bhpopek

Thanks for the review Stu! You're in San Mateo? I'm in San Francisco. Anyway, the comment made by "cruisinred" is scaring me. I suppose there are those "horror" stories of not getting what you agreed to or getting tricked one way or another.

I realize that there would be no elevator. A minus but not entirely a deal breaker, yet...The location sounds good for what we need. They're asking $975UDS/week for two adults and our toddler is free.

Does this sound fair for the location on amenities offered?

StCirq

Um...it sounds sort of average, but I think you could do better and find a place with an elevator (those stairs with the stroller are going to have you cursing after the second time up them). Plus as Christina says it could be really noisy, and in Paris you generally have the option to open your shutters and get the noise of the city below you or close them and get the heat you may not want.
The location is pretty good, but I'd still search around for something with an elevator or on a lower floor and not on a major, major noisy boulevard. If this is your first trip to Paris, you will be amazed at how noisy the street noises are - vespas, diesel cars, buses, honking, etc., starting early in the morning. It's all part of the charm of Paris until it impinges upon your sleep.

Huitres

Just curious why you are trying to get an apt when in your other post, hotel options were presented too. IMO, a 2 bedroom (or large suite) hotel room would be cheaper for the week and would be equally accommodating and less work than getting an apt. Hotels that serve breakfast eliminate that meal cost and you can always stock up at a local Franprix or neighborhood grocery store on some portable lunch items (bread, cheese, meats, fruits, etc) to take along with you during the day. There are quite a few hotels that offer double rooms at 100(+/-) euros and one week at that daily rate is less than what you would be paying for an apt.

Christina

That fee seems about average, I guess, given the location and amenties. Apartments without elevators are less, of course, which wouldn't bother me if I were alone or only adults (on the third floor or below), but really would bother me with a stroller and child and the idea that you are going to be lugging groceries up a lot.

I do think 700 sq ft is extremely small for a two bedroom apt. I don't think I've ever known a 2 BR apt. that small and the people I know (and myself) only rent modest apartments. I think it is an okay size for a one bedroom, certainly, but not a 2-bedroom apartment. My niece has a studio apt. that is almost 600 sq ft, and I've had one bedroom apts. that were 800 sq ft that I considered avg. Well, you can decide that for yourself, how big that is to you-- the size may not be so bad if that size is not including the platform floor they've built above, but you had better ask a lot of questions about that if you intend to use it as it may not be usable for you.

Specifically, some of those owner-built "lofts" or platforms do not have stairs but only ladders. YOu could not use that for your child and probably would not want to use it yourself. I cannot imagine how they fit four beds in a one of the bedrooms when the total apartment is only 700 sq ft. I would ask very specifically the size of the beds and rooms, and how they are made up if that is important to you. I just would not want to spend that kind of money and end up uncomfortable and sleeping away from my husband my entire vacation.

Vacation rental apts. do not charge by the person much, so not charging extra for your child or per person is the norm. Some charge a supplement if there are a lot of people versus one or two, due to the wear and tear and possibility linen service.

The area isn't bad in terms of convenience or stores, etc., and it will be within a short walk to the Champ de Mars park, which would be nice.

Christina

I just looked at it on VRBO and it has more photos and explains a little more than the other web site. I can see the beds now -- these are what I think are called "trundle beds", and that's how they get four beds in the one room. That is a twin bed with a sort of cot that pulls out from under it. I think that means you could not make them up as a king and that they probably do not have a box spring, but perhaps only a mattress on a platform.

There is no photo of the upstairs room, so I would ask a lot about that room if you intend to use it and how you get up there. Some folks (espec non-native English speakers) may call a ladder "stairs" as this ad does.

I don't understand how they can show a photo of the kitchen when the ad says it won't be installed until July.

cruisinred

I didn't mean to scrare you bhpopek, just wanted to put in my 2 cents.

I took a look at his website again, and most of the pictures I was talking about (that were actually of other apartments,not his for rent)he has taken down. But if you look at the sacre coeur apt. on his website www.france-paris.fr/pic-vi.htmland then on www.vrbo.com/43785, you will see that the 2 top pictures of the terracotta colored room do not match the floor plan, the written descripton or the rest of the pictures of that apartment. Again, I have not rented from this guy, but based on my many hours of looking at paris apartment rental websites, this seemed a bit odd to me.