Rue des Chartreaux apartment is fantastic - the only drawback is that it is available for 5 out of our 6 days - I am not sure it worth is the hassle of having to pack and unpack twice ...

I have a couple more places on the short list, none ideal, but all somewhat acceptable (my, how my standards are slipping). It may also be time to raise the budget... I will post a couple of more for review if you are not sick of my questions yet.

Again, thank you for taking the time to do the research and offer the help you all have done - it is much appreciated. I don't feel quite so alone in the big bad apartment hunting world anymore!

Julia.

Try Coach House Rentals (www.chsparis.com). They have some 20 properties on their books from studio flats to properties that will sleep 8/10. They also operate in London – www.rentals.chslondon.com and have many positive revues on tripadvisor.com

harley_nott: Just curious - you have posted to fodors 11 times - and, um -- and every single one was to recommend chslondon/chsparis??

(you may run a wonderful agency - but advertising isn't allowed on Fodors)

Id on;t know about date availability, but we stayed in this apartment (which is now a 2 bedroom) and had a wonderful experience! The location is terrific - ground floor off a quiet courtyard.

http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.ph...&picture=1

Ooh, I drooled over Rue de Buci apartment - alas, taken :(

Thank you for the suggestion - I will add it to my "next visit" shortlist.

The link I included above seems to be within your price range, has two bedrooms and is available in late March so maybe you did look at something else. The address is 28 bis rue Cardinal Lemoine

http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-ap...hp?ref=CARDI28

The challenge with the Cardinal Lemoine apartment is that it does not have 2 single beds, only 2 double beds - we need a couple of twins for DM and DMIL. Otherwise, I'd be leaping on it already ;)

Actually, I looked up the rue des Chartreaux one (they have their own website, BTW, it is www.parisapartment6eme.com ) and actually that isn't as convenient a location as some might want. I might it's a nice area, but it isn't that close to a metro stop, only an RER stop. It's still pretty good considering everything, though. I don't think their own website gives a price or anything, just seems to have a lot of info on it.

I probably wouldn't rent a place that was only available for five out of six days, but if you do, just book a hotel that is very nearby for the extra day and you do not have to completely pack and unpack for one day.

I've found some other nice ones, including the one I was thinking of, but they are all much more expensive than what you are seeking (like $275-350 per day).

The website of Rue du Chartreaux looks pretty good. I can't tell where it is on that map -- is it supposed to be that blue dot?

Anyway, if that busline is close to the apartment, that sounds like a great way to get to the main site and older people seem to appreciate the fewer stairs involved. I don't have mobility issues but I really enjoyed the bus -- as long as I had a schedule I didn't waste time waiting for them, either.

If they can't accomodate your first day, that would be much easier than you having to move at the end of your trip to a hotel for the last night. This apartment does seem superior in most ways, however, to your other options. If there were a hotel a few blocks away, I'd definitely consider this.

I think it is that blue dot, I just looked on a Paris map. It's down at the bottom of the "tail" of Luxembourg Gardens, just a bit NW of the Port Royal RER stop.

Actually, I think having to move out at the end one day earlier is actually fairly convenient and much better than at the beginning. I've done that, and it isn't that bad because you are forced to pack up everything the day before to go home, so then your last day in Paris you can just do what you need to do without having to worry about packing up, cleaning an apt. to whatever extent you do, etc. YOu can just wear something simple you put on the top of your bags, and then you won't have to spend a lot of time your last day packing or the day you leave town. It actually made leaving the apt. a lot less stressful when I could take my time packing up in the morning, going down one block to a hotel when I was ready, and even being able to call the agency or handle last minute problems without worrying about leaving town, getting to the airport, etc.

When I did that, I just found the closest acceptable hotel (2*-3*) to my apartment so I could just wheel my bags there, and booked it for one night. It worked out very well, actually, and also made it easier for the hotel to call the taxi to get to the airport and things like that.

Thank you for your thoughts - I am pondering this option. On one hand, it's a minor hassle, on the other, because we won't have to head to CDG until about 3:30 pm on the day of departure, staying last night in the hotel will let us leave the bags there after checkout and spend the afternoon unencumbered, saying good bye to the city...

Looks like Rue des Chartreux appartment is getting moved to the top of the shortlist :)

It's now between Rue des Chartreux apartment and this one:

http://tinyurl.com/t3sea

I am familiar with Les Halles area but not with Sentier (other then from Cara Black's book). I know the apartment is near Rue Montorgueil market and it satisfies every other requirement (well, it's slightly higher then my original budget allowed, since we'll have to pay for a minimum 7 night stay, while actually only having 6 nights in the apartment, but what the heck) - showers galore, elevators, everyone would have their own bedroom, nicely furnished living room, spacious kitchen. Makes me think I am overlooking something hideously wrong with it?

The last apartment you mention, on Rue des Petits Carreaux, is a great location, very central and near 2 good metro lines #3 and #4. Rue Montorgueil changes names for a couple of blocks to become Rue des Petits Carreaux at its northern end, where it reaches Rue Réaumur, so the apartment is essentially right on Rue Montogueil. In the exterior photos you see an arch across the street. This is the northern end of Rue Montorgueil and this is where the Sentier metro stop is.

There are also pretty good bus routes nearby, including #20, which will take you to the Marais, Republique and Bastille.

Rue Montorgueil is a semi-pedestrian market street with everything you will need for meals available right outside your door. I stayed very near by last year and am returning his spring. It's a great area.

Holy Cow!....is being 70 the crossover point for decrepitude?...the posts make a few stairs sound like Everest....I am not in any way attempting to ridicule anyone with physical disabilities, but I am 72, in just average condition, (maybe even less than),and don't even think of stairs one way or the other when considering potential digs...not trying to be huffy....maybe just not wanting to qualify for geezerhood just yet...anyway, your folks are lucky to have kids who care about them...
Dupher

Dupher,

I think the difference is that you can make that decision for yourself and you are best equipped to know your physical condition. My MIL completely delegated the choice of the apartment to me and DH - you know how mothers can be, any old shack is good for them. If I ask, she'll tell me she will climb any number of stairs and be happy about it - in reality she may or may not be comfortable doing that, but the primary motivation is the desire not to put us out, especially as we are paying for the accomodations. I'd rather not be responsible for any discomfort on her side, whether she will admit to it or not...

Fair enough...as I said, lucky MIL, to have such a considerate DIL!!

I don't think too many folks would be thrilled with an apt. on the 5th or 6th floor that was a walkup, regardless of age. I'm sure that would affect everyone's activity, and you can actually find that in Paris. Besides, you will be carrying luggage and maybe groceries, bottles of water, etc. Besides, you have to plan the best for everyone, so I don't think wanting a lower floor if there is no elevator is unusual.

I don't really think spending the last night in a hotel is that undesirable, as I said. I actually liked it when I did that, although it happened by accident for the same reasons. Because you must leave your bags somewhere, that makes it sound like a reasonable plan (what do you plan to do if you stay in an apt? Many make you vacate by 10 am or so, maybe noon if you are lucky).

The one near Sentier looks okay, though, and it would be nice for everyone to have their own bedroom, I'd say. I am not crazy about the area around the Sentier metro (espec north), but if it's south or more the extension of rue Montorgueil, that's better. YOu will have to be dealing with the owner, though, hope that is in the works. When I had some dealings with NYHabitat on an apt., which fell through, that tooks days of back and forth to get questions answered, availability, etc. Maybe that will be quicker.

If you do end up in rue des Chartreux (and you could do worse), these are the closest 2-3* hotels:

Hotel des Mines, 125 bd St Michel 2* (double/twins 94 euro)
www.hoteldesminesparis.com

It is modern and dull, but adequate and the closest to that apt. You should be able to walk there with rolling baggage unless you have tons. It's at the corner of bd St Michel and rue Michelet.

Hotel Novanox
155 bd du Montparnasse
3* doubles around 122 euro
www.pariserve.com/novanox/index.htm
That's a little farther because you can't cut through easily to bd du Montparnasse, and have to go around to bd St Michel, past Closerie des Lilas and then west on bd Montparnasse a block or so.

The location of that apt. isn't around hotels, actually, as it's around a bunch of university buildings, the park and the observatory. It is very near Musee Zadkine, though. There is a bus stop about right at the end of the street though, as it's a bus I take a lot (no. 83) and goes from Luxembourg Gardens through this area and then to bd du Montparnasse and west.

I just wanted to thank everyone who have been so very helpful in analysing my apartment choices. We ended up with a 2 bedroom apartment on Rue de Bretagne, across from Square du Temple in the 3rd (no link handy at the moment). We booked it through Lodgis and so far all the interactions with the agency and owner proved to be very satsifactory. The apartment had a couple of strong points (price, space, shower that everyone was happy with) and a couple of not so good (no elevator, which I really tried to avoid. But I was outvotted by the rest of my group. The good things is that my MIL started an exercise program to get ready for stair climbing and some serious walking in Paris).

I will post a link and a review of the apartment upon our return (I hope!).

good for you! well, you know this may be a good thing to motivate her to start exercising, so she may see how much she can improve by doing that. I've read articles about how surprising it can be that even people in their 90s can improve physically with regular exercise, such as weight-training. I've got to start doing that myself as I'm going skiing in a week and haven't been in 15 years.

So let us know how you like it and how it works out. That's a pretty nice area, the park there is really nice. There is a good cheese shop right on rue de Bretagne as I recall.

IS this the place?
http://tinyurl.com/2xaycn

It looks pretty nice except maybe I'm missing something on the shower as there doesn't seem to be one and the shower attachment on the wall is very high, with no curtain or shield on the tub. Maybe you can adjust that downwards, I prefer just the shower wand myself, with only a tub (taking a bath and rinsing with the sprayer).

Looking forward to the review, that's a good price, anyway.

I wanted to thank everyone who helped me investigate apartment rentals in Paris once again and post a review (albeit 3.5 months later).

Christina, your detective abilities are unparalleled :) Yes, that was the apartment we stayed at.

<b>Pros:</b>
<u>Location</u> - on Rue de Bretagne, within a short walk to 3 metro stops, 3 supermarkets (2 large Monoprix and a smaller Franprix down the street), covered market (best crepe I ever had in 5 trips to Paris!), fromagerie, internet cafe, a few lovely restaurants, etc. Despite being on a major street, the apartment was facing the courtyard and one could not hear the street noise. We loved the square du Temple in front of the apartment - watching local families and just enjoying lovely weather and beautiful buildings surrounding the square.

<u>Space and Layout</u> The apartment had a reasonable size 2 bedrooms, with comfortable beds. The living room could sit 6 at the dining table and on various couches/chairs. The bathroom was largish by Parisian standards, had a good size tub and a shower with nice water pressure. We always had hot water (it's on demand but we never had issues getting it right away.)

<u>Price:</u> It was a very reasonable 860 euros for the week in March/April, including the agency fee. Lodgis (the agency) processed our reservation speedily and efficiently and were available to answer reservation related questions. The owner contacted us by e-mail, was very pleasant in her communications with a great command of English. She also phoned us upon arrival. There was no security deposit.

<b>Cons</b>
<u>Construction</u>. We knew in advance that there will be construction nearby and do not hold agency/owner responsible by any means. We have stayed in buildings undergoing/near construction before and usually it had a pretty minimal impact on our enjoyment of the property. Not this time - another building in the same courtyard was being demolished during our stay and the noise was terrible. Drove us out of the apartment by 8 am. So should the construction still be in place when someone else is booking this place, I would strongly discourage booking it.

<u>Interior light and furnishings</u> - I felt that there was not enough light in the common area of the apartment - the only window in the living room was looking into the courtyard and not admitting enough light during the day, at least to my taste. I also feel that we could have use my interior lighting - there was an overhead fixture and some table lamps, but I would have preferred higher wattage as these were quite dim.