I'm planning to spend a week in Paris for vacation and am thinking of renting a studio. I looked on homelidays.com and found a few:
#53334, 118127, 76716, 70696, 103267, 115099, 25205, 91871. Can some "experts" give me an opinion? I will be traveling alone and want to stay somewhat within budget (~300 euros/week). Thank you!

I should also add that I realize 300E/wk is really budget--I would stay in a hostel if I can't find an apartment. Students, such as myself, can't be too picky!

Hi,

It would be easier for people to give you comments if you provided a direct link to each specific apartment. It's a bit of work to go to the site and start hunting for the apt's you designated.

The easier you make it for people, the more likely you'll get useful feedback. I didn't know you could rent a studio in Paris for 40-50 E/night so I'm interested in seeing what you came up with. good luck!

Someone recently posted about having been defrauded for the deposit or the full rental when they booked thru Homeholidays. (but others have not had a problem).

its not 300e, its 385e but I've always thought Maison Zen looked like a good deal. quiet but a good deal...maisonzen.com lynda

I actually looked at them all. It wasn't as much trouble as I thought as you can type in the number into the box on the homepage and just keep doing that.

Anyway, I wouldn't even consider most of them right off the bat because they are often on the 6th floor without an elevator (7th American). I wouldn't want to stay higher than 4-5 without an elevator. Did you notice this and not care? That is just a lot of stairs. Many of them are minuscule and even smaller than the single hotel room I usually stay at (and I don't go deluxe), so that seems pretty bad (one was only 10 m2). One didn't really look too bad considering the way they had it fixed up but was basically a closet with a bed in it and would make me claustrophobic (that was probably the 10 m2 one).

118127 is in a boring modern building pretty far out, and on the ground floor to boot (near Goncourt metro), so I wouldn't consider that.

I think 91871 near Chatelet is one of the worst as not only is it very small (11 m2, smaller than many hotel rooms), but the so-called "sofabed" appears to be basically two footstool cubes next to each other. I hate sofabeds and would rule most of them out, also, but that really is the worst.

Several have lofts or mezzanines as they often call them in Paris which is basically the top of a bunk bed with a mattress on it. This makes more space in a room without any (they do that where I live in college dorm rooms). However, some of those look scary as if you rolled around any in your sleep, you could literally roll off it onto the floor and hurt yourself, as there is no railing (70696 looks that way).

So, what do I think best?
25205 near Anvers metro in the 9th (6th floor but has an elevator, 18 m2, around 300 euro). It is fixed up cute enough for what it is.

225099 11 m2 near Etienne Marcel. That's not a bad location for someone young, it is minuscule so I wouldn't consider it, but you might. It looks like they did the best with that space. It does have only a single bed on the loft thing, though, but at least is only the 2nd floor so elevator not an issue. I don't think that loft bed has a railing though, so you decide on that. I wouldn't book it as it is too scary for me and I'm not even clear how you get up there. At 250 euro a week I think it looks cute otherwise and the location not bad, so it's just a bed issue for me.

76716 is a decent size (17 m2) and great location in St Germain near Odeon so has that going for it. That's the reason I gave it points, as it has a sofabed (but it looks ok when open), and is on the 6th fl without el. The elevator is the big issue with this one, but the kitchenette corner looks okay and the location is great. Of course it costs a lot more (you WILL pay for St Germain, and is outside your budget, isn't it?) I can't figure out the price well but appears to be 350-450 euro a week.

It really matters when you are going to evaluate these things. For example, you won't have AC and prices should be cheaper in the winter.

Thank you for your help! Yes, I saw that most them are on higher floors, but that doesn't matter too much to me. The only thing that concerns me about 25205 (http://cortes300.free.fr/uk/anvers.htm) is that some people have told me that the area around Anvers/Pigalle can be a bit rough. But, if you think it is okay, and that it's somewhat central enough to get to places, that's probably my first choice too (I thought about the lofted bed situation, and I'm kinda scared about that).

Well, you have to make tradeoffs. That are wouldn't be as nice as the one in St Germain, that's for sure, or even Etienne Marcel in many ways. The area just south of the Anvers metro stop is in the 9th and near place d'Anvers and that's not too bad. It's sort of a real neighborhood area right around place d'Anvers, and there is a street market there on Fridays. It isn't particularly near Pigalle, although can be a little seedy.

I just checked the exact street more and that is a little questionable to me, as it's just barely off bd Rochechouart and not on place d'Anvers. That street is pretty ordinary, just regular decent tall older apt. buildings on it.

Well, it's up to you, the area won't be as nice as some others, but sure, it's not going to be that difficult to get to other places from there. I stayed not too far from there one summer, in fact, just a few blocks from there to the southwest. I liked that neighborhood a lot and met some nice people in the neighborhood restaurants and cafes, it was nice. I was on rue Clauzel and near place Toudouze (a good place to go to hang out, actually, and you wouldn't be far from there) but that's about four blocks south of rue Cretot and the other side of rue des Martyrs (which is a great street with lots of good food and other shops).

I think there is a fairly regular poster on here who actually lives a few blocks away from there on ave Trudaine (he, or she, posts on here under the name Trudaine). He just posted a few days ago so is still around, maybe you can get his attention.

How about starting a new thread saying something like "What is area around ave Trudaine in Paris 9e like?" That might get his attention.

I found another place, which looks better: http://www.homelidays.com/paris-02/a...at115132en.htm

The owner told me that it would be 300e/wk.
Can you give me your opinion on it? Thanks!

That looks like a winner to me. I'd grab it. The only drawback is the 5th floor without elevator, but if that really doesn't bother you, I think it's a better location and it has a regular bed and looks nice enough. That's a good area near a great market street, rue Montorgueil.

YOu might tell the owner there are rocks in the sink.

"You might tell the owner there are rocks in the sink."

Christina, I had to take a look when I saw that. You just made my day!

Anselm

I thought it was funny myself -- I hope the tenant isn't expected to keep them there. I suppose that is supposed to be artistic? I can only envision after some sessions of brushing teeth (ugh).

Hello,
I found this apartment on the net and thought it seemed a very good deal : http://www.parisapartment.free.fr
It is not too expensive (Eur57/night) and seems lovely even if it is not right in the middle of Paris (but you won't find anything that cheap there)

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