KAnderson17

Uh oh…haha we were going to try and book Oct 10-17th. Good thing I also liked the other 2 options!!!

KAnderson17

PS - Montrachet looks stunning but definitely is out of our price range, unfortunately.

gracejoan3

I am very familiar with all the apartments you have mentioned as I have stayed in them. The Champagne is a very popular apartment with many. Stu has given you a lot of local information, so I will not mention more along those lines.

I will be there for two months, arriving on 12/23.

a bientot...

Joan

StuDudley

Joan knows Paris Perfect apartments better than anyone. She doesn't cook - so if you don't plan on cooking in the apt - listen to her!!!

Stu Dudley

flpab

gracejoan can give you great dining tips also.

KAnderson17

Thanks for joining in, Joan! After much thought I've told Paris Perfect that we'll rearrange our dates as necessary to stay in Champagne; it just seems too perfect. I've heard stories of people losing out on booking early in the process, so we're hoping to move as quickly as possible and make as much of the payment as possible so as to get credit card rewards that we can start applying to our wedding costs. So much to think about....planning is fun, but complicated! Thank you all for your tips - it's helped things go smoother.

gracejoan3

Your booking and all arrangements should go very smoothly and very easy to do with Paris Perfect. Do book Victor for your transportation needs.

Buses are the best way to get around and are across the street from the apartment. Pick up a couple carnets. You can walk across the Seine for the great Pres. Wilson Saturday market and check out all the high fashion shops. Walk on up to Champs Elysees, etc.

Great restaurants in the area..all budgets!

a bientot...

Joan

Mimar

I know you don't want any more suggestions, but I saved the link to this place on the Ile Saint-Louis: http://www.guestapartment.com/proper...io/acacia.html. I thought it looked like a dream apartment for a honeymoon.

NYCFoodSnob

I hope your dates are flexible. IMO, securing a popular apartment from a popular agency requires an immediate phone call the minute you know or have an idea when you want to go. I would never rely on email if the visit is special occasion.

It's one thing to seek opinions if you've convinced the agency to place all three properties "on hold," while you do some research. But I wouldn't waste precious time posting links and asking for stranger's opinions only to find your favorite choice is not available for your dates, or worse, all three are already booked.

<i><font color=#555555>"I'm not usually this picky, but it's so hard with so many great choices...and the pressure of wanting to make the honeymoon the trip of a lifetime."</font></i>

I wouldn't want to be on the partner end of that pressure. It's never a good idea to be too "picky" about a vacation rental, especially one in Paris. "Picky" is far easier to satisfy in a glamorous hotel, especially if you inform the hotel of your honeymoon status.

Stuff happens with vacation rentals, and you need to be prepared for a Plan B, especially if a plan is forced upon you at the last minute. Most experienced users commenting on this board are veteran travelers. Veteran travelers who rent apartments KNOW the risks, and they're willing to endure certain mishaps.

"Trip of a lifetime" is a very high bar for a vacation rental. The rental market in Paris is experiencing turbulence and anti-vacation rental backlash. I would read up on the various legal issues and get educated fast.

You may get lucky and succeed with your dream trip. For younger honeymooners, I would always recommend a fabulous hotel with daily maid service. Good luck.

StuDudley

Call PP ASAP to find out about the availability of Champagne. Like I stated earlier - we're leaving Oct 18 and someone else has it from about Sept 10th or so until the day before we arrive. The PP office in Paris is in the same block as Champagne. You can stow your bags there if you arrive early. Also, there is a good place to purchase Foie Gras and magrets just a couple of doors away from the PP office. There's another Foie Gras, Confit, and Magret place a block away at Cote SudOuest (or something like that). We had a GTG with Joan, Betty1, and some of Joan's Paris friends there. We've done "carry out" from there also - which is good if you don't want to have a dinner "out". The views from Champagne are better than you'll find at any restaurant in Paris, IMO.

If you arrive immediately after we do, I'll leave a bottle of Champagne in the refrig for you as a surprise for hubby.

The dryer that did a number on flpab's fleece also turned my wife's white socks orange.

The "soft" floor in Champagne is because it is a wood herringbone floor - which creeks when you walk on it. "Old world" charm, IMO. Crazy DR light fixture.

Stu Dudley

gracejoan3

You can rent it the day Stu and Ellen leave. Just contact PP and make your arrangements.

Stu: There has been some re-decorating of the Champagne since you were last there. The crazy D/R light fixture has been changed. The L/R some changes in furnishings/drapes. I think there are new photos that will show the changes.

Various happenings with washer/dryers. Many complain for the amount of time for drying. Part of this is because they are not vented. They are dry, but the moisture is still in the air. If you take things out and leave them for about 10 minutes they will be dry!!

Creaky floors. These are beautiful old buildings with many things that so many of us do enjoy and appreciate. I love them.

People wonder why there cannot be toilets or bathrooms anyplace. Because these building may have 1 or 2 main drains that cannot be changed or added to. You almost have to re-model around existing toilets! Some people think it strange that washer/dryer are in kitchen. This is European. They probably think we are strange in not having them in kitchen! Small elevators are what was able to be done...surprising that some even have them!

a bientot...

Joan

KAnderson17

NYCFoodSnob, some good points. I do have a call out to PP - a call that I made the second I felt I knew where to start and had some more info (I've been posting concurrently to our booking), and I'll read up on possible risks and trends, etc. - good idea.

When you mention "not wanting to be on the partner end of that pressure," I assume you mean you wouldn't want to be my fiance? For what it's worth, and I say this happily: we're having a blast planning and neither one of us is complaining. When we felt stuck, he was the one to suggest turning to these "internet strangers," as you said, and I am so glad we did. No matter how easygoing you are as a couple, or no matter how experienced you are as a traveler, planning a wedding and honeymoon CAN inevitably feel overwhelming and pressure-filled at times. To combat this, we've joined several online communities while planning and as a result have wound up far more connected, educated, and relaxed as a result....so thank you again to everyone who's chimed in.

Mimar, that looks like a fabulous option if plans have to change - thank you for the suggestion! Always helpful to have other resources just in case.

Stu, those are some great ideas and helpful info. That's so nice of you to offer the champagne!! I would hate to put you out, so no pressure at all if that doesn't pan out, but I'll let you know if we are indeed able to book for right after you...that's a really thoughtful offer =)

Joan, thanks for the input about buses and markets.

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween,

Katie

KAnderson17

PS - NYCFoodSnob, in case my reply sounded too dismissive or like I had taken offense (I hadn't), I want to add that I am going to consider what you said about the pros/cons of hotel vs vacation rental. I'm never that picky once I arrive in a place - I'm easily swept away by the fun of travel and am happy to be whereever I am - but your advice does make sense, and to balance it out, we're going with hotels for the Austria portion of our trip.

StuDudley

As I recall, the washer/dryer in Champagne is in the bathroom. The toilets in most French houses are in a separate room. We've rented 42 different gites throughout France, plus 3 different apts in Paris, 1 in St Tropez, and 1 in Nice. The toilet was in a separate room in about 80-90% of these places. Personally, I prefer the toilet in a separate room - especially if the apt/gite has only 1 bathroom.

I won't tell Ellen that the DR light fixture has been replaced. She would probably call the PP people and try to find out if they threw it away, or "stored" it - in which case she might want to lug it back home with us.

Stu Dudley

Christina

I've had Parisian apts where the toilets were not in a separate room, in fact, most of the ones I rented they were in the same room. And they weren't brand-new apts, either, they were in buildings that were probably at least 50 years old. I really don't like it when they are completely across on the other side of the apt, though (I had one like that), and so small you can barely fit in them nor wash your hands. If they are a decent size room and right next to the bathroom (I had that in a hotel in Provence once), it's not so bad.

And it is the norm in hotels, also, and they are old buildings, obviously, a lot of the time.

Some of these reasons only pertain in certain circumstances, such as if you have more than one person, of course. I rent alone so there is zero advantage to having it in a separate room. And in one apt., the bathroom was close to the bed but the separate toilet on the opposite side of the apt near the front door, and not at all convenient in the middle of the night (and if you were overweight, you could not have fit in it, actually).

gracejoan3

Hi Stu,

Yes. the washer/dryer for Champagne is in the bathroom. Also the St. Amour is in the bathroom. I have to think about some of them or I may get them mixed up. The Cabernet has the en suite, but the toilet is in the other bathroom on other side of the apartment. You know the separate toilet-1/2 bath for the Champagne. The Medoc has a nice big bath and shower but the toilet is in the 1/2 bath.

I often tell people not to think that there is a toilet in every bathroom. They come in all kinds of ways. The St. Amour has a toilet in the master bath, a separate toilet room and a half bath that is a sink and shower....Be sure to read the information with the listing. It is called overview for the Paris Perfect ones and it does contain all the information.

It can be fun!!

a bientot....

Joan

waterdog

We would also vote for Champagne. We stayed there last year during the week before Christmas. Wonderful views and great vantage point to check out the ever changing street scene below. When I told my wife about this thread she said - isn't that the apartment with the strange DR light fixture? Glad to hear it was changed.
Hope the OP managed to secure the dates they want.

Micheline

Gracejoan3 - I thought you were calling the bidet the St,Amour!

gracejoan3

Stu..re the old Champagne light fixture..it would be 220 wiring and there were many, many bulbs, so maybe not easy for re-wiring...from my little knowledge of electrical wiring!!

Mimar

It's understandable that, when updating an old house or apartment, the washer/dryer is put where there's already a source of water and a drain. I.e., the kitchen or the bathroom.

But what I don't understand is why, when building a new house or condo, the washer/dryer is still put in the kitchen? I imagine lint in the food, grease on the clean clothes.

Mimar who loves her condo laundry room