There are many youth hostels in Paris, charging around 25-30€/night. They tend to get booked up quite quickly, so it is a good idea to book well in advance. If you are planning to look for independent housing when you get here, rather than booking it in advance, you should definitely book into a youth hostel for when you first arrive, to give yourself time to find suitable accommodation. Take care when doing an internet search though, as sometimes boutique hotels masquerade as hostels on the internet and can be quite expensive.

You could look at Hostelling International www.hihostels.com where you will find youth hostels in:

• Paris Cité des Sciences (Métro station Hoche/line 5, in direction of Bobigny – quite a way out, but if you’re into cinema, it’s near the 360-degree cinema, La Géode),
  
• Paris Jules Ferry(Near Place de la Republique, in the 11th District)
  
• Paris le d’Artagnan (close to the Eurolines bus terminal and just 15 minutes from the city centre)
  
• Paris Clichy (Métro: Mairie de Clichy, easy access to many of the major sights of Paris).

HFP is a private housing service that places students in lodgings located in a variety of neighbourhoods throughout the city of Paris and its inner suburbs. This provides students with the opportunity to experience French language and culture as an insider. Students in household stays have the option of choosing the number of meals they wish to share with their hosts. Depending on availability, students can choose between breakfast only or breakfast and up to five dinners per week. You can also state a preference regarding location in Paris and ask to move if you are not satisfied.

Prices from January 2012 for a minimum period of 4 months:

• Bed and Breakfast only: 23,5 €/night
• Bed and Breakfast + 1 dinner a week: 25,5 €/night
• Bed and Breakfast + 2 dinners a week: 28 €/night
• Bed and Breakfast + 3 dinners a week: 29 €/night
• Bed and Breakfast + 4 dinners a week: 31 €/night
• Bed and Breakfast + 5 dinners a week: 31,5 €/night

If interested visit www.hostfamiliesinparis.com or  email katrien@hostfamiliesinparis.com

These 'maid’s rooms' are usually small rooms (approximately 90–160 square feet) situated on the upper floors of Paris apartment buildings and now rented to students and other people on limited budgets. They are adequately furnished with a single bed, a desk, and minimal storage space, but generally include only hot plates and a small refrigerator. Bathroom facilities (sink and shower) are inside the room but toilet facilities may be situated in the outside hallway to be shared with other residents on the same floor. Approximate cost: 450-550€/month plus utilities.

These are small one-room apartments of approximately 190–325 square feet with separate kitchens or integrated kitchen areas (hot plates, toaster ovens, or microwaves) and integrated bathroom facilities with showers. They are adequately furnished with a single bed (double beds are rare), desk, storage shelves, etc. Telephone lines are available in some. Approximate cost: 650-700€/month plus utilities.

Students opting for independent housing should be prepared to arrange and pay for their internet connection/installation and the like. Laundry facilities may or may not be available in the building. Utility bills can range from 50-150€/month for gas/electricity; 60€/month for local calls and 150€/month for international calls depending on the number and duration of calls; and 30-60€for internet connection and whether or not TV is included. The premium for mandatory tenant insurance is approximately 100€ for the term. Students will be responsible for the final condition of the apartment and any damage resulting from their use.

There is intense competition for places in the many halls of residence in the Cité Universitaire. Visit their website at http://www.ciup.fr/en/ where you may be able to book into one of the houses directly.  In recent years we have been successful in finding places for some of our students at the Résidence Lucien-Paye, located at 45 Boulevard Jourdan 75014 – PARIS Téléphone : 01 53 80 75 76. Their website is at http://www.ciup.fr/en/les_maisons/residence_lucien_paye. The cost at Lucien Paye is in the region of 635€/month, for a room including en-suite facilities (cheaper and more expensive rooms also available). Bills are included, no up-front deposit is required and you pay as you go month by month. You can also have visitors to stay, for which a camp bed is provided for 5€/week. They charge 10€ for internet set-up and 5€/month including cheap phone calls home. However, there is no guarantee that this accommodation will be available next year, but if you are interested in exploring this option, we would be happy to make enquiries for you during the autumn term.

Students have found larger apartments for sharing and prices and size of apartment vary, ranging from 650€ to 1500€. Apartments are advertised through agencies (which usually charge an arrangement fee), through the “Fusac” magazine, which is available free (copies are always available for collection at the American Church, Amercian library, and also on line. There is also private advertising on the internet, on notice boards at Reid Hall and at the American Church. An example of an agency advertising apartments to rent is www.parisattitude.com .

The American Church is situated at: 65 Quai d'Orsay 75007 Paris, France. Tel: 01 40 62 05 00 Located on left bank of the Seine, between the Pont de l'Alma and the Pont des Invalides. The church is a five-minute walk from the following Métro stations: Pont d'Alma (RER C), Invalides (RER C), Invalides, Alma Marceau. In addition, bus 63 stops directly in front of the church. Bus 80 stops at the Pont d'Alma ("Bosquet-Rapp"), and several buses stop at Invalides. Here you will find advertisements for flat shares, rooms to rent, part-time jobs and activities you can participate in. It’s a good idea to take a notebook and pencil, or a camera to photograph the advertisements, which are posted every day.