Handan’s apartment is quintessentially French. The building is old, the windows are tall, the elevator is tiny. It was a perfect home for my week in Paris. The room is large with a good size table and desk chair. It was perfect for studying the different maps.
The daily commute to the museums would have been less time consuming if I’d found a place closer to the center of the city, but those were not within my budget.
A metro stop is 5 minutes from the front door, but I chose to walk 5 minutes further and catch bus 27 at Place D’Italy. That route takes you diagonally through Paris, past many of the famous sights. If you are traveling on a tight budget, ride the route end to end to familiarize yourself with the city. It costs about 4€.
THE BEST currency exchange place is just over on Avenue du Choisy. Walk east on Tolbiac and then south on Choisy to CEC Exchange. On the west side of the street. They used the day’s published exchange rate and did not charge a fee or commission.
I shall remember my Paris “home” fondly.
Melinda