Am contemplating a spring 2004 trip to Paris. Although I have used a hotel I enjoy for past visits, my friend may be on a stricter budget, and I am considering suggesting some of the Paris "pensiones" or "boarding houses." All the info found by searching here is for Spain and Italy. Has anyone used any in Paris? Those I have found via Goggle seem to be near the Luxembourg Gardens.

topping my message - it was dropping fast.....

Check out Rick Steves and Lonely Planet.

Be sure you look for the key word "clean" in either of those books. You should be able to find something for about 40 euros per person.

Sharing a bathroom down the hall will make the price come down. Also, if you must have an attached bathroom, go for a shower instead of a bathtub.

Personally, I stay with friends, so don't have specific recommendations.

Hope this helps!

PS also suggest that you repost using the word "pension" instead of "boarding house". The title kind of throws people off, I think.

Thanks. The one site called itself a "boarding house" so that's what I used. They look quite elegant and I know someone who loves "her" own private find so much that she hides the identify, but was looking for opinions of the four or five others in Paris.

These are usually called foyers. I have stayed at one, but it was in affilation with a Catholic school, and did not rent rooms just to tourists. Most of the foyers I know are for interns or students, although sometimes you can get a room in their low period.

So, which one are you talking about? I know one on upper bd St-Michel (Foyer International des Etudiantes) and is very near the Luxembourg Gardens that is pretty good from reports of someone I know who stayed there. I was considering staying there myself, but didn't. I don't think that one had any included meals, however. They will rent rooms by the day in their low season (July-Sept).

There were a couple reviews of places like this in Sandra Gustafson's book Cheap Sleeps in Paris which might be what you are looking at. She describes Pension Jacqueline Poirier in that area and another one. Personally, I wouldn't recommend this for a tourist visit. If you can't afford anything more, that's one thing, but room and board per day for a shortterm stay may be close to what you could get a cheap double room for. Also, you should check payment policies if you want to pay by credit card and other rules. Many of these have curfews, for example. Also, as a tourist, you might want to be dining out somewhere, even if a modest cafe, rather than paying for a meal and having to be there at a particular time for that. But, you and your friend might not mind that.