This report details my recent experience at 4 Rue de Panama. To describe the flat as small as some commentaries have suggested, is a gross understatement. It measures 8' x 10.5' plus 3 extra square feet in the bathroom for a total 87 square feet! One can barely move, despite constructing a bunk bed to save space ( very awkward to climb into ). I was there in late August and the heat meant keeping the window open. Unfortunately the apartment faced the street (6 flights and 109 steps up a decrepit staircase) and the constant cacophony from the street below made sleeping very difficult. The flat had no carpeting, just wooden flooring, causing the tenant below to complain about the slightest noise.

The neighborhood is 90% ethnic, with multitudes of single men hanging around night and day amidst a sea of letter and garbage. I was therefore afraid to venture out after dark, and never saw Paris at night.

I never met Brice and I was given incomplete instructions before arriving. It requires two codes to enter, one for the building front door, and the second, which Brice forgot to mention, opens the first door on the right to the apartment complex. Fortunately another building occupant kindly let me in and told me the code number, currently 3842 though that may change. In all fairness the flat was relatively clean, the electricity and plumbing worked, though the shower door has a very narrow aperture and the water drains slowly. The sink is tiny and poorly positioned ( try brushing your teeth there without making a mess!)

I have enjoyed two previous Airbnb flats in England and they were generously endowed with readily stocked food provisions. Maybe France is different. Even the kitchen utensils were the barest minimum. However I have not rated the flat overall at the lowest level for value as it was undoubtedly the cheapest I could find in what turned out to be an unpleasant neighborhood. I suppose you get what you pay for, and after four difficult nights my advise is to spend the extra money on a more livable place in a good area. Distance from the central attractions of Paris is not a problem since the Metro is extremely fast, safe and dependable, and will enable you to enjoy this elegant city for what it really has to offer.