My wife and I stayed at Claude's for 3 nights, our first trip to Paris. By the end, we had concluded that it made the trip a truly special, unique vacation. We would recommend to others enthusiastically.

Coming in, my nerves were that the place would be just a touch too remote to experience all there is to do in the city. I was gratefully proven wrong. Claude's place is walkable to basically all the major spots (save, perhaps, the Eiffel Tower). But more than that, it is in a great neighborhood of its own. The nearby Rue de Montorgueil is a fantastic block filled with shops, bistros, bakeries and so on. By the end of the three nights, we probably had hit up at least half the places on the strip. It was one of our favorite parts of Paris.

But if that's not your speed, St. Germain is just 25 mins away. Marais as well. The Louvre is 15. Montmartre, 30-35 minutes. Etc.... And you can, of course, take the metro, which we found easy to do.

The apartment itself is cozy, clean, and authentic, giving you the sense that you're actually taking part of 'city-living.' Claude was an attentive host but not even remotely overbearing. When we had a question or wanted a recommendation, he was there to provide it. The key drop off was easy too. The only downside, as other posters have noted, is that the flat is on the 5th floor (really, the 6th since you start at 0). Then again, you're eating a lot of rich french food, so the 120 or so steps up have their upside.

In all, I would say this has been our best experience on Air BnB and I would (and will) gladly pass it along to other Paris-goers who want to experience the city without feeling overwhelmed by its tourism.