Guenmai's Paris apartment rental experience
 

Just returned from Paris and promised that I would write my opinion of my Paris apartment rental experience.

First of all for some background. I've basically been vacationing in Paris almost annually since around 1976 and have stayed in a lot of areas of the city. However, as of 1981, I've exclusively stayed in the 6th, and wanted an apartment in that area.

I went with vacationinparis.com and rented apartment #122. I have absolutely no complaints with the agency. It could not have been easier. The keys were mailed to me about 2 weeks before leaving for Paris, along with some paperwork and info...map,reliable taxi company phone number, reliable shuttle service which was great....airport-connection.com....etc... 52 Euro round trip...airport-Paris-airport. You get a 4 Euro discount if you book round trip and you pay by credit card over the computer...so no need to pay the driver directly.

As for the apartment, it was quite nice and well equipped and renovated about 2 years ago. The street was St. Andres des Arts, which I've stayed on previuosly and eaten at several eateries on that street throughout the decades. So the location was perfect for me. One big reason I selecteed the apartment was for the location.

The apartment was a loft...one bedroom/bathroom upstairs and a livingroom (sofa bed),kitchen, half bath downstairs. I was one person, although originally had planned on two of us being in the apartment. But, my mom took sick the week of departure.

Some pluses of the apartment were...location...well-equipped...recently renovated... and a lot of attention obviously put into the design of the apartment.

Some minuses of the apartment were...a bit dark inside for me...only cable on the TV upstairs, so if someone is staying downstairs and wants to watch CNN, not possible-only French TV downstairs. From the guest book entries/comments I think everyone was English speaking. Also, VERY little closet space. I took all of the hanging closet space upstairs and I only had about 4 skirts, 3 blouses, and 3 turtlenecks to hang. There was more shelf space than hanging space. The apartment is 40 square meters big.

As for downstairs, there was enough closet space for about 3 winter coats. Also, the phone upstairs could not be turned off and two days, out of my seven, I stayed in the whole day, due to just being tired and wanting to sleep. The phone rang almost all day, so no sleep. There's a phone upstairs, but not downstairs.

Thanks for your review. Sounds like a good place to stay with a few small glitches. It is a great location.

Also thanks for the tip on the shuttle service. That's a good round-trip price.

CW

Why was the phone ringing all day? Who was calling? Solicitors?

One person was , from what I could understand, a TV or cable repair person looking for the owner and I don't know who the other one was... but it was a woman who kept asking for the owner. And there were times when the phone would ring and I was just too tired to get out of bed to answer it. Happy Travels!

I'd also like to add that the shuttle guy who picked me up at the apartment to drive me back to the airport was great. He was perfectly on time and very pleasant. He's American and from New Mexico. He's fluent in French, as his family is French so he learned young, and he has lived in Paris for 16 years. He speaks other languages,too.

He also has a sightseeing tour business....americandriverinparis.com..... Telephone..06.09.90.52.97 or...from U.S. 011.336.099.052.97. He charges about 250 Euros for a 3-hour tour of Paris...4 people max...or he'll have to try to find a bigger car....or around 350 Euro for a full day...6 hours. He's a driver, not a guide. So, he can not do guided tours inside of a museum, for example.
He also drives people out of France as he had a client who wanted to see Switzerland. He's very flexible and goes with the flow of the client. His name is Christian Mayer. Happy Travels!

I'm headed there next week and I will really pack light since there's not much storage space.

Could you unplug the phone?

Anyway to get on a computer in the apt?

I don't know if there was any way to unplug the phone. I didn't want to crawl under the desk top. Plus, I might have forgotten to replug it in.
Yes, there is computer hook up according to the info in the huge book on the table in the livingroom. In that book is a LOT to read on how to work everything in the apartment.

The street is one-way, going east and almost right at Blvd. St.Michel.

There is no spatula-turner in the apartment...for flipping eggs...etc. so, maybe you should pack one. I always travel with my own supplies, but forgot my spatula. I brought my other supplies along though. But, the kitchen is fully supplied. I've left some fiber cereal in the cabinet which I couldn't finish off. There's other food-stuff in the cabinets that was there when I arrived like olive oil...thank goodness...I get so sick of buying olive oil when I rent apartments and then having to leave it behind.
When you turn off the stove, the red light will stay on until the stove has cooled down and then it will turn off.
You should get the keys soon, as the compnay just e-mailed me today to say that they got the keys back from me and that all was in order and they're sending my $150. deposit back.
On the TV upstairs, you have to turn on both remote controls...but change the channel with the BLACK remote control. You might have to push the AV button on both remotes. It's a weird TV situation. CNN is in the 40 numbers.
And in the shower, turn the shower head in the direction of the right wall as not to get the whole bathroom wet. I always do this in showers that are very small.
If there's anything else that I can think of, I'll write later. Oh, to open the front door, when you put the key in, push the key in and then turn it. If it doesn't work then you have it in upside down. Happy Travels!

Guenmai,
Thanks for sharing your experience. We will also be staying in a vacationinparis apartment #65.

Regarding the airport-connection shuttle, did you book this online and did they call you to confirm the day before pick-up? We want a one way from apartment to Paris Orly for four passengers. Our flight is at 7:00AM so we'll probably need a 4:00AM or earlier pick-up.

Thanks for any info.

Thank you so much Guenmai for the review on this apartment. I had planned to book it for July 2009. Do you know how far in advance they take bookings? Also, is it a good street, and was the apartment noisy? What outlook did the apartment have? I am travelling with teenagers so do you have any recommendations for cheap options for dinner in the street or area? Was there a washing machine and dryer? Any other hints for the area? A lot of questions I know, but personal experience is so valuable. And Teach .... a report after your visit would be warmly welcomed! Thanks again.

Guenmai, where on the shuttle's Web site is the "round trip for 52e" offer? I could only find one way for two people for 47e.

Thanks!

I'll try to answer your questions as best as possible. I might have to sign off for a while and continue later though...
Semsam...Yes, I booked on line. Be aware, however, that they only take Visa/MC. When I tried booking I didn't realize that and 15 minutes later, when I got to the end, they I saw the info about Visa/MC. I only had an Amexp card on me. The Visa card was at home.
You are to call them and reconfirm if you have a round trip shuttle fare. It was very easy to reconfirm.
Upon arrival into Paris, you are to call them when you arrive into the baggage claim area. Well, there were no phones in my baggage claim area.
I arrived into PAris at 5:05PM and the shuttle was to pick me up at 5:45PM..the only time they had available... other times were booked. My bags came at 5:45PM and I then left baggage claim and went to the terminal area where I know there are phones. They give you a toll free number to call. I called it and then they told me to go to Door 20...although it said Door 16 on the paperwork. But, there's still construction at PAris airport.

I then waited for the shuttle guy who I found walking around with my name on a sign. I think I waited a while as he was on the other side of the airport looking for other passengers.
I booked a shared shuttle...hoping to get lucky and end up with a private shuttle... for the shared shuttle price.. I did get lucky on my shared shuttle round-trip fare. I had the shuttle to myself from and back to the airport.He couldn't find the other passengers, at the airport, so reported in and then drove me to the apartment. On my way back to the airport, no other passengers had booked for my time slot which is why I like to fly home on Easter Sunday...it's very calm and usually not busy.
I'll answer other questions later...got to go...Happy Travels!

Mel J- I don't remember exactly where it was on the website. But it said that if one booked a round-trip fare, then one will save 4 Euros. So, I paid 52 Euros total...$81.40 on my Visa card.

Toni- As for how far in advance one can book, I don't know. I booked about 9 months in advacne for the week before Easter.
As for the street and street noise. It's in the center of PAris and Paris can be noisy. I always pack foam earplugs. Some days it was very quiet and others it was a bit noisy. The street is only as wide as a van and is one-way, heading east. So, it's not on a big street with two-way traffic.
As for cheap eating options, I can't think of any off the top of my head. I'm basically been macrobiotic/vegan/vegetarian for 32 years, so I tend to eat at my regular restaurant, Guenmai, in the area and then throw in a few Asian restaurants,too. And no, I have no part in the owenership of the restaurant. I took the nickname, decades ago, for other reasons.

But, there is the rue Gregoire de Tours which is between the rue Buci and Blvd. St.Germain. It's a one-block street of inexpensive restaurants...by Paris standards. I have friends who had a Japanese restaurant there for decades so I know the street well....you walk to the right as you exit the apartment building to get to the street.

Or you can go to the left...as you exit the apartment building and cross the Blvd. St.Michel and then you'll get to the rue Huchette...loaded with inexpensive restaurants...there are fallafel places there and I think the Tunisian bakery is still there.

That's the direction of Notre Dame and is the 5th district.

Plus, the supermarket is on the corner of rue Buci and rue de Seine and all along the rue Buci are food places...delis, bakeries, etc Buy a roasted chicken from one of the places and go back to the apartment and eat. ..
Rue St.Andres des Arts...the street the apartment is on...changes names to rue Buci a block down the street and rue Buci is a 2-3, short-block street.
As for washer/dryer...there's a washer, but no dryer. European washers wash forever...not the 25-35 minutes American washers wash. I didn't use the washer at the apartment. In the instructions that vacationinparis sends out, it's stated that the washer can go up to 4 hours. What I've experienced is that washers go 1-1.5 hours. I try to set them on delicate wash to cut the time down. And remember the temperature will be in Celcius...so be careful, you could ruin the clothes with too high of a temperature. Many times I've tossed clothes in and they've all come out gray because I accidentally hit the wrong temperature button.
Back to the location of the apartment....It's a great location and your teenagers will love it. You had better jump on it! Call the toll-free number of vacationinparis.com...Also there's a Starbucks a few steps down the street from the apartment and the crepe restaurant that I've eaten at for decades is directly across the street. Happy Travels!

toni, I have that apt. rented for this Nov. I booked in March.

I know there is a washer but no dryer. I plan to use the laundromat on rue de Seine, nr the corner of rue de Buci that I've always used. The machines are fast, I run across to Paul for breakfast while they are washing, then back to throw the clothes in the dryer , and out again to do some shopping while they dry. As I recall there is also another laundromat or laundry on rue des grands augustin, about 2 doors down fron rue St Andre des Arts.

Yes, there is a laundromat on rue Grand Augustins. It might be closer to the apartment. I know the one on rue de Seine as I stayed at the Hotel de Seine for years. How long do those washers wash? I can't remember...it's been so long since I used that laundromat.
I remember when that laundromat opened...what a convenience. I also remember when I stopped leaving my passport in my hotel room. It was the day that I was walking back to Hotel de Seine and the street was closed off, with a fire truck, due to the laundromat or a dryer catching on fire or something. Happy Travels!

OK, my turn for a question!

We had to cancel our family spring break trip at the last moment due to a death in the family, and are now looking to reschedule it for later this year or early next year. Saw this apartment, and lo and behold, you stayed in it!

So: would you say it is big enough for a family of 4? Mom, Dad, 2 kids 10 and 12 - kids sleep upstairs. Does the 1/4 turn in the loft stairs afford at least a little privacy and noise reduction? Thanks for answering all these questions!

Guenmai, thanks for the useful info!

Guenmai, thanks so much for your response. It was just what we needed to know. The girls are so excited about the trip already, fuelled of course by my obsessiveness. We watched Paris Je t'aime last night which was a wonderful Paris "fix". Can't wait!

Laughind2...Sorry for the delay of answering your question, but was out of state this weekend on a family emergency. Anyhow, if I were you, I'd put the kids downstairs on the sofa bed and have you upstairs. It's quite comfortable upstairs. The way the loft is built, it provides total privacy as it's built like having a separate floor. It's not like the loft of a friend of mine in Paris where as you stand in the livingroom, you look up and see the open loft area. And there's a half bathroom downstairs that the kids could use...toilet and sink.
You could fit into this apartment because of the way it's designed. Just remember there's not a lot of closet space. The kids could use the shelves downstairs and fold all of their clothes and store them there. You would have one small hanging closet upstairs and some shelves. Hope that's answered your questions. The location is the best and it's worth it for that alone. Happy Travels!

TTT....Happy Travels!