Ronda

I have been frantically searching for an apartment we can afford for our upcoming June trip - what a nightmare! I'll tell you all later but I was all set to lease this apartment when our dates changed and it was not possible.

It has a really good review and I e-mailed the reviewers who graciously sent me pictures and answered my questions:

http://www.vrbo.com/171439

I think it was 600 euros which is less expensive than a budget hotel and has a little kitchen.

Communications with Steve, a retired American in Paris, were excellent and I might add that he also does a limited amount of guided tours if you ask him about them.

I also found the apartment listed with a rental agency at a slightly higher price but it had excellent pictures of the apartment:

http://www.parisaddress.com/details/...d=229&l=en

If you contact Steve, please tell him Ronda sent you because I feel bad that we were unable to take the apartment after he held it for us.

Our trip was decided upon just two weeks ago and all the usual Fodor recommended apartments are booked up - well, at least the ones I can afford. I tried a lot of agencies, some recommended here and some not, before I started looking at VRBO. I think I will start a thread on how to find an apartment on VRBO because it wasn't that easy to navigate.

Well, I pass this along in case someone else is having trouble finding a last minute apartment.

Couster

Ronda, I am looking for an apt. in Paris for the week of June 22. Not much left in our price range. Did the apt. that he was holding for you by any chance have a/c? That is a must for us.
I gave up on VRBO b/c it indeed is so hard to navigate. If you have some tips that you'd be willing to share, that would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Ronda

I am in the process of writing about my experiences off line and will post it shortly. The aparatment did not have AC. If you go to www.weatherunderground.com you can look at the weather history for your dates. We were in Provence and Paris same time in 2006. On July 1 2006 it was 86 degrees in Paris and it was a record (so that was the hottest it has ever been on that date - according to their records). It was hot and our hotel had no AC. We were ok but could have been better. Last year the high was 73 degrees.

There aren't as many apartments with AC and you are starting late. Paris Perfect does have a studio with a sleeper sofa that has AC. It is the Kir apartment and a few days ago it was available. I think it is 1000 euros per week.

Ronda

BTW if you look at the pictures of the apartment you will see it have ceiling fans. Steve is very nice.

Christina

I haven't ever rented an apt. through VRBO as I tend not to want to rent from private owners, and have always chosen agencies, but I've visited and used the site a lot.

I don't find it particular hard to navigate, I think it's simple because it is so primitive and doesn't do much. So it is very time-consuming because you can't really search by anything. There aren't really that many apts on it in Paris, so it doesn't really take that long to look at the descriptions if you have a good idea what area, size and budget you want (at least for me).

Basically, on VRBO, once you choose France and then Paris, the apts say they are ordered by "neighborhood" which I'm not so sure what that means and they start with arr. 9 for some odd reason. They do seem to be by arrondisement, anyway, so then I say sort by number of bedrooms (do not select ignore neighborhood), and you get a listing by arrondisement and bedrooms. I then look at the info within the arr. I am considering, size and price. At least that is the main criteria I choose by.

I don't think there is any way to only list apts with AC, for example, or any feature. If so, I sure don't know it.

Aside from my not being that pre-disposed to renting from private owners, I also prefer websites where you can do better searching and selection. I guess you get what you pay for -- these are just private ads by owners, and VRBO doesn't feel like investing any money in the website.

Ronda

IM glad for you, Christina, that you find it so simple. Others of us who are not quite so savy have a difficult time. There are numerous listings for Paris and some do say what floor they are on, if there is an elevator, and if they have AC they sure as heck put that in their ad. They want you to know.

There is certainly something to be said about an agent meeting you in Paris and explaining the apartment to you, etc. especially if it is your first time.

Ronda

Couster, I hurridley composed a post regarding my incomplete rental experience because you asked. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35123533

If the link doesn't work, click on my name and that should pull it up.

Hope it helps you.

seafox

www.rentparis.com does have a couple of apartments left that week in June in the 3rd. Not exactly the Marais, but close and good prices. I've had good luck renting from them in the past.