wky123

Hi,
I'm choosing between two apartments in two different areas in Paris for a stay in August. (Vacation in Paris) I have some ideas about the areas in general but would like to get some advice about the immediate neighborhoo especially if they are close to shops and restaurants. Will appreciate any advice.

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_51.htm
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_167.htm

Also none of these have air conditioning as all the a/c apartments are booked. I find another agency Paris Hideaway with some a/c apartments available but have not found any reviews about that agency. Does anyone have any experience with Paris Hideaway or its apartments.

Thanks.

djkbooks

You may want to do a search on the TripAdvisor forum where I've seen reviews for Paris Hideaway.

slangevar

Rambuteau is a fun, if loud area, but I would definitely go for the second apartment between the two.

The first apartment is on the 4th floor (5th floor by American standards), so heat wave or not, you'll be hiking up five flights of stairs every day to get to your place.

Seamus

Of the two I'd favor the second as the first requires climbing four flights of stairs.
Have you looked at other places? For August in Paris I would sure like to have AC. Take a look at www.holiday-rentals.co.uk where you can use the advanced search option to limit to places with AC. I'd also take a look on Paris craigslist for vacation rentals.

bailey6325

wky - I just recently rented from Paris Hideaways and I really enjoyed working with them. By clicking on my screen name, you'll see a report that I wrote entitled:

"Just back from Paris - feedback on our apt, tips, and photos"

I'm sorry - I tried to put the link here, but I can never get it to work for some reason. I have a review of the apartment in the report as well as links to the agency's website.

cw

wky,

Of the two apartments you listed, I would take the second one, on the Rue de Lille. Even if the long climb wasn't an issue for the first apartment, it is on the building's top floor and without a/c is probably quite hot in August.

Sorry, have no experience with Paris Hideaways.

Do ask VIP if the apartments have fans available.

CW

Christina

I like the first one best, actually. I think they are both okay, but the first one looks a lot more comfortable and homey to me. Unlike most of these places, the couch actually looks comfortable. The TV isn't much, of course, but is a small set and that should be adequate on a vacation.

Also, I would personally never rent an apartment on a ground floor, so that would rule that out for me, but that's up to you. Because that is an American agency, they should be quoting floors in American terms (if not, they are being misleading, of course), so I think the first one should be the fourth Am. floor. It's a bit higher than I'd like without elevator (I've had two that were third floor, and that didn't bother me, really), but I still like it better. Now the other one is cold and unattractive to me, but the fact that it does have tiles on the floor and is ground floor could mean it would be cooler in August, though.

But the deciding factor would be that one is $185 a night and the other $250, right? No way I'd pay $65 more per night for that one near Musee d'Orsay on a ground floor.

Their description is off on the Rambuteau one as Rambuteau is the closest metro, not Hotel de Ville. But you can see that, and that really gives you two different line choices, the distance isn't that different.

slangevar

Christina's comment about the number of floors appears to be incorrect - VIP is listing the floors in European format, meaning that you need to add a floor (i.e. instead of 4, it's actually 5 floors up).

Source: Slowtrav review. Reviewer noted that their apartment was on the "6th floor (7th floor European)" while VIP's site said:

"The apartment is located on the 6th floor"

slangevar

Sorry for the multiple posts... I was just wondering if you (wky123) have checked out an agency called Rent Paris (http://www.rentparis.com/availibilities.php?l=en)?

I rented an apartment from them last summer and had a great experience. No bad surprises; no hidden fees or misleading photos. Plenty of great service.

Just thought I'd mention it in case they happen to have an affordable apartment with A/C.

wky123

Thanks for all the advice so far. You're all really helpful. I did contact many agencies but Vacation in Paris is one of the few that came back with some availabilities for my dates (Another one is Paris Hideaway) for our budget (under 150 euro per night)

I just emailed to Paris Hideaway again to check on a few apartments they sent me. One of them is in the Montorgueil area and a couple are in the Marais area close to Metro stop Rambuteau and Arts et Metiers. Does any have any advice re these neighborhoods?
http://studio.provaction.com/paris/MODIGLIANIuk2.html
http://studio.provaction.com/paris/VIEUXPARISuk2.html

http://studio.provaction.com/paris/PASTOURELLEuk2.html

Thanks again

slangevar

Those areas aren't actually that far from each other... I'd stay in either, since they're both fairly central and vibrant.

I find the Les Halles area a little sketchy in parts, but I think Montorgueil is near a lovely church and park where parents play with their children.

Go for the apartment you like best... just be wary of any apartment on the 3rd floor (4th floor European) or above. The staircases are usually tight and walking up them can get old really fast (even if you're interested in exercise).

WillTravel

Third floor European = Fourth floor American.

With European buildings, ground floor is 0, then you go up to 1, etc.

With American buildings, ground floor is 1, then you go up to 2, etc.

djkbooks

For me, when staying in an apartment, especially, it's best to be near several bus routes (with at least one that runs every day and until midnight) and GREAT food shopping - especially shops with pre-prepared foods, as even with a kitchen I don't want to gather ingredients and cook, except for simple dishes with fresh vegetables, seafood, etc., picked up from one of the magnificent markets.

We rarely use the metro. But, beware of stops on routes where one transfer or more is required to get to where you're going most of the time.

No elevator would definitely not work for us. After being out and about all day every day, the fewer steps the better - from the bus stop.

Staying in an apartment, we love to run out for fresh pastries, breads, in the morning. And, it's nice to return during the day for a rest, coffee or cold beverages, before heading out again.

When we're in Paris, we do too much walking every day, in spite of ourselves.

slangevar

To one of djkbooks' points, be careful of elevators. I rented an apartment on the 6th floor (7th floor European) for a month last summer. The elevator broke a few days after I arrived and the technician didn't show until a few days before I was set to leave.

As for the metro, it's really easy... don't be afraid of it.

Christina

I just said that since they were an American agency, they should be quoting floors in American terms, and I still think they should. Good websites that are American and cater mainly to American often specify exactly which terminology they are using (EUr or Am). However, I wouldn't ever assume anything in that regard, no need to, and would simply ask them. It is possible they are using Eur. terms to make it sound better (wouldn't put it past them, actually, I've had some dealings with them were I thought they were being misleading or untruthful).

djkbooks

I totally agree about elevators. We've rented the same apartment three times, and they swear when the elevator breaks it's because people ignore the advice not to overload it - especially when arriving/departing with bags.

Sure enough, it broke one stay the night before we were to depart. Thankfully, they were working on it first thing the next morning and it was running again when it was time for us to leave and we did not have to haul our bags down a spiral staircase.

We have narrowly missed many a strike in Paris. We're probably due for a broken elevator and a transit strike during the same visit!

a1139a

No matter where you stay in Paris, you will have a magical time. Plan on a picnic...see my perfect picnic report here: http://hereinfranklin.wordpress.com/...erfect-picnic/

tuscanlifeedit

All three Paris Hideaway apartments are pretty close to one another.

Do all three have AC?

Which floors are they on?

Seamus

What are your dates in August? Many natives leave the city during August and they may not list with an agency that handles places with broader availability. I'd check craigslist, would also use the date and amenities (A/C) search criteria on the site I mentioned above.

wky123

Thanks again for all the great advice. I checked on sites suggested to me above and seems like apartments with ac is hard to come by and of course, as many of have reminded me, I don't want an unit too high up with too many stairs to climb.

Paris Hideaway is telling me now the apartment below close to Montorgueil is the only one with AC that may take me due to minimum staty requirement (We're staying five nights from Aug 15-20). I have heard Montorgueil is a lively market street. Does anyone know if this is a safe neighborhood. We're traveling with our six year old daughter so I want to make sure that it is a good area. Thanks.

http://studio.provaction.com/paris/CARROUSSELuk2.html