I have posted to the Paris Apt. thread, but I thought I might get more help if I just do a separate thread. I think I have finally narrowed down my choice between these two apartments.

www.vrbo.com/250968 in the 5th and

www.rentparis.com/appart-en-8.html in the 4th.

This will be for me and my granddaughter, 10/1 - 10/7.

I am familiar with the 5th as I have stayed there 3x, but not with the 4th, although I have certainly walked through that area. I am not certain about the area of this apartment though. There are pos and cons with each. The one in the 5th has a dedicated sofa-bed for my granddaughter, and the price is good. Not sure what floor it is on and if there is a lift. jetsetj says she loved it.

richardab says he loves the one on Rambuteau, but I can't tell if the sofa pictured is a pull out or not. They do take credit cards, which is what I would prefer. I've emailed them, but their office is closed until 1/26.

So, any opinions would be greatly appreciated. I probably need to book something soon as the good ones seem to go fast.

It is 72 "enchanting" steps up to this apt. It keeps you in shape so you can eat all the amazing pastries in Paris.
Email the owner Philippe, he will answer any questions.

I stayed on Rambuteau a couple of years ago and loved it. The pedestrian area is charming and the neighbourhood has everything you could want/need.

The metro is a small line, so transfers are a given but I liked it that way. You could just hop on a train as opposed to navigating a huge subway stop.

I think I like the apt. better too.

Also, I like the idea of an elevator. The amount of walking I did in Paris was unbelievable and we were so exhausted coming home that the thought of not having an elevator would have been daunting.

I'll be honest and I like that area of the 5th and have stayed there and rented apts there several times. SO I like the neighborhood. I am not crazy about the other area, but never stayed there -- I've been in it, though, including that particular location.

Neither of these is very comfortable-looking, of course, but that goes with the budget and so I'm sure it is okay with you or you wouldn't have picked them.

If it matters, I would almost bet my bank acct that you can presume the rentparis one does not have a pullout sofa or it surely would have mentioned it. Apts always do mention things they want to use to attact renters. Also, maybe they didn't want to ever advertise it as for 3-4 people as it is absolutely minuscule in size, of course, so they didn't want to even have a pullout sofa. However, for your situation, it would have worked fine.

I forgot, I was going to say, that if you can't decide, you might go with th eidea of staying in a new area just for a change. I probalby would (and that apt does look slightly nicer, I admit).

I like the Rambuteau apartment better as well but it doesn't say it has a sleeper couch so you only have the one bed. But because it has two rooms, one person can be up and around without disturbing the other.

Have you looked at www.vacationinparis.com? They are an agency that is very well reviewed by people here and they do seem to have a number of studio apartments in your budget range--converted to U.S.$.

jetsetj -- did you pay with bank transfer? That whole process is just such a bother, that might just swing my vote to the other apt. I am frankly a little concerned about the 72 enchanting steps! Would you care to share what was so enchanting about them -- sounds a little daunting to me, especially after walking miles every day.

Christina -- I wish my budget would allow for a little more space and luxury, but it is what it is. It looks like it might be a long walk from there to the Seine? I know there is the metro, but I do like to walk. Is the immediate area lively? It does not look very charming from the google map, no shops or restaurants nearby and rather industrial looking, but maybe that view is deceiving.

My granddaughter said she doesn't mind sleeping on a sofa, so I might leave the decision up to her. Six nights on a sofa sure would not appeal to me, but then I am not 17.

cw - I have looked at SO many different places, including the vacationinparis studios, but, unfortunately they are quite a bit more money. They say 99 euro, but then when I actually put in my dates, it's more like around 150 euro. They do look very nice though. I am also running into quite a few apts that are already booked for the first week of Oct.

Barb, we have stayed in the 4th, just a block or two away on Rue des Archives. The area you are considering is vibrant, full of great little shops, and well-positioned for public transit. (As lucygirl points out, it is on Metro line 11, but it is only one stop down to Hôtel de Ville where you can transfer to line 1. There are also many bus routes passing that area on Rue du Renard, Boulevard de Sébastopol, and Rue de Rivoli.)

We quite enjoyed ourselves in the area. I preferred the ambiance to the east of Rue du Renard rather than the area around the Centre Pompidou, to the west. But it's all very safe and interesting.

I can't really comment too much on the other location; I do like walking through the 5th but haven't stayed near that other apartment.

Anselm

Anselm, thanks. Just from googling the street, I have to say it seems much more interesting than rue Broca and maybe closer to public transit. I think I am leaning more towards this apt.

Hi
As a joke we referred to them as "enchanting"
Actually it wasnt that big of a deal and we manages fine.

We walked everywhere in the neighborhood.
The Mosque is really cool. Take time to see it.
The Rue Mouffetard was fun to shop. An array of shops.
Food, clothes, housewarers, and the like.

The bank transfer was a one trip to the bank ordeal.
No problems whatsoever. Better than carrying cash or rushing to find a bank once you arrive.

One thing that made this like home, was the owners. These are really the first French people I had a eal conversation with.
They truly were accomodating and very helpful with everything.

Having a washer/dryer was a big plus for us. Nice to keep everything clean as you go.

hope you have a great time in Paris.

Something to keep in mind is that linen may not be provided for your grand daughter, especially if the sofa is not a sofa bed. I would pack a single bed sheet as a backup plan.

Rue Mouffetard is great and we found really good bus services from there to Blvd St Michel. From Blvd St Michel you can either walk or jump on another bus straight to the Seine if you are tired and don't feel like walking.

I like to hop on a bus and see a bit more of the city rather than being stuck underground on the Metro.

Barb - Any more thoughts on the perfect apartment for your October trip?

barb, were you able to contact philippe?

Bonjour

We would suggest a conversation with Ron at www.likelivingthere.com could be useful. He has researched Parisian apartments for some time and he is very particular.

Bonne chance

Well the search is still on but I'm slowly narrowing it down. jetsetj, I think I have eliminated that apt. mainly due to the stairs and the location. I'm not saying the location is not good, but I would prefer another area, or maybe closer to the Seine. So, I've come across these two. They are both very small, but because of budget considerations, that can't be helped -- still bigger than a hotel room for the same price.

Both are through www.residences-paris.com. I really like the pont-des-arts-1st-floor (18 rue Guenegaud) apt. and the 3 rue de Savoie apt. Love, love these locations. The first one does not have a sofabed, so my DGD would sleep on the sofa. The second one does have a sofabed and more headroom in the loft, but I don't like the general layout as well as the first one. I like the payment terms through this agency. So, I think I now have to decide between the No. 8 - 22 Rambuteau apt. and one of these two. They are all the same price. Any opinions??

I don't blame you about the stairs, I wouldn't want an apt. up five flights or so without an elevator (I've rented ones up three flights without one).

I like the one on rue Rambuteau better, and it's on Cite Noel so off the main drag, which is nice. It just looks nicer. Now you must have viewed those photos carefully and thought it doesn't matter to you, but I would never rent an apt. like those two on residences-paris you like with those extra loft/mezzanine floors put in. They look extremely dangerous to me (and I would wonder if they are even legally constructed, if not, they haven't been inspected), but I wouldn't be climbing ladders to beds myself. It almost looks like you could fall over the edge, also, of the first one.

Very good points Christina. What do you think about this one: www.athomeparis.com

I know the area, which is very convenient and certainly lively, but it might be noisy at night. I like the kitchen though and at least the bed is on the main level. It doesn't say which floor it is on. I will email owner and ask about noise and what floor.

Barb,

I like the athomeparis unit. It doesn't look as though it's on a high floor from one of the photos and it does say that the window is on the courtyard--though the curtains are closed in the photos which makes me think it might be more of an air shaft.

But it has a very good kitchen, is in a convenient area, and has two separate beds, even though one is a futon chair. It looks like a nice basic budget apartment. I like the welcome bottle of wine--

I have the same feelings about those loft beds as does Christina.

This one looks good.