fishee

All you Paris apt experts here (I remember Christina!) are wonderful and I consider all your advice to be invaluable - I've had great trips thanks to all of you. I'm staying a week with a girlfriend and I've enjoyed the Saintonge/Bretagne area for all the wonderful shops and "local" feel when I stepped out the door. I love the convenience of stumbling out in the morning and easily getting coffee and fresh croissants and ducking back into the apt before getting ready. I'm not so familiar with these streets -- which apt would you choose? What am I missing? I'd so appreciate your feedback as I'll decide by Friday. The trip is next week. A million thanks for any feedback!

1. http://www.vrbo.com/317061 = $1395 (7 nts) Rue Au Maire 47 m2

2. http://www.vrbo.com/169473 = $1393 (7 nts) Rue du Braque 46 m2

3. http://www.stayrentals.com/details/p...y.php?id=3391#

$1170 (6 nights), 20 Rue Chapon 60 m2 (I recall not loving this exports shop st?)

4. http://www.vrbo.com/305075 $845 (6 night) 31 Rue Des Tournelles

Viajero2

Number 4; a no brainer.

Nikki

I have stayed at the one at 20 rue Chapon. It is a very nice apartment, very spacious and comfortable. At first glance I didn't love the street either, but I learned to think of it as home and spent a happy week there.

The rue des Tournelles apartment has no living room, so the only seating is the bed, the kitchen table, or the desk. This would make it less desirable for me.

I like the looks and location of the rue de Braque apartment.

zeppole

The Rue du Braque apartment has loads of light, faces a pretty courtyard, has a spanking new kitchen and lots of closet space. I like the white and red modern decor, although maybe it's not somebody else's idea of fun in Paris. I'm not sure you can stumble right out the door and find a croissant. You may have to walk a few blocks, but certainly not far.

Number 4 is way too tiny for me. The others just didn't speak to me, and the one on Rue au Marie looks like it might get a fair amount of traffic noise.

Do you have addresses for these apartments? If you use the addresses in a google search, you can very often get a map with a 360 degree photo of the street.

cw

#1. The bathroom shower is off the bedroom, so if one of you is a late sleeper that may be inconvenient.

#2. Is fine if you're sharing the bedroom but the extra sleeping is on an inflatable mattress.

#3. Would be my choice, especially with a good review from Nikki.

#4. As mentioned above, there is no living room so no place to sit and spread out and relax. It seems very small to me.

Have a wonderful trip!

fishee

thanks everyone -- you're awesome even when you all have diff opinions! yes, we'll be sharing the bedroom -- my friend leans towards 2 or 3.

From google maps, #2 rue du Braque seems to be in a bit more of a concentration of shops being around the corner from Rue Du Temple. This street seems quiet as it's so small.

I like the look of the #3 Rue Chapon apartment although again, i recall strolling down the street many years ago it felt a little desolate -- it seems like a great deal for the space. I also hear Taxi Jaune on Chapon is a good place to eat.

The last on Tournelles is wonderfully CHEAP and looks to be new -- are there bakeries and cafe right outside this apt?

PatrickLondon

You can use www.pagesjaunes.fr to check what businesses are in the street. If memory serves, that end of rue St Antoine is where the small shops peter out a bit.

Leely2

I stayed in the rue des Tournelles but solo. It's dark and quiet which I liked because "in real life" I live in a corner apartment (lots of bay windows in every room) on a bus line. Depending on how well you and your friend get along, this place could be too small. It's great for the solo traveler or really old, close friends who don't need a ton of personal space, though. Comes with computer w/internet so if you don't want to take a laptop/netbook/iPad/whatever with you, no problem.

It's slightly less cozy-neighborhoody than the others, i.e. more tourists and shoppers/diners, but the location is really excellent for sightseeing. There is a Gerard Mulot on the corner. A pub down the street. Many, many, many cafes and bistros. Also tons of museums. Charming street that won't feel desolate but is not too noisy.

The photos on VRBO represent it accurately, but if you want more, I have some here:
http://www.pbase.com/leelygoes/paris_apt_09

Have a great trip, wherever you decide to stay!

Viajero2

I did the Google Earth for all you listed and hence the reason I stated NUMBER 4 is such a no brainer... I am not sure why would I pay extra $300+ so I can have a formal living room that will probably get used all of one hour put together....there is an amazing park and Paris out the door! I would used that extra $300 for the most amazing meals in this incredible neighborhood!!! NO BRAINER!!!!

fishee

We've been friends for 30 yrs so we are quite close but is the Tournelles apt smaller than a standard Paris hotel room?

She's a hotel person and has never stayed in an apt so I think she'd agree if it's similar to her hotel expectations. I've never stayed in a hotel in Paris before so have no idea.

Leely2

I like having a fridge and making my coffee in my pj's in the morning so I much preferred it to the Paris hotels I've stayed in. I'm just an apartment person more than a hotel person, even if there's no living room.

The bedroom is probably about the size of an average (read: small) Paris hotel room, maybe a little bigger. I guess the issue would be the closet, which is small, shallow and somewhat short, if I remember correctly. I think I was only the second or third person to stay there and at that time there was no coat rack/coat hooks. It was May so it didn't matter to me but I remember thinking that in cooler weather with two people, it would be much better to have a place to hang your stuff. I sent an email to the owner to thank him for a pleasant stay and I did mention that I thought the apartment needed something for coats, umbrellas, purses, closer to the front door.

I would stay there with one of my good friends or my sister or a boyfriend but I'm pretty low-maintenance about stuff like that.

fishee

Sorry -- One More?

http://www.rentparis.com/en/apt-40-r...ax-1-beds.html

If my friend is ok with the much smaller size, we'll go with #4 Tournelles. If not, then I'm thinking this one above for $1053 or #3 Rue Chapon.

thanks again, will be such a relief to lock this in tomo!

Seamus

Is your friend OK with walking up to the 4th (US standard) floor? Are you? If not, skip #3 r. Chapon. The others are 2d (US) floor or have a lift.
I'd go for #20 r. Chapon. I don't care how good the friendship is, more space is better. Also has the best bathroom of the lot.

fishee

I live on a 4th fl walk up now -- but gf nixing small space and more than 2 flights.

Nikki -- if you're still out there, did the Chapon apt get a decent amount of light with all those windows? Was there a closet in the bedroom to hang clothes?

Could anymore compare the streets Braque and Chapon in terms of convenience for sightseeing -- I forgot which metro lines are the convenient ones?

Nikki

I'm still out here. Lots of light, very high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows. There is an armoire in the entryway for hanging clothes, if I remember correctly. In the bedroom there is a chest of drawers.

Rue de Braque is certainly a bit closer to most sites and more in the thick of the Marais, but looking at the map, the two streets are just four blocks apart. Rue de Braque is close to the Rambuteau metro stop, with one line, and rue Chapon is a bit closer to the Arts et Metiers stop, with two lines.

sheila

It's different strokes for different folks, but 4 and 5 are tiny and wouldn't do for me.

I like 3 best as an apartment

Christina

I hate the first one. I like the rue de Braque one pretty well. I am having issues with some of these websites, I can't hardly see the photos--I think that's the Chapon one with that problem. The no. 4 looks okay, I can't see that it even says the size, but if there is no living room, I wouldn't stay there with a friend. I thin the rue de Tournelles one would be a very convenient location for getting around. I don't remember rue de Chapon, it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. Meaning not as close to a metro stop. Rue de Braque is closer to a metro stop a bit, probably not that much. It's jsut near the Archives and a main street (Rambuteau). So it would be closer to a bus line, a bus runs along Rambuteau and goes over to place de la Bastille (and gare de Lyon). In the other direction, it goes over to Opera Garnier or Gare St Lazare.

fishee

Better pics of #3 on Rue Chapon:

http://www.rentparis.com/en/apt-10-r...003-paris.html

it's a pretty apartment, I love the tall windows nikki mentioned.

fishee

Christina- always loved your direct commentary. thx sheila, nikki, leely, seamus, viajero, cw, PLondon, zep, for all the input - haven't been on the EU forum for a long time and appreciate help from you regulars.

I'm waiting to see if either Braque or Chapon offering a last minute discount.

If the strike continues, would buses be our alternative to the metro or they're on strike also? I guess its kinda unreasonable for us to be *planning* a trip during the strike.

Christina

well, it's not personal, so I can say I hate an apartment. I just thought the first one was way ugly.

That's a good point about the strike as the bus drivers do belong to some of the same unions, I think (buses are run by RATP, after all), but they aren't usually affected as much as the train drivers. I know today and this weekend, all bus traffic is predicted normal in Paris and I've never seen it disrupted (well, sometimes they seem slow or don't come on time) by a strike. The RER B is the only line affected today and tomorrow, I think. Not good for airport travelers. I think train conducteurs may have a different union.

The strike is mainly affecting transportation, so once you are there, not so bad.