We will be spending 3 weeks in Paris and will be renting an apartment. We enjoy walking and would be happier in a "less touristy" area, as long as many/most of the interesting sites are reasonably (30 minutes or so) accessible. We don't mind the metro at times, but find walking is also a great way to experience the local culture. We are not late night people so prefer relative quiet evenings strolling and then heading back to our apartment. What would be some of the neighborhoods that would likely match our tastes?
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
The 7th sounds like it might fit your bill. I think you may find that finding a place available for three weeks may be tough unless you are planning on this visit being in October or later this year.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
We enjoyed an apartment (except the third-floor walk-up part) off Rue Raymond Losserand in Montparnasse, the Pernety metro stop. It was a short walk to the cemetery, Rue Daguerre, Denfert-Rochereau, and easy metro to many places. Easily within half an hour of anything by metro, but that would be true almost anywere inside the Peripherique.
Pat's right, you may have trouble finding a place for three weeks if it's soon. You might consider splitting the time between two neighborhoods to get different flavors.
Posted by
Chicago
8550 posts
We have rented in the 4th, 5th (twice), 6th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 17th (twice), 18th (3 times) and the 20th from a week to two months at a time. For your stated objectives I would recommend the 14th. It is bustling, full of cafes, well connected to transportation and yet a fairly easy stroll to the center of Paris. When we stayed there we usually took the train into the center but then walked back to the apartment. We loved it and this is where we will stay next time we head for Paris. We were cat sitting in a friend's apartment for a couple of weeks so we need to find a place in this area to rent.
I know that time is always a problem - but if you could get 4 weeks, most apartment rent for 4 weeks for 3 times the weekly rent -- so that 4th week is 'free'. I really did not like the 7th but these things always depend on the neighborhood you are in; I found it too isolated and where we were, there were not convenient bakeries and restaurants and places to shop for groceries nearby. We loved the 17th but it is hard to find rentals there; we had a fabulous place we rented twice for 2 months each time, but the owners now live there. My daughter rented a one bedroom place in the 17th through Perfectly Paris which worked well for them with a baby as the kitchen and living room were separate, so they basically had 3 rooms which was handy. I highly recommend perfectlyparis.com or feelslikehomeinparis.com if you decide to look in the 18th and nearby; they are really great to work with and do a great job managing their apartments.
Posted by
30 posts
Janet certainly has the experience. I would listen to her. However, we stayed in the Marais for one week in 2011 and loved it so much we have rented an apartment there for 4 weeks this fall. Many restaurants, boulangeries, charcuteries, shops, museums, galleries and even though it is a lively neighborhood, we found it fun to walk around at night and were never bothered by noise, crowds etc and we stayed right on rue Bretagne. Easy to walk everywhere or jump on the metro. We are not youngsters any more ( I turned 70 yesterday) but we enjoy long walks and Paris is the best place in the world to do that. Safe, always interesting and particularly beautiful at night. P.S. we did not find the Marais too touristy. Rue Cler (Although we love it) is TOOOOO touristy.
Posted by
OP
Chapel Hill, NC
102 posts
Thank you all...we have rented a place in the 7th that sounds perfect for us.