The Frustration of Booking a Paris Apartment - Is It Worth It?

We had good luck with parisvacationapartments.com. And you can pay in $$$.

I like homelidays.com LOTS of great flats in all price ranges and is similar to VRBO in that you deal directly w/ the owners - but have the added insurance of an agency to back you up.

As for VRBO or any site where you are dealing w/ owners/one offs - sure, their situation can change. One may have a holiday flat and decide to convert it to long term letting. Or the flat may be sold. or just about anything. And I find in general some don't answer e-mails as quickly as you are used to in the states.

Is it frustrating? Yes.
Is it worth it? In my book, yes.

That's different from my experience using VRBO. There may have been one or two instances over the last few years where I never received a reply to an inquiry, but I figure that was just a situation where the owner was either temporarily otherwise occupied or no longer renting but neglected to remove the listing.
I like VRBO just fine, but suggest you also look at some other resources such as www.craigslist.org where I have also had good luck.

Hi R,

>Booking a Paris Apartment - Is It Worth It?<

What is it that you expect to get from an apt rental that a hotel wouldn't give you?

I can tell you what I expect to get from an apartment rental that I can't get from a hotel:

Two rooms -- one of us can go to bed and the other can watch TV or whatever.

Plenty of comfortable seating. When we return from a tiring afternoon of sightseeing, there are at least two really comfortable places to sit down and relax or stretch out -- I don't consider a bed condusive to that, and rarely to Paris hotels have two comfortable seats and a sofa!

A place to keep cheese, juice, and chilled water. Maybe milk so I can have my own cereal in the morning. Even though we never cook in an apartment, it's sure nice to have that little kitchen for the refrigerator or to make iced tea in the afternoon.

No maids to knock on the door when I'd just as soon not see them. I'd prefer our privacy and just pull up the covers and make the bed ourselves.

Enough room to unpack everything and store the suitcases out of sight and out of mind.

A place that feels like a "home", not just a hotel. Most apartments have nice personal touches and a "lived in" feel.

Of course an apartment isn't for everyone. If you rely on the services of a front desk or need maid service everyday, then an apartment probably isn't for you.

Good answer, Neopatrick. In addition, my husband likes his space, and the usual cramped European hotel room bugs him. And I like to get a washer/dryer, admittedly hard to find in a Paris apartment.

I'm not a morning person, and it's nice not to have to get up and get dressed by a certain time in order to get breakfast. So we usually have breakfast in. (My husband goes out for the croissants.)

And it's fun to shop in the local shops and markets, the bakery, the charcuterie....

I'm always happy to read things like that! Thanks Patrick and Mimar.

I know of a great apartment in Dijon that maybe one day I can stay in it its not already booked up.

I'm still waiting for you degas!

We leave this Thursday for Europe and are spending 8 nights at this Paris Apartment: vrbo.com/19130 and communication has been great. I'll post my thoughts on the apartment when we get back but the owner has been really helpful, quick to respond and we're able to bring a euro bank check, rather than pay cash. It's all been easy.

We much prefer an apartment to a hotel.

I *prefer* a hotel when I'm traveling. My friend stayed at Hotel Monge this summer (perhaps at your recomendation? someone here gave me the name) and liked it alot. I don't "need" hotel ammenities, but I like them. It is a luxury to have maid service, a front desk to help you, etc. Plus since I'm often traveling solo, staying in an apartment is just too lonely and weird for me (yes I have tried it several times).

Our main frustration in looking for a Paris apt was I always wanted one that was too expensive or already booked, lol.
When working with VRBO, you are working with various people, we called sooo many who never returned our calls..they are not all on the ball with this.
We ended up using an company that owns apartments, has an on-site manager who is American and though the prices were higher than some, our satisfaction was 100%..
I love hotels, I would live in a hotel if I could. (actually I have for short periods of time)..
But in our case, our son was meeting us in Paris, he was arriving halfway through our stay from India..we usually stayed in a hotel that is on the expensive side, it would have been too expensive with a second room added.
He could get up in the night and have snacks, read etc, (jetlag) and having been to Paris enough times, we were interested in staying in an apt in a neighborhood and pretending for a bit of time that we lived there too.
Room service ( husband) and maid service( me) were missed a tiny bit but never important enough to make the apt a bad idea ..
Just keep trying or try other sites ..Good luck rob!

"Room service ( husband) and maid service( me) were missed a tiny bit"

Scarlett, you are a dear saint for giving that all up for your Son's benefit. He is lucky to have your support. I hope he took you to a fancy restaurant!

Scarlett is like a friend of mine who once returned from a nice trip and said their hotel was like being in a third world country -- room service closed from 2 AM until 6 AM. That was "roughing it".
LOL

Patrick, Mimar and Scarlet, you said it all. I am with Mimar on the sleeping in part. I hate it and feel guilty when we tell the maid that we are not yet ready to leave the room.

DH is a breakfast eater, I'm not. I can never get used to having to be up by a certain time to eat the sometimes included breakfast or to have to get ready for the day, just to eat. I'd much rather sleep in. (I more than make up for the missed breakfast during the remainder of the day).

Like Patrick, DH has his cereal, juice, bread etc..
A late night cup of tea and a pastry is also a benefit.


We like the privacy, and the ability to do our own thing and to spread out in comfort. Bed sitting just doesn't do it for us.

Yes it can be a hassle, not so much the renting part with us, but being very very disappointed in the apartments themselves once we arrive.

We have rented many apartments, mainly in Paris, some good, some great, and some really bad. All in good areas which lessens the blow.

The amount of rent that you pay doesn't guarantee cleanliness and basic comfort. Not all landlords have pride of ownership - to some it is just a business with a constant turnover.

As I tell DH, 'with the right lens, I can make our bathroom look like Versailles'.


Do a search here, there have been many recent apartment recommendations in or near the Marais.

Good luck.

Nina

Thanks for your replies - thw suggestions and the reassurance to continue the quest (wish coco had one in Paris!).
We are busy sifting through suggestions - Budman - none appear to be where we wanted to try and many above our budget
Seamus - I will give that a try
janisj - thanks for the suggestion re. homelidays.com
We have found one but the map is confusing. Is anyone familiar with this Marais area and how does it look to you experts?
http://tinyurl.com/ych2rt
<<Situated in the Marais district of Paris, the flat has been completely renovated.It is an exceptional area to take advantage of Paris life. Within walking distance from Centre Georges Pompidou, the Museum of modern art also called Beaubourg by Parisians, the building is just near Nicolas Flamel's house which is the oldest house in Paris Nicolas Flamel was the alchemist who claimed he had invented the way to transform lead into gold.Thanks to its view on a planted flowered terrace, the flat is calm.>>

robjame - that actually looks like an OK place and the price seems good - I'd consider staying there with no more than 2 people total since it is not that large a place. If you go to http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pj.cgi?lang=en and enter the address for the Flamel house (51, rue de montmorency) you will be able to look at both maps and actual photos - this property appears to be right next door to the Flamel house.

Robjame,
I know what you mean about HomeHolidays.com's map. I just looked at the link you provided, and can tell you that it is pretty vague, IMO. In fact, I'm currently hunting for an apartment to rent, and find homeholidays.com to be about the vaguest site, although with the best prices!

You can't tell if that apartment is in the 3rd or 4th, or what the street might be like. I guess you could write them and ask.

I have found that site to be full of less than complete information, and kind of moved on. A shame because the rates are so very good.

C'est la vie, I guess. I hope someone can help more than I did. Maybe you could start a new thread, for that apt.?

I haven't ever tried to rent from a private owner because I'm not personally comfortable with that, so I've only used agencies. It does seem unusual you've had bad responses so far, but anything can happen with private owners. I did have even one agency that wouldn't rent a place to me even though I was ready to book because the owner had some guy looking at it within the next few weeks, coming from London or something, and he was (supposedly) looking for a long term rental of several months, so they preferred him. I wanted to finalize something as it was a popular period and I didn't have time to wait around for them to make up their mind, so I booked something else. After a couple weeks they came back and said this hot prospect had changed his mind and I could have it, and I said too bad, I booked something else, I can't sit around waiting for you guys. But I never had problems even getting responses, of course, from an agency.

People have to decide what they are looking for and what is important to them, in terms of whether it is worth it. It generally is not to me, because it's more expensive than a comparable or better hotel, and it's too much trouble and too risky for me (in terms of what it will really be like). Given how expensive they are and you must prepay, you can't really afford to just leave if you really hate it or realize it is worse than a hotel in many ways.

I have always gone to Paris alone, however, and I think that is part of the issue in terms of expenses and what you get. I think they can make a lot more sense for a family with kids in comparison to a small hotel room. For one person, they are just too expensive in comparison to the hotels I usually stay at.

A lot of the things people who say they are worth it like are completely irrelevant for me, and that's part of it. I don't care about a washer and dryer and have no desire to cook inside when I am visiting Paris, I love to go out to cafes and restaurants, even for breakfast. I stay in and eat simple food when I'm at home, I'm not going to do it on vacation in Paris when going out is part of the reason I like Paris. I can't hang around Parisian cafes reading the current Le Monde and having an authentic cafe creme when I'm at home.

Apts in my price range don't usually have comfortable chairs or even comfortable beds. A lot of vacation rental apts are furnished very badly and very cheaply and are uncomfortable in many ways (cheap mattresses, uncomfortable chairs, poor lighting, etc.). I usually go in summer, and few have air conditioning, also (at least not in my price range).

I don't usually eat anything in my hotel room, and don't care to, and don't snack much between meals, but I always stay in a hotel with a minibar, so that's plenty for me to keep some water or drinks or something. I also don't sleep real late so don't have any issues with maids wanting to clean my room before I leave. I don't like noise, and I do agree that is one thing that would be appealing to me, as the maids can make a lot of noise just in the hallway, but you aren't guaranteed quiet in apartments, either. I stay in hotels where maids don't bother you if you put up the do not disturb sign and I don't ever feel embarrassed at leaving a room when I want, even if I slept until 11 (which I never do), I wouldn't care what the maid thought about it.

So, you just have to decide for yourself what you want an apt. for, and how much that is worth to you. As for that last one you listed, I know about where it is because I know where Flamel's house is. It's near the Judaism History Museum and a few blocks from Rambuteau metro stop (around the corner of rue du Temple and rue de Montmorency or Chapon, that general area).

The apt. doesn't appeal to me, which is sort of an example of what I was talking about -- value in comparison to a hotel. I won't stay in a hotel that puts the TV on the ceiling, I sure wouldn't stay in an apt. so small that it had to do that also (note the TV near the ceiling in the bedroom). The "couch" looks very uncomfortable, perhaps a futon, and there is no decent reading lights. I also don't like it when the toilet and sink are in a different room than the shower myself. I hate the wall hanging over the bed--I find that bedroom decor depressing. I don't think there is even a single chair in the living room -- well, I mean there are some straight-back chairs amd bar stools, but no armchair. So that's an example of how some of the things that appeal to people don't exist in many apts. (eg, comfortable chairs to sit in). I like the kitchen, it's cute.

All of this is just my preference, though, so if you like it, I think the area is okay.

I used RentParis.com a few years ago and was very pleased. The apt was as described and the process fairly easy. (If you exclude the fact that PayPal wouldn't let me send them money, but I blame that on PayPal. I hate paypal!)

Author: degas
"Scarlett, you are a dear saint for giving that all up for your Son's benefit. He is lucky to have your support. I hope he took you to a fancy restaurant!
degas, thank you for recognising my Saintliness .. The Boy did take us out for dinner but you know how it is, a Mama is just thankful to see and spoil her boy, that is what keeps us happy.


Author: NeoPatrick
Scarlett is like a friend of mine who once returned from a nice trip and said their hotel was like being in a third world country -- room service closed from 2 AM until 6 AM. That was "roughing it".
LOL
Patrick, I would not go so far as to say it was like being in a Third World, not even my mind can summon up that description for Paris in the 7th but I do understand her "roughing it" feeling, I do love room service...sigh.

robjame, in case you need more ideas..www.parisperfect.com

This is why I prefer a reputable agency like Parisperfect.com. I've rented vrbo's in other places (but not Paris) and the anxiety over dealing with people who aren't very professional, or who ask for full payment but have no references or assurances that they aren't a scam, or who have very strange procedures for getting a key to me, or who don't even live in the area in case something goes wrong...ugh.

Paris Perfect apartments are amazing, and they have fabulous customer service (before and after you get there). You pay more but IMO it's worth it. I'm sure there's other good agencies as well.

FYI, in my experience if you don't get a reply from a European hotel/b an b/apt, it means it's not available. They don't bother to write back and tell you, that's just the way they do it.

"room service closed from 2 AM until 6 AM. That was "roughing it"."

Neo, who needs room service at that hour? I thought most of us "robust" travlers would be still out drinking and catting around?

Hi robjame,

I can certainly see how your experience so far would be a setback. The problem with vrbo (and other sites like it) is that you are dealing with an individual who may or may not be on the ball. However, having rented more than a dozen houses and flats in France over the past seven years, I'd say that your experience so far is unusual. We have found almost everyone we have dealt with to be quite prompt in responding, and the availability calendars have generally been up to date, too.

As to the question of is it worth it, I can only say that NeoPatrick expressed it perfectly: the space, privacy, and flexibility turn a good vacation into a wonderful experience.

I guess I'd urge you to keep looking. I can't believe that all the good places in Paris are already booked for September 2007. Have you scanned the listings on www.frenchconnections.co.uk and www.holiday-rentals.co.uk?

Good hunting.

Anselm

Ditto.

Six weeks in a two-bedroom apartment here in Paris is wonderful. In addition, we have a living room, a separate dining room plus a well-equiped kitchen. It's home away from home.

take a look at parisbestlodge.com

I have rented with him and he is great. he also has some very nice apartments in some great areas. With parisbestlodge.com you are dealing with a real person who owns the units and acts as an agent for others. I promise you will be treated fairly.

I've used London Guest Suites many times & am thoroughly pleased with them. They also have flats in Paris, the rates are in USD & the agency is in the US. You might like to check it out. When anything has gone wrong, they've completely made it right which is why I'm a repeat customer.

http://www.londonguestsuites.com/

I really appreciate the thoughtful replies as to your preferences for apartments/hotels. I am working through the suggested agencies - but there is so many apartments and, without a specific recommendation, it is difficult to make a decsion from a few pictures.
The ParisPerfect ones look fantastic but well above our self-imposed limit of €800 per week.
I had my heart set on the one that Anselm and family had stayed in on 2 occasions - lost to a long term rental.
Any specific suggestions for a one bedroom or studio?

Bob, here are three Paris apartment recommendations I have saved:

3 Bourg-Tibourg in the Marias:
http://www.bienvenueaparis.com/m-see-apts.htm

slowtrav review: http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=1300


Quartier Batignolles in the 17th: http://www.rentalapartmentparis.com/

Fodor Trip report: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2


Rue St. Sevarin Studio in the Latin Quarter:
http://www.parisattitude.com/apartment.asp?numProduit=114

Fodorite comment:

Author: mitzime
Date: 09/07/2005, 03:10 pm
I can now report that the apartment listed as Paris Attitude 114 was fantastic!! Yes, it's in the noisy Rue St. Severin, but the owners have installed sound-proof windows (and I do mean sound proof) that cut out everything, if you so choose. The church St. Severin is across the pedestrian-only street. The place was as sweet and comfortable as can be, the neighborhood was a blast--convenient to everything, the owners were there to meet us at our arrival, and the security deposit (a check drawn on a U.S. bank) was waiting for us in the mail when we returned from France. I would definitely recommend it.

Well, let's have a little get together. That St. Severin studio is the one we rented in July for 10 days also. We have also reserved if for another 10 days this July. We loved it. Yes, the street outside is noisy, touristy, and somewhat tacky -- but the church you are facing is magnificent, the closed windows are soundproof (except for the final night of World Cup when the noise would have awakened the dead), and the air conditioning really works. It is surprisingly large and comfortable -- the only studio we've rented as we usually get one bedrooms, but this somehow seemed larger. The kitchen in tiny so not very good if you're planning on a lot of cooking.

Hi--
I am arriving in Paris this Saturday (12/16) and I am staying at VRBO# 79965!! Small world. Great looking flat isn't it? I think that perhaps the owner is having problems with his e-mail. I heard promptly back from him the day after I first inquired and then booked the flat within 2 days after that with no hassle whatsoever. Then I sent him and e-mail with some questions and didn't hear back. I called him after the long Thanksgiving weekend to find out what was going on and he said that he had never received my e-mail. The same thing probably happened with yours. Try calling him. He lives in Florida and his phone number is listed on the VRBO site. His name is Matthias Masson and he is quite nice, so I'm guessing his lack of response is more due to a technological error than negligence. Good luck and if you want to know more about the flat I'll post feedback on VRBO after my stay.
Andrea

robjame,

Here are some additional reviews of apts & agencies:

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/list.asp?r=Paris

Though I usually use agencies (not in Paris) and loved the responsivness of all of them, I have also used VRBO - as others have said, every owner is different personality. By coincidence, you had the luck of dealing with three that are not very organized.

Staying in an apt is wonderful! Shopping for THE BEST bread/croissants, wine on your balcony, lots of room, someplace to do a load of laundry--fantastic!! Rented from parisperfect.com last June--great apt (Chardonnay) for me, my sister, and my niece. All of their apts are near the Eiffel Tower. Also good luck with guestapartments.com--many on Ile St Louis, my favorite area of Paris--another sister and I stayed there in June 2004--Apt DQA--just right. Not sure I'd rent direct from an individual-less recourse if things aren't what they're supposed to be

We stayed in an apt in the Marais for two weeks in October. As others have said, we loved the privacy, the space, and I loved having a W/D so I didn't have to cap off a long trip with a ton of laundry!

This was our apt: http://www.vrbo.com/49273. The pictures give you a pretty good idea of the size. Looks like it's only available the first half of Sept, though. The owner was quite helpful and provided a ton of info for our stay. There was some sort of cleaning fee which *may* put it over your limit, but not by much. In addition, he charged a hefty security deposit ($1500 or something like that) that was fully refunded after the trip, but you need to make sure you have that much on hand.

In addition, if it makes a difference to you, it's on the ground floor which means you don't get direct sunlight, and the mattress is super-firm. There's also no dishwasher. However, the apt is lovely, nicely appointed, clean and pretty. It basically looks exactly the way it does in the picture (though he's switched the placement of the bed and the sofa since the picture was taken).

I've never had any problems renting from vacationinparis.com.

We did have a problem recently when AF lost our luggage for 5 days. They refused to call us on our cell phone when the luggage was located and insisted that since there was no concierge, that we sit and wait in the apartment for the delivery guy to show up.

This is one time a hotel would have been better. 5 days of our precious vacation time was wasted.

I too was going to suggest vacationinparis.com. They have apartments all over Paris, and a number of studios and one-bedrooms that are within your budget. It is an American company and you pay by credit card, in dollars. The apartments are listed on the website by arrondisement, so you can limit your quest to your desired area.

Yes, it's worth the trouble. A totally different experience, though perhaps not for everyone. As for the cost, consider this place in Paris, on the other side of Place de la Bastille from the Marais, walkable to the latter:

http://www.slowtrav.com/cl/detail.asp?l=2636

We stayed there last month and have submitted a positive review to Slow Travel, though it will be some time before it's published.

By the way, it's not a coincidence that the Slow Travel site, slowtrav.com, is mentioned more than once in this string. It's THE PLACE on the Internet for people who want to rent a vacation house or apartment, anywhere in the world.

Dave - what floor is the apartment on? lift? Are there shops and cafes in the area?

dreasf - please post back after your stay at #79965. Would like some more details! Thanks.

Lately I stayed at VRBO 103254 and VRBO 44176 both in interesting different arrondissements.

The best part is staying in a non-touristy district, with real parisians and real prices. I recommended both.

I share your frustration. We have just rented an apartment in Le Marais for March. We used Paris Attitude. We got the apartment, but the forms and agency and deposit were a bit overwhelming, and we still have to bring the rent in cash. Last January we rented an apartment in Paris from NY Habitat and it was not very clean--the owners live there and left for our stay. The upside is you get a kitchen and a lot of space. But after dealing with the current rental, I am of the opinion that a hotel is a lot easier. I will say that if you find a good place and return periodically it probably becomes easier.

bkm

It is worth booking an apartment. We stayed in "Volnay" http://parisperfect.com/ this September. I wanted to be in Paris in September when school started as I just retired from teaching This was a fabulous apartment and terrific service. We would stay there again in a heartbeat. I usually use vrbo but the money transfer was a hassle. Remember sometimes you don't get waht you don't pay for....

oops what

geobono - what you report is a worry - plus some negative reports on slowtrav
The huge security deosits seem outlandish particularly when you consider we blindly trust owners with our money for months ahead of the rental. There appears to be a real need to pick a spot with some kind of recommendation.
Lucky - how do you compare these apartments with the one you rented in the 17th. Was that area just too far from sites etc. Were there plenty of cafes, restaurants, shops, etc

Another alternative is an unhosted B&B. Last year we used Alcove & Agape at www.bed-and-breakfast-in-Paris.com and stayed across from Jardin des Plantes in Quartier Latin.Marie-Françoise was the owner/hostess. The studio had a small kitchen area PLUS Marie-Françoise delivered fresh French Roast coffee, croissants, an herb omlet, juice, milk & fresh fruit EVERY morning.The best of both worlds.Also, Marie-Françoise was willing to clean the apartment daily but I generally make the bed and tidy up myself. Drop Francoise Foret a line and she will assist you.

Robjame,

That apartment is on the French 2nd floor, without elevator. It's on a lovely courtyard off rue de Faubourg St. Antoine, a very busy street about three minutes east of Bastille by foot. Plenty of restaurants walkable and a friendly cafe-restaurant right outside the door. There's a mix of other shops on the street. Clothing (Gap, etc.) and furniture and home furnishing stores including Habitat (the area is historically the furniture-making center of Paris) abound. Two American style coffee shops, Starbucks and Columbia (?) cafe, an Occitane outlet, an Air France office, and numerous others I can't recall. We live about 100 street numbers farther east on rue du Faubourg St. Antoine (long story about why we needed temporary Paris lodging for a week) so we know the area quite well.

We have successfully used VRBO in the US without any problems. However, I don't know if you are aware the Rugby World Cup will be in Paris at that time, perhaps the owner is holding out for a higher price?!?!

I used www.beau-paris.com and was very pleased.

I found http://www.apartrental.com/ to be an excellent site to use. I rented a one bedroom apartment in the 5th. Great location, 300 metres from Notre Dame, etc. Try this one

Thanks Dave - We had had blinders on as far as staying in the 12th, but as you and Lucky point out there are certain advantages to being in more residential areas. Will look into this one more closely.
LuckyLuc - I didn't realize that VRBO/44176 and http://www.rentalapartmentparis.com/ were the same apartment. It is one that certainly caught our eye. How did you like staying in the 17th?
austy, irish, Seymour, moolyn, Anselm - lots to follow up on - Thank you all very much.
11thchild - didn't know about rugby world cup - all the more reason to get at it now.

We have done house exchanges (a whole other undertaking!) and are about to embark on a trip where we will, for part of the trip, be renting an apartment in Paris. You might consider logging onto the Stanford alumni magazine, or Yale or Harvard's--they have a bunch of privately listed rental opportunities in Paris and elsewhere. We're doing ours through one of those and saving some money by renting directly from the person instead of through the agency that otherwise represents the apartment. The owner is local to my area, we have some common friends etc., so it feels comfortable. I am seeing from his recent mailing that the apt. comes with its quirks, but I am looking forward to the prospect of having more than one room to relax/watch French TV in, amidst my other family members. Patrick's preferences make sense to me, though I love hotels. When traveling alone, can't imagine any other way of doing it.

letour

We recently made arrangements to rent from www.parisianflat.com for late March-early April. Part of my selection of this apt was the courteous and speedy communication over the course of a weekend with Philippe, the references on the units posted on their websites and from other Fodorites on this webiste, many photos available to see, their deposit and cancellation policies were more reasonable than many other agencies, location of the unit, and they negotiated price with me (a bit).
Now only time will tell when we arrive, but I have a good feeling so far.

I had a similar expereince in the USA last summer using a house found on VRBO and everything went great, so I am hopeful that this will trun out well too.

Now I just need the Euro to calm down!

My only complaint with parisianflat is that we almost rented from them when at the last minute, I happened to mention AC. Since it was July that was very important, and I had stated so in my initial contact with them, a request they then proceeded to ignore. Their places are so upscale and quite expensive so I just thought it was a given. But when I asked again specifically, I found out that no it wasn't air conditioned and none of the other available flats they had were either. I was surprised. We have rented two other apartments that do have good AC for less than half the price of their flats. Admittedly their apartments are beautifully furnished, but I'd think twice if renting in summer (unless you're looking at one that does have AC).

Thanks for that comment about the AC. I wondered about AC but decided it was not worth consideration based on our dates of March 31-April 7. I would love to have unseasonably warm temps for our trip!

I certainly hope the unit we selected turns out to be as lovely as it appears!

I wouldn't worry either about AC for those dates. I was a little disturbed by them telling me that I really didn't need AC at all in Paris even in July. Duh, I've been there plenty and I DO need AC in July.

Has anyone ever booked an apartment with limaparis.com? They advertise in the Journal Francais d'Amerique which also has various apartment listings? Another service that has lots of apartments is Parisattitude.com. Any experiences with these services?

The apartment we rented last summer was through ParisAttitude, and everything went smoothly. They act as an agent for individual owners and take a deposit which pays their fee. The balance is paid to the owner on arrival -- at least that's how ours worked. We are renting the same one this year, but directly with the owners. We thought it was a super deal last year -- but even better this year!

We just booked an apt for June with www.vacationsinparis.com - very helpful and lots of online recommendations..

I just booked an apartment in Montmartre through New York Habitat because the idea of sending a bunch of money to reserve an apartment sight-unseen made me nervous, and I was able to find one in my price range even including the agency fee. But when I was exploring Homelidays, I had no problem with my queries being answered promptly. I'll report on how it works about after my trip. Good luck!

I have rented from Pascal Zytomirski. He is a rental agent for some apartments and owns a couple of units himself. He tends to be a good deal cheaper than the large agencies such as Paris Perfect, which is why I used him when I needed an apartment for 8 days. He met me at the apartment with the owner to show me how everything works and he speaks fluent English. Before jumping for one of the large companies, I would check and see what he has available. I had a good experience and have referred a lot of people to him through various travel boards.

robjame, I should have said that it made me nervous to send a bunch of money to someone with no one local to vouch for him or her, so I liked using a New York agency; in case I have problems, at least I'll be dealing with someone in this country.

We did end up booking an apartment in Paris and following indicate the positive experience we had:

Author: robjame
Date: 01/08/2007, 04:19 pm

I apologize in advance. I know that this has gone on and on and on. However I finally feel that I have gotten somewhere (thanks fishee, Kristina, et al). Frenchyrentals have taken over some of Lauren's Lets Paris rentals and comes with her blessing. I have worked with Paula at Frenchyrentals and have narrowed it to these two apartments. Any feedback on areas, amenities etc? Thanks for all your help.

http://www.frenchyrentals.com/damremont.html
at €800 for six days

http://www.frenchyrentals.com/clichy.html
at €700 for six days

Author: northernitalian
Date: 01/08/2007, 04:49 pm

We stayed in the rue Damremont apartment last May. I wrote a review of it on http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=2063

Author: AnselmAdorne
Date: 01/08/2007, 05:15 pm

I'm glad to hear that things are looking up. I can't help you on the neighbourhoods, but I find the Damrément apartment more appealing of the two. It seems brighter and more spacious, and I could work in that kitchen.

Anselm

Author: Kristina
Date: 01/08/2007, 05:39 pm

Well, I stayed in the Clichy, but both look nice! The other one looks to be slightly larger and is in the 18th, which I love. I think you would do well with either one.
I must say though that I'm slighly irritated by the "frenchy" references on their website!

Author: fishee
Date: 01/08/2007, 05:50 pm

Personally, Damrement would be "too much" apartment for me and my BF -- we wouldn't need/use all the space for a one week trip and I'd actually prefer something that felt more cozy.

I also like Clichy's aesthetic much more -- Damrement would be too frou-frou for me, but that's a totally personal thing. Either way, you'll be happy. And don't apologize, I was just as obsessive -- the endless array of options and factors kinda triggers this.

Author: robjame
Date: 01/08/2007, 06:44 pm

We have agreed on the Damremont for several reasons. It is a quieter area. It has a queen as opposed to a double bed. It has a telephone. It is on the 1st(2nd) floor as opposed to the 4th(5th) floor. It has WiFi. It has separate toilet/bath areas. It has a shower. The kitchen appears to be more usable. The furnishings look a little more “us” (we’re older than you fishee).
Thanks again for your input. I really appreciate the link to your review, Northernitalian.
Anselm - << I could work in that kitchen.>> You are welcome, friend. Name the night and we will eat in.
Kristina - I am going to cut and paste your travel journal.

Author: wombat7
Date: 01/08/2007, 07:22 pm

Great thread - seems to list some excellent apartments - bookmarking for one day...soon I hope

Author: northernitalian
Date: 01/08/2007, 08:55 pm

robjame,
I'm glad that you found my review useful. The apartment is not a slick luxury flat, it is older, but the owners have made it very homey and welcoming. And the kitchen is very up to date. I can't say enough good things about the neighbourhood. Montmartre has a reputation as being very touristy, but, outside of the immediate vicinity of Sacre Coeur, it is not touristy at all - it's a village. The walk to the apartment from the Blanche metro stop, in particular, is wonderful, with many small shops you can pop into to pick up dinner on your way home - wine shop, cheese shop, charcuterie, fruit & veg, etc. along with locals doing the same. We loved feeling Parisian for a week - - I hope that you enjoy it too.

likeswords, NYHabitat isn't an agency in the sense of many others, as you are still renting from the owner, not them, and you pay the owner, and the owners sets the terms and decides whether and how to give you your deposit back, etc. I've dealt with them, so I know the contract was between me and the owner, not NYHabitat (although I didn't go through with the rental due to conditions that owner required which I refused to pay). They do take a very large cut of the fee for their advertising and liaison services, though. The fact that I would be on my own in case of problems getting the deposit back, etc. was one reason I didn't use them, but I also didn't like the terms of the one I chose.

They told me they had nothing to do with the deposit, terms, etc. because I was renting from the owner.

NOw maybe they do have more quality control than some of these places like VRBO, or will do something in the case of problems, but their website doesn't guarantee that. They just say they will be there to listen to you complain, but don't promise to do anything, such as refund your deposit if the owner does not.

We're renting an apartment from vacationinparis.com for the first week of October. They did tell me Sept is busy and they were booking up(this was a month ago when I checked). Of 8 aprts. we picked out to rent for October all were full except this one (Champs/Elysee one).

They have been nice to work with so far, answering emails, etc. and they bill in US $.

Apartment services will always tell you they are busy. After all, they want to push you into renting one of their places.

I personally booked with an agency, because I felt that it was more reassuring. I stayed with www.specialapartments.com
they also have some great places in the marais, you might want to check out, my experience was a good one.

When I recognized the apartment rue Mouffetard in Paris, I knew I had to contact : www.apartrental.com

bookmarking

In that case the solution is to make a drama, use the street like you where a cinema star, or move it like a member of the Order of...
http://www.apartrental.com/blog/index.php?2007/05/11/105-children-of-paradise

bookmarking

Steer clear of Paris Luxe (www.parisluxeapt.com). They do a tremendous marketing job but the reality fell FAR short (both on the quality of the apartment and the quality of their service). We paid more through them than we saw on other sites because they promised a "luxe" apartment and had a money back guarantee. We rented their "Renoir" unit -and they never mentioned the fact that the flat was surrounded by restaurants and that the bar below us had their stereo speakers literally below our bed. We complained within 2 hours of arriving in the flat - and the Paris Luxe "guarantee" was worthless. We suffered through 3 weeks of being woken up at all hours (midnight, 3 am...) with music so loud the floor literally shook. Plus there was mold/leaking water in the bathroom and kitchen, peeling paint, mildew in the shower....all for more than $2,000/week. I wish I could tell you where to go versus where to avoid... In hindsight we could have stayed in a 4 star hotel at this price...I still like the idea of renting an apartment but feel very burned by our experience. I just wish I'd seen this message board before we forked our money over to Paris Luxe.

I recommend this pretty le marais apartment: http://www.way2stay.com/Paris-apartments-en-109-1355.htm
which overlooks a little courtyard. The area is really beautiful. each apartment on this website has its own page and an availability calendar at the bottom. if it says it free, its free. you can book online directly, although im not sure about your €800 a week budget, most of the apartments are around €1000 mark, minus discount for a 7 night stay.

I have experienced the same unresponsiveness from some VRBO owners, especially those who are not short of renters. Now that I have my own apartment listed on the same website, I make a point of replying to all the inquiries at my earliest convenience. So you see, not all VRBO owners are the same. For some folks, it's business and for soem like me, it's a pleasure.

My wife and I usually stay in Paris once a year, usually for 1 or 2 weeks and we always rent an apartment.

We have tried a few different companies and the best one to date was probably http://www.holiday-velvet.com/paris

Just had great luck with www.vacationinparis.com. Compnay out of New Jersey, lots of apartments in most price ranges, so far very nice to deal with.

Hi Amylyn,

Which apartment did you book? I'm leaving for Paris on September 6 (booked #146 on the Rue St Honore). The company was great to deal with and I've read a lot of good reviews - unfortunately I haven't found anyone who has stayed at this apartment so I'm hoping it will be as it appears in the photos! I rented an aparment for 2 weeks in London last year and it was great - will always rent an apartment over a hotel room.

Anne

I am thinking of booking with vacationinparis also, mostly because of the payment in dollars - I would love to know about your experience, Amylyn! We are looking at #125 and #28. Anyone have thoughts? TIA.

Just got back from a family vacation in Paris. Rented an apartment through ParisPerfect.com (Romanee). It was fantastic. Great location, great location, all the ameneties, great customer service. I would definately use them again if going back.