Last Apartment Question...I Promise!!
 

We are a family of four (two children 6 and 9) traveling to Paris next summer. I have spent the last month searching apartments and I have narrowed it down to three all from Rental France. All have a/c and seem to be well appointed. Two are in the 7th, one is in the 6th. I am looking for a Paris neighborhood experience - with fresh markets and cafes, people walking the streets, but safe for my family. One apartment in the 7th is on the ground floor which raises some safety concerns. The apartment in the 6th is across from Luxembourg Gardens. While I see the value of this for the children, is the ambiance of the location different from the 7th which has the Rue Cler draw? I do have other family members traveling at the same time and they will be at the Hotel Crillion. Is the 6th and 7th about the same distance from the Hotel (15-20 min walk?) Here are the apartments any thoughts would be welcome:
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.ph...tion=chartreux
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.php?location=malar
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.ph...champs-de-mars

I didn't click on your links. But I will say that an apartment in the 6th is much better than anywhere in the 7th.

It would be unbecoming if I said that I find your options totally unadventurous, but you understand the drift. There is absolutely no unsafe area within the Paris city limits, and therefore by going farther from the center you could have had access to such joyous and authentic markets and neighborhoods that I can only grieve over the concept that you will be sharing your market streets with thousands of tourists having a tourist experience instead of authenticity.

Don't worry >> you will still find it wonderful.

I really don't think you are going to want to walk to the Hotel Crillon from a couple of those apts, but the one on rue Malar in the 7th is definitely the closest and you problably could in that time from it. The others you couldn't. Don't you have a map of Paris? YOu really should have gotten one to check out these locations -- at least I would if I were spending that much money.

The one on rue Chartreux in the 6th is not across from Luxembourg Gardens and it doesn't even really say that. It says it is "steps from" or near. That is near the Pont Royal RER stop, and while it is close to Luxembourg gardens, it's really down on the tail near the Observatory and some university buildings. I don't think that location will be as convenient for transportation or food shopping (no major supermarket near there, or stree market). I do generally like that area, but for what you want and because you haven't been there, I don't think it's as convenient. It doesn't have to do with the ambience of the 6th versus 7th.

The one on the ground floor may not be so bad for security, as it looks like that is only open on the inside, to the courtyeard, not on the outside street. I don't like ground floor apts anyway, in general, regardless of the security, but some people don't mind them.

The ones in the 7th are just as close to some parks as the one in the 6th, so that doesn't really matter much.

all things being equal - my order of personal preference for a short-term vacation flat would be the 5th, 4th, 6th, 7th, 1st, 8th.

Though some parts of the 6th are definitely up there w/ the 5th/4th.

For what you say you want - the order would seem to be about the same. I also didn't check all your links, but an apartment in the 6th and near the Lux Gardens would appeal to me much more than one in the 7th.

I was posting the same time as Christina - guess I should look at the links (was trying to do this quickly). Anyway, if the flat is not close to the Gardens that would change my opinion a bit.

so - now off to check your links :)

OK - you obviously are willing to spend a fair amount. Are you wedded to this one agency? I ask because I probably wouldn't choose any of them. They do all look nice but by the time you add the €100 for the 2 extra beds you are talking €1500- €1900 a week and there are MANY flats all over in that price range.

There are many other very good agencies/apartments recommended on here every day - and that isn't counting vrbo which isn't an agency as such.

I just think in that price range you might do better location-wise.

I think you'll do fine in any of these; my experience is that if something is within 20 minutes walking distance, it's within a metro stop, so it really doesn't matter. And since you can get around Paris so easily, you will be able to venture to the "outer" parts of the city (which are wonderful, especially Montmartre!) via metro whenever you like (maybe not 2 a.m., although check the hours, and anyway your kids probably won't be up then). Do find time to explore areas such as the upper(?) Opera (leading to Pigalle, via rue de Martyrs), rue Trudaine, weekly markets in different parts of the city, etc. And have a wonderful time!

Thank you for all your comments. I have been looking and looking and I thought I had come up with some very good options but your comments are valid and raise some concerns. If I wanted to be close enough to walk to the Hotel Crillon in 15-20 minutes what area would you suggest I focus in on while still keeping in my mind that I am traveling with children and would like open markets, small streets, etc..

Personally, I would look in the 2nd or the 9th if I wanted to stay in a good area not too far from the Crillon.

Or maybe the 17th.

The one on rue Malar is close to the Crillon, so if you like that one, I think it does suit you.

The one on rue des Chartreux is close to Luxembourg Gardens, but it is not directly across the street from it, as you thought. It's also not in the immediate blocks to the west or north of the gardens, as people probably assumed it was when they thought it was in St Germain. I meant Port Royal RER stop, not Pont Royal.

I checked the distances on mappy, and they think you can walk most of these within 20 minutes, but I think their walking rate is pretty agressive (especially would be with children). They think you can walk one mile in 10 minutes. YOu could if you really hustled, but that's the equivalent of walking one very long block in one minute.

On the map, the distance of the Crillon from the rue Malar is 1 km (.6 mile), from the Champ de Mars apt. is 2 km (1.25 mile) and from rue des Chartreux, it is 4 km (about 2.5 miles).

So the Champ de Mars one would be fine if you think that is the distance you want. A lot of people with kids would like being around that general area with the Eiffel Tower to see, and the parks around there. Rue Cler is not a big thrill in any way, but it would be a convenient place to shop for food if you were staying nearby.

Any thoughts on this apartment?

http://www.perfectplaces.com/a_Apart...ntals/5433.htm

Based only on locations, my recomendation would be the one on rue de Champs de Mars.

With young children, I think you'll find the 7th far more favorable than the 6th.

Rue de Champs de Mars is surrounded by places for picking up groceries, and rue Cler and neighboring streets are chock full of places to shop for fresh foods, prepared foods, even frozen foods (Picard great for snacks, especially ice cream/popsicles, etc.). The apartment is steps from Ecole Militaire metro station (on the same line as Concorde for Hotel Crillon), where there are also half a dozen or more bus routes to all over. There are many cafes and restaurants more suited to families.

Across Champs de Mars (a huge open space for the kids to run, with the Tour Eiffel at the end, of course)) is Fat Tire where you can rent bikes for all of you to enjoy.

For young marrieds without children and singles, the 6th is "livelier", but it's also crowded and noisy.

If being a short walk from Hotel Crillon is your priority, the rue de Surene location is, obviously, the closest.

No comments on your apartment choices themselves. Just wanted to add that Port Royal does have a street market several times a week, and this being Paris you won't find many "big" supermarkets in the center but you will find lots of smaller versions of Franprix or Champion (grocery store chain names) pretty much everywhere, and you will also have good traiteurs and bakeries. Basically you will have no problem finding markets and food in either 6th or 7th. Any reason you are wedded to the idea of wanting to walk to Crillon instead of taking the metro? One thing you can do is to find out what the closest metro stop is for Crillon and then try to find an apartment on the same metro line.

Thank you again for your responses. It helps so much to be able to get info before a trip like this. I would absolutely consider the Metro - especially if the route is direct. I just want to say I chose Pascal's apartments (Rental France) based on researching Fodor posts. He seemed to get very good reviews over and over again. I also thought his prices were fair and the apartments had a/c (at least some form of a/c). I also picked the 7th based on posts about traveling with family so it seems like the right location to be based out of. One more question if you don't mind - is there much of a difference in the location of Champs De Mars vs. Rue Malar ? The reason I ask is that the Champs De Mars apartment is a ground floor apartment. That raises some security concerns. On my map Rue Malar seems not to be as central in the 7th but I was wondering if it made that much of a difference. Again thank you for all your comments.

I wouldn't be concerned about the apartment being on the ground floor in the 7th. In fact, with the kids, you wouldn't have to worry about their footsteps bothering anyone (we are asked to not wear shoes once inside the apartment we rent in the 7th) below. It's on the back of a building fronted with an art gallery and small businesses, and the courtyard and private terrace look very nice, and would give the kids the option to go outdoors.

Not that you have to worry about it in the 7th, but upper floors may be more accessible over the rooftops and via balconies than an interior unit on the ground floor.

The rue de Champs de Mars apartment is much closer to shops, grocery stores, rue Cler and a metro stop (.25 km to Ecole Militaire). The apartment of rue Malar is closer to the river (and about 1.6 km (or a 20-30 minute walk from Hotel Crillon), but farther from shopping and the nearest metro station (LaTour-Maubourg .77 km). If you look at a map, this may not seem like much of a difference, but when out and about all day and after going all over, a few blocks can seem like miles at the end of each day.

For "running out for a few things" or picking up things on the "way home", the apartment on rue de Champs de Mars would be the most convenient. It's also more convenient to cafes.

That's interesting, on mappy.fr in one place they said the rue Malar was only 1 km from the Crillon, and in another more like 1.7. Measuring on my own map, I guess it is more like 1.7 km.

In any case, it isn't as convenient to a metro stop, and that would be important to me. Maybe you are focusing too much on walking to the Crillon, although if that's really important to you, I guess you have to decide on that. But I guess none of these fit that goal.

I don't think it makes the slightest bit of difference as to which of those two in the 7th is more central, as you want. They just aren't that different on that measure that I think you should decide based on that. You should decide more on which you like and what it's close to, and transportation options. They aren't really very different in centrality, if you mean in comparison to Notre Dame. The one on rue Malar is just a big farther north of the other one, that's all. It is pretty close to pont de l1'Alma. I think there are plenty of shops along rue St Dominique which is very nearby. I'm big on using the metro, so would pick the other one for that reason. That is aside from the ground floor considerations, you have to decide on that.