Val de Fontenay - Just East of Paris
Serene and Spacious Surroundings, Minutes from Paris
My apartment is located in “Val de Fontenay”, an up scale suburb east of Paris (at the edge of the Bois de Vincennes), just 10 minutes driving distance from the capital, and minutes away by Métro RER.
The apartment is part of a "résidence" (condominium-like apartment complex). The buildings have been built twenty-five years ago in a pleasant and safe park environment where you can pass people walking their dogs and see young children playing in specially arranged places for them. Each building has an intercom and a special key to enter. There is a “guardian” and his wife on the premises.
Though the apartment complex is so tranquil, it is just across the street from a large shopping center with restaurants and a huge super market which contains everything you could ever need for your stay. However my windows are overlooking a less busy street with more greenery, the boulevard Edouard Vaillant.
Fom the RER station, "Val de Fontenay", when you take line A, you reach the Paris station, "Nation" in only five minutes and "Gare de Lyon" in three more minutes. Those are two important metro stations that act as jumping-off points to just about any place in the capital. Be aware that you have many other choices available to go to Paris*. For instance, with line E, you can reach “Magenta” (Gare du Nord/Gare de l’Est) in 12 minutes. If you go the opposite direction of Paris on the train, you are in EURO Disney! Or, if you are like me, you will like to take the bus once in a while for a interesting change (you have the choice of two bus lines a few steps away from the apartment.) The bus will drive you through the old Fontenay for twenty minutes and bring you at the “Château de Vincennes” (a famous old medieval castle). At the end of the bus lines (the castle), you will find the Parisian métro line - “ligne Un” - the very first metro line that was built in Paris.
For me what is so nice about the location of this apartment, is the fact that at the end of a tiring day of touring Paris, you go back to a serene and spacious surrounding, away from the busy, noisy and smelly city. At my place, you open your windows and all you breathe is fresh air; All you hear, are the birds singing!
* By the way, if the mayor of Paris has his way, Fontenay will be soon declared as part of Paris. A tramway line is already being built.
Address and Telephone
My apartment is number 104 Avenue du Marechal Joffre. My apartment is on the French Second floor, first door on the right when you leave the elevator. My door has a mat with cats that says "Bienvenue".
104 Avenue du Marechal Joffre
Residence rabelais
94020 Fontenay s/Bois
The phone number in the apartment is 01-41-95-18-20. You will be able to get calls and give calls to the U.S.A. (cellular phones and landline numbers.) and to France (landlines).
Please, when calling in France, remember to call only landline numbers (NOT cellular phone numbers). Otherwise, I would have to charge you for your phone calls (and this would get too complicated). If you call other parts of the world, I would have to charge you also for your phone calls. Again, it would be too complicated. So please do not use the line for other parts of the world directly. To call outside of France and the U.S.A., you can buy a telephone card from the post office, for instance.
Walking Directions
To reach this address, you need to reach the Avenue du Marechal Joffre - 4 minutes' walk from the station RER, Val de Fontenay. The #104 Avenue du Marechal Joffre is right across from the sidewalk that goes to the mall, Auchan. There is a sign that says "Residence Rabelais & Joffre".
To pick up your keys, you enter the residence right there, next to the entrance to an underground parking. Walk inside the complex, straight ahead, staying on the right side until you reach the caretakers' apartment. There you press the button where it says their last name, and wait until someone opens the outside door. The caretakers live on the "rez de chaussee" or American first floor.