We are two couples traveling to Paris in mid-September of '08 looking to rent an apartment with 2 bedrooms (queeen or bigger) with ensuite bathrooms. Does any one have any recommendations? If not that, we would consider two one-bedrooms apartments the same building. Does anyone know of any rentals like that? Our budget is $200/per couple. Any suggestions given would be appreciated.

www.vrbo.com

Your might take a look at these:

www.parisperfect.com

www.parisianflat.com

www.parisvacationapartments.com
(please note this one is quoted in dollars, not euros)

kattom, we stayed in this two bedroom/two bathroom apartment in February and will be staying there again at Christmas:

http://tinyurl.com/yw8kl7 (This link takes you to the listing on the Holiday rentals site.)

You specifically mention ensuite bathrooms. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom, but the second bathroom is directly across the hall from the second bedroom.

Our trip report, which includes a description of the apartment, is here. Just scroll down to the post at 10:00 am on March 23:

http://tinyurl.com/2be4vm (This takes you to a Fodors thread.)

Anselm

We stayed at the two bedroom, 1st floor Palais Royal apt from www.parisvacationapartments.com and it was perfect: large, great location, beautifully furnished, quiet. Two bedrooms, one with a king-size bed and one with a queen. One bedroom has an enormous en suite bathroom, and the other has a slightly smaller bathroom that's right outside the bedroom door. The bedrooms are at opposite sides of the apartment, so you won't disturb each other.

Fully equipped kitchen, including separate washing machine and dryer (which comes in very handy when traveling with kids, though you may not need it). The building has an elevator, though you'll likely only use it for luggage and groceries, as it's only one floor above ground level.

Price for that period (in dollars) is $2400 for the week, and I found management to be excellent in every respect. I would stay at this apartment again in a heartbeat.

Therese, thanks for posting about that place. We thought about it one time and were disappointed that it wasn't available when we were travelling. It's still on our list of possibilities, though, so it's great to hear a good review.

AA

My pleasure, Anselm. The property you stayed in sounds fantastic as well.

You aren't Tom Cruise and the missus are you -- well, I'm going to tell you that the odds of finding an apt like that are slim to none. Really, it doesn't make much sense as no residence would likely have all bathrooms only accessible through a bedroom. There will be at least one that is from a hallway, as there should be, for folks who are guests. No one would design a house or apt. that way.

Do you refuse to share a bathroom with the other couple? Yes, I understand that it is better if you don't have to.

Excellent point, Christina. And even apartments with two full bathrooms aren't all that easy to come by.

I think you will find that Paris Perfect has about 13 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartments. They also have additional 3 bedroom apartments. They probably have more than any of the othrs.

ParisPerfect does have a number of 2BR/2BA apartments. They are, unfortunately, on the expensive side. The two least expensive are Reisling (2296 euro/wk for September) and Chardonnay (2730/wk for September), and neither of these is truly a two bedroom: each has a small study that can be converted to sleeping space at night, and neither is suited to the OP's needs.

The one BR apts at ParisPerfect are closer to the OP's price range, but obviously also not suitable.

We stayed in one of the Paris Perfect apts and while I agree that the price is high..you get exactly what you see .. they are very very nice!
Anyone who has done this already knows that in Paris..you pay for anything extra and a 2 bedroom with 2 baths is gonna cost you!

Perhaps if the price is too high, the requirements can be changed a wee bit?

BTW- our bed was a queen but the bedroom was not.. Paris apt rooms are small..even when you get a large bed, the rooms are not typically great big and again, you pay for that square footage!

Good luck~

Wow! thank you all for your responses. I've checked out the most obvious already....vrbo, paris perfect, etc. And I have emailed them too. I realize that it is a bit difficult to find, but thought you all might have some insight. While we have no problem sharing a bathroom, our friends tend to be early birds and get up at dawn. On the other hand, we like to sleep in as long as possible and not be spotted until we've at least had a minute to ourselves in the morning. Plus, when 2 ensuite bathrooms are in an apartment, the bedrooms are usually comparable in most ways and then we won't have to flip a coin. Unfortunately the 2 bedroom units in our price range at the Palais Royal that Therese mentioned are already gone for our dates!!! I will check out the apartment that AnselmAdorne recommends (thanks!) and appreciate any other help you all can provide.

I think it sounds like you'd be happier in a hotel. I'm sure you've already thought of that though!

I think a hotel may be more suitable, also, but otherwise, probably two one-bedroom apts would be better so you each have your own space. I understand you are just with friends, so want your privacy and can see why you'd want your own bathroom each. Not wanting to walk around in front of people in your robe or less, etc.

It's just going to be very hard because your requirements are for a luxury apt., and even then that combination would be rare, but your price range is budget. So I don't think it will happen. An apt. that has two en-suite bedrooms will probably also have a powder room in the hallway for guests, as it is rare to only have bathrooms accessible from bedrooms. But that really puts it in the luxury category. Also, forgetting that requirement, finding a two bedroom apt. where each bedroom has a queen bed or bigger is going to be very very difficult. A lot of the 2 bedroom apts will have a queen (or two twins to be pushed together) in one perhaps, but then the second will be smaller and maybe just a twin or bunk beds, or often just a sofabed.

I actually found a couple apts that had two bedrooms and two ensuite bathrooms and were in your price (which is only about 200 euro a night for the apt.) range on www.parisattitude.com

They do have lots of of two bedrooms in that price, actually. I looked at several but none really meets your criteria. Even the ones that had two bathrooms, which were rare, didn't have two bedrooms that were comparable. I think that's not going to be true, assuming if there are two bathrooms the spaces will be the same.

FWIW, look at no. 2601 in the Marais and no. 2075 near the Eiffel Tower on parisattitude.com

They are 2 bedrm, 2 ensuite bathroom apts less than 1400 euro a week. The second one is in the 15th near place Dupleix which is a decent area, and even has a balcony with a partial view of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, the second bedroom only has a sofabed. In the first one, the second bedroom (even though a very small bathroom is attached) is about half the size of the first bedroom.

I do know another place that has large 2-bedrm apts in the Latin Quarter, but I just don't think anything in that budget, but I'll see if I can find the URL.

Also, mid-September is peak season in Paris for hotel rates and is very busy. So it will be peak prices for apartments, also, of course.

AnselmAdorne--the apartment you stayed in looks very nice. Thanks for the link. Could you tell me what size each of the "double" beds are in the rooms? ( I'm learning that double means different things to different people.)

Also, could you tell me why the apartment you chose was better than the other one mentioned. I think in your review you said it "felt better or more friendly" but could you be more specific? I had also seen that one in my searching and was curious about it.

I realize I'm an optimist and continue to hope that we can find a reasonably nice apartment for around $400 a night.

Thanks for all your help

Fabulous!

www.lacigaleparis.com

kattom, about the beds in the apartment in rue des Petits Champs ... my recollection is that the bed in the master bedroom was close in size to what we in North America call a queen. I'm a little less certain about the bed in the second bedroom, but I believe it was the same size.

I do know that European bed sizes don't match ours exactly, so you might want to send an enquiry to Sheila, the owner. She is Canadian, so is familiar with NA furniture sizes, and can doubtless tell you the exact size of the two beds. She has been very prompt in replying to any emails I have sent her.

We had narrowed our choice down to the apartment on rue des Petit Champs or the one on boulevard Henri IV. There were two things that tilted us to the one on Petit Champs: we were going to be a party of four and it seemed to have more comfortable seating. The second reason was far more subjective: the place on Henri IV looked as if it had been furnished for renters, whereas the apartment on Petit Champs looked more personalized (or lived in, I suppose you could say). The bookshelves, for example, looked particularly appealing. We certainly didn't regret our choice. And, as I mentioned in our trip report, you can cook in that kitchen should you wish to.

Marcy, another Fodor's regular, has rented the apartment on Henri IV and gave it a good report card. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/26lodm (This will take you to a review on another Fodor's thread.)

Hope this helps.

Anselm