Recommended Apartments in the 4th Arrondissement of Paris (the Southern Marais and Île Saint-Louis)

At 36 Rue des Rosiers, which means right inside the Jewish quarter and not just within walking distance of it. It’s a 150-square-foot (14 m²) studio with air conditioning, parquet floors, an equipped kitchenette, a separate toilet and a shower, and a private entrance. The Saint-Paul metro station on line 1 is about 330 yards away, so you have a direct line to the Louvre and the Champs-Élysées, and the whole Marais spreads out around you. Note that the number is real: 14 m² is two people at most, and an extra bed isn’t possible. I recommend it to a couple who want to step out the door in the morning straight into the falafel and the bakeries, and don’t plan to spend much time in the apartment.

A studio on Rue de la Cerisaie, with exposed 18th-century beams and stone and a teak floor. The entrance is completely independent, straight from the street through a reinforced door and not through the building’s lobby, and the windows face a quiet courtyard. The kitchen here is more serious than usual: an oven, an induction cooktop, a dishwasher, a dryer and a Nespresso machine, and the sheets and towels are by Kenzo Maison. The Bastille and Saint-Paul stations on line 1 are close by. Note that it’s on the ground floor, that there’s only one double bed, and that you can’t add a bed or a crib. I recommend it to a couple who appreciate details and don’t mind giving up a view.

A ground-floor studio in the heart of the 4th arrondissement, with a modern design, a sitting area, a shower and a kitchenette with a fridge, a cooktop and a microwave. The advantage here is simple and practical: the Saint-Paul metro station is about 110 yards from the door, on line 1, which goes straight to the Louvre, and the Place des Vosges is a five-minute walk away. Restaurants and cafés start about 55 yards down the street. Two reservations: the apartment is on the ground floor, which means less light and less privacy, and check-in is only possible until 8 p.m. I recommend arranging it in advance if your flight lands in the afternoon.

A studio on Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Île, the only main street of the little island sitting in the middle of the Seine, between Notre-Dame and the Marais. The whole island is considered one of the quietest places in the heart of Paris, thanks to very few cars and almost no through traffic. The studio itself is small and simple, with no special extras, but the location is the real story: the island’s famous ice cream shops, like Berthillon, are a few doors away. A fairly high score from a reasonable number of reviews points to consistency. Good to know: the historic buildings all over the island have no elevators, so if you’re carrying heavy suitcases, get ready for stairs.

This apartment sits on Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Île, the island’s main street. It’s 600 square feet (56 m²), with a bedroom, a living room, a sofa bed and a mezzanine with an extra bed. There are exposed beams and stone and double-glazed windows, and the bedroom faces the inner courtyard, so it’s completely quiet. On the building’s ground floor there’s a bakery and a cheese shop, and Notre-Dame is about 600 yards away. This island feels like a small village inside Paris, especially in the evening. Note that there’s no elevator, that the mezzanine bed is reached by a ladder, and that arriving after 8 p.m. costs extra. I recommend it to a couple with one or two older kids.

An air-conditioned apartment with two bedrooms, a living room and an equipped kitchen with an oven and a coffee machine, on Rue de Rivoli, between the Hôtel de Ville and Châtelet. It has a private entrance and soundproofing, which matters on a main street like this one. Location-wise, it’s hard to complain: the Centre Pompidou is about a six-minute walk, Notre-Dame seven, and the Sainte-Chapelle nine. The Hôtel de Ville metro station is right next door. Watch out for three things: there’s only one bathroom for the two bedrooms, there are no cribs and no extra beds, and the deposit is charged to your card two weeks before arrival, not on the spot. I recommend it to one family, not to two couples splitting the rooms.

An apartment with one bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room on Rue Chanoinesse, the narrow street that runs right alongside Notre-Dame Cathedral, a one-minute walk away. The especially high score, 9.2 from 77 reviews, points to real consistency and not to the luck of a few early reviews. It’s a relatively new building for the area, which means less historic architectural charm but more modern comfort, like air conditioning and an equipped kitchen. It sleeps up to four guests, which makes it a good solution for a small family that wants to sleep right next to one of the best-known symbols of Paris. Good to know: because it’s so close to Notre-Dame, the area is full of tourists most of the day.

A large apartment on the Île Saint-Louis, the island in the middle of the Seine that is, in my opinion, the quietest corner of central Paris. It has bright rooms, a full kitchen and enough space for a whole family, which is especially rare at an address like this. All around you are the Seine quays, the bridges and Notre-Dame, a few minutes away on foot, and the legendary Berthillon ice cream shop is on the same street. Note that the operators don’t have a reception desk: if you arrive before 7 p.m., someone will meet you at the apartment, and after that you get a code for a key box. I recommend telling them your arrival time a few days ahead, not on the day itself.

Eight family apartments for two to six people, right next to the Centre Pompidou. Check-in is self-service at any hour and there’s no reception desk, which is exactly what you want if you land at an odd time. Every apartment has an equipped kitchen with a Nespresso machine and an electric cooktop, a TV, an iron, a safe and a hair dryer, and sheets and towels are provided. You can also order breakfast delivered to your door. The Sainte-Chapelle is a six-minute walk. Note that there’s no air conditioning here, only a fan, and that matters during an August heat wave. I recommend them to a family that wants space in a central location and doesn’t mind giving up hotel services.

On Rue du Bourg-Tibourg, on a small pedestrian square full of restaurants and cafés, there are four apartments. All of them are air-conditioned, with a washing machine, an equipped kitchenette and a dining area, and the building has an elevator. One of them is a duplex with two bedrooms, so it works for a family. The location is excellent: the Centre Pompidou is about 650 yards away, the Sainte-Chapelle a five-minute walk, and the rest of the attractions in the 4th arrondissement are all around. Note that the elevator is very small and that you can add one extra bed at most. I recommend asking for the duplex if there are four or more of you, and not settling for a studio.

The second unit at the same address, this time on the fourth floor, the top one. The layout here works well for a family: a double bed and two single beds, air conditioning, a washing machine and an equipped kitchenette. What makes the real difference on a long stay is what’s around it: a grocery store right across from the building, a bakery on the corner, and a local market nearby on weekends. I wrote more about the markets on my page about the markets of Paris. Note that the building’s elevator is very small, and a fourth floor with suitcases is a whole thing. I recommend it to a family with older kids who can carry their own bags.