Paris Summer rental- City or suburb?

Before making your plans for a rental in Paris or its suburbs, become familiar with rental laws that are becoming ever more strictly enforced. There''s lots of information on this and other forums

This previous post has good information om the rental laws
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/first-timers-and-new-to-airbnb

Be in the place you want to be. Sounds like that is Paris!

Pool sounds wonderful but for me the whole cost and hassle of commuting back and forth to Paris with 4 kids would not be worth it. I would definitely look for something in the city, which with that many adults and children might mean 2 2-bedroom apts either in the same bldg or close in proximity. Large apartments are not the norm in central Paris.

No apartments in Paris have pools that I know of.
Only rental apartments with 13-digit registration numbers are legal in Paris.

There are certain hotels - Bercy, and near the Eiffel Tower - which do have pools, and would have you much nearer to Paris and what you'd like to see.

But you can go to any municipal pool, armed with a swim bonnet, a towel and toiletries. Boys must wear Speedo-type swimwear, girls can wear anything.

I'd look for a "gite" with a pool. There appear to be some in Normandie, but they are resorts and not private pools. They are on AirBnB.
It's about 2 hours from Paris to Normandie, about 45 mins to Versailles, by train.

I would stay in Paris... cuts down on the time spent committing to and from your apartment. We rented an apartment in Le Marais this summer and it was great. With that many people, you will need 2 apartments. I know a week sounds like a lot of timeout it flies by. Make a list of what you want to do and spend some time planning your days and pre-purchasing tickets so that you save time in line etc. When we travel with another family, we also always plan some time to slip up so that we can all get a break and do things that each group wants to do
have fun!

Having something walking distance to the sights is soooo much better than having to jump on a metro each time you want to go somewhere. Next best option is being close to a metro line where you won't have any transfers to get to the center. Worst option is anything that isn't convenient to any metro or RER to get into town.

I would also try to stay in an air-conditioned hotel, because you will probably need it.

You would probably have a lot of trouble finding 2 apartments in the same residential building in Paris.

As I mentioned, there are always the municipal pools in Paris. They are clean and some have open air options. Here's a list, sorry it's in French, but you can translate it with Google:
https://www.paris.fr/piscines

There is a hotel in the 12th arrondissement with a pool :
/www.hotel.com.au/paris/bercy-gare-de-lyon/bercy-gare-de-lyon-hotels-with-a-swimming-pool.htm

And another in the 5th arrondissement with a pool:
www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d8711122-Reviews-Hotel_La_Lanterne-Paris_Ile_de_France.html#photos;geo=187147&detail=8711122&aggregationId=106

Children who are under the age of 12 qualify as kids. Children who are over the age of 12 qualify as adults.

Just adding that I looked on VRBO and did see a few family sized apartments in Paris that would accommodate your group but a lot will depend on what your budget/night is. The house in the suburb will likely be less costly but you have to weigh the costs of getting to and from the city in your comparison.

But the whole idea is to have a swimming pool for a week...

Chexbres, I didn't read the post that way. I thought the OP was asking for advice about choosing between an apartment in Paris proper vs a house in the suburbs that has a pool. I didn't think a pool was a necessity for either choice. Maybe I interpreted wrong. Hopefully the OP will clarify.

Thanks for all of the great advice everyone! Nancy, you are correct in deciphering my message. The pool would have been the bonus for being outside of the city. Appreciate the overall consensus on staying in the city and that's what we'll do. Now to find a space to accommodate all of us!

There are a couple of interesting possibilities at Sabbatical Homes, you can filter for 3 bedroom, kid friendly, etc., that is, if you don't mind living in someone else's home. Not for everyone, but there are some relative bargains here, in particular when sharing costs. Check availability and make sure it works with your dates, along with minimum rental term, etc.

For example:

https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Home_Rent_House_Rental_Paris_France_90075.htm

https://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Home_Rent_House_Rental_Home_Exchange_House_Swap_Paris_France_110623.htm