Help! I am trying to choose an apartment for our family of four for an early August trip to Paris. We will be taking our boys, 15 and 12, to Europe for the first time. The ideal apartment would be within walking distance of some sights, close to metro stops, have a neighborhood feel, and have easy access to a bakery and restaurants. I've narrowed it down to four, all in the 6th A. Two are near the Seine, one on the Rue de Seine near the Pont de Arts, the other on the Quai des Grands Augustins near the Pont Neuf. The other two are on the other side of Boulevard St. Germain, one on the Rue de Cherche Midi near the Bon Marche, and one on Rue Gisarde near the Marche St. Germain. The two near the Seine would be good walking distance to the Louvre and Notre Dame, but further from Metro stops and our kids are not going to be to into high end art galleries. The other two are closer to Metro stops and the Luxembourg Gardens but not as easy walking to the right bank. And the most charming of the four is a loft on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator and no AC . . . If you've read this far thanks -- any advice appreciated!
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
With your two boys in mind, I would pick one of the apts that's near the Luxembourg Gardens and metro stops :)
Do your boys play basketball or tennis? There's both, plus more great stuff, at the LG.
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2778 posts
Lynne, I stayed at an apartment on Rue Gisarde last September. I got it through Vacation in Paris, and it had A/C in the bedroom (#129). I liked the apartment very much, and location was great. We walked everywhere. It's an easy walk to the Louvre, Notre Dame, etc. We even walked to the Eiffel Tower (about 2 miles). But most of the big sites are within a mile.
Posted by
Rhode Island, USA
481 posts
We (3 adults and 2 teenagers)stayed at the following Paris apartment this past July for 8 days. It was PERFECT. My review on the website sums up our feelings and hopefully answers any of your questions/concerns...Definitely check out this apartment: http://www.vrbo.com/121794
Good Luck!
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, United States
96 posts
Thanks to all of you -- Carl that looks like a great find, wish I'd spotted it a month ago! As it happens the Rue Guisarde apartment we were considering was the same one that Carroll had stayed in, and we ending up picking that one, mainly because of the very central location. So I'll be able to tell you after August how it works out for our family of four!