Chateau
Matko
A home in the 15e, and everything you need to enjoy Paris. Welcome. This page collects everything a visitor needs: the address, the neighbourhood, how to get here, and a very opinionated guide to the city.
A quiet street in the most Parisian arrondissement
The 15e is residential, bourgeois, and, as the guide cheerfully admits, a bit dull. Which is exactly what makes it a good place to come home to after a day in the city: families, good bakeries, and people who never leave the 15e.
Chateau Matko sits on Rue Leriche, a calm side street a few minutes from Parc Georges Brassens in the Saint-Lambert quarter. The neighbourhood has everything you need within a short walk: two excellent bakeries, a bar with 5 € cocktails, a Vélib’ station forty metres from the door, and metro line 12 at Convention.
Guests are greeted with the traditional French breakfast from Pompona: coffee, one croissant, one pain au chocolat. Everything else about your stay (arrival, keys, Wi-Fi, the house’s little quirks) is shared directly with you by Matko before you arrive.
“When you walk around the city, remember to look upwards. It’s easy to get lost in the chaos of the ground level and not notice that above you, you have the most beautiful city in the world.”
The useful places near the apartment
Everything on this list is within a short walk. Start with the bakery.
Parc Georges Brassens
5 min walkParkRight next door and Matko’s favourite park in Paris. Ideal for a short walk or sitting down with a book.
Pompona
Around the cornerBakeryThe go-to bakery. Great bread, and the source of the traditional breakfast served to guests: coffee, one croissant, one pain au chocolat.
Grains et Gourmandises
Around the cornerBakeryFor savoury snacks: croque monsieur, croque madame, wraps, sandwiches and pizza-like doughs.
Cantine Max
Close byBar & restaurantCocktails for 5 € until midnight. Enough said.
Rue du Commerce
15 min walkBars & shopsThe lively spine of the 15e: bars, cafés and shops along one long street.
Vélib’ Olivier de Serres – Leriche
40 mCity bikesA Vélib’ station practically on the doorstep. See the guide for the 24-hour pass trick.
From the airport to Rue Leriche
Paris has three airports. In every case the rule is the same: with one person, take the train; with two or more, check a Bolt or Uber price first.
Connected to the city by the RER B suburban train, but you pay extra to board at the airport. Check Bolt/Uber prices and see what makes most sense for your group.
Connected directly to metro line 14 (the favourite line; one could talk all day about why it’s so cool), but you pay an extra ~11 € to enter it at the airport. Orly is much closer than Beauvais, so with two or more people a Bolt probably makes sense.
The default option is the shuttle bus straight to/from the airport. On the way there, arrive at the shuttle station early, because there are often long queues and you may wait a few rounds before boarding. With 3+ people, check Uber/Bolt prices.
Nearest stations
- M12Convention≈ 5 min walk
The closest metro station. Line 12 sits firmly in the “why does this exist?” tier of the official ranking, but it does get you to Montparnasse, Concorde and Madeleine without changing.
- T3aGeorges Brassens≈ 7 min walk
Tram along the southern boulevards. Trams are fine to use, unlike buses.
- M12T2T3aPorte de Versailles≈ 8 min walk
Metro plus two tram lines, and the Paris Expo exhibition centre.
Use the Bonjour RATP app to plan trips and buy tickets. And whatever it suggests, never take the bus.
Nine things to know before you step outside
A collection of random tips-and-tricks on how to survive Paris and places to visit, in no particular order. It covers the main attractions as well as the useful places around the apartment. Here are the highlights; the full guide has the rest.
Look up
The ground level is chaos. The city above your head is the most beautiful one in the world. Don’t forget to look at it.
Order the tradition
Bakery bread beats supermarket bread every time. The safest choice is the baguette tradition: the recipe is regulated, so you can hardly go wrong.
Never take the bus
Whatever the app says, the metro is always the better option. The network is dense and the buses are unreliable. Trams are fine though.
The Vélib’ 30-minute reset
Take the 24-hour classic pass for 5 €. Every ride is free for the first 30 minutes, so stop at 29, dock the bike, wait a few minutes, pick it up again.
Stranger danger
Paris is a safe city. The one real risk is pickpockets in touristy areas, who distract you with a petition while someone lifts your phone. If a stranger approaches you, just keep walking.
Picnic on the quais
Bread, cheese, wine, and a spot along the Seine around Île de la Cité or Île Saint-Louis. The most Parisian evening you can have, for the price of a baguette.
Skip the inside of the Louvre
The building is spectacular from outside. Inside, the sheer amount of artefacts is mind-numbing. Orsay and the Orangerie are far more accessible, and Orsay is the favourite.
Montparnasse over Eiffel
The ugliest building in Paris is the perfect viewpoint, because you can’t see it when you’re on top of it. About 20 €, with a cocktail bar, and the view is at least as good.
Hunt the happy hour
A pint is around 6 € on average, but happy hours are a big thing. The Mister Good Beer app maps beer prices across the city, a good indicator for other drinks too.
The Ultimate Paris Guide
Every arrondissement roasted, the museums worth your time, where to drink, where to buy bread, how to move around, and the official ranking of the metro lines.