is the apartment we're renting http://www.vrbo.com/123825. Anyways, if you would like a copy of the spreadsheet I did, let me know as I think there might be something there of interest!

sap

trafaelwyr: Could I please have a copy of that spreadsheet, too? It sounds like a fabulous way to go about it!

trvlgirlmq

trafaelwyr - Gorgeous apartment.

We were trying to keep our budget at $150/night but could probably go to $180/night and still have an enjoyable trip. Thank goodness the kids are free at the major museums and most of the sites. We are splurging and going to Disney and want to do the Fat Bike Tour. Both attractions for 5 are pretty expensive so we are trying to keep the budget down in other places like eating in for most meals.

I was trying to keep our list of choices to sites that have prices in USD. With currency fluctuation I won't know what the final price is in Euros until payment is due and if things turn around we could be facing a problem in our budget. So sites like VRBO, Homeaway and some others would be tricky.

Please do send the spreadsheet. I'm sure it will assist us!

trvlgirlmq at yahoo dot com

Many thanks.

sap

And trafaelwyr, I'm at:

papandsap at sbcglobal dot net.

trvlgirlmq: I just glanced at your page (cute pic BTW). Are you going to the Dordogne after Paris? We're doing Paris, Provence & the Lot/Dordogne at almost exactly the same time next summer (though I'm thinking about pulling my kid out of school a week early to beat the crowds). Maybe we'll cross paths!

trvlgirlmq

Thanks. That was our second trip to Oahu. I have a theme of getting the kids from the back.

Just going to Paris. Moving around bumps our costs. We would love to do Dordogne (on my wish list) but having to get a rental car would be cost prohibitive. We could probably afford to do a week but since Europe is a huge treat for us we like to do at least 10 days.

Our plan right now is to depart on Sunday, July 3 to arrive on the 4th and return home on the 14th.

apersuader65

You may want to look at http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_01.htm
I think it would be worth giving them a call about 5 persons since three are children. They seem to be very reasonable. The bathroom in it is similar to what you've mentioned. It's a block from Montorgueil, two blocks from Les halles, very centrally located. We stayed there in 2006 and enjoyed it.

trafaelwyr

hi sap and trvlgirlmq,

I've just emailed the spreadsheet to you. My email is (just so that it won't end up in the trash) begins with a "c" and ends with "21" and is a hotmail email. I've left everything as is in the spreadsheet (bolds, highlights, etc). Hope you can use some of the info!

trvlgirlmq

Thanks. I'll check it out when I get back from my walk.

sap

It really is amazing, trafaelwyr. Thanks so much! (I showed my DH and he said, "Wow, someone who's more anal than you are!." Seriously, though, that's a compliment.

d_claude_bear

I apologize for this comment being a little off-topic, but I need to respond to "Wasn't sure about the 7th. I think it gets mixed reviews here. I know it's a Rick Steves fave because he touts Rue Cler."

We have been to Paris five times, the last three being for 4 weeks each. We have spent time all over Paris, every arrondissement, every medium-sized park, almost every market street, etc. IMO rue Cler is interesting and worth one visit for about 1.5 hours. Rick Steves' books and videos offer a lot of useful info, but his infatuation with rue Cler needs to be put into perspective. No one should choose where to stay because of its proximity to rue Cler.

trafaelwyr

@ sap - thanks! Haha...yeah...I know the spreadsheet is a bit broken down with info, but that was a few weeks worth of work in trying to find just the right place. My sister and I are taking our mother over to Paris as her 70th birthday present (birthday was last week), so I wanted to make sure we had a good location and the place would be top notch (not to mention with little to no stairs to walk up). You might note that one of the places marked "we stayed there" was a vacationsinparis.com rental. Two of my sisters and I stayed in that particular apartment in Dec '08 - Jan '09. Nice little apartment and an excellent location.

trvlgirlmq

trafaelwyr - OMG, the "we stayed here" apt is the one we actually like but puts us over budget. We have been trying not to look at it too often so we don't get envious. It's a matter of $400 which to some wouldn't be much but we really try to stick to our guns on money issues. What to do, what to do? Did you really love it? The street looks pretty amazing with lots of shops, restaurants (not that we would be eating at any of them), etc.

Our 2nd choice is the blvd de Grenelle apt that has an oven. Since we will do a lot of cooking that is a huge bonus. I just don't like the look of the street but hotels in the area get good reviews and those people say the area is safe, etc.