Short Get Away

Guest: Cathy (Galway)
Date of Stay: 01/06/11 Review Submitted: 07/02/11

Hi Kathy, I really enjoyed my short stay in your lovely cozy apartment in the Batignolles region. Perfectly nestled in a quiet Parisian neighborhood with its fine restaurants, bakery, cheese and wine shops this was exactly what I needed to relax, unwind and walkabout. I immediately felt comfortable and safe in this environmnet. The lovely longer beds with top qulaity mattresses guaranteed me great nights of restful sleep. The apartment has a ture French feel with lovely polished hardwood flooring and smart, crisp decor. I love the compact, well fitted kitchen with everything at my fngertips and the sitting/dining area is really cozy with very comfortable quality leather seating area. The book of what to do/ where to go is very well outlined. I took the 30 bus to visit the 6 Storey Marche Saint - Pierre - 6 stories of fine cottons and linens and smart window dressing at very affordable prices, worth a visit for decor/fashion lovers. With the metro and bus stops very close by, getting around was easy. I enjoyed walking at my leisure to the beautiful Sacre Coeur and Eiffel Tower and I loved popping into the local shops where I picked up some nice little bargains. Thanks Kathy - " A little Oasis of Calm" Cathy Scanlon, Galway, Ireland

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Lovely apartment in a good neighborhood

Guest: Kathy (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 02/21/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

Thank you for making your lovely apartment available for us to rent. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there! Your local contact person was there to give us a warm welcome and show us around. The apartment was immaculate and had plenty of space for the four of us [parents and two teen-age daughters]. On previous trips to Paris we'd stayed in hotels, so this time we were happy to have a well-equipped kitchen for breakfasts and l'heure de l'aperitif. Although we didn't end up dining in at all, it certainly would have been an option. It was nice, too, to have the living-dining room to hang out in at the end of the day. Getting a sound night's sleep was no problem. The beds were extremely comfortable, and the building was very quiet at night. We really enjoyed staying in the Batignolles neighborhood. We settled in quickly and liked getting into the rhythm of daily life there. It's a very nice, livable, un-touristy and authentically Parisian neighborhood, lively during the day and quiet, although not deserted, at night. The Square des Batignolles is a beautiful park, and the area with its two markets and many shops has everything you could possibly need. We had a lot of fun exploring and shopping, and by the end of our short week we felt like regulars. One especially valuable tip in your binder filled with info about the apartment and the local area was the recommendation to use the near-by bus stop. From there it's a very quick ride right into the center of town. We had Navigo passes which were a real convenience and were well worth the little bit of extra effort it took to get them. (Tip: we got these at Saint Lazare; the smaller metro stations aren't always equipped to provide new passes, especially if you're paying with an American bank card.) We had a wonderful and memorable trip. We only wish we could have stayed much longer. Merci!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers.

What a wonderful place to stay...

Guest: Lynn (Huntsville, Alabama USA)
Date of Stay: 05/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/07/11

Thank you so much for the use of your apartment. It is in the perfect spot. After 3 nights (two rooms)in a hotel near the Eiffel Tower we were ready to move and be part of your neighborhood.With two college kids(one just graduated)we were off to take in all that Paris offered. The apartment was laid out perfectly for us. Our bedroom on one side and theirs on the other. We loved that the shower/sink and water closet were separate rooms.We opened those wonderful, ceiling to floor windows and enjoyed the cool breeze. This place was very quiet, the neighbors were all friendly(we did not see very many).We loved having the fresh fruit store right next door and hey, an ice cream shop on the other side was great too!Alex used the washer to get her clothes washed right away but I preferred taking your buggy and running down the street to the washer and dryer and they were quick and I read while I waited. We bought fresh fruit and the cheese store across the street provided some wonderful, mellow cheeses. My husband turned 60 so he had a beautiful, fresh cake from the bakery down the street.Fresh pastries every morning! We loved that we had to go a block to the trains. The apartment had everything we needed. Thanks for the hair dryer, nice not to have to carry one in the luggage.We had plenty towels, sheets and the kitchen was stocked with everything we needed.We had no problems getting on the internet and finding CNN on your TV! This is the way to see Paris, being part of the neighborhood. I loved just walking around on my own after all of our treks to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsey, Napoleon's Tomb, the Sceine dinner cruise, all that Paris had to offer, Giverny and Versailles-wow! We are so glad we stayed in the apartment, we will be back and will recommend to friends! Thanks again, it was a peaceful and beautiful time for our family.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Amazing Place

Guest: Priscilla (Brasil)
Date of Stay: 03/10/11 Review Submitted: 03/23/11

The apartment is very well located in a cozy parisian neighbourhood. The support offered was essential to make our stay in Paris perfect. Despite the short time my mom and me spend there, we felt at home. The Greeter was very attentive and helpful. Everything worked fine. I hope to return soon and get back to stay there . Best Regards

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Paris Cliche

Guest: Chuck (New York City)
Date of Stay: 06/22/10 Review Submitted: 07/06/10

Having just returned from my 6 day stay in Paris I can highly recommend this wonderful apt. in the 17th arrondisement. An amazing "book of instructions and suggestions" await you and is so informative with apt. instructions and adventure seekers advice and recommendations. Little room for error about what to do and where to go, and how to get there. Not wanting to risk sounding repetitive, I have to say that I think all the former reviews I have read about the apt. and its location are entirely accurate. From the apt. being "exceptionally clean and quiet" , "sleeps four comfortably", has every major appliance from a DVD player, TV, to a four bread slice toaster,and internet access and cable. The fresh market, bakery, boulangerie, charcuterie, florist, cheese and wine shop, are all in fact, a stones throw from the street entrances front door. My favorite was having breakfast......an expresso (to kick start the day) and fresh croissant ("no marmalade orange monsieur") on the corner cafe while listening to a jazz musician playing "La vie en rose" on his saxaphone. It all sounds like a Parisian cliche but that is exactly what I wanted it to be. The Metro IS a five minute walk and the bus stop (the 54 and the 74)......even less. The Batignolles Park is absolutely beautiful very relaxing and located right at the end of the rue des Moines. (3 blocks away). I am a New Yorker who walks everywhere. And Paris is the perfect walking city. Again the location is perfect. Tourism spots are easily accessible, but you will be living in an area that feels very "neighborhoody", comfortable and safe. So a walk to Sacre Coeur, Montmatre Cemetery, or even the Champs Elysee is very accessible by foot. I know this may sound like a very "touristy guide" critique but Hey, I really like this place. Would I highly recommend this place. You betcha! Chuck

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+.

WOW!!!

Guest: SUSANMICHELE (Annapolis, MD)
Date of Stay: 03/31/10 Review Submitted: 06/05/10

What a GREAT adventure we had...My husband myself, my teenage son and daughter had in Paris. We Chunneled from London to Paris and back but will tell you that we did it all. We had a capital "T" for tourist's and loved every minute of it. We mastered the underground and never got lost or took a cab. Our Accommedations were fantastic! LOCATION is everything. Perfect for a family of 4. Fresh market right out your front door and a 5 min walk to the underground and plenty of eateries. My highlight was the Rodan, my kids loved the climb of 700 plus steps up the Eiffel Tower and my husband could not get enough pictures to save his life:))) All I can say is that we will return!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

great paris stay

Guest: cyrilandbernie (ireland)
Date of Stay: 04/03/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/10

We would like to thank you and Helena for our very enjoyable but alas all to brief visit to Paris. The apartment was excellent and and it’s location allowed us to get see some of the interesting attractions with ease. On our last evening we had dinner in a very nice restaurant only about 10-15 minutes from rue des Moines called Hier et Aujourd’hui (located in rue Saussure) which we would highly recommend to guests. Looking forward to our next visit in the not to distant future. Cyril and Bernie

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, age 55+, girls getaway.

Guest: don't know what to put here--get errors (iowa city, iowa)
Date of Stay: 03/10/10 Review Submitted: 03/10/10

Our family of 3 fell in love with the apartment, which is nestled well within a neighborhood where local people live and shop. The apartment was exceptionally clean and quite quiet. The beds were comfortable, with excellent quality bedding. The appliances were new and in excellent working condition. The kitchen had everything we needed, and we also enjoyed watching the BBC news from the comfortable lazy boy chairs in the living room/dining room. The owner was VERY easy to communicate with and very responsive to my many questions :). A 3-ring binder in the apt. was helpful in taking full advantage of the delightful area and had information about local restaurants, markets, transportation options, how to use appliances, etc. The greeter-- available to us at all times. As we walked out the front door of the building, there was a fresh flower shop at our right hand, a covered air daily food market across the street, an amazing bread store/bakery a half block to the right and a funky cafe to the left (delicious food-frequented by locals mostly and a few tourists). The neighborhood had excellent culinary options (Ethiopian, Thai, Greek, Middle eastern). Bus and metro options were excellent. We easily used the #31 bus to see sights. We enjoyed our walks through the bustling Clichy area. It was easy to walk to amazing sites (for instance Montmartre and Park Monceau)or use nearby public transportation. The area had a dizzying amount of interesting options for food, wine, clothing, books, etc and at prices that were a third less than we saw in the more touristy areas of town. The apartment was perfectly comfortable (did I mention it was clean, clean, clean!) and the area gave us access to the usual tourist attractions via public transportation while affording us an opportunity to experience a slice of life shared by locals. Local shop owners were friendly and forgiving of our limited French speaking abilities. We are recommending this apartment to friends and hope to return ourselves. Merce and family.

Recommended for:

Guest: Donna & Joe (Storrs Ct)
Date of Stay: 03/05/10 Review Submitted: 03/05/10

We just returned from Paris for a nine day stay at this apartment. We had a wonderful time, the apartment is perfectly located, allowing us to walk all over the city. And there's a metro stop close by, when we've walked too much. The apartment was very clean and comfortable; everything we needed was there, and Kathy's book of instructions and suggestions was very useful. We were comfortable and happy, and it is was hard to come home!! Thanks Kathy and Scott.

Recommended for:

Guest: mary, rich, siobhan (Parkland, FL USA)
Date of Stay: 03/05/10 Review Submitted: 03/05/10

This review long overdue but the memories of Paris and the fabulous accommodation are not fading. We hope to return again and again.. This was our daughter's first time in Paris and her expectations were high. Rick, Siobhan and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. After a busy trip to Ireland, it was uplifting to arrive in Paris to your lovely apartment. We immediately loved the surroundings, the markets across the street,(the cheese and wine shops) the vegetable shop next door, the sumptuous bakery and beautiful flower shop next door as we walked out the apartment. What we loved most was the hustle and bustle of the streets and then coming home to the quiet and peaceful apartment overlooking the courtyard and having a glass of wine and relaxing before we went out to eat at one of the local French restaurants. Everything is at your fingertips. The location is perfect. It is out of the tourist area yet in close proximity to all the museums either by walking to Sacre Couer or taking a bus or metro which is about 2 minutes walk from the apartment. We just loved everything about it. It was truly a French experience and people were very friendly and courteous. We felt so comfortable and very much at home. The accommodation is superb, the decor is French yet updated with fine linens, leather furniture, very comfortable beds and the bathroom is fully equipped with a large shower and all the modern conveniences. We ate breakfast in every morning. Rick, went shopping each morning for the fresh croissants (to die for) fruits and breads etc. which we enjoyed tremendously. Writing about it makes me want to go back there right now! I highly recommend this apartment. It truly is a treasure. Mary. Rick and Siobhan

Recommended for: