A month in Paris next July

The Marais is a popular area, quite central, with plenty of shops and services. In summer with your windows open, you could have some late-night noise from the bars. On the Metro, the Chatelet, Hotel de Ville, St. Paul, and Bastille stops are the primary stops for that neighborhood. You're near footbridges to Ile de la Cite, Ile St. Lois, and the Left Bank. Since this is one of the neighborhoods where Rick lists hotels, his Paris book gives it quite a bit of attention.

The Marais is a great area to stay. It is quite lively, and a central and convenient location, and you really get the feel of old time Paris. Lots of bars and restaurants, many great museums, and Place des Vosges is nearby, a favorite place to relax, particularly on a summer day. I've stayed in several different areas of Paris, and all were enjoyable, but no matter where I stay, I always spend a lot of time in the Marais.

I agree with the others. I would not hesitate to spend a month in the Marais for all the reasons given above. Does this apartment have A/C? A washer and maybe a dryer? For a one month stay in July I think A/C is a must. The washer would be very convenient, but you'll have plenty of time to do laundry if you need a laundromat.

Speaking of AC. There have been very few apartments available with AC that fit my other criteria of 3 bedrooms, location and budget. The apartment I am considering has big doors that open out from sitting area and bedrooms to a terrace on ground level . The owner has promised fans. How necessary do you think AC would be in July?

Sometime during the month you will need AC. If the owner is offering fans you already know it's going to be hot. There's nothing worse than being out in the hot city all day (shops, restaurants and museums do not have AC or not the kind we are accustomed to) then coming home to and having to sleep in a hot apartment. And of course having the windows open means noise. No reason to risk being miserable when you are celebrating your 70/50!

We've been in Paris for three weeks now and are in a flat with fantastic cross ventilation with windows open. It's 85° this afternoon and the breeze is good enough, but a few more degrees and the AC is going on. A few, but not most, of the evenings would have been miserable without it. Also, we're on the 1st floor, so can't leave windows open all night. Even on a higher floor, noise level would be intolerable with them open. I wouldn't consider a flat without AC in a July.

Back to your original question, we've already decided on the Marais for our next stay - love it there!

Marais is great. I never book a ground floor apartment and would certainly not want to leave doors to a terrace open at night. Few apartments have AC and many of those that do have the perfectly worthless portable units that tend to be moldy as well as ineffectual. Cross ventilation is key to being able to survive hot nights in paris.

You wouldn't be able to keep those big doors open at night, particularly when you sleep. I hate to think of what could wander into your apartment. Most probably the doors open onto the building courtyard side, and if they do your activities can be viewed by all the apartments facing the courtyard with big open doors. I'd ask for a lot of photos of the apartment, the building, and its position in the building.

I am nearing the end of a three month stay in the Marais, where I have also entertained guests, and love the area. It is within walking distance of much of Paris. There is no AC in my apartment, which faces a courtyard with minimal street noise, but I am on the 1st floor (2nd American) and so far (with the exception of one night) fans have kept me comfortable. The higher in the building the apartment, the more the heat retention. I would highly recommend the area.

AC is a must so the apartment search continues. I am using several on line sites such as Time and Place,Paris for Rent and Pad-A-Terre. Anyone have experience with these or recommendations for broadening my search since 3 bedroom with AC are limited? I found one in great location but it is tiny for 7 people. Am I being unrealistic with my expectations?
E in NC

It depends on your budget if you have reasonable expectations. You can try lodgis.com, a French agency with a lot of stock.
You might also want to expand your search to nearby suburbs where you might find a house to accommodate seven: Neuilly, Saint Cloud, Vincennes, Nanterre possibly, Nogent-sur-Marne, etc. Some northern suburbs can be tough, so I'd look in other directions.

Just returned from 8 days in Paris ,, and seriously get the ac. You may get lucky and not hit a heat wave, but even though the apartment we rented was on second floor, got minimal sun, and had French doors leading to patios ,plus thick stone walls , it was too hot , and we put the portable ac on three of the days just to survive !!

Staying a month you are more likely to need the ac.
When its hot in Paris the air does not move,it was really quite horrible, I love Paris,been many many times over 4 decades and this past trip was my least favorite.

You can try vactioninparis.com too. We've rented from them twice and been very happy. If you search on this board for the company you'll see they get a lot of great reviews.

I just returned from Paris and there was a heat wave (35 Celsius/95 Fahrenheit) while I was there. I was so thankful for the AC in our hotel. I was with two relatives in their 70s, and the AC saved us! I once rented an apartment in Paris in July and it did not have AC, and it was unbearable. We had to sleep with the windows open and a fan running, and the noise from restaurants on the street (all that cement) kept me awake until they closed at 4 am.

As for checking out an apartment, check TripAdvisor.com. You should be able to get a sense of whether it is an apartment that would suit you or not from the reviews there.

Thanks for all the feed back. We have made our decision on Apartment using Time and Place service.
It is located in St Germain, our fist choice, and has AC, as recommended. It is very near the church on Rue Benoit. So would love to have input on area such as cafes, groceries, subway. Also, this may seem trivial, does any one know if the church bells ring night and day? In pictures from apartment balcony, it is very close.

Glad you found an apartment that suits your needs! One hint - do check out what they mean by A/C. I've rented places that say they have A/C but it ended up being one of those roll-around units where you have to open a window (letting in hot air) to insert the exhaust hose. That was self defeating, so hopefully yours is a better system. One of my favorite restos is on St. Benoit - Relais de Entrecote (steak/frite is the only meal option). It's near the top of my meal budget (around 27 euro for salad and the best steak/frite I've ever had) but I always try to stop once or twice during a month's visit. Arrive at least 20-30 minutes before opening times (noon and 7 pm I think) since there's always a line. Service is quick (some may say brusque but they're BUSY) and don't forget dessert - a pile of mini cream puffs filled with ice cream and drenched in chocolate syrup - miam! Have a wonderful visit with your family!