Question on where to live close to Paris

[ldb]

I have a question about where to live close to Paris. A few years ago we had an apartment in Paris for about 6 months. Now, unfortunately, Paris has gotten too expensive to purchase an apartment.

Can you suggest some cities/towns close to Paris for purchasing a home (apartment or house), but less expensive than Paris to live? Less expensive is important but safety is more important.

Thank you all for participating in this forum. I've been reading a lot of the questions and responses. They are extremely helpful.

LB

[Bevdeforges]

Basically you have the whole Ile de France region to choose from - which comprises 6 or 7 of the departements immediately surrounding Paris. Which town to choose depends on lots of things including: why you want an apartment near Paris - will you be commuting into Paris on a regular basis? Or do you just want to be handy to the city for occasional visits? What facilities do you need or want close by? Car vs. public transport? Schools? etc. etc.

If you are dependent on public transport, check the towns along the métro or RER lines that reach the parts of the city you need or want. If you are going to be travelling by plane, for work or pleasure, you'll want to be located convenient to one of the two airports (depending on your usual travel patterns).

To the south and east, there are some rather rural areas, but those tend to lack convenient public transportation links. (And rush hour traffic in and out of Paris is horrific by any standards.)
Cheers,
Bev

[ldb]

Thanks for the quick reply!

We would like to live as close to Paris as possible so we can enjoy all that it has to offer but won't be commuting in on a regular basis. We do want to be close to public transportation to avoid taking our car (have driven in Paris before and am still having nightmares). Convenience to the airport is a "nice to have" but not a requirement. We also don't have kids to worry about for schools. Any recommended town names to view (or avoid) would be appreciated. If we use Le Bon Marché as an anchor point, what would be about 30 - 45 minutes away by metro?

[Bevdeforges]

As there are something like 30,000 towns in France, it's hard to know them all - even just in an area. But in general, the towns immediately to the west of Paris (Neuilly, Levallois, etc) tend to be expensive as this has traditionally been the "chic" side of town and favored by expats. To the north, you tend to have the "banlieue" that get all the bad publicity, though there are some nice areas up there, too - or so I hear.

The East side of Paris was traditionally the not-so-nice area where people lived because it was all they could afford - but that is changing. There is lots of urban renewal type construction over the the east side of Paris (both in the city and in the bordering towns) that could be of interest. To the south there are also some nice areas - out along the RER B line. (I live out that direction and know that side of town the best.) I know Bourg-la-Reine is popular and puts you close to the airport at Orly. Only issue is that if anyone goes out on strike, the B line of the RER is usually the first to shut down. (But you get used to that after a while.)

Take a look at the SNCF map for the réseau régional Ile-de-France to get a feel for the various available transit lines - RER, train and whatever other options there are. And then see what sorts of apartments or homes are available in some of the towns. You'll pay a premium for good transport access, but that's true anywhere in the world.
Cheers,
Bev

[giantpanda]

Hi!

It will all depend if you work or not, and how much time your family want to spend intown.

If you work, how long will you need to go to work, and what will it cost you? Are you limited to one type of transport?

An Immobilier will be aware of these questions.

Yours,

giantpanda

[zarathustra]

I live nextdoor to an immobilier here in Paris, and the prices always leave my jaw ajar. I wish I could offer some good advice, but there's so much outside of Paris. I was in Neuilly and Boulogne last week, which are very close to Paris, but judging by the houses I saw, I would say it's potentially more expensive to live there than in Paris itself! There are of course suburbs you really ought to avoid.
The RER needs to be your most important consideration in many respects, as it's going to up your travelling costs, and you have to offset this against the reduction of living in a suburb. Browse some online immobiliers, to see what's in budget, and then research the area, or pose a question in the forum. At worst you can always fly out and take a look whilst we still have cheap airlines. My last trip to France was £2.04 (minus tax) from East Midlands Airport.

[ldb]

I think that your last suggestion is right along my thinking. Everyone has had some good suggestions and looking on the internet helps fill in some of the picture, but visiting and touring the towns around Paris is now in my plans.

I know that those responding may be reluctant to post which town I should avoid. If you feel comfortable, could you send me a private message suggesting your favorite locations and also the towns I should avoid? I'd be grateful.