Hello everyone.

I'm looking for an apartment in Paris that is pretty easily accessible to the American University, and would run less than 690 EUR for six days in June. I came across this listing:

http://www.perfectplaces.com/28907

and would like to know if anyone reading would happen to have stayed here? I am concerned about 1) the rock-bottom price (60 EUR/night) and 2) the lack of photos of the bed and bathroom.

A request for more photos got me two more pictures of the desk and window. I'm not certain if the owner is just clueless, or if there's something to hide...

Thank you.

good luck on that one -- I stayed in the general area (I guess, can't tell the address) and like the 15th arr., so I think that is a good choice, in general. The rate isn't really that rock-bottom for a small studio in the 15th. Do you know anything about this place at all? LIke the address, size, floor it is on and if it has an elevator? Because it doesn't seem to say, and that would affect price a lot also (no elevator or being on the ground floor, which is cheaper).

It looks like it is a studio but it's classified under 1 BR, perhaps that is the website's fault.

There may be a clueless problem if you just asked for more photos and were not specific, or if your contact is French and there is some language difference. If you didn't say you want a photo of the bed and bathroom, say that explicitly. I did have one agency refuse to give me a photo of the bath or bedroom when I was explicitly demanding them, and they were hiding something (of course, why else would someone refuse to give you one if they are in the rental business).

I like the 15th very much and we are, in fact, renting an apartment we've used before when we return in November. It's on Rue St. Charles, very close to the metro stop.

As for your listing, there's not enough information on the site description to convince me that 690E is a good deal. I'd like to see more pictures and a very specific address.

We love the area because it's not touristy, yet is a short metro ride to tourist sites. But the fact that it's not in a tourist area means that you don't pay a lot to stay there, either, so 690E seems high to me.

Get them, to give you an address and come back here with it to discuss.

Thanks everyone. I did simply ask "do you have more pictures"? but I still felt it was odd that he sent me two more photos of the desk. You'd think any renter would be most interested in the bed/bathroom (and you can't really even see the kitchen). I haven't seen anything quite that cheap in the 15th, so that raised my eyebrows a bit, though it would be a wonderful thing if it turns out to be a hidden gem.

The 690 price refers to a hotel room that I've already reserved. I am looking at apartments to see if I might be able to economize more and ditch the hotel. This room would be 360 EUR for my stay. The only information I have on its location right now is that it is near the Boucicault and Charles Michels metro stops.

360 euros for 6 days isn't unusual in the outer arrondisements. I'm renting a studio in the 14th for a little less than that in June.

I used homelidays.com and chose a studio which had a lot of testimonials saying that it was a nice place.

Good luck.

Got a response from the owner. He says they don't have any photos of the bed and bath of the apartment, which is located at 127 rue St. Charles.

Oh, and thank for the "homelidays" rec, Shanti. I don't think I'd seen that site (and I feel like I've looked at hundreds this week)!

That fact that he has no photos of the bed and bathroom sets off big warning bells, IMO. It would be a piece of cake to shoot those with a digital camera and get them off to you.

We ran into a similar situation a while ago with someone who advertised an apartment in a desirable area at a surprisingly low price and only had pictures of the view from the window and of an antique chandelier and armoire in the apartment. I happened to day trip to Paris while we were emailing each other and asked to see the apartment. The owner was reluctant but when I insisted, he agreed.

What a pit! Yes, it had a nice view and yes, it had an antique chandelier and armoire, but the sofa was an ancient futon covered in cheap mud-brown cotton that was itself covered in layers of cat hair. The bed was an old, lumpy mattress with a battered, chipped headboard. The bath was a nightmare of mold and the tiny kitchen was a firetrap of cheap appliances with frayed plugs, no ventiliation and more mold on the walls.

I really like the homelidays site.
If I'm renting a place for a week, I want some reassurance that it's not a pit. Photos are helpful, and having 14 people agree that they would recommend this studio to a friend reassures me that it's a nice place.

I agree, no photos of the sleeping area and bathroom are a big red flag.

I just stayed in the 11th for 300€/week. The sleeping area was clean and comfortable, and the kitchen and bathroom were modern and immaculate. Not the area you're looking in, I know, but I wanted to add my voice to those of the others who say a cheap and decent apartment in Paris IS possible. So keep looking, you're bound to find something that more than suits your needs.

kdbobo, I would NOT rent without more pictures. I would also use the Web site (can't think of the name) that let's you plug in an address and view the street and buildings. And check slow travel.

My apartment is on rue St. Charles, so you are in the same general area. I can only tell you that there are wonderful restaurants, a Monoprix nearby and a great street market on Fridays. Oh, and, yes, you can see the Le Tour Eiffel from here. Lovely to come home each night to see it twinkling in the distance.

I'd be wary of an agency that refuses to provide basic info. like address and more than a couple photos. I've seen some agencies that post general descriptions of the apartment locations; they don't reveal the address until you pay them it seems. This ad doesn't even provide a good description. Better to be safe than sorry-look elsewhere.

Apres Londee Where did you stay in the 11th???? I love this neighborhood and will be there for 2 weeks in July. 300E week is great. What floor was apt and was there a lift?

Hi nicerue50, here is a link the classified ad on the slowtravel website (I've got a review up on the website as well):

http://tinyurl.com/4687g7

You can click on my name and find my trip report in progress, My Super Low Budget Trip to Paris, where I describe it a bit and post a link to some of my own photos of the apartment.

It's on the 6th floor and no elevator- it's exactly 101 steps up to the apartment (I counted!) so it won't be suitable for everyone. I loved it and was very happy there. The owners are wonderful. It's on rue Jean Pierre Timbaud near Parmentier, about a minute's walk from the metro station.

Agree with previous posters that I would be a bit hesitant about renting if the owner was not willing to readily provide basic info such as address, square footage (or meters, more likely.) I'd really like a photo of he bathroom, too, but understand that sometimes in smaller spaces it is difficult to get a decent shot unless you are a professional photographer.

690€per week should be more than adequate for a basic studio in Paris. Unless you need to be within walking distance of AUP, suggest you consider other places that are convenient to Metro. Have a look at he Metro map on wwTw.ratp.fr and you can see how well connected things are.
http://tinyurl.com/66ntbt is less than 690€, for example, and would be about a 15-20 minute walk to AUP or you could hop the metro. That same site also lists several other studios that would work.
You don't say when in June you are traveling, and that is not a lo of lead time so you may run into some issues with availability. However, you also may run into some last minute specials, so it's wort a look .

I rented an apt. very near that location, but on a side street. It's a convenient location, except being right on rue St Charles probably wouldn't be my choice as it is one of the main streets around there. That is why I'd want to know more about what floor it was on, does it face the street, etc. It could be noisy, that's all.

The owner is either very unprofessional and not serious about business, or trying to pull one over on you. Seriously, who trying to rent an apt. doesn't have a photo of the bathroom and sleeping area and does not offer to make or get one (even if it were true). That was the exact same story one agency tried to pull on me about an apt. when I asked (same situation, no photo of bathroom or bedroom). They just didn't happen to have one. Right -- this was an agency (to name names, Vacation in Paris in NJ) who had been in business some years and has several apts. They showed photos of those rooms on many of their apts, of course, they knew people wanted to see them, but claimed they just didn't happen to have any of the one I wanted. And made no offer to get one -- how hard would that be, really.

I went elsewhere and when they did finally post one partial photo of the bedroom on their website, it was quite clear what they were hiding. It was barely larger than the bed (they had no room sizes listed). They still won't post the bathroom photo.

So I'd look elsewhere given that I think they are either hiding something or unprofessional, which could cause other problems in various ways.

Thanks, everyone, for your input and confirming/co-signing my reservations. I am afraid of renting a place and finding the one place with the kind of conditions that BTilke describes--can't afford to switch to another room at that point!

I'm going for an academic conference, so I would really like to be within walking distance or a very short Metro ride from the University. I'd personally love to stay farther out and save the money, but from experience I know that it's really beneficial to be very near the conference, especially when you're there alone--so I've been limiting my searches to the 7th and 15th and occasionally the 6th.

I'll be there June 19-25th, and actually having limited options is better for me, as it forces me to be decisive about what I do and do not want, and if I am indecisive--the apt goes to someone else anyway so the decision is made for me!

I've spent the week combing the internet for agencies and ads, but you all have pointed me to two that I haven't seen yet--thanks! I have until June 9th to cancel my hotel reservation, so I think I'll just keep looking. I think I'll write this owner back and say thanks but no thanks.

kdbobo, when you contact the apartment owner and tell them thanks, but no thanks, please tell them your concerns. I think all of us on here would like to know how/if they respond (though they might not respond at all).

Have a wonderful trip!

If you're still looking for recommended agencies I've dealt with Paris Address which I found to be professional and easy to deal with. I don't know if they offer apartments in your budget, but they do have many choices in all districts.

www.parisaddress.com