Kristina

We're renting an apartment for a week in March in Paris. Our flight arrives around 7:30 am on a Sunday. The apartment's rental page says check in time is 1pm. When I asked if we could check in earlier if there was no one staying in the apartment the day of our arrival, I was told we could check in at 10:00 am for an extra fee of 40 euro.

My question is this; would you pay the extra euro to check in 3 hours earlier knowing it's likely you'll be exhausted from a long flight from the US West Coast, or would you suck it up and stay out until 1pm? If you choose to save the euro, what do you do during that time, keeping in mind you'll have luggage with you, questionable weather, and about 4-5 hours to spend in the city on a Sunday morning.

I know what I think we'll do, but I'm wondering if there are options I haven't considered. BTW, I'm not arguing the legitimacy of the fee, they can charge whatever they want, only wondering what others would do in the same scenario.

sparkchaser

I'd pay it because I would want to ditch my luggage ASAP and get a shower to wash off the travel funk.

kerouac

I would not pay unless it allowed me to enter 12 hours early. Waiting until 1pm is not a big deal when you arrive in a city like Paris -- there is so much else to distract you while you are waiting. Now if it were a city like Nairobi or Guatemala City, I might give a different reply.

I do wonder how funky sparkchaser gets on his/her trips. My worst one was Jakarta-Singapore-Jeddah-New York-Tampa which lasted about 22 hours, and my parents did not wrinkle their noses when I arrived.

sparkchaser

Besides, in the grand scheme of a week's vacation in Paris, what's 40€?

kerouac

Oh, you'd be surprised how important 40€ is to a lot of us.

nytraveler

Pay it. It's a pittance in terms of the total cost of the trip - and why start with a nonsense sitting around a cafe for hours with your luggage after an overnight flight.

twk

I'd pay it. Otherwise, you're going to have top pay to store your bags somewhere until 1, so it really won't be a net cost of 40 euros if you look at it this way.

Bedar

I would take my sweet time, not rush, getting to where the apt is and then sit in a cafe where I could get a bite to eat and wait till 1 pm. Take a book with you.

thursdaysd

That's why I wouldn't book an apartment at the beginning of a trip. A hotel will always store your luggage and often let you check in early. I certainly wouldn't pay 40 euro - Paris is likely blowing my budget already.

Christina

It's more than one of you, that isn't much of a fee per person, if you look at it that way. So is it worth 20 euro for each of you to have those few hours not wandering around Paris dragging your suitcases after you? It would be to me, I'm surprised how many people don't value their time.

I generally make other arrangements so that doesn't happen to me, a later flight or even arriving in the city a day early and staying one night in a hotel nearby (which works well as you can always check in to a hotel even if your room isn't ready and I don't do much that first day anyway) so I can just walk to the apt when it is ready the next day.

Doesn't really matter what anyone else would do, this has to do with how much people like to save on expenses that are seen as unnecessary vs. time/comfort, I think. And I suppose your overall budget although I wouldn't think 0 euro is that noticeable to anyone staying a week in Paris after flying in from the US West Coast overall. I think that is pretty cheap actually, they have to pay someone to go there and meet you, so there is that person's time used.

One thing I have learned over the years is not to scrimp on tiny expenditures that may make your trip more enjoyable and stressfree, especially at the beginning of the trip when you are really zoned out from the flight.

jent103

To me, it would depend on some factors: how much luggage I have, how many people and what ages "we" are.

I fly with carry-on luggage only and usually with one other person, so I'd probably tough it out, pray for no rain weather and spend the 40 euro on something I'm more excited about. By the time you get out of the airport and into Paris, you'd only have three hours or so to kill.

If I had tons of luggage, small children or other similar factors, I'd be more likely to pay it.

suze

I would pay it, and be happy there was that option.

GinnyJo

For that price,I'd look for an upscale hotel nearby with a beautiful dining room and have a leisurely breakfast. The porters should hold your luggage for you.

Whathello

I'd tell the apartmlent agency that I would expect to have this service for free.
If 40€ is not a large sum as some say, it mustn't be huge compared to the rental.

So I'd ask for early check in or to provide for temporary storage.

(but these things infuriate me : you ask for some service that cost them nothing and you have to pay - like being asked for 5 € wifi in a 250€ 4 stars hotel : my answer is no, it should be free).

grumpy, me ?

WWK

I'd pay it and be happy that I could get in and take a shower after a long flight. I've had too many mornings ruined by grumpiness waiting for my hotel room to become available.

Belinda

Where is your apt? I landed at 10:30 last Fri and was in my apt by 11:30. If your experience is the same you'll still have a long wait after you arrive.

kerouac

Thinking it over again, I now believe that instant gratification is spendid, even though I was raised to consider it as being a vice in opposition to patience. And since 40 euros is such a minor amount, I suggest that you double it. 40 euros to help increase the prosperity of the apartment owner and another 40 euros that I am sure that you will willingly donate to a refugee fund to help other people get instant gratification as well. After all, these people often spend 4 or 5 months trying to reach safety and maybe you can reduce their wait by 2 or 3 days with your contribution. I'm sure that if they get to take their first shower in a month, they will think of you with a smile.

Whathello

Kerouac

Please cut this link you have into my brain...

But then we'll argue for hours over 15 € diff of price between RER and taxi. Go figure.

Do these refugees have .. argh ... scabies ?

Kristina

Well I thought this would be an interesting and active discussion and you Fodorites did not disappoint!

I wish I could edit my original post, because I probably should have said what my choice would be, but I didn’t want to color the responses. I also should have said there were only two of us, in our late 40’s, with carry on luggage only.

For us, my inclination is the pay the money to check in early. I know myself; I do not sleep well on planes and by the time we arrive I will be exhausted. Sitting up in a café, waiting, for several hours is a recipe for disaster for me. Arriving later was not an option since we purchased the plane tickets before booking the apartment. I have no interest in spending the first night in a hotel, especially when we are arriving so early.

What interests me in the replies is that there weren’t a ton of suggestions (yet) of what to actually DO with one’s time while toting the luggage around. I do like the idea of a nice breakfast in a hotel, though I think that would negate any savings of not paying to check in early.

Yes, in the greater scheme of things, 40 euro is not a lot to spend in the overall cost for two people for a week in Paris. That said, I have to admit, it seems a bit arbitrary to me (and such things annoy me). Why the fee for coming <I>3 hours</I> earlier? I would understand if it were very, very early, or very, very late, but 10am, especially if it’s already empty? They said if it was rented (and presumably would be cleaned during the 10-1pm slot) we could drop our luggage there for free, but then not check in until 1. However, the calendar appears open and thus, there will be a fee.

Anyway, I’m enjoying the replies!

Iahawk

yes - a quick nap before heading out on your first day beats dragging around until 1pm in my book