Definitely buy a metro pass as soon as you move to Paris - it will save you loads of money! The Paris Visite travel card gives you unlimited journeys on all Paris Metros, RER, Buses, Trams, SNCF Overland Suburban Trains, and the Montmartre Funicular within zones 1 – 3, which covers the entire of central Paris. You can buy a 1/3/5 day pass depending on how long your stay is. The price increases as the number of days increases, with 29 Euros for the 5 day pass.

You have to have a valid ticket because you could be stopped at any time and if you don’t show your ticket you will be fined 35 euros.

In rush hour, don’t use the folding seats. You should stand to let more people cram into the carriage.

During your year abroad you can buy a weekly/monthly or yearly travel card.

The Metro train system is open from 5:20 a.m. until 1:20 a.m.

There are maps at every station but it’s a good idea to pick up a paper map so you can plan your journeys before. Here is a link to a good metro map: http://www.aparisguide.com/maps/metro.htm

We went everyday during our 4 day search for an apartment because they put up new lists everyday of housing and employment offers on the noticeboard inside. They don’t have pictures on the adverts so you just have to call the individual numbers if you find something you like. This is probably the place where you can find the cheapest accommodation, but it’ll most likely be in a one bedroom studio or in a flat share.

65 Quai Orsay in the 7th. Walk from Invalides metro station.

Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm.

First of all, open the English website. Then, open Small Ads and Housing Offers for Paris.

Scroll down through all the adverts to see if there is anything you fancy. You have to call the landlord directly to arrange a viewing of the property. This can be really expensive if you’re calling from a mobile or an English landline number. We tried to use a pay phone but this turned out to be quite expensive too and it was quite hard to get enough 50 cent and 1 Euro coins to make about 20 phone calls. Calling mobile numbers via Skype is much cheaper, only about 10 cents per call, but some people found it difficult to hear us. If you’re in France you should buy a cheap mobile and put about 10 Euros credit on it. This is the best option because it also gives you a French number to leave on answer-phone messages.

Most landlords want you to come to see the apartment that same evening or the next evening because the apartments are snapped up so quickly. If you book any viewings, plan your journey to the apartment and make sure you have a map which is big enough to show all the streets.

www.fusac.fr

We found loads of possible apartments to rent on this website and like FUSAC you have to call the individual landlords to arrange a viewing. Since it’s not done through an agency you won’t have to pay an agency fee which can be quite expensive. But this does mean that you’re taking more of a risk when signing a contract and handing over thousands of Euros. Also like FUSAC, most of the properties don’t have pictures so you could be in for a real surprise when you go and visit the apartment. Don’t be fooled by ‘3 chambres’ – this does not mean 3 bedrooms but 3 people can sleep here, meaning there is one bedroom with a double bed in and a single sofa bed in the living room. We were also surprised by how many adverts on PAP had neglected to state that they were unfurnished! You should check first when you’re on the phone to the owner before you arrange a viewing to avoid wasting time.
www.pap.fr

When setting up a French bank account, I’d recommend going through HSBC. It’s really easy, especially if you’ve already got an account with them. I tried to set one up from England before I moved over there but you have to pay about £100 admin charges. You should wait until you’ve moved over there in September or October and just go into one of the HSBC branches. You may need some or all of the following: ID (passport), a French translation of your birth certificate, proof of residence in Paris (rental contract of letter from your landlord), National Insurance number. Your card and account details would be sent to you in Paris within 5 working days.

On leaving the metro station (Barbès - Rochechouart) we didn’t make it more the 10 metres into the area. It was surrounded by sleazy men who were staring at us and coming over trying to chat us up. Being three English white young girls we were instantly spotted. We were meant to be visiting an apartment near the Virgin Mega Store to which a landlord had given us directions. When we asked the police at the station where the Virgin Mega Store was, they laughed and said there wasn’t one anywhere around. It was pretty dodgy, so we left very quickly.

We found them really helpful here, especially Clemence and Leonard. Each client is allocated an agent to help throughout the whole process, so you will always be in contact with only one agent. They are very professional and all staff speak perfect English. By the way, they do not really appreciate unannounced drop-ins or phone calls as everything is done via email.

You firstly need to register your interest on their website. After that you’ll get an email with a list of possible properties which are available for your dates. In order to view a property you need to email back the one property you are most interested in and are most likely to sign for. Unfortunately, you can’t send them a list of 3 or 4 properties you would like to see and then decide from your viewings which one you want to go ahead with. I know, it’s ridiculous.

Saying this though, once you have seen a property you like and agreed to rental it is very easy with an agency. They will email you all the documents you need to complete and email back to them. They tell you exactly how to make the necessary payments, how to contact the landlord (mobile number and email address) and offer advice on housing insurance. Of course, you will have to pay a hefty agency fee (one month’s rent), but this is certainly worth it to have the security and ease whilst sorting out your accommodation.

http://www.parisattitude.com/

6 rue du Sentier in the 2nd (Sentier metro station is closest to their office).

By harriette@yearsabroad.com

Your university might tell you that you don’t need to bother finding a place to live for your year abroad until a couple of weeks before you start your placement. But this is not a good idea if you’re going to Paris. Two friends from my uni and I went out at the beginning of July to find a 3 bedroom apartment with a budget of 800 euros each. This was pretty impossible. We went to several agencies, some good ones to try are Paris Attitude (who we signed a contract with in the end) and Paris Stay. You should also try www.seloger.com , www.pap.fr and www.fusac.fr.