lrice

Funny - the first time I took teenage daughters to Paris, we stayed in St Germain in June. Both girls loved Paris but the neighborhood was overly crowded for one whereas the other went back two years later and rented her own apartment right in the middle of it all!

So excited for your daughters! Such an amazing opportunity!

kerouac

Many people go over and over again to places they already know, a sort of psychological safe haven ("I know where the chocolate is located in that supermarket.").

steveali3354

Interesting story: we stayed at St. Germain in June the first time I travelled to Paris with adolescent girls. Both girls adored Paris, but one found the area to be too busy, while the other returned two years later and rented a private apartment in the heart of it all!

I am so happy for your daughters! Such a wonderful chance!

rmoore926

Thanks for the continued suggestions. It seems like ac isn't easy to find in Paris, and might be a premium if we do find a place we like with it. We are from Southern California where temps can reach over 100 in the summer during the day and only cool to the low-mid 80's at night. We're used to heat, but don't love it. Certainly something to think about. I appreciate your help.

Christina

I used to stay in Paris in July a lot, even went to school there 3-4 summers in July, and my typical hotel at that time did not have AC. I was fine, bearable, once in a while it might be fairly hot a day or two but overall fine. And I don't think my hotels or apts or dorm rooms ever had AC, of course. That has changed due to global warming. I wouldn't consider staying in Paris in July now without AC.

I noted some of the comments on the Odeon one talked about how very noisy it could be. It is apparently only on the 2nd floor (3rd US), and one person said the main bedroom overlooked that corner metro stop and was intolerable due to noise. Others comment on the noise but say they could live with it. A couple said it was unbearable..One commented on how the windows had double glazing (helps a bit, but on second floor and that location, it's not going to be quiet), but in the summer without AC you'd have to open them, although if it is a dead heat, that won't help, and that person said it was terribly noisy with them open. It is right next to the UGC cinema where I go occasionally and near some clubs, etc, it will be noisy. One guy went into detail about all the noise problems and said it was the worst apt rental he'd ever had in Paris.

YMMV as they say, some people may have a very loud noise tolerance.

I used to like St Germain also many years ago. It's really changed.

rmoore926

Christina - thanks. I don't love that apartment. It's so plain and unwelcoming. I know that may have changed, but wouldn't you put new pics up if it did? I think we'd like something relatively central since it's the girls first time, but a little less crowded/noisy might be better.

My youngest daughter and I were looking at places and I was telling her I want a place that looks homey (for lack of a better word). That Odeon place doesn't "look homey" to me. Too cold. Everyone's opinion differs, but I think I'd like a place with a little more charm. I like the looks of the first one, David's place in the Marais. Still looking and deciding...........

shelemm

If it's hot and you don't have a/c, then it is especially important you are not on a noisy street. You will keep your windows open and be subject to the noise even very late at night.

I would not consider going without a/c in the summer in Paris.

I have done breakfast in a hotel room just by buying fresh fruit, cheese and bread. You don't need a whole kitchen for that. White peaches in summer are a delight, generally far better than what we get back home.

kerouac

If most places do not have air conditioning, it does not mean that it is a poor backward country which sometimes seems to be implied here. It just means that we locals do not consider it necessary. I actually have an air conditioner in one room, and I turn it on from 3 to 10 days a year.

Since I live in a 200 year old building, opening the windows when it is hot is the very last thing that I would do. Old buildings stay considerbly cooler inside if you don't let the hot air in from outdoors.

TDudette

Hi rmoore926, I looked at the precise location map and would prefer number 4 for the best location. As a tourist, I want my hotel to be easy to get to. Need to drop off some stuff? End of the day? I want an easy, cheap commute back.

Querulous kerouac, good to know that AC not needed often.

Edited to add that the last one actually looks occupied.

KTtravel

Having stayed in Paris during that heat wave when many people died, I would be reluctant to book a place without AC. I realize I may be being overly sensitive about this but we were miserably warm even though we were in an older building.

kerouac

The great heat wave was in August 2003, 20 years ago.

rmoore926

2003 was the last time I was in Europe. My wife and I traveled there before we started our family. I remember that well. To be honest, I do not remember if the places we stayed had ac. Since we stayed in hotels and not rented apartments I would assume that most did.

shelemm - when it cools down at night having the windows open will be a great way to cool down, and yes, we don't want to be in a noisy area in that case.

coral22

rmoore,
it sounds like you have done a great job weighing all the factors involved in the choice. I know when travel we always have a long list of preferences, but then that darn, annoying budget makes us pare down to what is the most important. It sounds like you have dealt with the heat in California, so that is not as challenging to you. Chances are, your weather will be fine.It is just always good to have as much information as possible. Again, the windows open or closed, it could be a factor in whether to pick a quieter area or not.

kerouac, an article for you. Last year, June 18, 2022 in Paris, 97 degrees Fahrenheit, not the record, but I would consider that unpleasant, and June 2022 was the hottest June on record
https://www.france24.com/en/france/2...-june-heatwave

rmoore926

coral22 - We're trying our best. This is a 24 day trip ending in Paris. Yes, that pesky budget continues to get in the way! Looked up average temps and see they are about 80F during the day and 60F at night. That's a nice cool summer day where we are. Just because we live in the heat doesn't me we like it! Just used to it. Thanks for the help.

kerouac

Yes, coral, we had a few unpleasant days, but it was not a heat wave. In the French definition, a heat wave is a period of at least 3 days when the temperature reaches at least 30° during the day and does not go below 20° at night. This did not happen in Paris last year. Hot days are not a problem since there are always solutions for that. People worry about hot nights, and the temperature went down enough at night.

Surfergirl

The first thing I noticed was the lack of A/C in all of the apartments, and your time of visit . . . generally very warm, if not hot in Paris then. But if you aren't menopausal or sensitive to heat, just remember, heat rises. So the higher the floor, the hotter it will be. And stickier because it can be quite humid.

Look for a place on a lower floor with a cross-wind (like a corner unit).

I have to tell you, the hotel we've stayed at in the 14th since 1984 with the 2 bathrooms (a must!) finally got A/C in 1994 and it made all the difference in the world . . . especially THAT summer when there was a major heat wave across Europe. And even worse in July of 2003 (yes, we go often). Some years, it was muggy and a few times even chilly, and we didn't need it at all.

And even though I'm from L.A. where it's been known to get very warm in summer, there's a huge difference between a dry heat and a wet heat.

Assuming on a lower floor, I like #4 best.

cafegoddess

We were there during that time, it was awful! I thought it was over 100 degrees. We are used to hot weather since we live in a tropical island but the heat those two days was awful!

Moore926, I forgot to mention, I like apt number six because I like the location and it is close to a lot of metro stations even though It is a little too cluttered for me.

kerouac

Okay, I finally clicked on the link of the apartment that people are claiming is too cluttered. That is exactly the sort of place that appeals to me since it is lived in and doesn't look like an antiseptic showroom in a furniture store.

Bunny2294

I would probably choose the last one because of the rooftop view, Parisian rooftops are best enjoyed with a cup of ice-cold coffee in the summer, that's just me. Others have also pointed out the lack of AC and the weather in July can go up to 26°C which is still bearable for me coming from a country with this usual weather.

apersuader65

I don't think Montorgueil is considered part of Marais, but it is the most central of all the apartments listed.