I am planning to rent an apartment for 3 people in Paris (6 nights) and Rome (5 nights) for a May 08 trip. We are three students doing this on the cheap, but apartments are worth it to us for the added privacy and increased cooking ability. My main question is- what companies have you had good luck renting from? I've never rented an apartment abroad and I am leery of renting from an individual, so any advice on apartment rentals in these cities (or in general) would be appreiated!

We are dealing with vacationinparis.com for our January trip - so far, so good! And now paying in US dollars makes a world of difference.

L.

copper, if you do a quick search for "paris apartments" on this site you will get a plethora of information. There are a wide range of agencies, some specializing in high end and others more moderate. Two other places to look are www.vrbo.com and craigslist for Paris in the vacation rentals listings. Both of those usually contain some postings that will link to an agency.
You may find that many places require a minimum of a one week (6 or 7 night) rental, but there are others with shorter minimum stays. FYI, it is not unusual for shorter stays to require payment of an additional cleaning charge.
Lastly, it is not too early to begin booking your accommodations, as that is peak travel time and the best places often book far in advance.
Happy travels!

We had a very good experience renting from realrome.com in Rome. The owner, Tim Pearson, is very pleasant to deal with. These apartments are somewhat less expensive than those listed with many other agencies.

I think you've made a good decision to pursue an apartment stay. You'll be able to save money on your food too, even if you just eat one meal a day in your apartment.

I've rented about 25 apartments/houses in Europe over the past 10 years, most of them direct from owners. The only problem I ever had was with a rental through an agency. Have a personal dialogue via e-mail with the owner, and you will be able to tell if you have a good feeling about the person and the process.

I recently started a discussion on another website concerning an economical apartment in Paris for three nights for three people this spring. My goal was to spent 100 euro a night or less. The discussion should be helpful to you, as I identified many potential resources and got recommendations from several people. http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a...4/m/8801000773

I ended up renting this apartment http://www.perfectplaces.com/vacation-rentals/38447.htm in the Latin Quarter for 80 euro a night. It's small but done in excellent taste and in a great area.

I agree that you need to work on this over the holidays. You'll find several great resources/recommendations on the link I gave you above.

Kathy

My wife and I rented an apartment in Rome last May from Il Glicine, http://www.ilglicine.net/.
We were satisfied with the apartment and with Il Glicine. We'll probably rent from them again if we go back to Rome.

Il Glicine required our credit card number when we reserved the apartment for payment of a penalty if we reneged. They also required full payment of the rent when we occupied the apartment. We asked in advance if we could pay in travelers checks (in Euros), and they agreed. I gather this is a common arrangement.

We used www.comfortitalia.com. Everything went very smoothly, and they even arranged a car service for us to and from the airport (we paid). Someone from the company met us at the apartment, and gave us her cell number in case we had any problems. We didn't, and absolutely loved the flat and the neighborhood.

Kathy,
I was just looking at the apartment link you posted in the Spanish Quarter--I know nothing about Paris at this point. I will be in Europe this summer with my 14yo daughter and Paris is one destination we are considering. Would this apartment be good for the two of us in your opinion--it looks charming. How comfortable was that sofa bed?
Kellye

Hi Kathy, I'd love to hear more about your experience with this apt also.Sorry to get in on your post copper675.

Thanks,
S

S,

Hey, whatever works. I looked into the apartment that Kathy suggested and contacted the owners. They were very nice people, but unfortunately the apartment was booked for my dates, so didn't work out. I would give them an email- they seemed very kind.

We (husband, 20 year-old daughter and I) just returned from Rome and had a great stay in an apartment in Trastevere. It is #279 at romanreference.com. It has 1 double bedroom, 1 single, and a sofabed in the living room. It was pretty, extremely convenient to transportation to everywhere in Rome, helpful owners next door who speak English, Ethernet cable for your laptop, quiet. Perfect in all ways and 700 euros for 6 nights in January.

Also, I hope of you looked at slowtrav.com you also looked at their apartment reviews for Paris and Rome.