Hi, I'm studing in Paris this summer--could someone tell me more about Foyer des Etudiantes Internationales? Most of the students from my program will be staying there, and I would like to make sure it is a clean, safe accommodation.

Thank you for your help!

Sarah

oh, yes, definitely -- at least it was when I was a student there about 10 years ago. It's a pretty good location on bd St-Michel, just a bit north of the Luxembourg RER/metro stop. It could be more convenient in that regard, I suppose, but it's pretty good. It's a very nice area.

NOw, I ended up staying in a different foyer even though I was considering them, but I know it looks okay from the outside and I know what they offer, and I did have a friend who stayed there a couple weeks and she told me it was fine.

Thank you, I appreciate the information. Do you also know if there is a lockout policy, and the type of people who usually stay there? I'm a 25 yr old law student, and will need some quiet from time to time, and dont want to have to be home by midnight...!

It isn't really a hostel, it's a foyer, which is a rooming house for students/interns. Hostels are the places that have lockouts sometimes in the middle of the day. I think it can function as a hostel in the summer from July to Sept (meaning it will take anyone, even males, but with a minimum stay of 5 days) when there are less regular boarders, but it didn't when I was there. It has kitchens available (on each floor, as I recall), and the rooms themselves have a sink and minibar (but there are showers etc in the hallways). There are some other facilities in the building, like a library, laundry room, common room, TV room. You should take some towels of your own, but don't need to take sheets. It was really meant as a female boarding house.

I would suggest you spend a little more and get a single room, that will help a lot with privacy or noise. I don't know how noisy it can be, you never know about places like that as some people like to visit and talk a lot in the hallways or play music and I don't know their rules on that. I don't remember any major complaints in that area from the person I know who stayed there.

YOu'd have to check with them on latest curfew rules. It does not have a lockout in the day, as I said, but used to have a curfew but it wasn't too bad. It used to be 1:30 pm all nights but Saturday, when it was open all night. Then it wouldn't open until 6-7 am -- so I guess that is a middle of the night lockout. Some places are a lot worse, I stayed in one that was midnight every night. They do that for security reasons and not wanting to have a concierge all night, usually, as well as general noise reasons, which you should appreciate. Having people coming and going all night would not be pleasant in many cases.

A lot of students of various kinds stay there, at many of the different schools and programs in the city, including shortterm language and other classes. I guess you have some program that is using it, so that's the kind of thing I mean. It's used by some universities for their summer in Paris programs, also. Official French interns may stay there, also--this is a govt. position where they don't get paid a lot (I don't mean the interns are necessarily French but it's a special position). They usually take anyone who has some type of educational or school reason to be in Paris. At least that was their official policy. They also supposedly had an age maximum of 25-30 or so (a lot of foyers do, because they want to be for younger students etc who don't have a lot of money), but I don't think they check on that as I was 40 and my friend was a little older than that, and they didn't care. They just don't want to be a regular hotel for tourists. Students from all over stay there, US and Europe and other countries.

I think it would be fine for you. I'd get a private room, if you can. It used to be pretty popular and you had to reserve a couple months in advance.

Christina, you have been tremendously helpful, I appreciate it! I've decided to stay at the foyer, along with my colleagues.

All the best,

Sarah

I think it will be fine, a lot of those foyers are fairly similar and you could do a lot worse. This one has good services and a good location. It does not look glamorous from the outside, so don't get too disappointed. Here is a website for the university-affiliated foyers with its webpage and you can check the services it has on there (TV room, terrace, library, work room, etc.). about 3/4 of the rooms are singles, so you should get one. There is an email address and FAX number on there in case you need to ask them questions. I suppose your school has told you the situation (ie, that you should bring towels but that they provide sheets -- I assume that's the case as it usually is in hostels).

I guess your alternative would be to rent an apartment and that would probably cost more and you might actually have more room and privacy in the foyer if you get a single room than you would sharing a very small apt. with someone.

I guess you realized my mistake in that they are open until 1:30 am most nights (not pm).

What's your alternative? I know some folks who stayed at the Spanish dorm for the Sorbonne in the summer and it's pretty nice and has a cafeteria, but it's way out in Cite Universitaire and not as convenient a location. Prices about the same, I think.

sorry I forgot the URL

http://www.unme-asso.com/html/paris/...etudiantes.htm