Matt

Hi, I'm moving to Paris on March 8 and I need a short term accomodation (3 weeks - 1 month) for under $900. Any idea? Preferred areas: 5th, 6th, 13th, or anywhere I can reach the RER B
easily. Thanks!

Christina

Are you going to be a student somewhere? Because if so, there are student foyers that could be in that price range, but I think they do check status (or if you have an official internship). The student foyer association's page is www.unme-asso.com, although you have to read French to navigate it.

Other than that, I think this will be very very very difficult because that price is just barely above a hostel. The 6th is one of the most expensive areas of Paris, so forget that. YOur best bets, other than in the suburbs, would be in areas like the 10th-12th -- maybe the 13th-15th, and even then it will be difficult.

Christina

(cont) I do know one residence that has a lot of students, but they do allow anyone to stay there, but it is now about 50 euro a day for a small single room. That's in the 14th and not too far from Denfert RER B stop, actually, Foyer Jean Monnet http://www.fiap.asso.fr

Christina

For a furnished ST rental, about the only hope for that is by renting directly from the owner, not an agency, because they mark up the rates a lot. www.visite.fr is a French apt. rental website with direct owner listings. I checked briefly and most are way above that rate, but there are actually a couple cute studios for around 400 euro a week in areas like the 15th arr or the 3rd arr around Metiers metro stop, places like that.

Christina

(cont again--Fodors is getting ridiculous on length limits)
I think you are going to have to compromise on your wishes -- for example, do you really need to be near RER B? There is an Eng language expat-type publication in Paris called FUSAC which does have apt. sublets in it and some can be cheap. So, perhaps you could move there and stay in a hostel or some very cheap hotel (you probably could get one for about 40 euro a night in the 13th-14th, such as 1-star Hotel Telemaque) and then look. Telemaque is only about 40 euro a night, on rue Daguerre near the Denfert RER B stop. The FUSAC magazine is distributed free in various places they think Americans might be -- used to be in the McDonalds on bd St-Germain near bd St-Michel, and in Shakespeare & Co bookstore on the Left Bank quai (really rue de la Bucherie maybe, but you'd have to check).

nancy

Look up FUSAC on the web - I think it's just FUSAC.com They list a lot of well priced studios (which you will probably get for that price.

Matt

Christina, thanks a lot for the detailed response. I will be a postdoctoral researcher at a university in Paris, I don't know if I'm eligible in the foyers. Jean Monnet sounds good, have you been there? And what about Telemaque?


Nancy, thanks for pointing me to the website, very useful.