Paris apartments that rent less than a week?
 

I've searched the board for a few days now and I can't find any topics that cover renting apartments in Paris for about 4 or 5 nights. I would really prefer to rent an apartment as opposed to staying in a hotel, but I'm not sure how realistic that is since we will not be spending a week in Paris.

We will be a group of 5 people(Mom and Dad in their mid-60's, 3 women from early to mid 30's) and we will need two separate apartments. My sister and I have already been to Europe twice, but for the rest of the group it will be their first time to Europe.

I would like to stay in either the 4th/5th/6th/7th arr., and I'm not quite sure about the budget yet, which I know is an important fact to include. We will either be going to Europe mid-Sept. or Early October 2011. Right now, I'm just trying to search for any agency that doesn't require you to spend a week at their apartment.

Any help would be great because I'm already feeling that horrible stressful panic that only seems to hit you when searching for apartments in Paris - did I mention that it will also be my parents 40th anniversary? And that it's been my mothers dream to visit Paris for eons?

We rented a wonderful 1 BR apt in the 7th arr for 5 days from Vacation in Paris (www.vacationinparis.com) Some properties require a minimum stay, but not all. I would highly recommend this agency.

Yes, VIP, rents some for 4-5 days although I had one with them for 7 days. Also check www.homeaway.com and www.vrbo.com and scroll through the listings. Happy Travels!

Thanks for the replies!

leuk2 - do you happen to have the exact web address for the apartment you rented?

guenmai - I have thought about VRBO, but I'm a bit nervous about renting from private owners. Is homeaway like VRBO? I know some people have had success with that company.

homeaway and vrbo are the same company. I just like the homeaway website better as I find it easier to navigate. i found a great apartment through homeaway and stayed in it a few months ago. I dealt directly with the owner, who happens to be American.

I even paid for it in U.S. dollars and she sent the keys out to me before I left home. She lives here in the States. So, it can be fine to deal with the owner. Just after you've selected an apartment, run it by folks on different forums, to see if they have stayed at it. I actually didn't do that with the last apartment that I had as it was a fairly new listing and with no reviews. But, I was on e-mail with the owner for months and had a really good feeling about it and she turned out to be great and we still e-mail each other. Happy Travels!

I believe you can rent apartments for less than a week at www.rentparis.com. I have rented from them with good success.

You should try Citadines:
http://www.citadines.com/en/property...tml?City=Paris
My husband and I stayed at the one in the Bastilles district.
While the kitchen facilites are small, they were adequate
for a short stay. The one on the Quai Augustines (??)
is the best location for all things Paris.
There are different sizes of apartments. Get the one with real
beds, not pullouts, for your parents as they will be much more
comfortable.
They have wifi, too.
Best luck to you.

Check out www.slowtrav.com for reviews of rentals and rental agencies. I'm sure you will find many that will rent for less than a week.

Do you need both apartments to be in the same building? Or just nearby? In either case, I would suggest contacting agencies directly. That's an unusual request; it might be hard to figure out from the web site listings.

Fortunately you're planning well ahead of time. But don't tarry!

As you will discover, VacationinParis.com imposes a not insubstantial surcharge for short stays (less than a prescribed minimum number of days, which varies with the apartment selected). We stayed in one of their apartments for 5 days and paid the charge. We were happy with the service, apartment, location.

Enjoy your trip.

Hi Anna - we found an apartment in the 7th that we'll stay at next week for 5 nights. The website is below. So far everything has gone very well with our reservation, deposit, etc. We are also travelling with another couple and were pleased to find a 2 bdrm 2 bath apt. Good luck.
http://www.rentalfrance.com/index.ph...alar-2nd-floor

I'm renting the place listed below for less than a week.

As Hmmm says, there's a "short stay" fee; i think it varied per apt on the minimum # of days. As I recall , most require a minimum of 5 nights' stay , which you require for your group--so possibly you would not have to pay that fee for Vacation in Paris

Even with that fee included, the flat we chose came to not much more than many hotels we considered. Here's the thread about that VIP flat:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nparis-235.cfm

Another possibility is to go through Paris Perfect, where rates are more per night. They rent for less than a week... IF there is a gap between renters. However, they don't take bookings on those until about two weeks prior to arrival, and most folks like to have plans and dates "firmed up" before that.

Thanks to all who wrote with ideas. Anna, thank you for starting this thread!

Our experience with Paris Perfect has been different. We've tried 3 different trips to rent any of 3 or 4 apartments for 5 or 6 nights during different time frames. Each time we were told that it was not possible to rent for less than 7 nights. Frankly, we've given up. We would have liked to have stayed there in the past and really wanted to stay at one of their apartments for our trip next week with another couple. But their rules and our time availability just don't seem to mesh. While we'd love to spend 7 ngihts in Paris each time we're in France, our schedules don't allow us that luxury and PP doesn't seem particularly flexible. In our experience anyway. Thankfully, there are many other apts that do accomodate shorter time frames.

I found an absolutely charming apartment on Ile St Louis for our 4-night stay next June thru VRBO. It's apartment #218078 (the Juliette). The owner has been very easy to work with, and has made me feel completely comfortable with this transaction. (There was no short-stay premium attached.)
I hope you find just what you're looking for.

I think you'll find a few companies who rent for five nights (of course you can always do it if you pay for more days), but four days is really unusual. I think this place has no minimum, although they do have a $100 flat fee for any rental (additional to the rent). I guess it depends what the bottom line is.

Thanks to everyone for their replies!

Nikki - rentparis is an option, but most of their apartments are in the 3rd, and aren't in the central location we are looking for.

Mimar - I forgot to check slowtrav! Thanks!

Janicego - have you dealt with rentalfrance before? Do they have staff in Paris that can help if there is a problem?

Calinurse - I looked at your previous thread, and I've also heard mixed reviews about vacationinparis. How has the process gone with them so far?

I've contaced Paris Perfect because although they are way, way out of our budget, my sister and I thought we would just pay the money for our parents since it is their 40th anniversary, and they seem to have such wonderful customer service, which is a big deal to me. Sadly, like calinurse said, they only rent less than a week if you call them two weeks in advance - not ideal.

Burley - thanks so much for your post. Ile Saint Louis is a place we have been seriously thinking about staying. Have you heard good reviews about this apartment?

Christina - thanks for your comment, but I'm not sure if you forgot to post a link?

The sticking point is the number of days right now. We have a very limited time in Europe(we really had to talk our parents into staying 3 weeks instead of 2)and my mother is pretty stuck on 4 nights in Paris.

The reviews listed on the VRBO site are glowing. I found a couple of other good ones on TripAdvisor, but did not find any other reviews on any other sites (SlowTrav, etc.) Again, I feel very comfortable with the owner's communication (she is in the US). This will be our first apartment rental, but I'm confident in my decision. Have you looked at the apartment? Isn't it the most charming place you've ever seen?

you're right, I did forget It was Panache Rental

http://www.panacherental.com/

Burley,

That's great that it's gotten such great reviews. Since the owner is in the US, what happens if you have a problem with the apartment?

Christina - thanks for the link...I'll look into it later!

Anna1013 - Well, our first stay at this apt will be next week. Yes, they seem to have a staff person in Paris as he'll meet us at the apartment the day we arrive. He, Pascal, has recommendations on this board. Our reservations, deposit, etc. have all been handled professionally. That's all I can say so far. Good luck.

http://www.quaibourbon.com/property_details.html

above is another in your # of days requirement, Janice. It looks beautiful, on Ile St louis. Owner will rent it for four days, but no less.
300 Euro/night.

Calinurse,

Thanks so much for the link, but I think the price it a bit too high for us, and we would need two apartments that are near to each other.

Anna,

Check www.parisbestlodge.com. They have good reviews here and they have some apartments that are close together.

CW,

Paris Best Lodge was actually on the top of my list due to all the great reviews, but I emailed Thierry last week and he said that he only rents his apartments for an entire week.

http://www.apartmentparishotel.com/appart42.html

Now why didnt i think of this before? They are apts affiliated with Hotel Relais de Bosquet in the 7th, nr Rue Cler. they are all near each other, but not in the same building. Would tat work for your family?

One is a one bedroom (with a lovely patio) and the others are studios.

Perhaps a combination of the one bedroom, and the larger studio (which i think has two murphy beds) would suit your needs?

They were booked for the dates i needed, but the calendar shows availability for your stated time period. Price (listed in euros) is reasonable for the the area but darn, the euro is rising in value again!!!

What a special way to celebrate your parents anniversary, and give them the gift of your Mom's dream trip to Paris.

Oh, and best of all--you can rent for only 4 nights!

Anna1013: The owner of the apartment that I rented is American and also lives in the U.S. As for what to do if something goes wrong, so to speak, there is a number of her contact person who works very near the apartment. One just needs to call that person. I didn't need to, but in the reviews of the apartment, there was a comment of someone calling the contact person about something that sounded minor. But, the poster mentioned the excellent service of the contact person and how promptly the person showed up.

Plus, the owner of the apartment that I rented, gives renters a plumber's phone number and her father's account number to the plumber in case there is a plumbing problem of which she says that they've not had a problem with. But, the information is there in the event it's needed.

One also receives an 8.5X11-inch photo packet of the apartment and entrance into it. So, one can go over the photos of different things before leaving home. A picture speaks a thousand words.

There are photos of the security code boxes, to enter the apartment, and instructions on how to use them. There's also a photo of the small light switches, both at the outside entrance area and the beginning of the corridor leading to the apartment. They're easy to miss if one doesn't look or is not used to having to press a button to get light. Then there are pictures of how to work the electricity box in case it has accidentally been turned off. And there's a picture of how to turn on or off the water valve if needed. So, everything is laid out quite nicely. And there is a notebook with other instructions if one needs them. Happy Travels!

Anna,
Regarding what to do if something needs attention, I am to contact a manager whom the owner employs for such situations. Hoping all goes well for both of us!

Guenmai,apologies if i missed it...what is the Homeaway number for your flat, if you are ok with sharing that info?

Calinurse,

I had actually looked into the apartments attached to Hotel Relais de Bosquet. I had been wondering if anyone had stayed there recently, but I haven't been able to research it yet. Do you know if they get booked up a year in advance? Thanks for checking into how many nights we could stay!

Guenmai - as Calinurse mentionned, do you mind posting the number of your apartment?

Anna1013: It's #226061. To get to the reviews, click on the upper, right-hand review icon and then scroll a way down and there will be a "green" icon to click on to get all of the reviews. Happy Travels!

Anna, this is all I could find for reviews of the Relais de Bosquet flats:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...de_France.html

Review of the Valadon studio, dated jan 25, 2010


http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...de_France.html

dated Dec 22, 2006

The above reviews appear on the tripadvisor site for the hotel; there is not a separate review place (that i could find) for the apts. So the hotel site is where people write the apt reviews too . Another written in 2009 is referred to on a tripadvisor topic.There may be others.

Re: your questino of if they get booked up in advance, you can check their calendar on the website. Check by individual apt left corner of screen) and click where it says "book"--a calendar will come up.Available dates show in green. The periods of time you mentioned in your first post are available (green) as of now.

Guenmai, thanks for posting the Honeaway Number.

FYI, reviews on VRBO and I suppose Homeaway are only printed if the owner agrees to it. That's why they are always great.

Try to seek something from www.beau-paris.com
I believe the owner of the apartment I stayed last time had 2 apartment in the same building and that should meet your needs. I'll be back to Paris this last November and I rent an apartment from beau-paris again.

Calinurse - I found that one review on tripadvisor also. I'm not to sure about them murphy beds in two of the studio apartments.

Christina - I didn't realize that owners have to agree to a review being posted..put's everything into a different light.

inspired_traveller - thanks for the link!

We had apt. I 241 (Invalides). It was perfect for our needs.

I don't know the full specifics of reviews on VRBO, but I know the owner can dispute them and ask for them to be removed, and not just for fraudulent reasons. I have never seen a negative one and have read that owners can easily not allow some reviews to be posted even if just negative comments. Their own FAQs imply a negative review can be posted, that an owner can't just censor any review, but I don't know. In any case, take them with a grain of salt, do not presume the lack of negative reviews mean there weren't any, and read the reviews for info about the location and apt. itself.

CaliNurse: You're welcome for the www.homeaway.com info.

As for reviews on www.homeaway.com, I contacted them yesterday about their review process and they e-mailed me back today.

They e-mailed me stating that reviews are not optional for owners who advertise on Homeaway, nor do they have the option to choose which reviews they want to appear on their listing. They also went on to state that if one, as a traveler, has stayed at a property, then he/she has the right to write a review, however, the review written must adhere to their guidelines and that reviews are not rejected based on whether they are positive or negative, as every review submitted goes through the same process.

And as far as reviews go, I know that their guidelines are very strict although it's not always clear why a review was rejected as it can be a gray zone situation. I know, as my original, and positive review was rejected twice, before the third rewrite finally went through. And homeaway won't tell the review writer why it was rejected. One just has to figure out, what was not adhering to the guidelines, and rewrite it and resubmit it until it is accepted. So, I rewrote it the next day, as the first two reviews I had written a few hours after I had gotten home from Paris. I like to write when details are fresh in my mind, although I can sometimes be in a jetlagged daze. However, nothing else that I've ever written about has gotten rejected, even when jetlagged.

As for the review that I wrote on Homeaway, it was also posted on VRBO as it's the same company and are thus the same guidelines. I remember even e-mailing the owner of the apartment and mentioning that I had written a review, but that it had been rejected and that I had planned to just rewrite it after figuring out what had gotten it rejected. She wrote that she didn't know why it was so difficult to get a review through and that she would contact them. She has multiple properties listed with Homeaway/VRBO. Happy Travels!

We have rented from rentparis twice. Our apartment in the 4th (rue ste croix de la bretonnerie) was a wonderful apartment. It had a separate bedroom with a double bed and a trundle bed, accomodating 4 people. The living room had a sleep sofa, which we used. The bathroom had a door into the hallway and a door into the bedroom which was convenient. It also had a nice kitchen and dining area. The windows were on the street with great views of life in the neighborhood. I would definitely recommend this apartment.

We have also rented from VIP with good and bad results. We rented from VRBO last trip with no problems and plan our next trip with a VRBO rental. One of our rentals was from an entirely private party not affiliated with an agency. He lives in the U.S. and so all transactions were in dollars.

We have never rented for more than 6 days at a time. The least amount of time we have rented has been 3 nights.

Opaldog: How did the apartment turn out that you rented through the private party? I try to note apartments that can be paid in U.S. dollars. It's just much easier. For the apartment that I had, I just wrote out the amount for the apartment, on a personal check, in three payments as that's the way it's set up, stuck a forever stamp on the envelopes and mailed the payments from L.A. to N.Y. where the owner lives. And that was the end of it. Then I got the keys a couple of weeks before I left home. Easy.

At first, the owner of the apartment didn't have a credit card system set up, as it was a relatively new listing. However, there was a PayPal system set up. And yes, before someone out there jumps in, I know that it's recommended on forums that one shouldn't send out a personal check. But I had been on e-mail with the owner for so long that I felt fine with it. And all turned out just fine. Happy Travels!