Recommendations for a Paris apartment?
 

I'm planning the next trip, which will start in Paris and end in London. Either late fall, this year, or early spring '14. We'll stay a week in Paris, and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a 2-BR, 2-Bath apartment, which will sleep 5. I'm thinking arrondisements 1 thru 6; 250-300 EUR/night. I usually spend a long time, checking apartments before renting, so it's incredibly helpful to get recommendations.

2Br - 1Bath - but with separate toilet of Bath, and sofa-bed in lounge. No elevator, but brilliantly located in 4th at St Paul.
Close to Metro station on No1 line and Bastille, easy walk to Notre Dame, shortcut next door through Hotel de Sully to Place de Vosges. Monoprix across the street, with plenty of cafes, bakeries, patisseries, fromageries, etc.

Agent is US-based - easy to deal with, even from Oz.Third-floor walk up with plenty of stairs - apartment is quiet, with window to inner courtyard.

We stayed six days in early December 2012 - it was wonderful!

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_18.htm

Worth checking www.vacationinparis.com for other properties - as indicated, we found them great to deal with, and I have seen other positive reports on here.

Please see crazyfamilyoffour's Paris apartment thread. It should still be near the top with an incredibly detailed discussion of 2 bedroom apartments.

sorry: it's crazyfamilyof4

But don't be dismayed by it - there are plenty of great apartments in Paris, and it's not really that hard to choose one!

Parisautrement.com has great places in the Marais. We have rented from them for last 5 years.

<<Please see crazyfamilyof4's Paris apartment thread>>

I noticed her many posts, over the last few months, but didn't read them. I've now bookmarked the Paris thread and will jot down some of those companies mentioned. Thx for that suggestion; and for the other recommendations.

I've had really good luck in dealing directly with apartment owners, especially in Italy. The rental companies might give you more peace of mind, but it's my impression that you pay a middle-man price. (Maybe not true.) But, with this much lead-in time, I thought I might be able to get a recommendation from someone who has rented person-to-person.

well, sure, you pay a middle-man price with an agency, they are in business to make money. But it doesn't ncessarily mean they are a worst buy as lots of private owners price their apartments about the same, actually, and rental companies may have a better variety, or owners may be willing to accept less through them than they would on their own because there isn't as much work for them that way. Which is probably true. It's like people who sell their own houses -- usually they are doing it so they can make more money and not pay an agent, not to give bargains to the buyers.

<<well, sure, you pay a middle-man price with an agency, they are in business to make money.>>

I wonder if the agencies charge the owners their fee (like realtors), or the renters. (Maybe both.)

There is, certainly, a marvellous selection of apartment rental companies out there, for Paris. But, I've had the best experiences going directly through an owner; or an agency apartment where someone has actually stayed.

Maybe I should wait for crazyfamily's trip report!

grandmere: The apartment you linked looks good, but I can't figure out the bathroom situation. I'd prefer 2 full bathrooms, but 1.5 could work. The half bathroom (is that a toilet and wash basin?) is outside the apartment, on the landing ... ?

The "master bedroom" (queen bed; the other bedroom has 2 twins) has a shower and wash basin. The "main bathroom" in the apartment has a wash basin, shower, and toilet. Outside the apartment in the hall is another WC; we didn't use it much at all, but it was nice to know it was there, with 5 of us. Granted, the bathroom situation is a bit quirky, but it worked out fine with the 2 showers and 2 wash basins within the apartment itself.

The location is great, right in the heart of St.Germain, and the apartment is good-sized, as Paris apartments go, and for the price. And it's very quiet.
Have you read the reviews? They are mostly very positive.
I'd be happy to further elaborate if you have other questions.

In my view, the number of toilets is key, not number of basins or even showers. When I see more than 1.0 bathrooms (1.75 in the VRBO listing above), I'm thinking more than one toilet, which is not the case with that listing, I guess, which Just27 caught. But in Paris (and probably most places outside US) rentals with 2 full bathrooms or even 1 full and an additional toilet and basin are rare and expensive.

Yes, there are 2 toilets; one within the apartment and one in a little room right outside the apartment door, near the stairwell. This never posed a problem for the 5 of us; I think my SIL was the only one who ever used the exterior toilet. No one else in the building can use the exterior WC; there is a key for it provided to those renting the apartment.