Movin' up in Paris

It's been too long since the last post, but I have an excuse. The floodgates have opened and I've spent every spare moment researching and recommending apartments in Barcelona (mostly) and Paris. Seems many people don't plan ahead all that much, which is a shame because their choices become limited as bookings pile in.

Here's one possible exception, only because it is new on the market. It comes from a Paris owner group and is the largest and finest offering they have. Three bedrooms, two baths, on a high floor in the stylish 7th arrondissement and it comes with a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower from the living area, pictured above. At 200-220 euros nightly depending on season, this is a bargain.

We stayed deep in the 7th last fall, a block over from the Rue Cler market street. This place is closer to the border with the 6th, making it possible to stroll to St-Germain-des-Pres or even the Luxembourg gardens. The famed Bon Marche department store is about halfway between.

As we plan our fall visit (next post, stay tuned) we're taking a hard look at this, since friends are trying to make plans to join us. The two bathrooms can make a big difference when traveling as a group or a family - we know, having gone as five through Barcelona, Florence and Rome a couple of years ago.

But the arrangement is important, too. In Rome the bathrooms both were en-suite with bedrooms, meaning those who weren't sleeping in those rooms had to creep through to shower or use the toilet. Oops!