Hi everyone --

My mom and I are looking into taking a week-long trip to Paris in Feb., and we are looking to rent an apartment. Which reputable websites would you all recommend? We are looking for a 2 BR, and the site I've been looking at is www.vacationinparis.com . They seem to have a good variety.

Also, where would you suggest we stay (arrondisement)? This is my 2nd trip (although I only went VERY briefly when I was 16) and my mother's 1st trip. We'd like to be within walking distance of sites, restuarants, food markets, shopping, etc..We want to see all the regular sites, but still have time to stroll around and enjoy ourselves.

Thanks

ttt

Can anyone help?

We booked our tickets tonight

Check out the reviews on www.slowtrav.com. EXCELLENT resource. I chose my place in Italy based on very complete reviews and descriptions.

beachgirl, my wife and I used the vrbo website to find an apartment in Paris. It is a collection of properties that are owned by various individuals. Once you see something you are interested in, you e-mail the owner and deal directly with them from that point on. Here's a link to the place we rented: www.vrbo.com/24464 You can browse that site for other apartments in Paris. (The place we rented had one bedroom plus a fold-out couch in the living room; it was perfectly suitable, but you and your mother may prefer something with two bedrooms.)

As for location, I think you'll find that many of the Paris regulars have a preferred arrondisement. I am rather partial to the 4th and the 7th, but Paris is a very easy city to get around in, either on foot, by metro, or bus. Others may weigh in here with more helpful advice.

If you would like to know anything more about that apartment I mentioned above, please don't hesitate to ask. I'd also suggest you do a search here using "Paris apartments" to find the many previous threads on this topic.

Anselm

Hi Beachgirl,

I highly recommend www.guestapartment.fr We stayed at one of their apartments last month and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I believe they primarily offer apartments on the Isle Saint Louis which is a fantastic area! The owners of this business Phillippe & Christophe were wonderful to deal with. The few times I needed to get something from them or pay the balance their office was packed with people inquiring about renting (mostly Americans)! We also rented a 2 bedroom apartment and it was safe, immaculate and very comfortable. The view from our apartment overlooked the Seine and it was just magical at night!

I've stayed in many different areas within Paris and this was definitely my favorite!!

http://www.private-paris.com/

I rented the rue Mouffetard studio in '04 and will rent the rue de Grenelle apt in '07. Henri is a delight to work with. He gets back to you quickly via email to answer questions and takes credit cards. He will meet you at the apt. (mine had fresh flowers which was a nice touch) with the key at a time convenient to you.

I loved the rue Mouffetard area (in the 5th) and if you put rue Mouffetard in the search box above you'll likely see some posts about it. It is a sweet ancient (used to be the road to and from Rome when the Romans ruled Europe) little market street of cobblestones that is mostly pedestrian. Lots of cheap ethnic food and the street is busy and bustling night and day although the apartment is quiet due to its courtyard location.

I'm staying in the rue de Grenelle apt. (kind of on the border of the 6th & 7th) because it is a bit more centrally located to some of the sights my friends and I want to see (well that and the Christian Louboutin store is directly across the street!). A much less quaint area but with tons of window shopping and close to the D'Orsay, Invalides, Champs de Mars.

My daughter and I just stayed in this
http://www.vrbo.com/60877
VRBO apartment in the 16th. Just around the corner from the Trocadero. It worked well for us. My daughter used the front lounge and pull out bed for her bedroom. The pictures are accurate. It was a great neighborhood and a metro ride from everywhere.

I just returned from Paris. While I was there, I rented a 2 bedroom
apartment from http://parispiedaterre.com. The apartment was beautiful
and in a very nice neighborhood (the 16th arrondissement). Also, the
owner was great to work with.

we used www.beau-paris.com and rented a 2 bdrm apt in 15th on rue Borromee from Phillipe who spoke English. Great location.

God, moabk, those places are gorgeous! I'm going to bookmark for my next trip to Paris. Thanks.

Moakb, if you don't mind saying, which of the two bedroom apartments did you rent - Passy or Trocadero - they both look lovely. I am definitely going to bookmark that site. I just returned from Paris 2 days ago and am already thinking ahead to the next trip so as not to sink into a total post-vacation funk! I have always rented an apartment in the 16th (thru vrbo) - I love the area although I don't think I would say that its within *walking* distance of what most people would consider the major "sites" - unless you want to do a lot of walking Although the metro system in Paris is so extensive that I don't think of the 16th as being far away from anything, really.

We used www.lacigaleparis.com for our apartment. two bedrooms, but it can sleep 4-6 easily and the owners are sheer delight to work with.

I'm very biased but strongly recommend either the 4th (Marais) or 5th (Left bank). Older Paris, smaller streets, lots of restaurants and shops and markets and near museums.

Low-numbered arrondissements are more central than high-numbered arrondissements. The most chichi are the 16th and 7th. The 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th (and arguably the 8th) are good for tourists. The least desirable are 18th, 19th, and 20th.

However, the city of Paris itself is very dense and fits into an oval only a few miles across, so no matter which arrondissement you choose, you are within easy reach of the sights by Métro.

Chichi? AnthonyGa - sorry but not sure what that means?

<<the city of Paris itself is very dense and fits into an oval only a few miles across>>

Would someone kindly put this into perspective and advise then how long a metro trip would take say, from the 18th arond. to the Eiffel Tower. Many Thanks.

chichi= tres chic, refined, elegant

I can't give you specifics on how mong it will take you via the metro but the farther you get from Central Paris (1-7th arrondisements) the more times you will likely be required to switch trains to get to your final destination.

You should pull up the Paris metro map (just google to get the website) and take a look at the various lines and how many times you will have to change lines to get to your desired destinations.

<i>Chichi</i> can mean either very chic and elegant, or <i>pretending</i> to be very chic and elegant. I intended a mixture of both.

Most M&eacute;tro trips in the city take between ten and forty minutes. Paris is a little over 9 km (6 mi) across. The suburbs go on and on, but most of the sights that interest tourists are in the city limits proper.

Definitely suggest visiting the www.vrbo.com website as there are over 300 listings for Paris apartments. My husband and I loved one we found there www.wewillalwayshaveparis.net but there are many others. Good Hunting!