Paris Apartment for Family of Five -- Advice Needed
 

We are taking our first trip to Paris in October (for 8 days) with our three young children-- DD6 and twin boys4.

After a few weeks of scouring fodors and slowtrav for apartments, I keep coming back to this one.

http://www.parisvacationapartments.c...room-1st-floor

I love that it's in the Palais Royal, right on the gardens (great for the kids) and within walking distance to a few of the major sites.

But -- since I've never been to Paris, I would love a few experienced opinions about the location, the apartment, ect -- before I commit.

Thanks!
~M

We stayed in that apartment last May and loved it! The agency was great to deal with, metro and bus stops very convenient and the apartment very comfortable. Both bedrooms face rue Montpensier so were quiet.
Do you have specific questions?

That is a great apartment for your family. The location is very central for a visit to Paris. The rental company is one of the best. I see no reason not to book.

Enjoy your trip!

Yes-I would "third" the opinion. The gardens are great with kids and it is near the river so close to good metro lines, the Louvre, etc. and the area is a little less crowded than the left bank Latin quarter for example where many first timers stay. And not only will you have the gardens of the Palais but also you are close to Tuileries which offer much larger outdoor space.

Mebe, we have twice stayed in an apartment on Rue des Petits Champs, about two blocks from Palais Royal, so while I am not familiar with the apartment you are considering, I do know the neighbourhood quite well.

That part of the 1st does not have an intimate feeling of neighbourhood, but the location of the apartment itself far outweighs any negatives, as Palais Royal is itself a treasure.

You will have no difficulty finding the kinds of services you might need for apartment supplies: there is a big Monoprix on Ave de l'Opéra, just south of the intersection with Rue des Petits Champs. There are food shops and wine shops on Rue des Petits Champs and on the side streets running north towards Rue du Quatre Septembre. Perhaps the best destination for food shopping is Rue Montorgueil, a pedestrian street about five blocks east along Rue des Petits Champs (which becomes Rue Etienne Marcel after you pass through Place des Victoires). It looks like a long hike, be we did it every couple of days and enjoyed the wide variety of shops.

There is also a small open-air market in Place du Marché St-Honoré, just west of Ave de l'Opéra. It operates on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

I should mention, too, that there are two Parisian passages within a couple of blocks of Palais Royal: Passage Vivienne and Passage Choiseul, both running north from Rue des Petits Champs. They are well worth a look.

Anselm

If looking for a place in Paris, try www.airbnb.com, it has many apartments to look.

That apartment looks lovely, and the location is great too. I think you will be hard pressed to find anywhere as convenient and as well so nice!

I first went to Paris with my daughters when they were almost 7 and almost 5, and we stayed just off the Rue de Rivoli, a bit further up in Rue Cambon, and it was so good to so close to the Tuileries. With small children definitely stay somewhere close to a garden! We spent a lot of time there...

But, Mebe - when are you going to Paris? I missed you in Florence a couple of years ago, but I am going to be in Paris in October, but only for one weekend, the 2nd and 3rd October - and I'm only staying the one night! Bet I miss you again this time as well!

We tried to book one of these apartments when we brought our kids in 2006 and they were booked for months in advance. I would hurry and try to book if I were you. I am afraid they may be booked up for you.

great apartment, love the Palais Royal, great company and service....I too would hurry to book as they book up fast.

I stayed in this apartment with my two children (and a visitor from the UK towards the end of the week) several years ago and it was absolutely terrific in every regard. Great management and beautiful property in a great location. You will especially love being right on the park: my kids were a bit older, so I could just send them out the door and check on them from my perch at the dining room table with a cup of tea at my elbow.

Hi Julia! -- I'll email you :)

Thanks everyone -- after reading your responses I sent an email requesting the apartment. Now I'm crossing my fingers and waiting for a confirmation.

I didn't expect to spend this much money on an apartment -- but since I consider my "home base" as the most important travel decision -- I'm willing to spend more for a good location. I wanted to make absolutely sure that this was the place for us. And I trust the opinions of my fellow fodorites.

Therese & Judy: On the floor plan it shows two entrances - is one of them for the park side, the other for the street side?

I don't have specific questions yet.(I still can't believe we're actually going, lol) But I'll gladly accept any opinions/advice about the apartment or the neighborhood.

AnselmAdorn -- thanks for the detailed information. I worried about not having the intimate neighborhood feel; I'm pleased to know the positives outweigh the negatives.

~M

Both apartment entrances are onto the stairwell which takes you (via stairs or elevator) down to the ground floor. I can't recall now whether there was direct access to the garden side of the building or if you had to exit the building on the street side and walk around. Somebody here will recall, I'm sure, and if not the agency will be able to tell you.

We stayed in the 3-bedroom apartment and I'm pretty sure we could go out to the garden from the ground floor but we couldn't come back in that way. We could enter only from Rue de Montpensier.

There are archways from the street into the arcades and garden so you don't have to walk too far to go around.

Terrific building and great convenient area--hope you are able to rent the apartment.

It's official -- I got the apartment. What a relief! They do book up early (October is almost full). The agency has been fantastic so far, answering some of my emails almost immediately.

Thanks for all your input!

~M

Great!! You will love it. The apartment has a notebook with lots of information regarding the area.....shops, etc. It does book up early as we were looking at a week in June 2011 and it is unavailable!!
We did have to enter the apartment from rue Montpensier but only had to walk a short distance to find an opening through to the gardens.

That's great news. Their apartments book up so far in advance that you're lucky. You'll have a good experience. I can't wait to rent from PVA again.

Mebe, how wonderful all of you will be going to Paris! My very best wishes for a beautiful time and congratulations on being able to rent that apartment, it looks wonderful! It is hard to believe the ages of your children however, time sure goes by too quickly! Hugs.

Judy -- they also emailed me several documents (20 or so pages, I think)about the neighborhood, transportation, restaurant recommendations, ectera. And I love that I can pay for it on my cc. Last time I rented (in Italy) I had to pay at arrival in Euros.

Hello LoveItaly! You are always so kind. It will be five years this October since our travel with a toddler adventure. My three kids in Paris....this will be an interesting trip report. :)

Try this site: www.untours.com. They have a number of apartments in Paris. We used them in our 2008 month long Paris trip. We will be using them again this year for a month. We have been very happy with their apartments. Each apartment is stocked with about two days worth of food to give you time to acclimate. They have an orientation the day after you arrive, followed by a free dinner at a Paris restaurant. Then you are on your own to do what you want. They have on site personnel to help you if needed.