Hi there! Five friends and I plan on traveling to Paris in June for a week. We thought it would be nice to rent an apartment (at least 3 bedroom) instead of staying in a hotel. Does anyone know how we find an apartment!

Also appreciate any seasoned traveler opinions about apartments vs. hotels.

Thanks!

I suggest you do a search here. There are TONS of threads on this topic. It's alsmot a daily topic.

Have an idea of where you would like to stay, what ammenities you want, and your price range.

try searching under apartment in the France section (really, if you know general internet search techniques use the phrase "apartment AND paris" in the search box without those quotes. Try that on google, but add in terms like vacation.

try www.slowtrav.com for starters, but there are tons of agencies who do this in most major European capitals. 3 bedrooms are rare, however. You'd better be prepared to spend a bundle for that, and you may not get AC (if you do, that will be more, also).

different opinions on advantages and disadvantges, but there are many, of course, from financial to logistics to risk, etc. as well as just what you think you want/need and whether is it ncessary or likely.

try vrbo.com, we've used it many times, in Paris, London, Italy, Belgium, etc. It's really nice to have an apartment to come back to, especially if couples break up during the day and do their own sightseeing, rather than each couple just goes back to their own hotel room. Plus we save a lot of money on food, as we typically eat a nice lunch out, then eat dinner in.

I'm hoping to rent for the first time this fall.

A good site to look at is Venere, private rentals. There are loads of sites out there, I'd trust recommendations from here. Paris Perfect is another one, but is in the high price rance. Another one that I get as part of a newsletter I follow is www.parlerparisapartments.com and so many more

Note that you have agency rentals and you have private rentals.

Here is apartment for you. Have a great time!

http://www.parisperfect.com/apartmen...s/bergerac.php

Great Location.

We found one on homeaway.com.

Try Vacationinparis.com
Budget apartments.Value for money.

There are many threads about this with a lot of good information.

The big one is in the link below:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ent-thread.cfm

My wife and I have had good luck with VRBO when we rented an apartment in Paris December, 2008. With VRBO you work directly with the owner.

];')

Deal with reputable agencies, as others have mentioned.

Watch out for scams, especially when dealing with adverts Craigslist:

http://parishousingscamwatch.wordpress.com

We rented with http://www.1weekflat.com/ and we had a great stay at the Europe Apartment, it was really central and confortable . It was located near La Madeleine in the 8th area. We has everything we needed in the flat also a Nespresso Machine. It is a small flat but I am sure you will be able to fond with 1 Week Flat an apartment for you.

We're partial to apartments (and an agency as well as travelers) because you can share the experience without artificial meeting places etc. Advice is don't scrimp on space - which can mean paying more - because you'll never regret feeling comfortable. Judging by your "at least three bedroom" requirement it seems you've already thought of that.

Make sure of the bathroom count and layout - you'll want two if possible or at the least a separated w/c. A clothes washer, found in most but not all apartments, can allow you to pack lighter and feel fresh at the end of your stay.

It's easy to get around Paris, but ask about the nearest Metro stops and lines. Some make it much more efficient than others to reach the sights.

Ron
www.likelivingthere.com

Besides http://www.vrbo.com (for direct to owner rentals), you can also try http://www.flipkey.com for direct rentals.

I have been in this apartment several times and it is quite nice

http://www.loftfactory.net