Burritowoman-

We've been looking for apartments for a trip next spring. Like you we want to avoid the bus-load-of-tourists type areas. Both of these apartments really appealed to me but are unavailable during our planned vacation, but may be available during the winter months when you plan to be in Paris.


http://www.homelidays.co.uk/paris-12...-191106en1.htm

vrbo.com/24464

Good luck,

Bronwyn

Wow, lots of responses! Great!

Christina,
Thank you for your reply! I agree that some of my ideas about Paris and France in general are romanticized. I do not know any French (though I have downloaded podcasts to teach me the very basics of French). I have never been outside of the United States (but I have traveled, and lived, all around it). I have borrowed every travel guidebook my library has on Paris and France and I have read them. Short of actually going to Paris, I believe I have done everything I can to prepare for our trip, including asking questions and posting here on the forums.

You've provided some great information on where to stay away from. I think the obsession with staying close to the Eiffel Tower is that (from what I've seen in movies and photos) it is very beautiful when lit up and is incredibly romantic. That's all. I live about 10 miles outside of Washington D.C. and sometimes I wonder why people would want to come here to see the Iwo Jima Memorial or the Washington Monument. And then I remember that I LIVE here and see them almost weekly and for me, they have lost their luster and impact, but for them, these monuments are full of wonder and pride and beauty. I imagine it's the same for those who have visited Paris more than once.

Again, I agree that staying somewhere that is not metro friendly or where the people don't have a grasp of English will be very inconvenient. But that's part of it. I know it will be very cold. I have a warm jacket. I know the metro will probably be a few blocks away. I have two strong legs. I want to walk. I want to look at the shops on the way. I want to meet the people. To my way of thinking, the only way to truly experience a place is to mingle with the locals and get involved, not jump from your room straight to the metro straight to your destination. Now, I'm not impractical. Some days I'll want to do just that. The air will be frosty, I'll be tired and a taxi will be a godsend. But I want the opportunity to do things that are outside of my comfort zone. I don't want everything to be easy.

Is my budget cheap? I thought it was right-on. We've got $10,000 to work with, $1,600 of which has already been spent on airfare. The way I figured it (and the way the guidebooks explained it), $110 - $135 a night was spot on. I'd be interested to know what a good price range would be.

Tod,
Thank you for taking the time to respond! You are right. I should have been more specific. I meant the Parisian/French culture. Though I am looking forward to exploring the Jewish section of the city (some hot matzo ball soup would be delicious on a cold, cold night). And, wasn't the Bastille destroyed? From all I have read, there seems to only be a small monument where it once stood and not much else (besides cafes and shops, of course). I think one of the books I read said that it was the #1 non-sight to see in Paris! Thanks for the link. I'm going to check that out. I had been using Google Street View to check out the neighborhoods that the apartments were in. This might prove to be more useful.

Claudia_A,
I'm a Designer, so artsy stuff is right up my alley! Thanks for the suggestion. Marartin, thank you as well. I'm definitely going to put the Flea Market on my list of "Things I'd Like to See and Do."

Nikki,
Thanks for responding. My husband said the same thing, "Hey, we are going to be in PARIS. I don't think it really matters what neighborhood we stay in; it will be great time!"

Zeppole,
I've only got what I've read in books and seen in movies to go on. That's why I want to go to Paris. It may well be all in my head, but when I get home from Paris, at least I'll know. I'm not trying to be pretentious, I'm trying to be adventurous! Thanks for sticking up for me. :) You too CherryBomb. Thanks.

PTM,
One of the apartments I posted was just a block or two away from Rue Cler. Ohmigod. Fresh baked goods and fruits and strong coffee every day for breakfast? Yes please! That was one of the reasons I liked that apartment. It probably is very, very touristy. Eh, who cares? I don't mind tourists, but I want to be sure to get out there and see how the Parisians live. I'll just have to be sure to scout out a few good local places to eat and shop too.

justbronwyn,
Thanks for the suggestion. I've sent them an email and am waiting for a reply.


Thank you everyone for taking the time to help me out. I appreciate your honesty! We are really looking forward to our trip and I can't want to get back and tell you all about it.

Does anyone know of a great restaurant to get Christmas dinner at? I'm sure the Parisians are with family during that time, but since we'll just have us, we wanted to treat ourselves. Do the Parisians do anything special for Christmas or New Year? We are atheists, but very much appreciate religious art, architecture, and performances. We are also interested to see if the Holidays are more or less commercialized in Paris than they are here in the States.

Thank you again, everyone!
BurritoWoman

What kind of neighborhood? Affluent, older, youthful, hip, family-oriented, ethnically diverse...?

<i>I</i> like and would happily rent in the parts of the 11th, 3rd and 10th closest to Republique/Temple. Not entirely untouristy but not mobbed either. I think being near Arts et Metier, Filles du Calvaire, Republique, Temple, Strasbourg Saint Denis, etc. metro stations would be a nice compromise between touristy and neighborhoody. I seem to find reasons to hang out over there each time I am in Paris.

To convince you your budget is NOT cheap, I stayed on rue des Tournelles by Place des Vosges in May: very touristy and central, but on a quiet street and within easy walking distance to not-as-touristy. I was solo and wanted to be close to taxis and crowded areas for late night touring. I was able to find a comfortable place well within my low budget and I had a lot of stipulations (in an area I know well, with internet and computer, quiet and peaceful yet near taxi stands, 2+ metro stations, <i>and</i> a few museums I wanted to see, etc.).

Admittedly my Parisian center of gravity is Right Bank. I'm sure there are many, many nice places to stay. Totally agree with Nikki on that one and I hope to visit enough to stay all over the place.

Meanwhile, I have no problems with hills, in fact I like them, so I wouldn't let that deter me from any neighborhoood. You may feel differently. And 3rd floor Parisian is indeed the 4th floor but that equals three flights of stairs. yk is forgetting her math today. Unless I'm mistaken, which is possible/probable.

About 5-6 years ago I went to Paris for Christmas and rented an apartment. We ate out on Christmas Eve. My sister and I went to the Pompidou that day (open all year except Labor Day) and my mother went to the Le Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme.
http://www.mahj.org/.

We walked around, shopped in the Marais, I "cooked" dinner with the help of some prepared foods we had bought at the Marche Place d'Aligre (I think Christina doesn't care for that market :) ). It was a beautiful day. We are not particularly religious but had considered going to services. Ended up not doing so because we were just were too tired when all was said and done.

Finally, in addition to Pages Junes, you can google map and do street view for much of Paris.

Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness nature of this post. It's Sunday!

Have a wonderful trip.

I'm not religious either and France is much more secular than the US, but I often find that many Catholic churches look their finest at Christmas and Easter, because they are purpose-built for gorgeous ceremony -- so you might research the possibilties for a beautiful Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

I would imagine Notre Dame is a zoo of tourists, but it may be that the grand organ in Ste Sulpice (it's historic) will be booming at full throttle, and worthwhile.

http://paris.dukegill.com/sulpice.htm

A favorite pretty church of mine in Paris is Ste Etienne du Mont. It also has an historic pipe organ

http://www.vidzshare.net/videos/rJTF...t-paris-1.html

Whether or not you go on Christmas, try to make time to visit the Basilica of St Denis, one of the most astonishing and historically important monuments in the region, and incredibly undertouristed. On recent Christmases, illegal immigrants have gathered in the Basilica on Christmas to protest obstacles to getting residency permits. There are lots of different sides to Paris, many angles intersecting .

Hello all!

I am pleased to report that we have narrowed down our apartment search to somewhere around the 7th. The Hubbs was right (and so were you, Christine): this is our first trip and we ARE tourists, so stop fighting it.

So, break out your notes from your previous trips! Got a good apartment near the 7th? Let me know!

Best,
BurritoWoman

$110 - $135 a night is more in the
"Studio" range (which means futon or soaf bed).

Here are a few to consider - all in the 7th:

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_213.htm
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_137.htm

or if you want upgrade to a 1BR:
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_08.htm
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_120.htm

I'm sitting in our apartment in the 7th right now--recuperating from a day at the Louvre. I love this area...within about a 3 block radius there are 2 metro stops, a Carrefours (grocery for coffee, juice, etc), rue Cler for great deli, cheese shop, cafes, flower shops, ice cream, and take-away food for dinner; more cafes than we can eat at--on our block alone there are 3 cafes (one is Cafe Florimond), Lenotre's chocolate, and 2 boulangeries/patisseries. If I go right from our door its about 2 blocks to the Invalides looking down the Esplanade to the Pont Alexander and the Grand and Petit Palais--not a bad walk across and to the Champs Elysees. Yes, if I go left toward the Eiffel Tower it is busier, and if we go down the Champs de Mars under the Tower its really kind of crazy with tourists. But our area and the other direction is very quiet and upscale residential. If we're not living here, we're all tourists so just enjoy. And this area is considered quite safe. We've been here over 2 weeks and I feel as safe as in any major city. And we walk or ride the Metro all over.

Thanks for the links, bardo1! I put a few emails out there and I am really hoping to hear back from the one with the gorgeous Eiffel Tour view!

Hey, nmweaver! Is that a vacation apartment you are staying in or your own?

Have a look at www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p251111 - the owner lives in your area

You asked a question about the Bastille - and only a small monument is left to see. NOooooooooooo, not a small one but an enormous 51.5m (170ft)hollow bronze column reaching into the sky called the 'Colonne de Juillet'. Right on top is a the figure of "the genius (or spirit ) of liberty" or in French - " Genie de la Liberte`" - he is standing on one leg as if about to take off with his wings extended behind him. In 1989 this statue was freshly gilded for the Bicentennial of the Revolution. He is still pretty shiny in his gold coat!

The victims of the 1830 July revolution were brought back in 1840 to this place of liberation, and laid to rest under the column in a crypt. It contains the remains of 504 citizens.

The Bastille fortress which was destroyed is not altogether vanished from sight..............Look at the bridge of La Concorde. The 'demolished' came in handy for the construction of this bridge!

On a clear October evening I found myself sipping a Kir Royal at a little table on the terrace of a cafe` below the green Colonne de Juillet. A large yellow moon slowly moved across the sky, disappearing for a few minutes behind the 'Spirit of Liberty' in all his golden glory.

Do visit this area making your way along the Promenade de Plantee, eventually arriving in the suburbs where there is not a tourist in sight, except maybe YOU! To get there follow Avenue Daumesnil past the modern opera house and walk up some stairs. Here's the link:
http://www.paris-walking-tours.com/p...deplantee.html

BurritoWoman,

Even after you have submitted to the reality you are tourists, the question remains as to whether you want the tourism of the 7e or would rather be within walking distance of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Ste Chappelle, Tuilleries, Luxembourg gardens, Place des Vosges, the Beauborg, the historic cafes, etc.

From the 7e, you can walk to the Eiffel Tower, Napoleon's tomb, the Rodin house and garden and the Musee d'Orsay. Plus share the Rue Cler with Rick Steves' tourists. Determined walkers can add some other sights, rain or shine, but people who base in the 7e have to rely on either bus or metro to get to sights of interest and a wide variety of bistrots, cafes and restaurants.

Many tourists prefer to be located where they can walk in the morning to their target sites and walk home from dinner. The 7e is limited that way.

BurritoWoman,

I wish--its a rental through Vacation in Paris. Only suitable for one couple, though they have other apartments in the 7th.

I've seen LOTs of tourists at the Louvre, Notre Dame, Ste Chappelle, Champs Elysees, historic cafes and nearly everywhere I've been in nearly 3 weeks here--and many were carrying Rick Steves book or their Fodor's list or covertly checking their maps. I'm unclear how you would be close to all of those without being in the "tourism area". The metro is 1/2 a block away from us and its very easy to get to all the major sites. There is a Metro stop convenient to each site. And we walk to and from dinner every night at a cafe frequented by the local residents--except the nights we are enjoying take-home in our apartment with a bottle of wine.

I think everyone would be better served by our inputs if they were not so derogatory of other preferences. Paris has something for everyone. I wouldn't stay where Zeppole prefers and its obvious they wouldn't or haven't stayed where I prefer. Vive la difference!

Wow, thanks to everyone for their input.

Zeppole, I think we have settled on an apartment in the 2nd arrondismont. I hope it's as nice in real life as it is in the photos! We are planning on seeing as much as we can in the 19 days we are there without pushing ourselves. I'm looking forward to buying our food daily at one of the markets and preparing it at the apartment.

Anyone have any suggestions as where we can get our hands on some good, classic French food while we are there? I'm talkin', slap-your-pappy, best meal EVER IN YOU LIFE! food. Like, you could die the next day and be happy kind of food.

Also, we are still trying to figure out what activities there in Paris for Christmas and New Year. I know there is an ice skating rink outside the City Hall, but what else?

Tod, I do think we will check out the Bastille. They way you describe it sounds so magical. I thought it was a no-go because Rick Steves says so on his website. I suppose I shouldn't take everything that man says as Gospel. I didn't know La Concorde was built from the Bastille's ruins... how interesting!

nmweaver, I agree, everyone should be civil (at least), especially in a travel forum. So, we don't know everything there is to know about Paris. That's why we are here asking others! Thanks for being different!

Best,
BurritoWoman

re: slap-your-pappy meal. There are of course many excellent restaurants in Paris but you might want to try Le Cinq. If budget won't stretch for dinner (mine doesn't) then consider lunch. FYI, this is a relatively formal place and quite expensive. Delicious OMG food.

Although I would never, ever slap my pappy and do not advocate such actions.

Have fun!

Hi Leely, So well put! It's nice to "read" you lately. Hope you're well and planning future travels. EJ ((#))

BW - This is the restaurant we had lunch at - we virtually died and went to heaven it was that good! Totally French clientel. We were the only foreigners there that day.

Before I give the address let me say that as much as I would love to wine & dine at the topclass 5 star restaurants which offer impeccable service and food, this is not possible with our lousy exchange rate. If the USD was also around 12 to 1 euro (currently $1.50) I don't think you would see any Americans there either!

Our little secret hideaway:

Restaurant L'Entredgeu,
83 Rue Laugier,
17e PARIS
Reservations: 01 40 54 97 24
Metro: Port de Champerret

Link:http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2004/06...dgeu_my_h.html

My Trip Report describing our meal:
http://tinyurl.com/ksga8v

Hi Tod and Leely!! Good to see you here. Sorry BW for pushing in to say hello.

Schnauzer

Hi Elsiejune, tod and schanuzer. Who's going to Paris soon?

Burritowoman, you will have a terrific time. Paris is very pretty at Christmas. Which apartment have you settled on?

Hi All.

I will be leaving a month from tomorrow...Nov 2nd.. and will be there til Dec. 14th!I am 98% packed!

I will be doing my usual running trip report. Some friends have already e-mailed asking if I will be doing it. We have had fun in the past and if still wanted I will do it. I can also check out some things and/or make some reservations for you.

Have been lining up many things...

a bientot...

Joan

Joan - I've been wondering where you had got to! Usually in Paris around September not so? Lucky you to be there at anytime!
Looks like you will miss a GTG with BurritoW - Maybe post some good eating for her as you know all the best places around the 7th.

Leely & Schnauzer- Hi! I am going to the Travel Agent tomorrow to do some flight booking for end July to see the Tour de France end in Paris!

I'm at work, but thought I'd pop on to check out the forums.

Leely2, we have narrowed it down to two.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p69458

or

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p419879

It really will depend on if one of them will get back to me soon. If not, Monday I am booking the other one.

Can talk more later! Thanks for the offer, gracejoan3, I might have to take you up on it!

BurritoWoman

I love the 2 arrondisement! One thing that will shock you is the number of Japanese restaurants in the area. But it adds to a quite unique, not-the-usual tourist spot atmosphere.

Please, please investigate the covered passages in the area, including the Passaig du St Anne, one of my favorite hideaways in Paris. They'll be great especially if you get cold weather, but even if you don't.

Also, check out the prices before you sit down, but Le Grande Colbert restaurant in the 2e is about as classic French as it gets, with reliably good French food.

Have a lot of fun.

nmweaver, I said not a single derogatory thing about your preferences. I tried to make Burrito Woman aware of the limitations of the 7e. I'm not sure you wouldn't enjoy staying where I stay -- unless you don't like walking!

burritowoman: I understand you're interested in the 7th. I would keep in mind that during the time of year you're there, the temperature will hover just above freezing. See here: http://www.climatetemp.info/france/paris.html

Also, the daylight hours will be short, around 8.5 hours total daylight. See here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldcloc...&afl=-11&day=1

You may want to keep these two items in mind when selecting your apartment, at least from the standpoint of amount of time outside.

We went in Feb. 2006, short days, cool weather (39-42 F) and walking outside alot was not real comfortable. Given the metro system, you can be anywhere rather fast, so whether or not you're in a touristy area really is irrelevant. We stayed in ID1 from VIP. It was nothing fancy, but the price was not to be beaten, and the location was great. Montorgueil market at the end of the street, Chatelet/Les Halles Metro was three minutes away, Louvre (walking) around 7 min.

We enjoyed our trip, and literally only slept there at night and woke up and made breakfast before we left. Here's a link: http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_01.htm

Good luck and enjoy!

BW,
Well, I've been trying to steer clear of the 7th vs. every other arrondissement debate, but will finally weigh in.....We've stayed in a flat on rue des Petits Champs (across from Passage Choiseul) and found the neighborhood to be extremely busy during the work day. In fact, much busier than the ET area of the 7th, which we much prefer. This part of the 2nd is very much an office area, so there's a significant 9 - 5 crowd and therefore very busy lunch spots and dead at night. Also the area around the Opera Garnier is quite crowded. As Zeppole noted, there's a large Japanese presence in this area, so lots of sushi and noodle restos. Of course, you're also nearby the gardens of the Palais Royal, which are really a treasure. That said, Paris is an easy city to navigate, and you can turn almost any corner of it into your "home away from home". There are always good boulangeries and cafes to discover in each neighborhood, and that is half the fun. The other half is planning - Enjoy.

Leely, we're planning another trip to Paris in May, how about you?

Joan, I'm looking forward to reading your fall Paris report, and hopefully meeting in May.
EJ ((#))

Hi Tod,
A little different this year. I was there mid April-mid May for a month and now for 6 weeks first of Nov. to middle of Dec. I think I may go back for a month mid Feb - mid March, too. I have plans for the month of May, but may change it.

I had a short trip, 12 days the first half of Dec. last year. A CA friend joined me. We really had a great time. I'm sure you followed our trip report and pictures!

I will be in "my" area, as usual. It is just so convenient to everything and so abundant with everything I like and need. Most of us who have been going for some time rarely use the Metro..the buses are so very convenient..no up and down stairs. The 42, 69,80 and 87 are steps away and I can jump on/off them at will with my Navigo Decouverte. Walk and/or ride at will..be anyplace in minutes!

The daylight hours are short..it may be grey and chilly. The evening walk across the pont Alma and along ave Montaigne to Rond Point with all the Christmas decorations is special!

I'm sure Burrito Woman will enjoy wherever she decides to stay.

a bientot..

Joan

Thanks to those of you who posted restaurant recs, great to have. Zeppole, you sound quite familiar w/the city.

BW: Here's a link to walking tours in Paris, if you're interested. Typically, 2-hour walks.

http://www.paris-walks.com/

Abby G.