Paris Apartment Thread

I recently did on "Paris Again" by TPAYT

We rented the apartment" Hibicus" through www.guestapartment.com It was billed as a large studio with a separate kitchen and modern bath. Another plus, a king sized bed.

The web site was very easy to use, and the arrangements were extremely efficient in every way.

This was our favorite apt. we have rented and will use their service again.

It was gorgeous, well equipped, and had fresh flowers on arrival. On St. Louis en I'lle, it was convenient to their office around the corner to make any arrangements you might want---dinner reservations, car pick up, day trips, etc.

I agree with you, it would be nice to have them all in one place.

Just got back from a trip where I rented an apartment with several friends through Chez Vous. We chose the Tour d'Argent apartment which is on the left bank of the Seine, and has a view of Ile St Louis and Notre Dame. It's a gorgeous apartment and we were very pleased with it and the Chez Vous service. Website: http://www.chezvous.com/main.html

It was definitely not an inexpensive choice, but for 4 of us, it was a better deal than two hotel rooms of comparable quality would have been, and we had a lot more space than we would have with two hotel rooms.

Great idea autier,

We have stayed here two times; May of 07 and Feb. 2008, and would gladly stay here again. Really loved it. It's in the 3eme, great location, metro with two lines right across the street - very convenient.

Modern clean apartment in an older building. Great bathtub too.

Address: 7 Rue Bailly 75003
Website: http://www.vrbo.com/100027

My wife and I just returned from a stay in Paris at an apartment that can be found at VRBO#79965. Its location is ideal, being 80m. from the Metro, 20m. from a boulangerie and 100m. from a supermarket. You cannot go wrong here

I LOVE this place:

http://www.rentalapartmentparis.com

It is in a lovely, non-touristy area of the city, with excellent metro and bus access. The apartment itself is spacious and very well appointed, reasonably priced, and the owners are a pleasure to deal with.

Great idea! I hope more will post their recommendations.

We stayed in this apartment in May this year and it was wonderful. The bedroom is tiny but apart from that it was great. We were directly across the road from the Jardin du Luxembourg and a 30 second walk to a RER station. Thierry our landlord was great to deal with and I would highly recommend him. We loved the location on the Blvd St Michel.

http://www.parisbestlodge.com/luxembourg.html

www.vrbo.com/103254

We stayed at this lovely apartement alreay a few times and will rent it again. Very interesting quartier, far enough from Bastille to be quiet and popular, yet close enought to Place des Vosges and the Marais. It have it own private garden, a laptop with wifi and free international calls. We already booked for next year so I don't mind sharing the link! LOL

What a great idea to have a consolidated apartment thread! Folks should consider doing this for other cities as well.

almcd, we stayed in VRBO 79965 last year also and were very pleased with the apartment, price, location, and ease of renting.

The owners live in the apartment upstairs and are very nice and helpful as well. The apartment is large - a large living area as well as a bedroom with good closets. The kitchen is well equiped too. We enjoyed our week's stay and would stay here again.

In February of 2007, we stayed in this apartment, number 10, through RentParis.com

http://www.rentparis.com/appart-en-24.html

Three of us were very comfortable there. The wesite says it can sleep 7, but 4 seems like the maximum amount I would put there. The bathroom was huge, with a tub and walk in shower.

There was a sleeping loft off the living area, with a double bed. The bedroom was small with a large double bed, a loft for storage, or even for a cot, and huge laundry room with washer and dryer. Service was very good: there was a smell in the bathroom one day, and when we came in from sightseeing, it had been taken care of.

There is a review by someone else on slowtrav.com, and it is somewhat negative. I have to disagree with that review. My brother, DH and I all liked the apartment, and especially the great location in the 4th.

We are renting from them again in Feb. '09.

We stayed here in March of 2007 and would love to return.
Website:
www.perfectplaces.com/vacation-rentals/24752.htm
It's a one-bedroom with sleeper sofa in the large living room, overlooking Rue St. Andres des Arts.

Incredible location, wonderful amenities, just like being a Parisian for a short time. Spacious fifth floor with great views, a lift, washing machine, dishwasher, everything you could want. The owner is very good about getting back to you promptly. Just a couple minutes' walk to several metro stations. There are numerous boulangeries, markets, cafes, fromageries, all along the street.

I always rent from:

www.parisperfect.com

All of their places are lovely in every way possible. The amenities exceed every expectation.

I am presently in Paris for a month, in a Paris Perfect apt. They are also upgrading me to a newly completed one, and moving me to it in a couple days.

Most will have a nearby Eiffel Tower view. I have it outside my window as I type.

Joan

http://www.vrbo.com/27917

Close to the tourist bustle of Montmartre, far enough to be in a real Paris neighborhood. Owner lives upstairs, but is unobtrusive - but very helpful when asked. We spent a very pleasant week here in May, and would return in a minute. The owner also told us that he was starting a small business to help manage other rentals in the Montmartre area, and so has good contacts for other apartments. For our phototravelogue which includes some pictures of the apartment and immediate area, see http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=f363d0s.6yx4s3iw&x=0&y=a4upol&localeid=en_US

vacationinparis.com.

I did an extensive report on the apartment that I rented(#122) through them which can be pulled up under, "Guenmai's Paris Apartment Rental Experience". It has been topped several times by posters. Great company and service and one can pay in U.S. dollars as the agency is in New Jersey. I just mailed them a personal check and that was it. One also gets the apartment keys mailed out, about two weeks before leaving home, so no need to meet an agent to let one into the apartment. Then when one gets home, just mail the keys back, within a week, and they immediately mail back the $150. key deposit.

There's also vbro.com , parisperfect.com, and paris attitude.com which I'd consider, but haven't booked apartments through as of yet . Payment, in Euros, is required and the keys aren't mailed out before leaving home. Happy Travels!

The above should have read, "parisattitude.com" Happy Travels!

Paris Perfect apartments are about as easy as it gets. Just charge your credit card. They have your credit card for security, but do not charge it.

They have everything so deluxe that the system is perfect! I call when in my airport transport vehicle that I am on my way..I already have the access code for bldg. and floor..when I get to my apt. someone is waiting for me. They set up my laptop for me, go over all the things in the apt.with me. They have great fancy coffee makers, all the laundry equip. A/C..wonderful toiletry products..free Wi-Fi and tel to US....Champagne, milk, oj etc. They will call you following day to see how things are, or you can reach them at any time. They will make taxi, dining reservations for you..probably left off many things..the places are lovely..so much so that many want to stay in often to enjoy their patios, views, et.A pretty ParisPerfect experience, as everyone who rents from them will tell you.

Enjoy your search..that is half the fun.........Joan

Hi autier, we are at this very moment staying in a wonderful apartment in Les Halles very close to the awesome market street rue Montorgueil. I recommend this immensely as it iswithin walking distance of many of the sights.

It has been great for our family of four and I found the company very professional to deal with especially with us being in Australia.

Vieux Paris ID#79
www.vacationinparis.com

Great responses! This is exactly what I was hoping for. We are going to have the definitive Paris apartment database on the web.

I rented the "Rue de Chateau" apartment from Historic Rentals: http://www.historicrentals.com/paris/rueduchateau/

The apartment was pretty far out in the 14th, way beyond any tourist areas. It was very close to Pernety metro station so we could get to other parts of town with ease, but it wasn't a great location for walking to most places. The neighborhood was safe, but not wealthy or glamorous. I liked having all the bakeries and other food shops right around the corner on Blvd. Looserand. The apartment itself was very nice, but in a rather drab and slightly worn building. I'd stay here again, but next time I want to be closer to the Seine in the 6th.

Gracejoan...That's good to hear about parisperfect.com because they are high on my list, right under vacationinparis.com.

Paris Perfect has a really nice selection of apartments right smack in the 6th, where I've been staying almost annually since around 1981. So, that's where I want to be. And I couldn't believe that they have an apartment, on the same tiny street, and just a few steps away from the vegetarian/vegan/macro restaurant, in the 6th, that I've been eating at for over 20 years. I might have to rent from them just to try to get that apartment. Priceless. Only a few steps to food! Smiles. Thanks for the info. Happy Travels!

Oops....Gracejaon, it just hit me that I was thinking about parisattitude.com not parisperfect.com although Paris Perfect is also on my list, it's just that they have very few apartment in the 6th and although I have stayed in the 7th, where most of their apartments are located, I still prefer my neighborhood.

Plus, their apartments are expensive. They are having a 10%, I think it was, discount right now. They e-mailed me, and mentioned it last week, after I had e-mailed them to ask about something or the other.

I will, however, refer new-to-Paris friends to that agency and also newly weds. It would be really great for them as the apartments and views of the Eiffel Tower are beautiful. I'd just rather have lots of extra money for shopping instead of putting so much into an apartment unless I were taking my mom to Paris again and treating her. I'd scrape up the extra money to treat her as she absolutely has adored Paris for the last almost 30 years. And for her to be able to get up and look out the window and see the Eiffel Tower every morning would be priceless. Happy Travels!

We rented from Guest Apartment Services as well, the Gardenia apartment. Superlative experience. I stayed there with my mother and she is picky!

http://tinyurl.com/4x56qw

http://preview.tinyurl.com/4x56qw

SemiMike, I hope you check this thread again because I wanted to say I really enjoyed viewing your photos. Thanks for posting the link.

Guenmai,

You have been coming to Paris for many years, too. You have found the 6th to be "home"....that is great. I guess I am that way about the 7th..it feels like home whan I arrive! I am usually in the St. Dominique/Bourdonnais area. This time I am on La Motte Picquet near the Invalides Esplanade..so, it has been different to explore this area. I will be moving over to Champ de Mars on Wed. so will be back in that area again.

Yes, Guest Apartments does have nice place on the Ile St. Louis..

So amny nices places, and areas...

a bientot..............Joan

We stayed in http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_158.htm this past August. Vacation in Paris was really easy to work with and I liked paying in dollars so I didn't have to worry about the exchange rate. The apartment was in a great location for us, easy to walk to many places and close to the metro. It is 2 bedrooms; the second was really small, but fine for our 2 teenage girls. And it had AC which we needed during the time we were there.

We just stayed at http://www.vrbo.com/90955 and would highly recommend it for 4 people.

We walked almost everywhere (except the Eiffel Tower) and the apartment itself was very QUIET and well set up.

I was looking for an apt. in Paris this summer. Checked all the above and all that I wanted were rented-I started to late.

One of the renters said that she had an apt. I could rent that she had just bought and was not on VRBO web site yet. The rent was reasonable, so I told her yes. Wife was unsure about this, so we also booked ETAP on Ru Dr. Babinski. We had stayed there before and knew our way around. We got to the apt. and it was a mess!!! Bed unmade, sheets dirty, clothes lying all about the bedroom. Makeup strode about, shoes under the bed, in the floor, etc. Kitchen a mess, soiled dishes everywhere, refrigerator full of opened containers, needed defrosting, etc. Cabinets full of food, etc. No room for my "stuff", bathroom -well lets say my wife was not impressed in the least!! Luckily, we had no deposit, so no arguing about it.

We declined the rent and caught a bus to St. Ouen and our rented hotel room. So I have learned, have a plan 2 if the apt. rental falls through. The hotel was 250E more than the apt., but at least we had a place to stay that we knew what to expect.

The good thing about ETAP, if you cancel before 4:00, they do not charge you anything, if after 4:00, they only charge you one nights rent.

Gracejoan...Yes, when one gets into a neighborhood that one likes and has stayed in that neighborhood for so many years, it's hard to leave it. Smiles.

From around 1976 to 1981, I stayed all over Paris to get a feel of different areas, but when I landed in the 6th,it just fit, like a good broken-in pair of shoes. Smiles.

I need to be convenient to the kind of places I like to eat at and the kind of shopping I like to do and the 6th and 7th full that requirement for me. Happy Travels!

Correction, "fill", not "full". Smiles. Happy Travels!

Guenmai -

I was scanning this thread as I also have a question posted about apartments in the 6th today...
This caught my eye from your comment "vegetarian/vegan/macro restaurant". I didn't think I would be able to find Vegetarian dining in Paris! I don't know why. I was going to get to that closer to our travels. I have a vegetarian daughter and a celiac daughter who cannot eat wheat. This will be a challenge eating out in Paris and that's one reason why we are renting an apartment. Can you provide the name and addres of the Vegetarian restaurant and any others you might recommend?

Beth

Love this idea, I'll contribute:

Stayed here in 2006. It was a perfect apartment in every way, nicely decorated, comfortable bed, quiet and a great location, right on the edge of the 6th and 7th. They have raised the price recently and it is a little too expensive for me now, but, for a special occasion I would rent it again in a heartbeat. Owners are american so paying was a breeze. It is a one bedroom and it was just my husband and myself but the front room does have a pull out trundle type bed that my niece and nephew slept on and said was very comfortable.

http://www.vrbo.com/61185

Paris Vacation Rentals, can't say enough of nice things about these people and their apartments. They are usually booked up quite far in advance because of a loyal following. I rented the studio grenelle, perfect for a solo traveler. Quiet,safe, again a great location with multiple metro stops.
http://parisvacationapartments.com/home.html

My friends have stayed here this year when they couldn't find anything else on a last minute trip. They like it just fine, although they said the bathroom was a little odd and small, which the pictures do reflect.

http://www.vrbo.com/122061

Bethyk...The vegetarian/vegan/macro restaurant that I've been eating at since the early 80s, is Guenmai in the 6th. And no I have no connections with the restaurant. I took the nickname decades ago back when I was strict macro.

You might be able to google it.

But, this is how you get to it. It's VERY easy to find. As you're walking out Blvd. St.Germain, when you get to rue Buci, turn into rue Buci. You can only turn one way. Rue Buci starts there. Then walk one block and you'll see a street that you can only turn left on. Turn left onto that street and then walk one block straight ahead and it will be right in front of you...and I really mean...right in front of you. It's a green and white building. So,the street that you'll turn into will be between Blvd. St. Germain and rue de Seine off of rue Buci.

Sophie and her family own the place. She's there everyday as the family's residence is upstairs. Sophie is always at the register. The food is REALLY good and consistant. One day a week, she has seitan brochette which is the best I've ever had. Usually the next day there are some left over ones. I'll have to look in my journal to see what day it is. I plan my arrivals to be able to have seitan brochette. Smiles.

And her fruit tarts are the best,too and sugarfree. She's only there for lunch and you can take food out. It's not cheap, but what is in Paris, but it's a solid vegetarian/vegan/macro meal. And her Mu tea is delicious. She uses a lot of Lima products and organic produce etc.

Back in the 80s and part of the 90s it was very easy to eat vegetarian or macrobiotic in Paris. I used to go to a lot of places. I know a few places that were in business for many years have closed. So, since I stay in the 6th and either eat at Guenmai, cook if I have an apartment, or a combo of both, I really haven't gone looking for other places. Plus, I eat fish, so I have more flexibility. Fish was included on my macro balance and I kept it in after changing my balance.

You can also try to see if Grand Appetit is still in town. It's near Bastille on rue de la Cerisaie(sp?). I don't have my map book in front of me. That food was also very good. Happy Travels!

Betyhk...I just googled it and it's there. It's the oldest, organic restaurant in Paris according to the comments. Well, I figured it was. I knew Sophie before her last child was born and that child is now around 16 or 17, I think. Two of her 3 kids work at the restaurant. Happy Travels!

bookmarking

To add to what Susanna has said, although we haven't stayed there yet, we have booked 2 apartments through Paris Vacation Apartments (one for my family and one for my mother) for December this year. I have been bowled over by how helpful they have been - as my Mum said, you'd think we were buying the apartments, not just renting them for a week!

I really battled to find accommodation for us because of the specific sleeping arrangements we required, and I had left it too late - I only started looking at the beginning of August.

I'll let you know how it goes after we get back, but their reviews are very good.

As Susanna said, their website address is www.parisvacationapartments.com

Alex and Isis of PVA are very nice people...........

Hi Gracejoan3, yes both Alex and Isis have been wonderful to deal with. Do the little dots at the end of your message mean anything sinister though? (i.e. is there something I'm missing?)

Nothing sinister in my dots..... Just a funny little habit.

Joan

Oh, thank goodness! All my dealings with them have gone so smoothly it is a relief to know that all is well!

Guenmai,

Thank you for the information on the Vegetarian restaurant.

Also, thanks for your reply to my post about renting an apartment in the 6th Arrondissement.

I would love any input on my question regarding apartments in the 1st or 6th, please see my post at: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2 The Title is "Which of these Apartments in 1st or 6th Arrondissements - Any Advice Welcome!"

Thanks,
Beth

This is a brilliant idea. I was just looking for an apartment in Paris and this thread is VERY helpful.

Ozziez,you are going to love their apartment. I think that they are even nicer in person than what you see on the net.

Alex and Isis are the nicest people. I was traveling alone on one trip and they were able to let me in early, the cab to the airport to go back home was right on time, they called during the visit to make sure everything was ok. I had a small problem, very small and they offered to refund a couple of days rent, which I though was very generous but totally uncalled for. How often do you turn down a refund? When I remodeled our bathroom I wrote Alex an email to ask about the lights in the bathroom and he sent me a link for where to buy them. They are really really nice and professional.

PS: I am a big user of ...

I stayed in 2 Paris apartments over the last 12 months that I was very happy with the first one with 3 girlfriends. It is ID # 28
http://www.VacationInParis.com

And the following in which I stayed with my boyfriend. stay@myplaceinparis.com which is the owners site and I found it via
http://rentalo.com/96088/myplacein.html
both were great locations, walking distance to gardens and restaurants and Metro stops.

Autier17,
Great thread! Let me contribute by noting the following apartments which we've stayed in over the last few years:

http://www.chezmichelaparis.com/Home.htm
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p143450
http://www.vrbo.com/115378 (rented through Guest Apartment Services)

We've also rented from ParisPerfect and stayed in Cabernet for a week.

All were charming in their own way, and I'd be happy to answer any detailed questions about these flats.
I've also previewed http://www.vrbo.com/115378, which is in the same location as most ParisPerfect flats, although not as luxurious (or expensive), but not without its charms.

After staying near the Palais Royal, on Ile St.Louis, just behind the Orsay museum, and on rue St.Dominique, we decided to return to the St.Dominique area and are planning a week next spring in another PP apartment.

Naturally, I'm always on the lookout for new apartments...Has anyone used http://www.holidays-france-rentals.com/apartments/, specifically the Avenue Rapp and Rodin Museum apartments? I'd love get some input on these. EJ

I hope AnselmAdorne, fishee, Robjame and others who have rented apartments in Paris see this. I have a half a mind to go hunt down others' reports...but I'm not quite that much of a controlling busybody. Yet.

We enjoyed http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_125.htm for three people -- two of us in the bedroom and our granddaughter on the sofa sleeper (which got great reviews, btw)

Price is certainly right, and the location is outstanding. The local manager was extremely competent and there to meet us.

Have fun!

JimF

Hi Leely. I was just getting around to this!

I can add three apartments to the list, going from smallest to largest:

1) In February 2007 I rented a small studio on rue Saint-Onge in the 3rd. Here’s what I later posted in a trip report:

“When the elevator reached the hallway outside the apartment, the first thing I saw through the glass door was a penguin (or was it a puffin?) wearing a waiter’s uniform. There were plants and flowers on the stairs; mirrors and Chinese calligraphy hung on the walls.

Once inside, the apartment was exactly as shown on VRBO: www.vrbo.com/28993 You walk into the kitchen area; the bathroom is off to the right. Just past the kitchen are the bed, dresser, bedside table, and chairs. Beyond are the double doors to the balcony, where there is a table and two chairs. You can see the thoughtful touch of the owners in many little details, such as the two booklets of information on local amenities and restaurants. These are illustrated with photographs, maps, instructions, and menus.

I liked the neighbourhood. In the space of a couple of blocks along rue de Bretagne, there is the small Marché des Enfants Rouge, plus butchers, bakers, wine shops, banks, cafés, restaurants, green grocers, grocery stores, a fish store, and a cheese shop. The nearest Metro station is Filles de Calvaire, about five minutes from the apartment door. The street and the building are quiet.

I would recommend this apartment for anyone travelling alone. It would also work for two, although Margriet and I prefer more space when travelling together. There are, however, many entries in the guestbook from couples who have been very happy there.”

The owners live upstairs and are reliable and hospitable.

2) And a one bedroom in the 4th. Again, from the trip report:

“My wife and daughter stayed in this apartment last August, and on their advice, I chose it for this trip. It’s on rue Mornay in the 4th, a quiet side street running between boulevards Bourdon and Henri IV. Canal Saint-Martin is just to the east, while the Marais spreads out to the west. Pont Sully, the bridge that crosses the eastern tip of Île Saint-Louis, is about 300 metres from the door.

The flat is on the fifth floor of an old building (I would guess late nineteenth-century, but perhaps a bit later). On entering the apartment, you see a hallway with doors on either side. To the left are the living room and dining room, connected to make a long open space overlooking rue Mornay. The doors to the bedroom and kitchen are on the right-hand side of the hall; the bathroom is straight ahead at the end.

There is a lot of space for one person; it would be perfect for two. The ceilings are tall with elaborate mouldings. The windows are huge, letting in a great deal of light. There is a small balcony along the front and another on the back off the kitchen. The view from the back is down into a large landscaped courtyard. The floors are hardwood, the furnishings comfortable. The decoration is gentle—a mixture of paintings, masks, and fabric wall hangings. The whole impression is welcoming and comfortable. (www.vrbo.com/24464)

The neighbourhood is a mixture of apartments, offices, and public buildings. The Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal is just around the corner, while the Republican Guards occupy a large stone building on Henri IV. The Sully-Morland metro stop is very close; there are lots of cafés and restaurants on Henri IV and around Bastille. Rue Saint-Antoine became my daily destination for groceries.”

Here are three photos I took while there:

www.pbase.com/anselmadorne/image/57767514
www.pbase.com/anselmadorne/image/57767649
www.pbase.com/anselmadorne/image/57725197

Another Fodorite, Nikki, stayed here within the last year and also gave this apartment a good report card. The owner is good to deal with. If there is a downside to this place it is the kitchen, which I found tight. If you aim to eat in restaurants or cafés, or plan to prepare only simple meals, it’s fine.

3) The third was a large two bedroom, two bathroom place on rue des Petits Champs in the 1st. We have rented it twice, once in February 2007 and again in December 2007. (This is the same place elsiejune referenced in a post, above, listed as www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p143450 It is also advertised on another website: www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/France/holiday-apartment-Paris/p66709.htm

This is from our trip report:

“This apartment is large and beautifully decorated. You enter a wide hallway; a bedroom and a bathroom are on either side as you walk towards the living room. A long, large room opens up, windows on the far side overlooking the street. The kitchen and dining area are on the right, then the living room itself, and beyond that, way off to the left, a separate study. The master bedroom and its ensuite bathroom are to the left off the living room. Both bedrooms overlook a quiet courtyard, while the tall windows on the front of the building wash the kitchen, dining area, living room, and study with light. There is a long, wide balcony just outside those windows, with plants and flowers.

I had mentioned to the owner that we would be preparing some of our own meals. She wrote back to say that we would find the kitchen “convivial,” an apt description. As Margriet will describe, we did cobble together some interesting meals.

The dining table seats eight. The living room has good reading lights and comfortable seating. Introverts (that would be all three of the Adorne family) wanting a bit of time to themselves can retreat to the study, where there is a fold-out couch and desk. There are sliding doors between the living room and the study, so the study can be used as a third bedroom. The library is diverse and extensive, the bathrooms elegant, the beds comfortable, and the bed linens—well, the linens are sublime.

One of the big questions here on Fodor’s is “What are the owners like to deal with?” All of my dealings were with Sheila, who was blazingly fast on responding to e-mails and whose humour and good-will were never far from the surface. Roland, their agent in Paris, is gracious and fluently bilingual. I recommend this apartment without hesitation.

This was our first time spending any amount of time in the 1st arrondissement. There is a bakery across the street, and a Paul a block away. Basic groceries can be purchased at a Monoprix on avenue de l’Opéra. Within two blocks is Place du Marché St-Honoré, with its Wednesday and Saturday markets. Nearby is the Le Coq du St-Honoré, where we bought poulet de Bresse. There are at least three wine shops within a few blocks. The nearest Metro is Pyramides. There is some traffic noise during the day, but the apartment is on an upper floor; we didn’t find it irritating or intrusive. It is quiet in the evening.

There are treasures nearby: the beautiful Palais-Royal and the nearly perfect Place des Victoires. The Opéra, rue St-Honoré, and the Louvre are within a ten-minute walk. The Passages Choiseul and Vivienne are very close.”

Here’s a photo I took while there:

www.pbase.com/anselmadorne/image/75700178

I should add that the couple who rent this place are refurbishing a second apartment on rue des Archives in the 4th. We have rented it (even though we haven’t seen any photos!) for early November.

Anselm

I have just moved from my www.parisperfect.com Meursault apt. to the brand new Moulin a Vent. It is not even on their website yet. It is Madelyn throughout!! Absolutely lovely, in every way. These places make you want to spend a lot of time in them...that is what the Stu Dudleys have been doing.

Had lunch with my French friends up in the Republique area..they had appointments up there. My metro line 8 right here at Ecole Militaire took me right there. They will be coming in for the evening dining at Violon d'Ingres next Tuesday and will spend the night with me.

I am entertaining the young man who owns the Flirt'The (where I have breakfast) for dinner tonight at either Cafe Constant or Les Cocottes. Nice young man.

a bientot..........

JimF--We are staying there in June, so I am glad to see your nice comments.

And travelers do this kind of thing -- review self-catering accommodation -- at www.slowtrav.com. Lots of other useful information at this site.

http://www.vrbo.com/15502

This is our favorite apartment in Paris. It is a 2BR, 1BA on Rue de Turenne in the 4th arr., very close to the Places des Vosges. It is as described in the listing, and the owner is lovely. As return visitors, he is still giving us the weekly rate from 2005! The layout is very spacious and the bathroom is quite large.

The flat is convenient to many bus and metro lines, as well as all of the Marais and Bastille areas. It is easy to get anywhere in the city from here.

Oops, after proofing my above post, it looks like I had an error. The following apartment is the one I tried to reference as the flat that I previewed on rue St.Dominique. It is in an excellent location, quiet, with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The kitchen and bath were not as luxurious as some of the other places we've rented, but it is well-priced. Hope this link works and sorry for any confusion. EJ

http://www.homerentalconnections.com/properties/property.php?section_id=Apartments&id=52&code=13

bookmarking

Just got back from a week at vacationinparis.com's flat #122 and want to second Guenmai's recommendation. We loved the area (on rue St. Andre des art just off the Place), the flat was well-equipped and very stylish. Most of all, we loved the price, just over $200 a night. It's booked as sleeping 3-4 but that means at least one person in the sofa bed. We were two and liked it that way--it would be VERY cozy with 4 but doable--there's a half bath on the main floor and a bathroom (shower no tub) off the upper level bedroom which is very spacious.

cathyinjoetown,
i'm so thrilled to read that you were happy with vip #122.
i have booked it for april - my first trip.
they have been extrememly responsive to my requests and confirmed today that they will be able to provide maid service every other day!
178 days to go!!!!

Cathinjoetown...Glad that you had a great stay in that apartment and area. I knew it would work out.

Abranz...Well, you're next and I'm sure that you'll love it as well. Have a great time! Smiles.

Happy Travels!

Bethyk...I just googled Au Grand Appetit vegan restaurant and it seems to still be open. Someone posted that had just been there in March 2008. You can go to happycow.net/reviews.php?id=866. to read the reviews. The place seems unchanged. I've been going there since the 80s. I know the couple who started the place. They were there every day and the wife cooked the meals while the husband tended to the shop. It's a locals place, not a tourist place. For many years, I saw the same people eating there and made friends with some of them.

If you get the rue de Seine apartment then you can VERY easily take the bus there. I always took the bus there from my rue de Seine address. Just walk up rue de Seine to Blvd. St. Germain and catch bus #86. Blvd. St.Germain is a one-way street, heading east.

When you get to the bus stop called, La Cerisaie, then get off and you'll be right there. That's where the street is and you can easily see the restaurant. It's just s few steps away. The bus ride will take about 20 minutes and is a nice ride through a nice neighborhood. When you cross the bridge, look to your left and you'll see the Eiffel Tower in the far distance.

After having lunch, you can walk a few blocks up to Bastille and sightsee and then also walk over to the Marais and Place Vosges. It's a very easy walk. I've done it tons of times.

While over in the Place Vosges/Marais, look for bus 96 that says Montparnasse on it. That will take you right back to the 6th. You'll recognize the area when you enter the 6th. I always get off right in front of Emporio Armani and across from Cafe Deux Magot.

Also, if you take the rue Buci apartment and need to get to the Opera area..where Galleries Layfayette and Printemps are, then just go to the bus stop directly in front of the church of St.Germain and across from the Louis Vuitton store and Cafe Deux Magots. Get on Bus 95 and it'll take you to the old Opera house...you can't miss it. Get off at that bus top (Opera) and you'll be in the heart of the department stores and Blvd. Haussman. From there, it's a very easy walk to Place Vendome and other sights in that area. Remember to use the bus as a sightseeing tool. To get back to the 6th, back on Bus 95 (Montparnasse). As long as the bus says Montparnasse, you're fine. I think there are 3, 90 series buses, in Paris, that go to Montparnasse. Happy Travels!

Hi Abranz,
It's rather small so maid service every other day may be a bit more than you need but you'll know best when you get there. We didn't cook much so there wasn't ever much mess. Recycling bins are just off the small lobby in a back room, so we took what rubbish we had down with us when we went out. My only complaints were the local contact never got us a second set of keys, which meant we had to do some coordinating and mobile calls to get in, and it's virtually impossible to keep the floor from getting wet while showering--minor in the grand scheme of things. Have a great time.

I didn't have a wet floor problem in the shower. I just turned the shower head to face the wall. Happy Travels!

http://www.vrbo.com/139753

My boyfriend and I stayed in this one bedroom apt in Nov 07. We really liked it. Having a computer with internet was really helpful. We didn't use the balcony too much because it was too cold outside. The owners were very prompt in answering emails. The only downside is that it's on the 6th floor with no elevator.

cathyinjoetown,
thanks for the tip on the shower and size of the apt.
maybe i will ask for cleaning every 3rd day.
frankly, i am being lazy about making up the bed daily and ensuring a tidy bathroom.
177 days to go!!

I think that when this thread gets to the bottom, whichever one of us who notices it, should top it. That way it'll stay within the first 50 threads. Happy Travels!

ttt....to keep current. Happy Travels!

I'll jump in here.

In June 2007 we (three couples) stayed in the three-bedroom Palais Royal apartment offered by www. parisvacationaparments.com.

The owners were terrific to deal with, as was the person who met us at the apartment. It looked just like the photos on the website, only better.

We found the location to be so convenient for first time visitors (4 out of the 6 people staying), and the lodgings and amenities were perfect. I would stay there again with no hesitation.

PVA were easy to deal with and very accommodating. I hope to stay in another apartment that they offer in the next couple of years.

We stayed in December 2007 at a one-bedroom apartment on Ave. de Breteuil offered by www.parisianflat.com. The apartment was as represented on the website, and all transactions with the agency were easy. The apartment is no longer offered by them, but I would not hesitate to rent from them in the future.

I think it is important to verify the legitimacy of an agency or owner, because the process of renting an apartment involves a lot of trust on both sides of the transaction.

When you're arriving in Paris after only a few hours sleep, you can have these doubts on your way to the rental--will someone be there? have I done something crazy? With these agents/owners, my experience tells me that you'll have smooth sailing.

I want also to mention www.parisbestlodge.com. We had hoped to stay in one of Thierry's apartments last year, but it wasn't available for our dates. Communication with him was prompt and friendly. He has had good reviews here and on slowtrav so i would not hesitate to rent with him in the future.

We just got back Sat. from 5 days in Paris - and I booked us an apt. via VRBO. Here is the link: http://www.vrbo.com/164753 We thought the apartment was fantastic for our needs. There were 4 of us (2 adults & 2 children)and this time I really wanted a proper 2 bedroom v. someone having to use the pullout sofa. I know many on this forum don't recommend staying in the 1st - but this was my 5th trip to Paris and I found the location as central as could be. The apt. is on a small one-way side street very close to the Louvre. Only a 50 meter walk to the Metro (Louvre/Rivoli stop) and Chatelet is about 300 meters away; close to all amenities - patisserie/boulangerie/bistro/Franprix; small public parking garage right next door (our Thalys was cancelled due to strike, so this ended up being v. convenient for us); rental agent was very professional and helpful; apartment was spotless and recently renovated. Kitchen was well stocked w/ utensils/pots/pans - everything was as is per the website. Just lovely and gets 2 thumbs up from my family.

Wife, I, and another couple stayed here. http://www.alacarte-paris-apartments.com/paris_apartments/saintgermain_cherchemidi.shtml

In the 6th, 2B, 1B, 1T, 3rd floor (French). 1 block walk to St Placide Metro station.

we stayed in this apt and were very happy:

http://www.parisattitude.com/apartment.asp?numProduit=796

It's a large apt, we were a largish group of 7, and the price was right. We also liked the location, although I feel that you really can't go too wrong on most Paris locations, you're in Paris after all, and you can always take the Metro where you want to go.

book marking

ttt. to keep current. Happy Travels!

Thanks for the timely thread (two different friends are heading to Paris, want to rent apartments for the first time, and I volunteered to check with my Fodor's friends for ideas).

what a great thread!! wish it existed when i was planning our trip!

we just got back from a week in paris and a week in provence. we rented the "crazyview" apartment from parisbestlodge.com

it is located right on ile de la cite - great location. thierry was wonderful to deal with - everything went very smoothly.

i wrote up an apartment review for slowtrav and am just waiting to get it posted ... i will post back when i get notification that it's up.

we fell in love with the left bank so if we're ever in paris again, we will definitely rent from thierry but perhaps try one of the left bank properties.

Bookmarking

ttt.to keep current. Happy Travels!

ttt to keep current. Happy Travels!

We just stayed in an apartment from Welcome2France (www.welcome2france.com), which we loved. The apartment was the Palais Royal II:

www.welcome2france.com/?apartments=9

It was literally a couple of blocks from the Seine, with a deluxe, shower/bath (always important), almost hot-tub style.

Very close to everything. Thought the customer service was excellent.

I stayed in the St Germain studio from (www.parisbestlodge.com) two weeks ago and can't say enough great things about this place. First and foremost, Thierry is great. We chitchated about 20 minutes when I first met him about life in Paris, and how he travels to the States often. He was very warm and friendly.

The location of this studio can't be beat, right off the Seine. I walked out to the Pont des Artes everynight to watch the sunset.

Next time I go to Paris, I'd rent from Theirry in a heartbeat. The apartment was very clean, well stocked and had a computer so I could stay in touch with family back home - a big plus!

...Happy Travels!

i always rent from Desigparis: http://www.desigparis.com/en

diana172, thanks for the last link---something new to me and some interesting small studios for us solo, more budget minded travelers.

can you share any that you have stayed in?

lynda

diana172: I notice that although you have posted very few times on Fodors, it has always been to plug this agency for different cities. It seems unfair that you are tagging on to this thread where real people are attempting to actually describe places they have stayed it.

I'm sorry but advertising is against the rules on Fodors.

We stayed at www.ourparishome.com in the 7th. It was extremely quiet and very nicely decorated. Grocers located across the street. A small peek of the tower but a short walk to get there. have fun planning your trip.

I posted another thread about this but this one seems be getting more hits, so I'll ask here as well. (Not to take away from the folks who did post on my thread!)

We are looking to stay in Paris in April for one week, just me and SO. We normally stay in the 5th, though I think the 6th would be ok, too. I have also found a very charming on Ile St. Louis, so now I am very torn.

So does anyone have expereince with this company?

ParisStudios.com

The one we are looking at is this
http://www.paristudios.com/severin.html

Someone mentioned that the pictures are actually of two different apartments/ Does anyone know?

I am also looking at ParisAddress.com

http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=FRSA5

or
http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=BOUR25

Anybody have an opinion? Please???

ttt

This is an awesome idea. We have stayed in an apartment in Paris which we rented thru VRBO and it was wonderful. We are now planning an extended trip to France in October 2009, which will include 16 days in Paris. Thank you all,for your input. I have found sites that I haven't seen before. I have also used
http://welcome2france.com to search for apartments.

We recently rented the Rue d'universite 2 bedroom apartment from http://parisdeluxerentals.com/
It was a 2 bedroom/2 full baths large apartment with a cozy feeling. Quiet despite being a corner apartment, the apartment had everything we needed. Corner of Rue d'Universite/Bellechasse. Our first apartment experience and wouldn't hesitate to go back!
2 very good restaurants within walking distance, if you like to walk in Paris) are Oudino @ 17 Rue Oudino and Laiterie Ste Clotilde @ 74 Bellechasse.

cat - did you get my lengthy email from a couple days ago?

I did, swiss. I read it on my iphone so it was hard to respond. Twins beds would be a deal breaker for me, and definitely Mr. Kat! It looked gorgeous, though.

I have found a few others since you sor t of scared me off of the first one. I'm hoping someone can give me an opinion on them.

We stayed 12 nights in the marais at a great apartment:

http://www.homerentalconnections.com/properties/property.php?section_id=Apartments&id=59&code=21

For 800Euros/week, the price was just right!

I'm still waiting to get the damage deposit back (only left 6 days ago though) but everything else was great!

Will do a full trip report soon... I owe so much to the posters here who have helped me throughout my planning!

Thanks, Ruby! I will look forward to your trip report! We are really excited about having an apartment. It seems to fit in so much better with the way we like to travel.

We made our decision and paid or deposit on 5 rue Frederic Sauton.
http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=FRSA5

Now just keeping my eye out for cheap airfare!

Topping to keep current. Happy Travels!

Thanks to all who have posted such great information!

I will be going to Paris mid May for a week and want to rent an apartment. Stayed before in the 6arr in a Chez Vous apartment (Bouqinistes). It was in a wonderful area, was a charming one bedroom but has become to costly.

Now I am looking and have focused on 2 apartments, one on rue Saint Dominique in the 7th the other right at Place des Voges in the Marais.

Any thoughts regarding pros and/or cons of either area. Both look good so the decision is tough and I'd welcome any help!

Kathy

Where on St. Dominque..do you have the url?

On my recent trip in September I stayed for 3 nights at Pavillon de la Reine on the Place des Vosges after having spent the first part of my trip in the Chez Vous apt across from Ile St Louis that I posted about earlier in this thread. Place des Vosges is my favorite spot in Paris and the Marais is my favorite section--I would stay there again in a heartbeat. If you do rent that apt I hope you'll post a report...I'm making notes for my next trip !

cat, my friend rented the apartment on rue Frederic Sauton a couple of years ago. The location was really good just a block and a half to the Seine. She loved it very much.

gracejoan 3:
I wroteb last week that I was torn between two areas, the Marais, and St. Germain. Well, as it turned out neither were available on such short notice, so I am on St. Dominique in VIP #8. It has many great reviews although it does not appear to be nearly as cuute as some of the others. But the reviews are good so here's hoping. They all refer to what a great location it is.I am sure it will be just fine. Will let you know.

The reply from Take Me Away brought back fond memories. We stayed in parisbestlodge.com Studio Mazarine also the entire month of Sept this year (must have almost crossed paths, Take Me Away) and loved it. I ditto everything said and will add my unqualified praise for Thierry. We had problems with the computer a couple of time so he just "replaced it" and added WIFI also! what a wonderful landlord! I'd stay in one of his apartments again in a heartbeat!

oops...i've been tardy in posting up the link to my apartment review.

like anthemion and take me away, i'd rent from parisbestlodge in a heartbeat. thierry was great. i'd like to try the studio mazarine or the studio st. germain next time!

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=3826

Happy Travels!

I've just gotten my tickets for 7 days in Paris in May - and am looking for a BUDGET apartment for my husband and myself for 700 euros or less, preferably in the Marais.

Paris Best Lodge's studio in the Marais isn't available for the time frame, unfortunately.

Of course, for the 2 of us, a 1-bedroom would be preferable, so I'm comparing better studios (ie, Paris Best Lodge) to modest 1 BRs. A well laid-out studio is fine for us as well as a basic 1 bedroom.

Paris Hideaways lists 1 bedrooms in this price range, and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them.

We've stayed in hotels in the 5th, 6th, & 7th, and I would really like to stay in an apartment this time. And we've never stayed in the Marais, so I'd really like to experience that area.

I'm interested in comfort as well as value. What reommendations do you have for the best value places for a couple, ideally in the Marais?

Thanks for your always great advice!

Paule

Paule

I may have mentioned this before, but I will post again. Forgive me if it is repeat information.

We stayed with rentparis.com in the past, in the Marais, and we were very happy with our apartment. In February, we are staying with them again at this apt:

http://www.rentparis.com/appart-en-47.html

I recommend this agency. We thought they were great and are looking forward to our stay in February. Their apartments seem to be less expensive than most.

I spent forever researching our last place, in 2007. I was pretty careful when I picked rentparis.com. So far, so good.

I can post a review after our trip in February, but it will be late for you. In any case, they have several places in your price range.

Thanks, Tuscan,
Rentparis does have many apartments in my price range! Thanks for the suggestion.There are several that look like they would be good choices.
Paule

bookmarking

Paule, that is when we will be there, also. We like the Left Bank but it will be our first time renting an apartment so I don't have any recommendations yet.

Did you already get your plane tickets? I'm wondering if airfares will go down, maybe in January, or if I should just book now.

Hi, Cat
I was lucky to have almost enough miles to get off-peak tickets to Europe, and managed to book a direct (!) flight to Paris. Just the 1 week this year. So I don't know about the cost of tickets for that time.

Does anyone have any experience with insurance for apartment rentals? Unfortunately, both dh & I have elderly parents who are not doing well, and who knows what will happen in the next few months.

Paule

www.vrbo.com/49273
October 2006

Prodded by AnselmAdorne , here's a long overdue review.

We stayed at this apt, labeled a "Country Cottage in the Marais" for 2 weeks two years ago, so my caveat is that my experience *is* two years old.

The location, for those who love the Marais, is wonderful, right on Rue Charlot, close to the "side entrance" to the Enfant Rouge market and just down from Rue de Bretagne. It's in a very secure building -- you go through an exterior door and then a gate before you even reach your front door, plus they have those French metal security shutters you can use to secure your windows as well.

It's not really a cottage, although the exterior looks like it. It's the ground floor studio apt within an old building facing a pretty courtyard. Otherwise, it pretty much looks exactly like the picture on the VBRO site (except when we stayed there the bed and sofa were swapped) so the apt is very clean-- though there's a faint damp smell no doubt from the stone walls.

From other pictures I've seen of other Paris studios, this apt is pretty large and has quite a spacious feel for a studio.

There's a nice amount of storage space, as well, given that it's a studio, including a space under a kitchen counter that's large enough to store your suitcase.

There's a separate washer and dryer, though the dryer is one of those European condensation ones.

The bathtub is one of those long and deep but narrow tubs, so nice to soak in for someone who isn't above average weight. If you're a tub reader, like I am, I *think* there's a light over the end of the tub against the wall, but not on the other side. (Sorry, my memory's faulty.)

There are two small wall heaters in the living space too, which worked well for us when it got cold.

There are enough floor and table lamps to read pretty well from the sofa or bed, but at night I wouldn't call the apartment really, really bright either.

The host is gracious and even provided a nice binder of maps and local recommendations. There's a small supply of books and CDs in the apt as well.

There's also an alarm clock by the bed, a hair dryer, soap, towels, toilet paper, detergent, and the kitchen is stocked (perhaps by prior tenants) with a decent supply of spices and sundries.

The area is indeed wonderful. Aside from the Enfant Rouge, you also have bakeries, two pharmacies, two or more ATMs, a wonderful cheese shop, a butcher and a produce market, and two small supermarches just down the street on Rue de Bretagne. And you're really close to all the cute boutiques and restaurants of the Marais. The Seine is maybe about a 20 min walk, but it's a 20 minutes that goes really fast.

The cons are that, because it's a ground floor location, you don't need any direct light into the apt. I overslept most days because of the cave-like effect. (OTOH, I don't believe I've slept so well since I was a toddler!) Unless something has changed in two years, if you want to watch TV you also don't get decent reception.

The bed is like a tight American full sized bed, so adequate for a couple if they're used to sleeping closely together but not for a couple that, say, needs the space of a queen-sized bed. I also found the mattress really firm--as firm as some Asian mattresses I've slept on--though my husband had no problem with it.

The recycling bin room is also right outside the door, which means every so often you'll get noise from someone throwing their bottles and cans into one of the bins. Plus, when we were there you could sometimes hear what sounded like a woman walking around in heels upstairs. (You *are* in a ground floor apartment!)

Lastly, if you rent the apt, make sure you get a really good primer on how to unlock the front door. Unless it's changed, it's a bit tricky and you can spend a loooong time cursing the door while trying to get it open. As a I recall, the trick is to unlock the door then turn the key back to exactly the 9pm position before pushing the door open, but my memory might be faulty. Definitely have the owner show you how it works and then *try* it in front of the owner so you make sure you have the knack of it.

Would I stay there again? I loved the location and I found the apartment charming and exactly as described. Personally, I think next time I'll splurge on a one-bedroom so one of us can sleep even when the other one is up, and I think I need an apartment with more natural light. However, if the natural light is not a problem and you're looking for a spacious ground floor studio in a great location I wouldn't hesitate to rent this apartment. The owner is an ex-pat so my email conversations with him were perfect, and he answered all of my questions promptly. I also got my security deposit back very quickly, so I wouldn't hesitate to do business with him again.

great thread! bookmarking for future reference.

PegS ...

AA

We very much enjoyed our stay at this apartment on the Ile Saint-Louis:

http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=PONT12

Apartment was clean, beds were comfortable, air conditioning was welcomed on a couple of hot days in June, the folks at ParisAddress were very friendly, and helpful with coming back to show us how to reset the water heater and turn on the oven.

The location was magnificent, with a view across the roofs to the towers of Notre Dame (or into the courtyard which houses the public baths). Turn right and cross into the Marais, turn left and cross into the Latin Quarter, go straight and cross to the Ile de la Cite, or just stay on the island and enjoy the ice cream/gelato war. Batobus and Metro stops within an easy walk. Lively area, but the apartment was very quiet when the windows were shut.

Pegs, you have set the bar high for me to come back and report on 5 Rue Frederic Sauton!

DancingBear, although I didn't see the apartment you rented, I am using Paris Address so I'm glad your experience was good.

Francophile, thanks for the additional thumbs up via your friend!

topping...

I'm interested in the apartment that vedette stayed in

http://www.vrbo.com/133080

which is located in the area of the Marais near the Pompidou.

I remember the area as slightly funky, and wondered what the streets in the Marais were like. Would this be safe and pleasant?

Thanks,
Paule

Has anyone here ever stayed in this apartment...
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_02.htm

We are looking at it for October 2009

bookmarking

Still curious about the safety & overall feeling of the area around the Pompidou and near Les Halles. I notice it's often referred to as Le Marais, but it's really not.

I'm interested in an apartment located on (I believe) rue Quincampoix, by Ramuteau. I've looked at photos of the street, and it looks fine, but want to know what it's like around the area.

My husband and I remember the area around Les Halles as a little funky, and wondered what it would be like to stay around here. We've always stayed on the Left bank (5th, 6th, 7th) and want to try the Marais.

Thanks,
Paule

Progol, when we were their in OCtober, we walked around Rameteau quite a bit and I couldn't wait to get back to the Left bank. I wouldn't want to stay there but I understand that Paris appeals to many different types for many different reasons. I'm just a Left Bank gal!

Hi, Cat,
I've always been a Left Bank kinda gal, too, which is why we're pushing the envelope here!

I've wanted to check out the area around the Marais and get a feeling for that area, which seems like an interesting area to be in. We just like to experience different areas each time we go.

I'm curious about safety and character of the area around the Pompidou (Quincampoix/Rambuteau, east of Sebastopol).

Thanks,
Paule

progol, I'll take a stab at describing that area for you. We rented an apartment on Rue des Archives last month and we walked along Rue Rambuteau every day.

Going east to west along Rambuteau from Rue des Archives to Rue Beaubourg: lots of small specialty shops selling cheese, seafood, green groceries, at least one bakery and a couple of butchers, a Franprix, cafés, several jewellry stores, hair salons ... lots of pedestrians in the afternoons and evenings. Vibrant atmosphere.

Rue Rambuteau changes between Rue Beaubourg and Boul Sébastopol. It opens up a bit on the south side, loses its feeling of community (or at least that's the way I felt it). Absolutely nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't feel the same.

I do not remember walking up Rue Quincampoix, although I am pretty sure we did. I do know that we walked up Rue St-Martin (parallel and immediately east) several times; it has a lot of wholesale clothing stores, fewer things like food stores and cafés. Certainly less animated than on the east side of Beaubourg.

So, given a choice, I'd choose east of Rue Beaubourg.

As for safety, we walked throughout that area in the late evening. It felt perfectly comfortable.

Anselm

Thanks, Anselm,
That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

I'm planning to take the apartment on rue Quincampoix, and at least I'll have a realistic expectation of the area. I did a search with Google's map feature, and found the photos of the area make it look perfectly fine, though I can see where it may be a little bit bland on the street itself.

As long as it's a short walk to shops, I'm sure we'll be fine. And the price of the apartment is very manageable (650 Euros for a large studio).

Thanks for exactly the info I was looking for - safety is really the most important concern, and you've definitely reassured me.

Paule

We stayed at a great apartment in Saint Germain last year (unfortunately no longer available ) but found one this year that we just adored on the Ile De La Cité. Here's a link:

http://www.vrbo.com/76952

It's right on the river, and the views by night and day were simply mesmerizing. The owner (a Canadian) keeps it for when she's in Paris herself. It's beautifully appointed, and just so warm, welcoming and comfortable. It was just perfect for the two of us, and felt like our own little home.

There are plenty of shops just around the corner in the Rue St Louis, although we preferred to walk a little further up to Boulevard St Germain. There are markets there every morning, and lots of great cheese shops, patisseries etc. The apartment is only about 50 metres to Notre Dame, and a short stroll to the Metro and many other attractions.

The only downside is that the apartment is on the 4th floor, with no elevator, although with all the eating and drinking we did that was probably not such a bad thing! We simply loved it

bookmarking for future reference

I thought this review of the apartment I rented in Paris would come in helpful for future travelers. This is the weblink to the apartment....

http://www.rentparis.com/appart-en-8.html

I really enjoyed my stay at 22 rue Rambuteau. First, the reservation process with rentparis.com went very smooth, even though I only booked 48 hours in advance and paid via paypal. They helped me with all my questions and send me all the information I needed.

Upon arrival in Paris, I immediately called the Paris agent and he gave me instruction on how to meet him. The hardest part was figuring out the dialing pre-fixes. About a half hour before arriving at the flat I called the agent again to confirm the time. As planned when I was dropped off at 22 rue Rambuteau I was greeted within minutes. I think it was Jean-Pierre? Anyway, he assisted me with my luggage, took me thru the courtyard to the building. He was very friendly and explained everything!

When I walked into the apartment I thought, oh dear. This place is not big but it does look like the pictures. Truthfully I didn't expect it to be big. I will say that within a day I was very use to it and felt at home. By the end of the week I felt like a resident of Paris. In general I loved this apartment and would stay here again, here's why -

-The location is excellent right in the Marais and within walking distance of many sights.
-The neighborhood is excellent. Right outside your door you have a butcher, supermarket, wine store, cheese shop, produce stand, patisseries and boulangeres (plus cafes and bistros). Wake up in the morning and go get a fresh croissant or baguette!
-The washer/dryer combination is great. Carry less clothes! Be sure to get instructions on how to use it, there are a lot of dials in French! The machine doesn't wash huge loads and the clothing can come out quite -wrinkled, but the apartment does have an iron.
-The bathroom has a nice shower and good water pressure.
-The apartment is on the 7th floor and the building has an elevator!
-Even though the apartment is small there are tons of windows and it get a lot of light. The views over the roof tops of Paris are great.
-The building is very quiet, I never heard anyone. The neighbors are friendly and always greet you with a "Bonjour" or Bonsoir".
-The bed is comfortable but if you are use to having 2 people in a queen size bed, be warned! It was nice having a separate bedroom even though it is tiny.
-I took the internet option and it worked great. Note - If you take the internet option you get free calls to the United States or wherever home is!
-I was there in November and the heaters worked great!
-There was a good combo microwave/convection oven. Great for heating things from the market or bread.
-All the utensils and kitchen gadgets you will need are here!
-The refrigerator was tiny but good enough to hold milk, cheese, meats and other French treats.
-What does one do when they run out of toilet paper of other essentials? I just bought it from the market.

The only thing I found as a con to this apartment was that the lighting was bad at night, but that wasn't a big deal. If you think that you want a self catering visit to Paris this is a great place to stay. OK it's not the Ritz, but it was worth a million buck to become a resident of Paris for a week!

I rented this apartment from parisbestlodge.com a few years ago and I really loved it.

http://www.parisbestlodge.com/rivoli.html

Here is the review i left on their websight...

I rented from parisbestlodge.com and really liked the experience. First of all, Thierry who runs parisbestlodge.com is a great host and very friendly. He answered all my questions and gave me great directions. Once I arrived and was let into the unit, he stopped by to collect the money and show me around. He is a very honest man.

Second, the apartment was my little home away from home. The price I paid was lower than a hotel with more amenities and lots of space. The apartment had a washer/dryer, kitchenette, big bathroom, CD player, TV with VCR and a lot of little extras like CD's and guidebooks.

The apartment was very cute and had a comfortable bed, leather love seat and 2 chairs. The view out the 2 French doors was over the rooftops and within view of the top of St Pauls church. The bed was real comfortable and had good sheets, duvet and fluffy pillows. I also love the old beamed ceilings.

I especially love the location on the rue Rivoli right at the St Paul metro station. Right across the street was a "supermarche", boulangerie, wine shop, cheese shop, chinese take away and more! There are also a bunch of good bistros and wine bars in the area. The Marais is really a fun neighborhood and really make you feel like you are a resident of Paris.

If you want to check out your apartment's neighborhood, try Streetview on GoogleEarth. I've been playing with it the last couple of days and I'm amazed at the level of detail.

Per Lilaki's request, here is a review of the place we stayed at Nov. 29-Dec. 6, 2008:

We found a lovely place through VRBO and had a wonderful stay there two weeks ago. (VRBO #56871). A spacious (by Parisian standards) 1 bedroom had a great kitchen, nice sitting area and dining table, comfortable (through low) bed and a fantastic shower.

Located in the 6th just two blocks from the Odeon metro and three from the river, the apartment was warm and welcoming after a day out seeing the sights. We ate breakfast and a few dinners at the apartment and found the kitchen to be very well stocked. (And we became addicted to the Nespresso machine.)

The only drawback to the apartment was the toilet, which was not with the rest of the bathroom but in a tiny closet just off the living room. It made for a bit of a trek in the middle of the night and a bit weird otherwise. But a small price to pay for an otherwise very nice apartment.

The owner was a dream to work with; we were allowed to bring a personal check as a deposit with us to the apartment. Her son met us at the apartment upon arrival, showed us how to use everything, answered all our questions about what was where in the neighborhood, etc. And then he stopped by the day before we left to return the deposit check.

We loved having an internet connection and a washer/dryer, which allowed us to bring minimal clothes and carry on our luggage.

Would definitely stay there again.

Hope this helps, y'all!

We rented #126 from Vacation in Paris this past May. It is apartment #176 at 95 Rue Sebastopol just steps (88, I counted them) from the Reumur Sebastopol station. There is a Monoprix in the same building. Is that convenient or what? The neighborhood is ok and actually a bit better than I expected. Up to the sixth floor by elevator and we guess at which may be the apartment since the number was not in sight.

The apartment looks pretty much like the pictures. A small studio about 24'X 12' in size and clean. It has a usable kitchen, small table with 2 mismatched chairs but nice dishes and utensils including a cork screw for our welcoming bottle of wine as advertised. I understand that the apartment has since been airconditioned. The bathroom is of decent size with a shower THAT HAS A DOOR. My fondest hope realized. The bed is comfortable. There are only 2 sets of towels to last 5 nights. Using the included washing machine for the towels will not be practical because there is no dryer. VacationinParis told us this in advance so we were prepared. Did we bring our own towels? You bet. Were they bulky? No. We had bought a couple of microfleece towels at the auto department at Target. Much cheaper than the ones in the camping stores, light, not bulky, and they dry very quickly. All in all, the apartment is basic, comfortable and a great value at what had become 64 Euro per night due to the declining dollar since VinP is paid in dollars in advance. One negative is that there is no closet for hanging clothing - we pretty much lived out of the suitcase. Did I mention that the apartment also had wi-fi and free local and north american phone service?
My favorite thing about the location is that the Montorgueil Market is only 4 very short blocks away (under 500 steps, I counted 'em). This market is a delight, I prefer it to Rue Cler. and it looks little changed from when painted by Monet.

bookmarking

bookmarking

To keep current. Happy Travels!

Topping. Happy Travels!

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=2982

This is my apartment review on Slowtrav.com It's a great budget studio in the 11th arrondissement at 60 euro a night. More photos here: http://cerf.smugmug.com/gallery/3711064_VvTeE#212742289_4LwS2

Also to mention, there is air conditioning for the summer.

......

Bookmarking

We are just back from our trip to Paris and I would happily recommend http://www.ahparis.com/ as an apartment rental agency. We booked apartment 163 which was in the 7th district - very handy for walking and the metro, and all the arrangements and details when smoothly and as planned. We had a little problem, which was dealt with quickly. The apartment itself was very small, but we were hardly there so it didn't matter. It had everything we needed, was warm and had a comfortable bed, and at 100Euro a night wasn't too bad.

My suggestion is WAYTOSTAY, the selection of apartments in the city (http://www.waytostay.com/Paris-apartments-en-109.html)is interesting... and some friends booked with them having no problem, the feedback at the moment of the bookings from the agency has been perfect and they found an apartment with a 20% of discount (I think it was in the 7th arrondissement, not so far from the tour Eiffel...)

Wow what a thread! I have just finished reading it all. Thank you to all the contributors.
I have been researching apartments and would appreciate some feedback please as this is our first time renting, haven't been to Paris for 25 years.
We will be in Paris for 5 nights, would prefer the 4th 5th or 6th districts but have looked at others.

I have been looking at the following apartments:
VRBO 171439
VRBO 103254
VRBO 117217
VRBO 21191
VRBO 4435
Rentparis no. 30 Rambuteau

Any feedback would be most appreciated as this is all new to us.

We are Australian and our exchange rate is not looking so good at the moment so looking at places no more than 100 euro per night which equates about $200 australian

aussie10, a couple of quick reactions:

vrbo # 171439, Rue de Beauce: I stayed in a small flat two streets away and loved the area. Great food shopping on Rue de Bretagne. There is a very untouristy feel about the whole area. I wouldn't hesitate to return to this part of the 3rd arrondissement.

vrbo # 103254, in the 11th near the Voltaire métro. This is well off the typical tourist track in an area that is becoming quite vibrant--lots of new restos, etc. I'd give it a whirl, but that flat may be quite dark. (You'll notice that they say a lot of light comes in the garden doors; is that a hint that it is otherwise pokey? Not sure.)

vrbo # 117217, in the 4th. I suspect it is between Rue St Paul and the Seine. Great area, I've walked through there many, many times. Looks like there is no shortage of windows in the flat, I find it quite appealing.

vrbo # 21191, in the 7th on rue Amélie ... I am less familiar with the neighbourhood but I wouldn't hesitate to rent in that area.

The last two, vrbo 4435 and RentParis #30 (www.rentparis.com/appart-en-47.html, if anyone else wants to see the listing) leave me a bit cold. The former has a loft and the latter just looks less attractive.

Anselm

VRBO 117217 looks bright and sunny, but being on the 4th floor (5th floor U.S.?) with no elevator would rule it out for an ancient like me. that would make popping out for a baguette in the morning a major expedition, rather than a pleasure.

Thank you for your imput
I have received advice back from both VRBO 117217 and VRBO 171439, both are available. I now need to choose the area I prefer.
I must admit being close to the Seine is very tempting, however the apartment in the 3rd does sound tempting but for the stairs. Worst part will be carrying our bags up and down.
I have seen some apartments in the 5th & 6th maybe a bit more expensive but would we be in a better location for atmosphere?
It is soo hard to choose. I can't make a decision!

Has anyone stayed in vacationinparis apt. ID74--in the 7th. It looks very nice, but would love some feedback if you've been there.
www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_74

It looks great and is in a really good area. I haven't stayed at that one. I had #122 with them. But, they're a great company and things are the way that they appear in the photos with them. I'd go for it if I were you. Happy Travels!

aussie_10, I recently stayed at rentparis #22 rue Rambuteau and loved it. The location is primo to walk in the Marais, Les Halles, Seine, etc. The street has everything you will need for food, shopping and apartment provisions!

You can see my comments here...

http://www.homeawayconnect.com/guestbook.cfm?pid=15314

http://www.vrbo.com/94017
Hi. We have happily rented this apt on Rue St Dominique in the 7th for our last 2 trips. It is a very bright 1 br with a great big bathroom with tons of storage,w/d, a very comby bed, elevator, spacious eat in kitchen, and big living room. The owners are from the US and are wonderful to deal with. We love the location and Les Fables de la Fontaine is right next door. There is even a view of the Eiffel Tower!

We stayed in a very nice one-bedroom apartment through Vacation in Paris over Christmas/New Years. Here's the review. Awesome for a couple, and excellent for a family of 4 who is OK with a smallish apartment in the heart of the 6th Arr. Price is now $200/nite low season and $250/nite high season.
Highly recommended - both the apartment and the agency.

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=3953

Hi

We stayed in the same apartment last year as Laughingd2. I have nothing but good things to say about using Vacationinparis.

However, I did have a few negatives concerning that apartment.

When we arrived the couch had food smears on it which I thought was weird. The next day when we came home to the apartment there was a man was in the apartment. It turned out he was employed by the owner and was there to check out the couch. It just sort of freaked us out to find him in the apartment. You'd think someone would have called to tell us he was going to be there. Anyway, not a big deal.

I personally found the noise to be a problem. Music blasting into the AM. Other tenants going in and out slamming doors. Talking and laughing on the stairs outside our door late at night.I am a light sleeper so this may not matter to most folks.

There is absolutely no view. The only windows face a sort of air chute. Love looking out at Paris so I did not like not being able to do so in this place.

Other than that the apartment is as Laughing described. Just my 2 cents.

I didn't realize that that was a one-bedroom apartment. I thought it was Vacation In Paris, Odeon, apartment that had the bed above the door. Happy Travels!

OK. Now, I see. I was thinking of Apt#108. Happy Travels!

Hi everyone,

We will be visiting Paris in April and I am looking for an apartment that will accomodate 3 - likely in the 4th, 5th or 6th districts.

If anyone has any suggestions, that would be great!

Thanks

A lot of the above apartments are in the 4th/5th/6th. Research the above list. Happy Travels!

Hello,

Thanks - yes, there are some listed in those areas but most are for 2 people rather than 3.

Try http://www.chezmichelaparis.com/Home.htm (vrbo #9718) It is a lovely flat on the border of the 6th, although in the 7th on rue de Verneuil. It's a one bedroom (queen sized) with an extra very, very comfy murphy bed in the living room. The owner is a delightful Californian, and the location is excellent. EJ

Elsiejune,

That is a nice looking flat, but $$$$$$$$$$$$!!! Over €300 per night!?! We have had apartments in Paris that are as nice (judging by the pictures) for much, much less. Perhaps not so centrally located, but --- WOW!

Nukesafe, while not inexpensive, Michael's rates are in US dollars, not euros. EJ

Elsiejune,

Sorry! My blunder. I missed the currency listed on the web site; it is, indeed, USD.

Even so, the weekly rate listed for March 1 to November 18 works out to $328/night. WAAAAAY above my pay grade for a place to lay my head!

Following up on Vacation in Paris apt. #182 (Le Procope, a one-bedroom in the 6th: http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=3953, I can't argue with anything Suzanne2 said. In fact, we came home one day and found Phillipe (the owner) in the apartment with 3 friends! He had given us a heads up, but had said he'd call again before coming over.

As for the noise/music, we made sure we were worn out each night before going to bed, so the music actually helped us sleep. We began describing the noise as "the 300 pound pigs being dragged up and down the stairs," because we figured that was the only thing that could make that kind of noise! Which made us laugh so hard, we started looking forward to it. Which in turn is just the kind of adjustment you need to make when travelling, I think.

I guess my biggest gripe with the noise was that it kept us awake and/or woke us up to the point that we were oversleeping in the mornings. Then we were getting a late start which caused us to completely miss out on some of our planned activities. It was winter so daylight hours are somewhat limited. One day my husband wanted to take an afternoon nap. I went out shopping. Came back and he said it was so noisy in the middle of the afternoon that he was not able to nap.

At any rate if noise bothers you keep looking.

We travel with a fan so you know it was bad.

Bookmarking.

bookmarking

oooh, an editor is bookmarking - maybe this thread will be included in a special section, or a stickie, in the new and updated fora?

I haven't had time to write a trip report yet, but I just wanted to give some quick feedback on the 2 apartments we booked through Paris Vacation Apartments for the week of Christmas 2008.

We stayed in their 2 Sacre Coeur apartments in Montmartre and they were absolutely perfect. The agency was a delight to deal with, the apartments were gorgeous and spotlessly clean, the area was delightful, it took us hardly any time at all to get anywhere in Paris, and as a result we had a wonderful, wonderful week.

Their website address is www.parisvacationapartments.com

Hopefully I'll get my trip report done soon so I can tell you more about the apartments.

great thread. thanks!

This is a great thread! I read most of it, but I don't see the answers to my questions. I am trying to rent an apartment for the month of July, hopefully for about $2000 E. There are some options, but I am conflicted about the requirements:
1. One landlord wants me to pay the full amount up front. I'm not sure I can bring myself to do this in blind faith.
2. Another landlord wants me to pay the deposit before he sends the contract. Is this a French thing?
3. There's an apartment on rue de Seine that looks good, but is that an OK location, close to the bridge that leads to the Louvre? Is it ok to be right on the river?
Thanks to anyone who can help me sort this out!

Sparsam, I"m not sure if I can answer you but I will try.

The company we are using, ParisAddress, only required a deposit and we had the option to pay the balance on arrival. (I paid in full because it was easier for me at the time.) I honesty don't remember, but I believe we saw the contract before we paid anything.

I don't think being on the river would be a problem, unless there are boats going by with bright lights that might disturb you.

Our rent for a place in the Latin Quarter is under $1000. I mention it above, but we are staying here:
We made our decision and paid or deposit on 5 rue Frederic Sauton.
http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=FRSA5

It is our first time in an apartment so I won't know until after we get back in May how it was.

Does anyone have any experience in renting an apartment with Halldis Tech Real Estate? They have a very nice website, but I haven't seen their name come up in any of the discussions here.

sparsam7
I'm not sure about the requirements (are you dealing with an agency or an owner direct?), but being close to the river is as good as it gets IMO. I guess it depends on what you're going to do(do you need to be close to the Metro, etc.)

We are looking for 2 bedrooms in the Marais (4th) with elevator and washer and dryer.

We will stay 3-5 days.
Price range up to 175 euros per night.

any suggestions?

Cummingsfamily,

I have not heard of this firm, either, but they seem quite high priced to me. The prices are not easy to find, but the only one I looked at, a one bedroom, cost €1300 for a week, and had a €390 booking fee.

Ouch!

jetsetz, I have been meaning to add a reference here to a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that we stayed in a few months ago. It is newly renovated, beautifully decorated, and wonderfully located:

www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p210013

It is on Rue des Archives in the Marais, just a few blocks north of BHV. It does have an elevator, a washer and dryer, and WIFI.

This is our third time dealing with Sheila and Bruno, the owners. They are prompt, responsive, and reliable; they also have an excellent representative in Paris, who shows guests through the apartment.

You can read a bit more description, including a few comments on the immediate neighbourhood, in our trip report. Just page down to my post of January 9 2000 @ 12:12, here:

www.fodors.com/community/europe/a-duty-nobly-done-anselm-and-margriet-in-flanders-and-picardy.cfm

Anselm

anselmadorne,

it appears to be taken during our dates.
I will check for other offers from this company.
thanks

jetsetj, I didn't even think to look at your dates on the availability calendar! Sorry. Oh well, it might interest others in the future; it's a great apartment.

AA

It is great to have this thread so I can look at many.
Choosing will be the hard part.

TPAYT,
Thanks for your reply. For my 21 year old daughter, I would like to be near the student action. Of course, I do want to sleep, too, and I understand people hang out in cafes in the summer until pretty late...

I found two apartments in my price range for a 5 week stay on lodgis.com

http://sublet.lodgis.com/en/paris/quartier/2061184-rue-de-l-hirondelle-apartment/

and

http://sublet.lodgis.com/en/paris/descriptionbig/2059386-B11/#imgbig

I don't know how you all are turning these into links, so I'll just leave the addresses for cut and paste!

What does anyone think? Xavier Privas looks so busy (I clicked on "Neighborhood"), I wonder if even on the 4th or 5th floor, it will be possible to sleep. The Hirondelle place looks quieter, but is it ok to be on the 1st floor? Five weeks is a good chunk of time, so I don't want us to be miserable! Does anyone have experience with this?

These both look good to me, but the second would be out of the question for my old legs after a day walking the town, as it is on the 5th (6th U.S.?) floor.

BTW, your URLs came through as links just fine. The site recognizes the format and does it automatically.

Sparsam- Rue de Seine is a great street. I've stayed on it for decades. What part of rue de Seine is it? Happy Travels!

Sparsam,

The one on the first floor is probably on the second floor U.S. For a one month stay, I would go with that one because it is larger and is on a lower floor. If you're concerned about street noise, I'd ask the owner about it and ask for previous references.

Rue de Seine would also be a good location and is not so far away from these two apartments.

Thank you all for your responses. I don't know where the rue de Seine place is exactly because the owner doesn't reply to my emails (hmmmm...guess that means it's probably booked?). But here is the link:

http://www.vrbo.com/139382

Sparsam,

I stayed in the apartment on Rue de L'Hirondelle for a month in 2004. I loved the apartment. It wasn't luxurious, but it's very comfortable, nice layout, and has everything you need. The bathroom needed some repairs (a couple of times the shower leaked into the little restaurant below), but that was 5 years ago so hopefully it's been fixed by now! It's on the 2nd floor, not ground, is on an extremely quiet street (no cars), and is in a fantastic location. I tried to rent it when I went back several years later, but I was only going for a week that time and it has a month minimum. I would definitely get that one over Xavier Privas which is very touristy if I remember correctly. Hope this helps!

bookmarking

Hi

Here is a report on our recent apartment stay in the Marais. (Jetsetj: I think rentparis.com might have what you are looking for).

Our apartment was rented through RentParis.com, and it was at 6, rue Rambuteau. http://www.rentparis.com/appart-en-47.html

We arrived in Paris on the morning of Feb. 8, and stayed 6 nights until Feb. 14. RentParis offered a shuttle service, but it was 5 euro more than Shuttle Inter, which we used instead. Shuttle Inter was a private shuttle and the one offered by RentParis.com was a multi stop, so there was really no choice.

We would normally arrive by RER and metro, or RER and taxi, but I had broken both my feet in December and we didn't think that it was wise to push much walking after flying all night.

We called the apartment from the airport, and when we got there, Jean Pierre was not in sight. However, on our last trip two years ago, he was waiting for us. I think Sunday morning isn't his favorite time to be out and about. But he came rushing up as we waited, with a bottle of champagne to appease us (I think).

There was a new washer in the apartment, and he suggested we read the booklet. I thought that was a little weak in the "show us around the apartment" department.

The apartment description makes it sound like the apartment is up two flights of stairs, but it is only one flight, and then a few more stairs, perhaps one fourth of a flight. The stairs were wide and deep, and not a problem for me with my cane and limp.

Although the entrance to the building is very old and not quite a renter's dream, upon reaching the top of the stairs there is a security door (new and modern) and then the apartment door.

The apartment looks exactly as it does on the website. It was small, but I knew that. The kitchen was nicely layed out, and although I didn't cook, we did snack and have sandwiches, desserts, coffee, tea, and toast at least once a day. We had tools and dishes sufficient for those things.

The bathroom was compact but didn't feel crowded. There were plenty of nice towels, more than usual, and the bed lines and kitchen towels were all nice. The shower was a good deal larger than the usual apartment or budget hotel shower, and had plenty of hot water, good pressure, and there were face cloths, which was a nice extra.

The bedroom had a large closet, two bright windows, with shutters on the outside, and curtains in. There was plenty of room for our things. Even though we pack light I have a ton of medicines and other health related paraphenalia, and there was enough room.

I don't want to make it sound too big; a few more days and I would have been feeling cramped, but the place was just fine for a week. Having the lovely open space behind the apartment was great. Tons of light came in and the brightness helped.

If I could change anything in the apartment, I would get rid of the silly vase of fake flowers and string lights in the corner by the television, and replace it with a coat rack, and perhaps a shelf. That didn't at all spoil our enjoyment, but would have made a bit better use of the small main space. When our coats were wet, it was hard to find a dry spot to hand them. Even hooks would have been good.

We like rentparis.com and think they are easy, if not warm and friendly, to deal with. Our email dealings were with Andrew and somehow, the English <> French thing doesn't work perfectly. I had been asking about a possible change in apartments, after the accident in which I broke my feet, saying my doctor didn't want me to do too many steps. Andrew suggested I get a new doctor! I was a little miffed and reminded him that we were return customers, and that I had written both positively and somewhat extensively about RentParis.com. He was a bit nicer then, but don't go looking for BFFs when dealing with RentParis.com.

The price is great (we payed 80 euro per night) and the apartment had a wonderful location, was spotless, comfortable and pleasant. Service is prompt and to the point, once in Paris. On our stay two years ago, we needed something fixed and it was immediately taken care of. On this trip, we called for a taxi through the rentparis.com office, and the taxi was there promptly to take us to the airport the next morning. Their service is good; it's just not warm and fuzzy, and let me do whatever I can to make you happy.

There were fresh roses in the apartment, and JP's champagne. I can answer other questions, but this is all I can think of right now.

Would I stay there again? Only with someone I really like, and only for a week or less. But for a budget room, this was a great deal and very pleasant. Nice fixtures, cool Ikea type furniture, excellent shower.

This site is great. I would like to know if anyone has feedback on a VRBO property 175859.
http://www.vrbo.com/175859

This will be my first time to Paris and want an apartment in a great neighborhood at a resonable price, so what else is new .

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Looks great to me, and the price is right. You don't say how many of you there are, or the season you will be there, so that "double" bed, and lack of AC could pose problems. Obviously you are right under the roof, and in August the room could get really torrid. An European double bed won't do it for me and DW -- and we like each other a lot.

There are two of us and we will be in Paris March 29-April 5 Apparently, this is a popular week in Paris and I am having a difficult time finding a place in a centrally located area at a resonable price. Do you think 600 Euros is too much? What about Rue St Anne street, what kind of neighborhood/street might this be?

Well, I think the €600 is all right, and you will not need AC in March/April. If you want to see Rue Sainte Anne (I spelled it right) enter the street into Google Maps. When the map loads, a little balloon pops up. Click on the "Street View", and a street level picture comes up. You can then "walk" down the streets to see if it looks nice to you. Nothing wrong with the 1st Arrondissement, as it is close to things like the Louvre.

That being said, I have found the 1st to be more businesslike, as opposed to a neighborhood. Much more action and street life in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th IMHO. Have you looked at the Left Bank Apartments Thread on this Board?

You had better hurry, as the good ones get reserved many months in advance.

Best Luck!

Well, I think the €600 is all right, and you will not need AC in March/April. If you want to see Rue Sainte Anne (I spelled it right) enter the street into Google Maps. When the map loads, a little balloon pops up. Click on the "Street View", and a street level picture comes up. You can then "walk" down the streets to see if it looks nice to you. Nothing wrong with the 1st Arrondissement, as it is close to things like the Louvre.

That being said, I have found the 1st to be more businesslike, as opposed to a neighborhood. Much more action and street life in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th IMHO. Have you looked at the Left Bank Apartments Thread on this Board?

You had better hurry, as the good ones get reserved many months in advance.

Best Luck!

Don't have any idea why that posted twice. Is a puzzlement!

clow,
Blessings upon you for that reply! I was leaning toward the Hirondelles apt but unsure about lodgis.com and all of the other unknown factors. I feel so much better about it knowing that someone in the wide world has been there before and it was OK!
Plus I am having a hard time getting any response at all from the Sorbonne about their summer schedule, though I've written three times already. But that's a subject for a different thread. Well, maybe this trip will come together after all!
Thanks!

Oh no! Now I see there is not much here about lodgis, really, when I examine the information closely. "Christine" seems to have had a decent experience (?). But there's a hefty negative by Anthony_44 that gives one pause. I haven't sent the paperwork in yet because I've been too busy, and now I'm thinking I didn't ask enough questions. I'm so frustrated! Other posters have said that lodgis doesn't guarantee the security deposit? I assumed they would.
I checked the other agencies that people have listed here, but I haven't found any apartments that worked for me as well as this one through lodgis...
There are no testimonials for this ap't on the site. The only one is from "clow" on this board.
Am I back to square one?
May I, could I, ask anyone who has had a definitive recent experience with lodgis.com, or who just has experience with Paris and has an opinion, to speak up?

OK, I'm still researching, and I've found that lodgis has positives on a lot of other sites, like TripAdvisor, SlowTravel etc. It's in Rough Guide and LonelyPlanet. It's an established agency (with a vested interested in keeping customers happy?). And the same person who posted the negative experience here made a point of posting it in a few other places, too. I probably need to stop panicking every time I come across some new information! This is a little bit nervewracking, though.

My DH and I stayed in No.10 of www.rentparis.com a few years ago(as did tuscanlifeedit). It is at 5,rue Paquet. The apartment was tastfully decorated and extremely comfortable. The location in the Marais was great. We loved the convenience of the neighborhood (shops, cafes, grocers,restaurants) and especially vibrancy of the neighborhood--very alive with Parisian residents going about their daily lives.

there is alot of posts here to read. My eyes are getting tired.

we are looking for 2 studios in the Marais within budget of $125-150 USD per night per studio.

Any suggestions?

Thanks so much all...

we were looking for 2 bedroom but have decided to have private couple time in the city of LOVE !!

jetsetj,

www.vacationinparis.com and www.parisbestlodge.com have studios in the Marais within your budget.

sparsam, did you make your decision? I can understand your hesitation because you're dealing with both an agency and then separately with an owner.

cw,
Well, I told the very helpful and nice lodgis agent that I was ready to fax the contract etc. to them if they could confirm that the apartment was indeed available, but I don't think the landlord has gotten back to them yet. She said I wouldn't have to pay the fee if the apartment was not available. Maybe the landlady is holding out for a longer term renter? Or on vacation? Not sure what's going on. I've corresponded with vacationinparis about an apartment, but they are really set up for weekly rentals more. Five weeks at daily or weekly rates is kind of expensive.
I'm getting discouraged. I just wish something would work out.

This is a great thread! Husband and I are going to Paris in September for 6 nights and looking for an apartment in the 6th. Any updated recommendations from recent Paris visitors? We are looking for something up to $300/night (hoping we can find a renovated, comfortable, but semi-luxiourious place in this area...) Thanks all!

We aren't gong until May, so I can't tell you if it is as good as it looks, but I am very excited for the one we have. It is well under $300 a night.

http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=FRSA5

We love the 6th!!!

Just found this one on Lonely Planet:

http://www.swell-group.co.uk/town/paris/

We rent last year with www.apartmentparis.fr
great flats and nice team.
For a 2 bedroom in Le Marais, we paid 170 €/day. it was this flat : http://www.myapartmentparis.com/rent/paris-apartment-rentals-marais/42.html The subwas was just in front of the building !
Take it from me, a highly critical person, you will not be disappointed with this place !

Those apartments look nice! I am now looking at www.guestapartment.com for apartments on Ile Saint Louis and those look quite nice. One studio even has a view of the Seine which would be amazing--I really enjoy a view-- which caused me to consider a couple apartments in the 7th with a view of the Eiffel Tower. How would you compare the Island/Ile Saint Louis area vs. the 6th district vs. the 7th district? This is our 1st trip to Paris so we want to be in a central location to all the sites. Thanks

Happy Travels!

ttt for Becca.

bookmarking

Hello,
I just want to share with those of you who are looking for an apartment, like me, that google maps is incredible. I was able to input in the search bar simply "Paris rue Pot de Fer" and then click on "street view" and get a clear street level image of the place. In some cases you can even find the number of the building and see exactly what the place looks like. You can spin around and see the surroundings, and by clicking on the arrows, "walk" down the street a few blocks, take a left, explore the area.
You don't need to download anything or have any special progam. Just search for Google maps.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions in this thread. We have reserved vrbo 116297 for the end of this month. It looks to be exactly what we want - I'll report back. As sparsam 7 noted above, the google map street view and satellite features are very helpful and a lot of fun. I feel as if I'm already somewhat oriented to our neighborhood.

cummingsfamily,
That is a very nice, spacious apartment--I esp. like the terrace, which will fun when it's dry. I look forward to your report...

We are staying in the 7th at this apartment http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=BRANLY
Anyone have any experiece in this area?

We will be there from Sunday May 10th until Sunday May 17th. It is our 1st trip to Paris and looking for ideas for things to see/do/eat, etc.

Thanks in advance.

You can look up the location onwww.mappy.com You are betwee Bourdonnais and Rapp..closer to Bourdonnais.

The 7th is my favorite area and I stay there all the time. I stay in the Bourdonnais area closer to St. Dominique. I will be there mid April to mid May.

The area is wonderful for easy walks to many tourist attractions..you have the Eiffel Tower wonderful view, great shopping on Montaigne and George V..3 great market areas and super bus, metro and wonderful restaurants...

You will enjoy..

Joan

Thanks Joan, That was fun to look up the area on mappy. Since you are well versed on the 7th, could you reccomend affordable restaurants, shops, etc. We arrive on a Sunday and I have read lots of things are closed. We rented an apartment so that we could cook if we wanted to and have a little more space. We are getting so excited to spend our 30th wedding anniversary in Paris.

.......Happy Travels!

scrapwithval,

you might want to take a look at this recent Fodor's thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/any-tips-for-the-7th-and-surrounding-area.cfm

A lot of information for nearby...

Enjoy reading..

Joan

I can now add an apartment we just left in Paris to this thread. http://haveninparis.com/rental/Monceau.php
We left Paris yesterday and are in the UK.
I can't honestly say I'd recommend this wholeheartedly, but there were many good points about the apartment.
The apartment itself is huge and more beautiful than the pictures. I was thrilled when I saw it.
The location turned out to be less than ideal for us, as we spent much of our time in the Left Bank and the Marais and this made it difficult for us to return to the apartment during the day- something we never did!
Another issue we had: the day after we arrived my husband had gone out to pick up pastries and I was sitting in the living room with nothing on but a robe. In walked the owner of the agency (in Paris from Boston) with a potential client, very business man type. Quite a shock! She said she had misread the calendar. Not a lot of apologizing. My husband arrived at that point, pretty upset with the whole thing.
I got an apology later but no explanation as to why the doorbell wouldn't be rung- some small courtesy to avoid such a misunderstanding. I had just had an email conversation with this woman a few days prior asking specific questions about the apartment.
That aside, the dishwasher gave us a nasty shock. They offered to have a plumber come in about the dishwasher and said others had complained. We said they needed to speak with an electrician and we weren't willing to wait for someone to fix it. We were just careful.
There was a huge amount of noise coming from the two apartments over this one at all hours of the day and night. We spent a lot of time speculating about what was going on above us.
And there was an awful sewage smell that was always in one of the bathrooms and sometimes in the dining area and kitchen. No offer was made to fix this although we were told there had been other complaints.
I guess any of the above could be fixed and someone could love the apartment. I wasn't thrilled with the agency for a few reasons but I know others have had a different experience.

Scrapwithval, we will be in Paris the exact same days! We will be staying in the 5th but maybe we'll see you at some patisserie!

One of our favorite restaurants is La Cave de l'Os à Moëlle. It is in the 15th but way worth the taxi ride. And they are open Sundays, at least they were a few months ago. It is very fun as it is family style, and you just sit with whoever else is there. Very reasonable prices, too.

Wow. I found this thread and it has been amazingly helpful. I've put in a couple of requests on various sites (however, I can't recall the names, but will let you know once I hear back).

I'm only in Paris for 4 nights, but rented an apartment last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been reviewing some hotels and their prices are about the same as an apartment rental. Surprisingly, I've found places that allow 4 night stays. Some, though, require 5 or 7 night stays.

It's a lot of work, but well worth it. I'll post again to let you know about my success (or failure).

TR

Update: I booked an apartment this morning from ahparis.com. It looks cute - it's in the 6th on 80/82, rue du Cherche Midi.

Now that's taken care of, I can start planning my stay in Paris! Yipee!

TR

What is the apartment number? Can't find it on the site with the info you gave.

It's apartment# 371. I'm sorry I didn't post it earlier.

TR

Thanks, TravelRibbon. The apartment looks nice, but the fifth floor (6th European?) would rule it out for these old legs.

Hi nukesafe,

Yeah, the 5th floor with no lift is a bummer, but I'll probably need the exercise since I seem to eat really well when I'm in Paris.

Also, it's a great incentive-izer for me to pack light - more so than normal.

TR

I had an experience with France Appartements (www.rentapart.com) staying in 6, Cite Bergere. Perfect and central location, excellent service, supermarket near as well as many restaurants. I saved a lot of money for 2 reasons: a) rent value is similar (or cheaper) than a hotel room in similar location and quality, and b) you could save money eating at "home" and leave to a restaurant when you wish to do it and not for every meal. I strongly recommend it. And I am going back to the same place next May.

We just got back from a heavenly week in Paris, and stayed at this apartment right near the Pompidou Center. It was a fabulous location, only drawback was the all-night, noisy partying crowd outside on the weekends. Weeknights were much quieter. The landlord is easy and professional to deal with. Our group of 8 stayed in the large apartment and one of the adjoining studios---it was perfect for our large group. www.50rr.com.

Hi Autier,
I agree with you about a single thread for this topic. It's an infinite wonderland!
I'm writing a guide on it right now while staying at many apartments while photographing them. Right now I'm with www.iloveparisapartments.com and www.haveninparis.com. Both are wonderful to deal with and the apartments are meticulous.
There's more about it on my blog www.parisapartment.wordpress.com

What a great thread! Here's my contribution. We stayed at this apt. right next to the Pompidou in June of 2008. We had to really search for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath that was affordable! This one is 1400 euros a week.

http://www.vrbo.com/123825

We loved the location. It did get a bit noisy one night, but La Fete de la Musique was going on that night, and it was actually kind of nice to sit out on the tiny balcony and listen to the people in the street. We could even see the tip of the Eiffel Tower which was pretty cool! The owner was super nice and helpful. The bathrooms were HUGE for Paris standards, my in-laws got the master bed with the ensuite bath and it had a nice soaking tub and double vanities even! We had absolutely no complaints staying here. I have my own pics of the apt. here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britomart/sets/72157606135398285/

I see the many fine websites for apartments in Paris, are there also good sites for other cities in France?

maineframe,

If you go to the VRBO site www.vrbo.com you can go to anyplace in the world. Click on France and then the places that you are looking for. You can also google the place and look up apartments that way. Hope this helps a bit.

Joan

TheParisApartment, your photos are lovely.

That sounds like flat out advertising to me!

I'm guessing both TheParisApartment & apartmentservice are just ads.

At least TheParisApartment openly said she is working for two agencies, and links to her blog.

Britomart, the apartment you stayed at looks really great! I'm surprised there are no reviews on VRBO about it though... did you rent directly from the owner or another agency?

Near Pompidou with views of the Eiffel Tower, that's something I'd enjoy for sure!

weaverm,

"Has anyone stayed in vacationinparis apt. ID74--in the 7th. It looks very nice, but would love some feedback if you've been there.
www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_74"

I am a bit late to this party but am really enjoying it. We tried to stay in #74 last year but it was booked. The 7th has become our favorite neighborhood and we stayed on the rue Chevert about 5 years ago. This apartment appears to be a block over on Ave. la Motte Piquet. Friends have rented from Vacation in Paris twice and were happy with the experience. If you do rent this apartment I would love to hear about it.

BOOKMARKING

re TheParisApartment... I'm sure it can vary from person to person, but my guess is that your experience in an apartment will be quite different if you are not paying to stay there!
We stayed with one of the companies she mentions and our experience was not wonderful. Just a reason to pay close attention.

Topping for Sweetpea. Happy Travels!

The last piece of the puzzle.....

Still looking for either of these choices..
perferrably the 1st one.

1)
Specifically...
*2 studio apartments with in walking distance of each other.
*In the 4th or 5th arrondisment.
*Separate queen bed. Dont want to sleep on futon or sofabed.
*Sofa in living area for comfy daytime sitting.
*Elevator.
*At least one with washer/dryer
*Up to 115 euros per night
*Closest to Seine as possible.

2)
A two bedroom/2 bath with above criteria.
230 euros per night.

Thanks everyone..

>>We aren't going until May, so I can't tell you if it is as good as it looks, but I am very excited for the one we have. It is well under $300 a night.

http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-apartment-rental/qs.php?ref=FRSA5
<<

Just got home last week. The apartment was lovely!!! Up to narrow flights of stairs but not bad at all. It did have a washer but we never could get it to dry. We used the heated towel racks to dry what we needed. It is very close to Notre Dame and the bookinistas. My only problem with it, and ParisAdress was that it was supposed to have wi-fi and cable TV, and for some reason, it was down. The guy told us they would get it fixed but they never did. The TV I could have done without but I had made plans to skype with my kids so the lack of wi-fi was significant. Next time I would get it guaranteed if possible.

it is booked for our dates..

Has anyone stayed here:

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_129.htm

St. Germain - Luxembourg Treasure
One Bedroom

ID 129

I can't find any reviews on it here or on Slow Trav.

Haven't stayed in it, but contacted VIP, week before last about #122, which I've had before, but is taken for when I thought I'd need it. They e-mailed me and said that #129 is available. I know the area and it's a great area. It's a few steps around the corner from the hotel that I've stayed in for years (Hotel Le Clement, at 6, rue Clement). So, that's the area of the apartment. The apartment would be right south of Blvd. St. Germain and near the church of St. Suplice. The street that it's on is a small street.

I would have taken it, in a heartbeat, but this past weekend, a Parisian friend contacted me and said that I could have the apartment he owns in the 10th for the whole week. So, I'll stay there since I was just in Paris last month and stayed with him a few days and it was fine. Plus,I really don't want the expense of renting an apartment month after next, as I do that in the spring. This upcoming trip was a spur-of-the-moment situation since I need to take care of some things in another European country. Happy Travels!

I wanna play...

I've stayed in this **18th Arrond. Studio** twice now [only setting that off with stars to make it easier for those browsing apartments] on the hilly butte in Montmartre: http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p182420.

DETAILS: This apartment is very well-appointed for a studio (see the photos) and has a great kitchen and bathroom. The only drawback, it's a pull-out couch instead of a bed. Sleeps 3 (there's a small day bed too), and it's located on the 3rd floor without a lift. There are also some stairs outside leading up to the door, but it's located on a pedestrian-only street that's quite steep (if you have any physical limitations).

LOCATION: Just down from the Sacre Coeur and close to Place du Tertre, it's conveniently located between two metros: Lamarck-Caulaincourt (#12) and Chateau Rouge (#4).

PAYMENT: The owner lives in NYC and is really easy to deal with via phone or email. I've paid via PayPal both times, and on my first visit, someone met my mom and I at the apartment to let us in, but last time, he mailed me the keys beforehand. It runs about €70/night not including a security deposit. The deposit was returned before I got to Belgium on my last trip.

Stayed in the following place last week. Here is what I wrote in my trip report:

In early March I contacted Thierry at Paris Best Lodge about a few of his places with computers and Internet connections. They were all booked. He suggested a friend's apartment, newly renovated and just on the rental market.

http://www.parisparadise.com/tournelles.html

I am familiar with that area, so I booked it. I paid 800 € for eight nights, I think because I was one of the first people to rent it. Price will probably go up a bit. I felt it was a very good value because it had exactly what I needed and wanted.

The location is ideal for a solo traveler. You can walk anywhere at all hours of the day and night. There's a taxi rank at Bastille and also at Saint Paul. Chemin Vert, Bastille and Saint Paul are the closest metro stops.

It's a 1930s building, quiet and well-kept with nice potted plants in the courtyard. There are two key codes to enter, then you walk through the courtyard to the building in the back. The apartment is on the third (French) floor. There is an elevator that goes to the fourth and then you can walk down one flight. I only used the elevator when I first arrived with luggage.

The apartment itself is not a view place at all--it's on the courtyard--and pretty IKEA-cized, but very clean and convenient. There are thin walls to somewhere--I am not sure where, but I never heard anything other than someone moving around in another apartment and this was during daytime hours only.

I think Lucas, the owner, would do well to add a coat rack or hooks. There's room for one in the entry. The closet in the bedroom is not entirely full-length, so in winter someone's long coat might not exactly fit. Otherwise, everything was great. The kitchen looked fairly well-equipped but I did not cook at all.

I would recommend this place as long as someone didn't want view/lots of light. I'll post a few photos of my own later today because the photos on the website actually make it look darker than it is. There are in fact windows in every room, including a big floor-to-ceiling one in the bedroom.

Topping for Frenchwow. Happy Travels!

129 VIP looks great. It won't do for us though because hubby has to have an overhead shower.

In 2003 we rented a 1 bedroom apartment through www.timeandplace.com and had a horrible experience! This company rents higher end apartments in Paris. The experience was a complete disaster from start to finish. It's just too long a fiasco to detail in this thread but, if you see one you like there are certinly other companies that likely represent the same apartment.

On a good note --back in 2005 we rented an apartment through www.guestapartment.com. Unfortunately the apartment we rented is no longer available in their portfolio. It was very nice! The location of these apartments are simply unbelievable! I think most of their apartments have river views?? Honestly, to stand outside on our little balcony at night and watch the boats go by was simply magical. The 2 men who run this company are top notch--no issues what-so-ever! If you have your heart set on staying on Ile St Louis--there's no better company to rent through!

I just had a very unpleasant experience with VIP (Vacation in Paris) and wouldn't rent through them again because of how they handled the whole situation. All the dirty details of the saga are here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/first-impressions-of-vacation-in-paris-apartment-154-eiffel-tower-lookout.cfm

Guenmai and Suzanne2-Thanks for your input! I went ahead and booked the apartment. I will be sure to report back after our trip!

book mark

Dexters....Good for you. PLEASE let me know how that apartment is as I may be booking it one day in the future. I almost booked it for this August, but my Parisian friend is letting me have the apartment that he owns for a week. And then in spring 2010, I have already paid for an apartment through homeaway.com....on rue de Seine, north of Blvd. St.Germain. Have a great trip. Happy Travels!

Dexters-There's a restaurant near the apartment that's supposedly very good. I haven't tried it yet though. It's La Boussole at 12, rue Guisarde. The website is www.la-boussole.com. Happy Travels!

Correction: "I've already paid (a deposit) for an apartment through homeaway.com". Happy Travels!

There are many things that you learn along the way with apartment rentals. It is more than just paying for and thinking that all will go well! It might, and then again you might have the nightmare that plafield had.

I have had many years experience with rentals and have found "must have" items. Local office. They have full management control over ALL properties, rather than you having to deal with a 2nd party, local owner. ALL services, laundry, maintenance and repair people are company employeees, not outside service people. Let's
face it, the buildings are old, and beautiful, but they can have leaks, elevator outages, building renovations and numerous other things can happen. What is the company policy for re-locating when/if this happens? For me, they have a great many apartments. You could rent a studio and end up in a 3 bedroom, luxury! If nothing available, they would put me up in a hotel, temporarily, with many, many apologies for a happening that was not under their control. They would not just shrug their shoulders and say "too bad"!

Yes, you will pay more. It is up to you whether or not worth the extra cost. Some people go through life without any kind of insurance, and nothing ever happens. Others, it would be a nightmare! Some travel without any medical/medical evacuation insurance. To me, that is living dangerously!

It is all what you feel comfortable with. If you make the wrong choice, you can only wish that you had made a different choice. For me, I know that I am most comfortable when I know that I have everything covered, to ensure that I don't have problems of any kind! So far, so good.

Enjoy your planning, that is at least half the fun...

Joan

If folks could all afford to go with agencies that provide to put some one up in a hotel or move someone to another apartment if something isn't up to par, that would be nice. But, it's not possible for everyone. Everyone doesn't have the same budget to work from. And since most people probably rent for 5-7 days, most things are tolerable. It's apartment living and stuff happens. I do apartment living at home. Happy Travels!

Guenmai--I will absolutely report back. I was a bit nervous about booking it without any reviews, but we really did not have any other options. I waited to the last minute, and I am traveling with wee ones, so my needs were specific. But the VIP agent said "the manager thinks it is one of the nicer apartments", and the majority of VIP reviews were positive in general, so I'm making a leap of faith.

You definitely recommended a restaurant to the right person. The main reason I am accompanying my parents on their first trip to Paris is just to eat my way around the city. I think I'll ask them to watch the bambinos and head out for some alone time. The menu looks divine-and very reasonably priced too. Thanks again.

Dexters- Have a wonderful trip and I hope it all turns out positive for you all. Happy Travels!

I just booked Vacation in Paris #149. Anyone stay there?

Guenmai,

I tried to search for your Guenmai's Paris Apartment Rental Experience. Couldn't pull anything up. What am I doing wrong?

Would appreciate any available feedback on these apartments. I've been tearing my hair out because, not only do I need 2BR/2BA, but my sister's husband is 6'5"'; large queen or king bed is a must. And---if that weren't hard enough---we're not staying a full week, just 4 nights. Our budget is up to 400 eu/night. I love the Paris Perfects (and their reputation) but it looks like they're only for full week rental.

I'm considering these:
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_217.htm
http://www.guestapartment.com/properties/2_bedrooms/lys.html
http://www.guestapartment.com/properties/2_bedrooms/nympheas.html
http://www.vrbo.com/192292
http://www.vrbo.com/224018
http://www.vrbo.com/218078

Darn. I just noticed the two guestapartment.com apartments require 7 night stay. So now I'm down to 4.

JeanneB

Paris Perfect does rent for less than a week, if they have available for you time periods. Check with them and you might be plesantly surprised.

Joan

Guenmai,

It is the short stay people that I would feel the saddest about, in having their 5-7 days spoiled by not being well taken care of. Hard for me to believe that all would think it is just normal apartment living!

Joan

grace: Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

I've never looked at all these apartments with the to-die-for views. Now we're thinking we may stay in Paris the whole 9 days rather than go to Provence for 5.

That would open up our possibilities immensely.

JeanneB

Let me know when/if interested in them. I am very familiar with a great many of them and can answer some pre questions that you might have. Also, there maight be some discounts that you do not see on the website, as they are hard to keep up with.

Enjoy your planning...

Joan

Disneymania-I'll pull it up for you. I think I have it bookmarked on my computer. Happy Travels!

Joan-What I'm trying to point out is that there are some things that are just not controllable and personally I just deal with them and move on. I don't expect every little thing to be perfect.

As far as the short-term renters, the 5-7 day ones, they're probably so busy being out all day taking in the sites and experiencing Paris, what they went to Paris for in the first place, until they're probably not in the apartment that much anyway. They probably don't get back to the apartment until late when things like construction work noise and building renovations, for example, are usually done for the day anyway. Personally, for me, other things are more important...like not seeing any rodents in my living space, which I've heard folks mention in apartment rentals. I've never had to deal with rodents, thank goodness, but have dealt with plenty of roaches, lizards, and geckos in my living space. I guess I'm just used to spending lots of times, over decades, in parts of the world, like Southeast Asia and Africa, in particular, where there are just apartment/hotel issues that are far more pressing than some of the ones I hear of here like, apartment neighbor noise, construction noise, renovation noise, partially blocked views, etc. Plus, it's been over 3 decades of staying in zero-2 star hotels in Europe, so maybe I've grown to be more flexible, about certain things, over the many decades. I guess it's just a different life experience.

As far as the situation that you have referred to above of the poster who had her view, of the Eiffel Tower, partially blocked by a crane, yes, I could see that as be disappointing to some, however not a big deal to me. Before the photo was posted, of the position of the crane,from all of the discussion that was going on, I honestly thought that the crane was directly across the street from the apartment window, not far in the distance. It's a dense city and there's usually construction going on somewhere in a city. The Eiffel Tower was still visible. I just would have handled the situation differently and definitely not have stressed out over it. Life is too short. I would have brought the situation to the rental company and the owner's attention and taken the discount that was offered, for the partial obstruction of view, then moved on and had a great time in Paris. But, to each his own.

As for apartment rental agencies that place folks in hotels or move them to other apartments if there's a problem, I don't know which ones do, except Paris Perfect since you've mentioned it several times, but know of a lot of them that don't. So, I'm sure it would be quite helpful to readers if you posted a list of agencies, other than Paris Perfect, that you personally know of, that will move renters to either another apartment or a hotel if there's a problem. Then readers can choose which type of agency they will use; one that lists apartments and the potential renter deals directly with the owner of a particular apartment, one that is an agency with a list of apartments, but the potential renter goes through the agency and pays for the apartment, but doesn't have to come in contact with the owner...I never came in contact with the owner with my Vacation In Paris apartment, or one that lists apartments and owns all the apartments in its listing and can thus move unhappy renters to either a different apartment, or a hotel, if a problem arises. Then potential renters can decide which type of agency they would like to work with and then maybe the problems will be solved. Happy Travels!

Guenmai,

I guess different people expect different things.

It is not for me to check out which companies do what. I only pointed out the things that I have found out that I like to know the answers to before renting, to eliminate the kind of problems that people have come up with. Others can ask the questions before renting, if interested.

Yes, I now only rent from Paris Perfect. They do have all those things covered, that I have mentioned. I know that whatever unforseen problem that can come up, I will be taken care of in the best possible way. I like that.

Those who may not have traveled or rented often, may not be aware of these things. Passing on whatever information that we might have learned is what these forums are all about. Each may then pick and choose what is important to them.

Joan

Jeanne, if you do end up staying for over a week, Guest Apartment Services are excellent in every way. I stayed on one occasion with family and later my mom and one of her friends (older women in their 60s who are picky/not terribly flexible) did as well. We were all perfectly satisfied.

Check Parisian Flat too--they may have something.

In terms of what you've posted, I like that last VRBO place, but I would find out specifically about doors, what fully shuts and what doesn't, etc., if that's a concern. Also is your tall husband going to want to go up in the loft?

The Vacation in Paris place looks great too. In fact, that may suit you all the best.

I know I have a file with recommended Paris places bookmarked somewhere, including larger ones. I'll see if I can find it. You could start a thread about this--might get more feedback from people who have rented 2bd apartments in the past.

Jeanne, Paris Address rents short-term. The downside there is they have so many apartments and I have never found an easy way to narrow using their search function--frustrating.

http://www.parisaddress.com

Yes, true, Joan, different people do expect different things. But, many new renters don't know the ends and outs of renting which is why I thought it a helpful idea, for those in-the-know renters, to possibly provide a list of rental agencies that will book a person into a hotel or different apartment if things aren't satisfactory. We, on the forum, provide newbies with lists and opinions of all kinds of other things...from hotel to restaurant to shopping, etc...

I personally don't know any of those agencies and especially any, within a wide range of budgets, affordable to all. I go with the agencies that have apartments listed within my budget and those agencies aren't set up to either transfer a person to another apartment or a hotel, if the renter is not satisfied with the apartment. Happy Travels!

Guenmai,

If people have a list of questions to ask about, as I mentioned, they can then ask the questions wherever. Much better for them, ask the questions and receive the answers and make their own decisions.

Joan

Joan: That's very generous of you. Our criteria is pretty picky. I'm spending all my spare time "cruising" apartments now. We are three sisters and one brother-in-law (very tall). Probably Sept or Nov 2010.

--Budget would be up to 400 eu/night. 7 or 8 nights.
--No walk up more than 1 floor.
--Maybe A/C (if Sept)
--Windows/light. (We noticed a lot of the Ile St. Louis units looked rather dark.)
--2 bedrooms/2 baths
--Quality amenities/furniture.
Small things: We like the dining table to be by the window...not at back of room or in kitchen. Would love a view of ET or the river...or other landmark from living room. Even nice views over rooftops are good. And we'll be eating in a lot (not necessarily cooking!), so in a good neighborhood for that kind of shopping.

Neighborhoods: Eiffel Tower, around Musee D'Orsay near river, Trocadero, 8th near Parc Monceau, 1st and 4th near river and Iles.

I know that's a lot. And it's not definitive. It's just what I know has caught my attention as I scroll through all the options.

Several of the ParisPerfect units would do nicely. We noticed a few of them are cross listed on VRBO, sometimes for less. Merlot and Sancere are very representative of what we're looking for.

Agreed, Joan. They can ask the questions and of course, without saying, they will be making their own decisions. Happy Travels!

JeanneB

Contact me at my travel e-mail address:
abbynoelle3@yahoo.com and we can "talk" more without filling up this space.

It's fun to look and to plan...

Joan

Bookmarking

Hi, while I've used these threads for our previous trips, I've never posted before. I am going crazy looking for an apartment for our first trip to Paris. My husband and I and our adult son are going Sept 4 for a week. We need two bedrooms and due to a knee replacement, an elevator. From the posts the 4th, and 6th seemed best, but we just want to get to the sights and food (the guys are foodies) easily. Late nite entertainment IS eating! We'd like to keep it under $350 max.
Most posts seem to be 1 BR or really high and yes, I'm already getting back - sorry -dates taken. I'd appreciate any recommendations. Thanks

This is in the 7th. Calendar says it's available that week. It doesn't have any comments. Try researching on the address or vrbo#, I guess.
http://www.vrbo.com/109111

Thank you. This will make our short list, though my husband really wants to be closer to the 6th. Vacationparis.com has 3 of interest, 142-in 5th on 52 rue L'hommond, #41 in 3rd Marais Square du Temple - I can do 1 floor up, and #190 on Ile St. Louis 1 floor up and above budget - but wouldn't this location be worth it? Has anyone stayed at one of these?

Personally, #190 is the only one of those I would consider. But I didn't see A/C. It was hot when we were there in mid-September, especially at night.

I don't know if it's available, but here's one I had saved. Same agency. It has a/c & elevator. About the same price. Lovely location, steps off Blvd Saint Germain at the Seine. Great transportation options. It's in the 7th, but very near all the things I suspect you love about the 6th.

Best of luck. I would think in that price range you can find something nice with air conditioning.
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_217.htm

If ParisPerfect can take you for less than a week and it suits your requirements, I'd grab it. I visited an apartment last fall and would love to stay in one the next time I'm in Paris...(ok, I'd actually like to live in one).

-Roberta

Yes, 217 looks great but it wasn't given to me as available - I'll call them again. I didn't think of it being too hot in Sept. I'd better increase my search again.

Weather is always unpredictable. I do know that the hottest week we've ever spent in Paris was in early September. We were sorry that our apt. didn't have A/C that week. EJ

Same here...we arrived about the 10th of Sept two years ago. During the day we could stop by fountains and get cold drinks to cool off. But at night it was hot and still. Windows open meant noisy street. It was not pleasant.

Has anyone dealt with Parisforrent.com? there is a great sounding apartment SL101 - Boutarel on il de cite. It is available and has a $1,000. deposit requirement. Is this standard? Has anyone stayed here?

I have contacted both ParisPerfect and LondonPerfect via phone and email both yesterday and early today and have yet to receive any replies. Is this typical?
I am rather surprised as they have such good reviews here.

As posted yesterday, has anyone used Paris For Rent? It is also France For Rent, and Paris Luxury Rentals.

Ritaw:
Have you checked on SlowTrav.com? France section, vacation rental reviews. Perhaps someone there has used them.

3 yrs. ago we dealt with Pat at France for Rent with great success. We enjoyed our apt. and dealings went well.

Since then we have used www.guestapartment.com Have you checked them out?The great thing about them is that they have an office right on St. Louis en Ile for all of your needs.

Thanks JeanneB
Yes, there were listings on slow travel for parisforrent and france for rent (same). They were wonderful reviews. That really set my mind at ease. There was also one on trip advisor. Thanks for everyone's help - I would have hated to not have had air conditioning and hadn't thought of it.

TPAYT,
Thanks, I had looked them up before but didn't find avail.
We decided to book this apt. with paris/france for rent.
Now on to other threads for trip and food advice. Love this site. It made our trip to Italy several years ago so easy, I'm sure all your threads will help us this time, too.

Hi Sfuzzi, I am very surprised that you have not heard back from Paris Perfect. I am booking an aparment thru them for June, 2010.

They are always very prompt in returning my e-mails and voicemails.

Which apartment are you looking at in Paris?

Wanted to report back on http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_129.htm.

It was a generous sized apartment for a Parisian 1 bed.
There as a large double bedroom with a door, and then a good sized lounge area with a sofa sleeper. The lounge was open to the eating area, and it had a WC with a shower and loo.
We had 3 adults and 2 under-5s. My son slept in a baby cot (provided free by the apartment) and my daughter slept with me in the sleeper.

It was very clean, and in a great location. My only quibble was that there was a bar down the street that was quite loud until the wee hours of the morning. Being that it was July, we had the windows open to let the night breeze in. Even with the windows and shutters shut it was still loud. There were a lot of patrons out on the street until at least 4 am.

That said, I have rented apartments in many locations in Europe (and the US..) and this is one of the nicer ones I have stayed in. It was very comfortable and finished to a good standard. I would stay there again, but bring ear plugs.

Dexters: I was just thinking about you the other day wondering if you were in Paris or not. I'm glad the apartment worked out for you. Smiles. I figured that one would be a winner. The location alone is great, a few steps away from the hotel that I stayed at for years, before doing the apartment thing. As for earplugs, I always travel with them wherever I go. The noisiest city I've ever been to in my life, where earplugs didn't even help, was Buenos Aires.

Luckily I usually travel in spring although I will be in Paris again next month. So, with fewer people in spring, and windows closed,it's usually much quieter than summer.

Did you try the restaurant that I mentioned? And if so, how was it? Happy Travels!

I've stayed in two apartments in Paris and would recommend them both.

The first (February 2008) was Paris Perfect's Kir. It is quite small, but just perfect for one person. It seems larger than it is because of the two floor-to-ceiling windows. It's on a higher floor so gets great light. The lay-out of the room is well done; good use of space. Very good storage, good lighting, etc. The only part of the studio that felt too small was the bathroom. It sometimes took a little maneuvering, but it was not a spoiler for me. Bed very comfortable and good pillows. Loved the location.

Last January I spent 10 days in Paris Vacation Apartments' two-bedroom apartment on rue Charles Nodier in Montmartre. This is a fabulous apartment. Two good-sized bedrooms with comfortable beds, large closets, and good lighting. A huge bathroom (with separate toilet), small but open and well-equipped kitchen. Nicely done living area and a great balcony with a view of Sacre Coeur. The service (from booking to being greeted at arrival to our departure) was outstanding. Equal in all ways to the service provided by Paris Perfect, even surpassing it in a few. The lovely young woman who met us the first day acted like she had all the time in the world to make sure we knew where everything was, how everything worked (essential for European appliances, I've discovered), where we could purchase things we wanted for the apartment, etc. And I love the fact that PVA supplies a laptop. We used it alot, to check email, catch up on the news, look up things we might want to do, etc. The location of this apartment is a bit out of the way, but we'd been to Paris several times before, so did not need to be near all the top tourist spots, and I enjoyed coming home to "our place" at the end of a day. We were able to get everywhere we wanted quite easily on the buses. I'll definitely use Paris Vacation Apartments when I return to Paris.

Hi all,

Has anybody had any experience with Paris Visit Services? Their website looks pretty good, and they have some good prices.

Just back from 5 weeks in Paris with my daughter, and I wanted to post a short commentary on the trip, since I got so much help and reassurance from fodorites... The purpose of our trip was to spend some time together (my daughter just graduated college) and to take French classes at the Sorbonne, and of course, to enjoy Paris. We rented an apartment from perfectplaces.com:
http://www.perfectplaces.com/a_Apartment-and-Condo-Rentals/69293.htm
I was very nervous about it since I hadn't rented an apartment before and I didn't really have recommendations that had not been directly provided by the owner, but it turned out fine. The modern Ikea-like decor pleased my daughter, the bed was firm and very comfortable, and although the apartment was on the street and quite noisy with the windows open, it was just fine with the windows closed. The blackout drapes worked great. The landlady thoughtfully sent us a fan partway through our stay, and that made all the difference. The location turned out to be perfect for us because it was just far enough away from the intense tourist streets to feel "real," but it was close enough to all sights and the Sorbonne so that we could walk most places. The landlady and her husband were nice and easy to deal with, and I am so glad I had wifi and free telephone back to the States. We both enjoyed our classes at the Sorbonne, and I was NOT the only older person there, as I had feared, though older folks were definitely in the minority. We did a little sightseeing each day and spent a lot of time in the Jardin de Luxembourg, which is really a treasure full of unexpected things, like one side that has hundreds of espaliered apple trees, each a different type, and a Statue of Liberty, a puppet theatre and pony rides for children, and hundreds or maybe thousands of chairs that can be moved around wherever you want...a beautiful fountain in the middle where kids rent funny little wooden sailboats on the weekend and push them around with sticks... Well, I wish I had time to post a detailed trip report, but I don't, so I'll just hit the highlights: The Musee D'Orsay was great; we loved the river tour with the Vedettes at 10 p.m. because we could watch the sun go down and the lights come up, and the night life along the river was starting to bubble (get 7 euro tickets online instead of 12 euro tickets on the boat); the Tour D'Eiffel was awesome at 11 p.m. It sparkled as we went up the elevator and again as we came down at midnight (it is lit up at night and sparkles after dark for 5 minutes on the hour until 1 a.m.) It was so worth going to the top. Picnicking on the Pont des Arts, browsing bookstores, nursing a cafe expres or a Stella Artois in the outdoor seating somewhere, getting our daily baguettes and mignonettes...it was all great. We hit most of the museums and some of the churches, chickened out of the catacombes, enjoyed three cemeteries, and learned a few tricks for saving money in this expensive city. We had so much fun at Versailles! But I don't have time to post anymore, so I'm going to go now. Bon voyage to all of you going to Paris! Enjoy!

Has anyone had experience with this apartment/rental company?

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p248864

Has anyone stayed in this apartment recently? It looks nice from the pictures. How is this company to deal with?

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_72.htm

i have not stayed at apt. 72 but have rented through v.i.p. earlier this year.
they are located in n.j. and are very easy to deal with.
they were prompt in responding to my e-mail queries and also in returning my deposit.
i also received it within a week of my return.

dd and i stayed at #122 a one bedroom loft on rue st. andres and loved the location.

Thanks, abranz!

bookmarking

I think #72 looks great. I love the location.

I haven't had #72. I also had #122 which is in my regular neighborhood. Happy Travels!

Dejasue- I'm renting through homeaway.com for 2010 and sent the first deposit 4 months ago.

After filling out their applicaton, they send one's name over to the owner and then one deals directly with the owner.

The owner of the apartment I will have lives in N.Y. I live in L.A. She answered right away and we e-mailed quite a bit back and forth and then a contract was sent out. I signed it and sent the first deposit of $250. We're doing it all in dollars. I have two other payments until it's paid out. She will mail me out the keys after the last payment. It's a different apartment than the one that you've listed though.

I learned about the agency through a fodors' poster who uses it regularly. Happy Travels!

mark

I am staying at this apartment thru Haven in Paris in June, 2010.

Two people on the Trip Advisor forum have rented it and they absolutely loved it.


http://www.haveninparis.com/rental/VieuxColombier.php

janiekins, I have had my eye on the Colombier for a while--it looks great. Please come back and post all about it!

Hi Leely2,

I did so much homework in finding just the right Paris apartment for hubby and me. I had my choices narrowed down to a "Paris Perfect" apartment in the 7th and the "Haven in Paris" Colombier. I ended up choosing the Colombier.

We are there for one week then taking the train up to Baeyeux for 3 nights and then back to Paris for one more night staying at the Hotel de Londres Eiffel in the 7th - 6th Floor Eiffel Tower view! Can't wait.

I will post a report when I get back!

janiekins, that looks like a fascinating apart ... add me to the list of those who will want to hear all about it. have a great trip.

AA

Janiekins-Looks like a great apartment. I looked into that one last year, but didn't book it as it was a bit over what I personally wanted to pay. But, I still have it bookmarked. It's in a really good area. Happy Travels!

Bumpin' just because it's too valuable to let fall down, and to remind anyone who's back from Paris to add their reviews!

Thanks for this thread. It has been a huge help.

bookmarking.... there is always wishful thinking

Hi

I'm french and living close to Paris (15kms)
I would like to exchange a 12m2 bedroom in my house vs few hours of baby sitting
Could you please tell me on which site I should post this?
Tks for your help!
sophieluneau@gmail.com

Huh? Maybe I'm missing something here. But, you're asking strangers, to live at your residence and babysit your child in exchange for a room? If that's what I'm understanding, then before this post I thought I'd heard everything. But, this takes the cake. Happy Travels!