My Paris Visit Apartment rentals

We love staying in apartments for that "nested" although, as with most things in life it's a crap shoot. We've had one great Paris apt, another only so-so. Note that the latter got rave reviews o the site. Then, we had a great one in London, rented from a company with mixed reviews.

You're doing the right thing: asking for feedback from FF Folks.

Some rental sites post only positive feedback.(THis is true for hotels as well) and ones like VRBO get to choose which to post.

The only thing one might mss in a hotel --if you like to use it--is room service (we dont use it) and an onsite concierge (which, depending on the person, can be helpful).

I've rented apartments in Paris several times, but stay in hotels more often. I wouldn't rent an apt for a short stay and not on a trip where I am moving around a lot, even if I would then be in Paris a week as part of the trip. It's just too much work IMO and too risky. I have about zero interest in cooking on vacation or housekeeping. I do not have interest in eating in my room much, I don't snack or eat in the evenings and I'm gone all day. I like to eat out when I'm in Paris, that's why I'm there, even for breakfast, and then I"m out all day anyway.

But the hassles are the deposit, prepayment, you never know what you are really going to end up with, key issues, management issues, etc. And since I usually travel alone, they are usually more expensive than a nice 3* hotel for one person. At least they are at the standards I want. And I don't need luxury, but a lot of vacation rental apartments are full of cheap furniture and stuff. I do not spend a lot on hotels or apartments, though, and refuse to do so, so am not in the leagues of folks spending 250 euro plus per night on either. I spend about half that.

I've been in Paris a lot over many years and lived there for more extensive periods (month or more) while attending several schools in the summer, so don't have a need to feel Parisian by an apt, I go with what is most comfortable and convenient for me. And then an apt. is usually more difficult to leave, you may have to clean it, there are key issues, getting your deposit back, etc., and you won't have anyone to get you a taxi.

IN the summer, when I usually go, the big issue is air conditioning which most rental apts do not have, and the few that do are more expensive. So that's one big reason I don't rent apts so much, aside from the hassle and monetary risk.

I don't use any hotel services at all, really, so that isn't the reason I prefer a hotel in many situations. Although I do like having a desk clerk to get me a taxi to go to the airport. Once when I was in an apt and needed one, none would come and some wouldn't even answer the phone, they were too busy. I've never had that problem with a hotel. Luckily, I had a backup plan which was using the metro as I was just going to a train station.

#016 appears to be a top two floors property with no elevator, so you'd want to find out how many flights of stairs are involved. Based on the photo of the stairs, I would pass...can't imagine dragging bags up and down, for one thing, and that shower...

#116 looks much, much better.

With an apartment, you have much more space, seating other than a bed that occupies nearly the entire one room, and a table and chairs, along with a kitchen.

Even if you plan to do no cooking, having a kitchen with fridge saves a fortune on beverages and is a huge advantage if you would prefer coffee before showering, dressing, and heading out.

Since you'll be in Paris over the holidays and in the cold weather, you can stock up for times when it's too cold to enjoy outdoor cafes and many places are closed for the holidays.

Getting a taxi to the airport is easy - just phone the G7 English number, 01 41 27 66 99, to arrange one the day before departure.

I have to agree with djkbooks, #016 is way too high without an elevator. The first apt. we ever stayed in Paris was 67 steps up (#016 looks like more than that) and it got very old even though we loved the apt. itself.

#116 looks much better in that way, both look to be in convenient locations.

Also agree with G7 for a taxi, and believe me, they will arrive early----very good service.

For us, the apt. is the best way to go in Paris. The only cooking I do is coffee in the morning while MDH goes to the bakery. But after touring all day, we love to come "home" to relax with our music, a glass of wine, and a good book for a while before dinner. Since we usually return home around 5pm and don't go out to dinner until 8-8:30, we feel we do get good use of the apt.

Haven't used that particular service, but my guess is that once you,ve tried an apt., you will be hooked.

We always stay in apartments and the experience led us to start an independent agency. The flexibility in size, location, features and price are great reasons, but the best is the one you mention, living like a Parisian.

This isn't for everyone - you need to be a bit adventurous and willing to do without daily housekeeping (which can sometimes be available at an extra cost), a concierge (except some apartments in modern buildings) and room service.

It's important to be very careful in your research in order to avoid disappointment. If a feature you want or need (lift or bathtub, for example) isn't mentioned, it may not be there. So either ask or move on. You also will likely have to put at least half down and risk not getting it back if you must change plans, so trip insurance - though expensive - can be worthwhile. You can compare at www.insuremytrip.com or www.squaremouth.com.

I have no familiarity with the agency but I would rule out 016 for two reasons: the stairs don't look easy for climbing to a 5th floor and the description of the apartments says it has "faded charm" and hasn't been recently renovated. I applaud their honesty in the description but I'm not sure I'd want to stay there.

The second apartment looks nice and is bigger and in a good location. No washer and dryer that I noticed but that may not be important.

We've twice stayed in apartments and like the extra space, and the option for eating (not necessarily cooking) in. For instance, if we had a full lunch, we'd have wine, cheese, bread, and a tart for dinner before going out again. We used the G7 english taxi number for our return to the airport and had no problem. We stayed in an apartment over the Christmas holidays and many more small food stores, bakeries, and restaurants were open than I had thought would be. But it is a slower day so it was nice to be able to come back and relax in the apartment.

You would want to check with the agency and see that someone was available if you needed anything. That's important.

You should probably do a search on the apartment and agency name to see if additional information comes up.

We often stay in apartments, but simply because we can get more for our money than we can in hotels. We are always on a small budget, and like to go often, so we generally find that apartments are a better buy for us.

But, and this is a big but for me, I prefer hotels. It just seems so much more carefree. I don't want to have to worry about some of the admittedly minor things we've had to deal with in apartments, if I don't have to.

The only thing I really like about apartments in Paris and the rest of Europe is that I can make coffee in the morning.

I actually like the look of 016 -- but 5th floor (6th American) no lift would be a deal breaker for me.

Hotels every time for me though my husband likes apartments, but, does he cook? Bet your life he doesn't. And if you get sick, the hotel has immediate and rapid access to a doctor which is not so easy with an apartment sometimes, especially if you are not well enough to leave it and access is complicated. (Been there). I like the hotel for air-conditioning, the lifts, which all 3 star and many 2 star hotels have (and which an apartment may or may not have, however exxy). Also the helpful advice and phone reservations made by hotel reception. I speak some French but phone conversations are still a challenge. Apartments can be noisier as windows are often not double glazed and surrounding apartments may be rented by noisier neighbours than one gets in a hotel. And it's easier to change bookings if necessary. Also guidebooks describe individual hotels and one can get a clear picture of what it's like. Apartment quality has to be judged on Agency and we have been let down even with a reliable agency (though they did agree to change us)
That said, for more than two or three people, an apartment can work out more cheaply. And really it's up to individual preferences, but above factors are worth considering.

Answering your question about hotels vs apts:

We used to stay in hotels on all our trips, but since last year, I've stayed in apartments in Europe 4 times (Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, and Barcelona). Now I seek out apt rental if all possible.

Apt fits us well, as we are budget travelers. We can get much more space for our $ by staying in an apt than a hotel. Also, I enjoy trip-planning and do tons of research beforehand, so there's no need for me to have a front desk/concierge. Plus, we are fairly "neat" people who don't need new sets of towels/sheets or maid service every single day (I don't do that at home, so why would I need that on vacation?) Basically, I don't see the need to pay for all these "extra services" that hotel offers. For the few times we needed a taxi service, a quick phone call to the owner (or rental agency) was enough to provide us with phone #s for several taxi companies.

I just so happen to enjoy cooking, so cooking simple meals in Europe is not a burden to me. In fact, I enjoy shopping in supermarkets and checking out all the food products, and we save $ by preparing some meals in the apt

In addition, DH & I eat very healthy at home. The idea of eating out every meal on every day for 1-2 weeks is actually NOT appealing to us. Most restaurant dishes have much fat/butter and not enough vegetables.

The "apartment or hotel?" question falls into the same category as "Paris or Rome?" - to each his own.
But to answer your direct question, we have been renting apartments for several years and much prefer it to hotels for trips of more than a few days. Never felt as if we missed out on anything. We don't often use hotel room service, or have need of a concierge. The ability to prepare morning (or whenever) coffee and space to stretch out are also attractive features. We don't necessarily look for super budget places but do appreciate good value; sometimes a low end hotel would actually cost less but the cost:value ratio is superior in the apartment.
I think the "live like a Parisian" line is mostly marketing, but harmless. As a Parisian acquaintance observed, "you have not lived like a Parisian until you have waited two weeks for a plumbing repair."
The Seine loft #016 would never even make it onto my list because of the fifth floor no elevator location. #106 is smaller in terms of square footage but quite adequate for two people, and seems to be well located. Of the two it would be my choice.

I dunno about those two apartment but I myself prefer to stay in apartments compared to hotels.

We use apartments and houses extensively when we travel with our 3 minor children. Much more space. It works well when our sleeping/rising schedules are not synchronized, and they rarely are. And, a washer/dryer permits us to pack light, without wearing "unfreshened" garments. A kitchen for storing food for snacks and drinks is a real pleasure, even when one has no intention of substantial cooking.

Even when we travel as a couple we prefer apartments for longer stays. The only hotel service I'd miss is daily housekeeping, though one can often purchase that a la carte. We've stayed in apartments in Venice operated by a hotel and had access to all its amentities, including housekeeping. I recall seeing similar arrangements in Paris too.

I hope your Christmas in Paris is merry.

When we go for a month at a time, we stay in an apartment. This last time we had about the worst possible INITIAL apartment problem you can imagine (it had exploded while we were in Italy, and we learned about its "unavailability" from the private-party owner just a week before we were due to arrive) but except for that every rental experience has been just about perfect, and even that--a replacement was found with some effort--worked out very well. We are comfortable about doing everything on our own in Paris, but in unfamiliar Venice, Florence, Milan, and Strasbourg, we were helped a lot by the front desk people at the hotels we stayed in. So it depends . . . If you "love Paris" from previous visits perhaps you are ready to be more on your own in an apartment. Depending on how much of tourist Paris you have already seen, I would suggest an apartment outside the 5e and 6e.

I highly recommend an apartment stay over a hotel.
I've had very good experiences with Vacation in Paris.
Enjoy Paris

Just wondering if you ended up renting the 106? It is one of our options for our upcoming trip to Paris...

We rented from Paris Perfect (the Kir apartment).

Ok thank you