Help Please! Accommodation In Lille / Paris, Looking for room to rent with a family Options

[Czerny]

I'm hoping to spend a few months in France next year, probably in Lille but perhaps in Paris, and I'm struggling a little with the apparently arcane French property rentals system. It probably isn't, and I'm probably being dim, but no matter how many different ways I try to search for 'rooms to rent with a family in Lille', I'm not coming up with much.

I would be really grateful for any advice, weblinks, pointers as to how to go about this - perhaps I'm using the wrong terminology in French as certainly estate agents have their own language here. Or perhaps renting a room with a family just isn't de rigeur?

I'm looking for a room in a family house (with a piano) from next July until January. I won't be able to stay for a full six months which will probably make it different to rent through an agent.

Also any recommendation of language schools would be most welcome.

Merci beaucoup!!

[freda_bloogs]

First and foremost, if you can avoid going through an agency then do so - you could save up to 1000€. They charge stupidly extortionate fees.

What I'd recommend, if it's possible, is just to come over for a week and look yourself. If you come to Paris, there's a free bilingual magazine called FUSAC which has lots of annonces in, especially for this kind of thing. I don't know if they do a Lille edition.

Again, I can only talk for Paris but as far as language schools go, there are plenty. The Sorbonne does tailor made courses that last from 6 weeks to degrees which I know are very popular with people in your position.

Personally, I've never lived with a family so I can't point you in that specific direction but I'm sure I can find some people who have. If I see any ads anywhere for this type of thing, I'll PM you.

[Czerny]

Thank you - I'll follow those ideas up.