This is copied from my rue de Turenne thread:


tuscanlifeedit on Jun 8, 14 at 5:52pm

Drat: the bathroom is only accessible from the main bedroom. Our friend would have to come through our bedroom to go to the bathroom. This is getting harder and harder. For just the two of us, we never have a problem. A second bedroom really complicates things.

I'm now dealing with two other apartments:
1) rue du Louvre
http://www.myparisvisit.com/rental-t...-paris-47.html

I'm not loving anything about the location, which I think is rather charmless, but the apartment ticks the boxes and minus the charm factor, it seems like a good location for sightseeing and transportation.

and

2)St Andres des Arts
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_277.htm

I'm leaning toward this one, but feedback is appreciated.

How old is the friend?

If I were the spare, I wouldn't want to sleep in a little bunk bed.

The 1st one seems better.

OTOH, it's a rental it's not forever.

First apt doesn't show the "second" bedroom. It says it has a sofa bed. I would rather sleep in a real bunk bed than a sofa bed. I also think the second apartment is brighter looking. I like the second.

With the first, it the bed in the second bedroom is a sofabed -- not always the most comfortable. On the other hand, the second apartment has bunk beds more suitable for a child than an adult. Otherwise I think both apartments are very nice and in good locations. Maybe you could run this by your friend and see which sleeping situation would appeal (particularly if they're paying part of the rent).

It might be convenient that in the first apt. the toilet is separate from the rest of the bathroom so accessible while one of you is showering or taking a bath.

St Andre des Arts is light and airy but that second bedroom looks very narrow. It could be the angle the photo was taken from. I would check the bed size to see if it's a standard twin or a smaller size.

The apartment opens onto a street that will be noisy at night and I don't see that there is any AC. You would need to keep the windows closed at night if you can't sleep with noise.

It is true that neither apartment has a full second bed. Our companion says that she if fine with either; we spent the afternoon yesterday vetting all the possibilities in our budget.

We are pretty much not considering AC since we will be there at the beginning of October.

The rue St Andre des Arts apartment says that it is very quiet at night as it is a pedestrian only alley way. Of course, that is advertising.

Can you stand looking at a third?

http://www.escalea.com/en/apartment-...-rentals-paris

We stayed in another apt of Vacationinparis on rue St. Andres des Artes and liked the location very much. It was a bit noisy until about 11:00pm but we were very near the square so it was busier. It's a touristy area but we were tourists. I recommend VIP - they were very easy to work with and when we had a small wireless problem the local manager was helpful and also answered some questions about transportation for us.

<< it is very quiet at night as it is a pedestrian only alley way >>

I was thinking of people noise, not vehicle noise.

I like the latest one the best. The second bedroom has a regular bed and the bedrooms are separate for privacy. I can't figure out what that room is between the bedroom and bathroom (looking at floor plan).

The area is good and should be convenient although I like the St. Andre des Arts area best.

that's funny, that St Andre des Arts area is quiet because it is pedestrian only. Like about 10 bazillion tourist pedestrians are around there all the time and it's a very narrow street, to boot.

But at least it is on the 4th floor and they say it has double-paned windows so might be tolerable. It's probably quiet in the middle of the night (although I think there are some clubs around there).
The bunk bed looks horrible, but I think the problem is they have an odd lens whch maybe made it look more narrow than usual. A sofabed might be better than that, it depends.

I found one of the comments interesting complaining about their keys sent in the mail method. I always thought that was bizarre myself, and the person said they only got them the day before leaving and they weren't mailed in any kind of traceable method. I don't know why VIP does such amateurish things at times, I've had some dealings with them that I thought were unprofessional, also, so wouldn't rent from them (I wouldn't that time as they refused to put things in writing in a contract for me, but I know lots of people like them).

I think the Louvre ones looks nicer, in general, although it also says one BR has a sofabed. Either way, you have that issue, I guess (they can be fine for a few days, some are more comfortable than others, and being in a BR, you don't have to make it up each day). Both are convenient locations.

The second one is about US$50 more expensive a day it appears, though, about the same as that last one.

The last one is very Black and White. Otherwise, nice. I don't like that location, think it is dull as dirt and not that close to a metro stop. I'd go for one of the other two.

Christina, that is what I thought about the B&W apartment: that the immediate location is dull. Easy to get to a few places I often visit, like the Grand Epicerie and the chapel of the Miraculous Medal, but I honestly don't think my friend is going to want to go to either of those places, plus it is more expensive, and we have already overspent on a 5 night stay at St Jean Cap Ferrat.

Adrienne, I called VIP (I find the ease of calling a point in their favor) and they said that the bunk bed is not as narrow as the picture makes it appear, and that the room has a window.

I think I have to omit the B&W apartment because of the budget. Which leaves me totally torn.

I have never stayed any place near the rue du Louvre. That apartment has a washing machine, which might be nice after 10 days on the road.

I may insist my friend make the decision.

A washing machine after 10 days of travel would be very nice,

So the photo of the second bedroom was taken at a weird angle. That means the room is wider than it looks and there is a window.

I would go with the St. Andre des Arts for location, light and airy, and spacious looking.

There is a laundromat off that street on one of the side streets to the left (as you're heading toward Notre Dame).

I would let the friend decide. Clearly she will have a room not as spacious as the master bedroom and it would be best if she makes the call re which accommodation she'd like to accept.

The first apartment is very small so I would go with the 2nd apartment, which is almost twice the size. I believe my friends staying in the building of the first apartment as we all rented from that agency in 2012. They were told they had to be extremely quiet at all times and in general, the street was noisy. I'd go with the 2nd apartment!

Judy has it right. Let your friend decide, that way there will be no complaints.

Done!

Our travel companion prefers to the St Andre des Arts apartment, and I'm fine with that.

It seems to be the consensus here so that is pleasing to me, too.

Although there is no washing machine, we checked our Cote d'Azur apartment, and there is a washing machine there, so we can do a little washing before Paris.

adrienne, thanks for the laundromat tip.

Everyone, thank you for all your input. It helped a lot. I will report on the apartment after our stay.