My two daughters (late teens) and I (their mother) will be spending 5 - 7 nights in Paris between 10th and 16th December. We have narrowed our apartment search down to a shorlist of 4. Now have to decide which we woudl like to rent. Any comments?

Two are in the Marais District:
http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p89296
http://www.vrbo.com/79965

One is near Montmartre:
http://frenchyrentals.com/damremont.html

One is near the Moulin Rouge:
http://frenchyrentals.com/fontaine.html


Any comments on ease of access to public transport, possible noise issues etc would be most appreciated. Thanks.

I assume this is your first visit to Paris.

If so, the Marais. Having the owner living in the same building (the vrbo apartment) might be helpful, but the furniture in the living room doesn't look very comfortable.

Sorry, I should have said ..... this is my 3rd visit to Paris (and second for the girls). We were last there Summer 2006. Last time we stayed in the Marais-Bastille area and found it very convenient. I was leaning perhaps towards Montmartre this time, but the girls like the vrbo in Marais. I agree about the living room furniture - ideal for bedding configuration, but perhaps less so for relaxing after a hard day hitting the pavements of Paris.

Any other comments. anyone?

I stayed with my teenage daughter in Montmartre a couple of years ago. I've just returned from a stay in the Marais with her, teenage son and husband. Montmartre was great at the tme but the distance from the 'city' was an issue. I felt that once we left for the day there would be no going back until the day was done! The metro trip was too long to contemplate dropping shopping off and going out again etc. With the Marais however, we could return for during the day and then go out again and you knew 'home' was never far away. Montmartre is great to visit and wander around but for me, just a bit too far out and away from the 'main' attractions.

Ozziegal
Thanks for the reminder that Paris is a huge city (we tend to forget living in Sydney). Your comments are well founded and easily forgotten. You have turned my search definately back to the Marais district. Thank you.

Marais...definitely don't stay by Moulin Rouge, Even Monmartre (sp?) is a little oout of the way for me. The Maris is much closer to the thongs you will want to do and see.

But do branch out and see other neighborhoods. My favorite is the 6th with all the great cafes and boutiques. Feels very Parisian.

The second of the 2 in the marais looks wonderful. The price is certainly right! Enjoy your visit...

The VRBO one - hands down.

I'd pick the Marais or one you said was near Moulin Rouge. I've stayed in that area a couple times and like it a lot. It's two blocks away from Moulin Rouge, which I think would be near rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. I like that area, it's just about as close to St Georges metro stop. There are lots of young people in that neighborhood and cheaper restaurants, etc. It is also pretty convenient, it's not that far out.

The one in Montmartre I didn't look at but from the name I guess it's on Damremont which isn't even very close to a metro stop. I would never consider that. Notice the description doesn't even tell you how close it is to one, it just says it is in-between two and they are a "five minute walk". If it were only a couple blocks, it would say so, it did on the other one. If it is in-between the two stops, it must be about right on the edge of the cemetery.

I'd take the vrbo one. In fact I'm going to bookmark it. Rue Saint Gilles is in a quieter/slightly less busy part of the Marais, at least if it's close to Chemin Vert metro.

I do think these all look nice, though, and since you and your daughters have been to Paris a few times, they're probably all quite acceptable. The one on rue Fontaine is cute. If you end up staying there, please add some remarks to the Paris vacation apartments thread.

We actually stayed in an apartment just around the corner from Rue Saint Gilles - our local boulanger was in that street. Chemin Vert metro was a short walk away and it easily connected to line 1 (Concorde etc) and other main lines. There was a supermarket and frozen food store (Picard?)(highly rated) close by as with several cafes etc. Also, relatively quiet.

Thanks everyone for some wonderful insight!! We have decided on the VRBO apartment. My elder daughter thinks a school friend of hers who has moved back to London may join us for a few days - the bedding configuration could be good for a possible 4th person, without the cost of a 2 bedroom apartment.

All planning for the trip is falling into place nicely. Even though it is 10 months away, we are looking forward to it very much. (Hoping for better weather than they had this winter)!

Thanks for the wonderful comments. We have booked VRBO 79965 and are looking forward to seeing Paris in winter! Now, we just have to finalise the Lyon and Spain apartments!

Just back - stayed in the VRBO apartment in Marais. It was perfect in every way, and would definately stay there again! Will do a full apartment review when I catch my breath and get back into post holiday normality.