Almost ready to book VRBO apartment for 1,500 euros for ten nights. http://www.vrbo.com/69298 I think the address is Avenue de l%26#39;Observatoire.
Then, I found out it might be in 14e, not 6e as I had hoped. The ad says it is in th heart of Montparnasse, near Luxembourg gardens.
Can you tell me about this area? Will we like it with a young child? I can%26#39;t figure out how close this will be to things, including the metro.
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Look at the Paris map. See Jardin de Luxembourg? Now see the long %26#39;finger%26#39; that extends southward? Your street runs alongside of that. The nearest subway is RER Port Royal. The nearest metro stop would be Raspail (Vavin is closed for renovations thru Dec).
The area is very nice, and there are buses along blvd St Michel (line 38 goes up to the Iles and over by Pompidou and up to Gare du Nord). There are lots of restaurants and shops around blvd Montparnasse.
I do think you%26#39;d be using a lot more transportation from there, especially if you%26#39;ve not been to Paris before and want to see all the usuals. We stay even further south, by Denfert Rochereau, by choice, and enjoy being %26#39;out of it%26#39; but we%26#39;ve been a number of times. I%26#39;d say a walk directly toward the Seine would be about 1 mile.
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If you%26#39;re ok going near 14, but want to stay in 6 really close to the Lux gardens. then look at VRBO 18044. It%26#39;s a north of where you%26#39;re looking, still South of Luxembourg, but closer to it! We%26#39;re renting that one in dec. It%26#39;s cheaper than the one you%26#39;re looking at and bigger. It has 2 bedrooms - one queen sized bed and the other bedroom has two twins that we%26#39;re going to combine for our almost-5 year old. It has a bathroom with a shower attached and curtains (not all do!!), it%26#39;s on the 2nd American floor so don%26#39;t have to brave the tiny (and to me scary) elevators (although there is one), it%26#39;s been newly renovated - has a DVD player (we want to rent DVDs for son in evenings!). It%26#39;s on a small street, so it would likely be quieter than L%26#39;Observatoire , although I%26#39;m not able to visualize it at this moment. I know it%26#39;s near some of the best kids%26#39; shops that I fell in love with, and near a very charming area, so I%26#39;m hoping it%26#39;s part of the charming area!!! It can%26#39;t be too bad since it%26#39;s the neighbor of Lux and right between 5th and St. Germain!! Plus Montparnasse, while busy and commercial, has some advantages, like shopping, a metro stop with several lines, etc.
I admit I%26#39;m mad at the guy who is renting it to us because I didn%26#39;t know Vavin (closest) would be closed when I was there, but he might not know. There is also another metro not too far (Notre Dame des Champs) His name is Pascal (rentalfrance) and he comes highly recommended on the Fodor site and I%26#39;ve seen him here too. It%26#39;s literally two blocks from the Southern part of the Jardins de Luxembourg. The area is also accessible to many buses.
There WILL be areas that are more accessible to metros (within 50 ft as opposed to a 5-7 minute walk), but I didn%26#39;t see any that were close enough to the Luxembourg gardens (which we love), big enough, and walkable to St. Germain - at least not within our budget!
Anyway, take a look! The great thing is, you have time! So if you want to wait until I return from my trip (or until I%26#39;m there at least), you could!
Sorry for the book...
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Sorry, I looked more carefully at the VRBO and your mail: 1500E for 10 nights is a little less than mine - I am paying 1200 E for 7 nights - ~171 E a night. A little more than you. But the apartment is TINY -- 35 meters is 400 sq ft. the size of a hotel -- ours isn%26#39;t THAT big (650 sq ft) but we figured that since we have a 5-yr old, we%26#39;ll be spending most evenings inside, and wanted him to sleep while we sat in the living room and read/watched TV, etc. Or for jet lag naps.
Just thoughts....either way, you%26#39;ll be in Paris, so you can%26#39;t lose!
Danielle
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Danielle- I can%26#39;t wait to hear your trip report since we have a similar family size %26amp; age child, but you have so much more experience than I. I looked at Pascal%26#39;s site- much better location. I have time, so I won%26#39;t rush into the VRBO in the 14e. travelnutty- I was always appreciate your posts %26amp; advice. Thanks for the guidance on the map %26amp; thoughts once again. I guess I will keep looking at vrbo%26#39;s in 6e.
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Sounds good. If you do find something that you%26#39;re considering, it%26#39;s a good idea to bring it out here (and Fodor site too), because someone will often have had experience with either the manager or the apartment itself. I%26#39;m finding that it%26#39;s harder to ask about location, because it%26#39;s so individual (e.g., the love of Luxembourg!) -- it is an amazing place for kids, but we%26#39;ll be there in the dead of winter, and who knows if we%26#39;ll even use it!! For you, it%26#39;s definitely a draw, because in May, it will be great.
I will try to send you a message while in Paris from 12-20 (won%26#39;t return until end of year) to tell you if the place is good. I won%26#39;t have a frame of reference for other places, but at least you%26#39;ll know if it%26#39;s near a daycare or a landfill!!
Danielle
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