paris apartment
 

myself, my husband and our 14 yr old son are going to paris at the end of oct for a 4 night stay. we are hoping to stay in an apartment- something fairly central have read some of the postings of possible internet rental sites but the choice is a bit overwhelming.was wondering if anyone had already stayed in a specific apartment which they would recommend. tks for your help. martina

We loved our apartment rented from Paris Perfect with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower. We rented the Cabernet. Check it out at www.parisperfect.com

We rented from parisholidayapts.com. Everything went smoothly and was exactly as shown on the website and as decribed.

tks a lot for your help which i am checking out. am also looking at rentparis.com - any comments? tks martina

My husband and I rented an apartment with our twenty-something daughter for a week last May. It was superbly located in the 7th (bordering the 6th), which put us in walking distance to all the sights. The apartment itself was truly deluxe in every way, and we enjoyed it immensely. The website is www.chezmichelaparis.com. The owner, a lovely American man, is delightful to deal with. We wouldn't hesitate to rent it again.

I have used rentparis twice and been very satisfied with the apartments and the customer service. They also rent daily, which I find other rental sites mostly do not.

For 4 nights I don't think an apartment is worth the hassle. Why not get a triple hotel room (the Muguet has one and there are other references to others that have them). If you are wedded to an apartment then perhaps something like the Citadines apartment hotels would be suitable.

t

I don't know why some people might feel it is a hassle to rent an apartment for only a few days. I did just that the first time I rented. It was only 3 nights in Paris. It was just as easy as checking in to a hotel. The arrangements for payment were easy. I had no problems, never needed to contact the agents. I loved being so relaxed and coming and going and shopping in all the local markets.

I shop the markets also--one of our favorite things to do. But we don't spend a lot of time in our room--and particularly for a short term visit. And the sites I have explored are a good bit more expensive than a hotel. No dishes to clean up either.

My experience is that most apartments are rented on a weekly basis, so it makes your search a little harder if you want one that will rent on a daily basis. Other than being tied to the owner's calendar (they may rent only Saturday to Saturday, for example) we found staying in an apartment far superior to staying in a hotel, and were I going to be there for only four or five days, I would look closely at renting an apartment for a whole week.

In looking for an apartment, size and location are important. I would also seek one that takes credit cards or checks, and that doesn't demand wire transfers. Getting fifteen hundred or so Euros out of an ATM is often a challenge, and you end up with a wad of bills that would choke a mule.

Marina,
I understand your interest in an apartment since you are traveling with a 14 year old. We rented an apartment for 5 nights in June in the Latin Quarter - quite cheap. It is small, but beats the size of a hotel room and is cheaper than two hotel rooms. We will be there with 12 and 16 year old sons. So far, the company has been great. My research turned up all positive experiences. Here are the two websites:
http://parissweethome.com/latin_uk.htm
or
http://opodohome.com/jussieu_uk.htm
(same apartment)
They have other apartments (friends are staying in another). I'll give a report when we return in July from our 3 week trip. Good luck.
norskie

I had an excellent experience dealing with Pascal Zytomirski.

Here are the apartments he rents:

One bedrooms :
75 Bd Malesherbes, 4 people, in the 8th district, Madeleine Opera area, Metro St Augustin
24 rue des Vertus, 4 people, in the 3rd district, in Le Marais, Metro Arts et Metiers
11 rue de la Huchette, 4 people, in the 5th, Metro St Michel in the Latin quarter.

Studios:
11 rue Duvivier, Studio for 2 in the 7th district, MEtro Ecole Militaire.
24 rue Xavier Privas, Studio for 4 in the 5th district, metro St Michel, in the latin quarter
37 rue de la Harpe, Studio for 4 in the 5th district, metro St Michel in the latin quarter

You can email Pascal at [email protected]

Pascal acts as the rental agent for all the owners. He will meet you at the apartment with the keys after you arrive in Paris.

I rented the apartment at 11 rue Duvivier and was very satisfied. Apartment rentals work best if you are staying longer than a week. My apartment was quiet and totally modernized with a washer/dryer. The cost was much less than a hotel room would have been for a lot more space.

I wouldn't ever rent an apt. for four days, either, and I can tell you why, so maybe you can understand why people feel this way:

1) all S/T Parisian vacation apts. I've seen require compete prepayment of the amount before you stay there -- usually before you even arrive; prepayment includes often 1/2 to 1/3 of the amount upon booking (no matter how far ahead) and then complete payment about 30 days ahead.

2) many apts. require payment in euro, so you may have to pay fees to get that; if they accept USD, you probably pay a fee for that.

3) apts. rented by private owners are solely on faith as to whether you get what you booked and whether they may return a security deposit, if you made one;

4) in that line, many apts. require security deposits, ranging from modest to quite large (hundreds of euro);

5) many apts. won't have little necessities or household items, so you must buy them from scratch, and often more than you really need (ie, condiments, soap, toilet paper, paper towels, etc)

6) you often don't really know what you are getting until you get there -- there can be surprises regarding utilities, furniture, amenties, location,etc.

7) you can't just leave if you don't like it, even with a day or two notice, like a hotel

8) people who aren't familiar with Paris may not have anyone to ask small questions of like in a hotel

9) few apts. rent for less than 5 days, and if they do you pay a premium

10) few Parisian apts have A/C, important in summer

11) they are not really economical for single people (believe me, I know, you can't compare the price of a basic Parisian rental apt. to a nice 3* hotel for one person--an apt is much more at the same level of comfort). Apts are more expensive. They seem to only be most economical for families who are comparing them to two hotel rooms and are willing to have people sleeping on sofabeds, etc

12) you really don't need to be grocery shopping and cooking during a few day stay in Paris, although someone who doesn't like eating out in Paris and stays in every night might have a reason, I'll agree

13) cheaper Paris apts do not have high quality decor or furniture, so can be less comfortable than a decent hotel (not to mention odd plumbing arrangements), and less attractive.

I know Paris pretty well and have been there many times, but I'm not renting an apt for my stay this July for 10 days, because it's not that important to me. I'd rather be in a nice 3* hotel with AC for 90 euro a night for a double room (which is what I am getting). I like being comfortable and I spend my time being out in Paris when I'm there. The hotel I prefer and am booked at has large rooms, AC and a minibar, plus very comfortable beds and good bathrooms.

I know you said you used Rentparis and they have some decent places, but their web site says they require 50 pct payment as deposit and the balance paid in advance (at arrival at latest, before you've stayed there), and a 300 euro security deposit. I think they have a 45 day-in-advance cancellation period, and even then they take a small fee for cancellation; within 45 days, they refund nothing. If they do rent for only a few days (web site doesn't say), I'm sure they are raising the price per day for that service.

Their apts aren't cheaper than a hotel -- for example, they have a small studio in a noisy and crowded area of the latin Qtr on the ground floor (which is cheaper property value and desirability, both for noise and security reasons) which is only 300 SF and rents for 125 euro a night. As I said, I'm getting a 3* hotel for only 90 euro a night which is in a better area and not much smaller than that, isn't on the ground floor in a noisy area, and is more attractive than that place which is really rather cheaply furnished.

Anyway, maybe that explains some reasons why some people don't want to rent apts for a short stay in Paris.

I posted in April about renting from www.private-paris.com. We are actually in the apartment now and it exceeds my expectations. It has triple the space of our last 3 star Parisien hotel room. The extra room made our enforced longer indoors stay more comfortable during last 2 days in bad Paris weather. The apartment is in a historic mansion on r Mouffetad but renovated with nice equipment.
The apartment manager is really responsive. He came by on a Sunday to lend us a laptop when I have problems logging on with my own on the ADSL line:
Even so an apartment rental is more hazzle to arrange. Our plane was delayed and NW Airline rerouted us for a 5 hr delay. I have to find a wifi connection at the airport to send an email to the rental agency informing them of the arrival time change.

Has anyone rented from Charla and Walid Halabi at parispiedaterre.com?

Either general experience renting from these owners, or comments specific to the apartment @ 33 rue du Champ de Mars would be appreciated!