Renting an apartment in Paris
 

We are going to Paris in March.
We have been to Paris many times and stay in hotels. Mostly on the Left Bank in the 6th.
This year, to make things more interesting, we are going to stay somewhere else and rent an apartment.
I was curious, how many people rent apartments on their travels?
I know people do this for more room when there are children involved, but how often do couples stay in apts instead of hotels?

When you rent in another country, are you happy with your choice?
Or do you wish you had just gone to a big hotel?
We are excited about it, considering it another adventure but I would love to hear stories from other travelers about their experiences.
Thanks ((F))

Scarlett, as you know I have never been to France.

I have not stayed in an apartment or rental house for years either. And never in Italy.

When my daughter was growing up we use to rent a wonderful cottage at Bodego Bay (N Ca). Part of the fun was buying seafood from the fishing boats coming in and cooking a few meals. Also having coffee and some nibbles out on the deck while watching the ocean.

And in Matzalan we always got a suite that had a kitchen and it was wonderful to have coffee and than bloody mary's and something for breakfast on the terrace.

Have never done this in Italy although I have the opportunity to cook in friends kitchen but it is not quite the same.

IMHO an apartment would be wonderful, especially with all the yummy goodies you could bring back home. Plus more space to move about is always nice although I do love a good hotel room.

Have fun exploring all your options.

We are a middle aged couple who much prefer an apartment over a hotel. We have stayed at two different hotels in Paris. One was nice, the other not so nice. We have stayed in two apartments, both great. We are planning a trip in Feb. and will be staying in an apartment for 4 nights. We like the Marais and always stay there. This time we are in a different part of the Marais and using a different apartment rental. Previously we used rentparis and were happy, but wanted to try something different. This time we are renting from a website owned by an american and paying in dollars. (something to consider. We enjoy the informality of an apartment; the convenience and comfort; the kitchen and usually washer/dryer; feeling as though we are actually living in a neighborhood, using all the small shops nearby for food. In short it has been a much better experience for us than a hotel room. We always stay short term on our visits, as we don't have alot of time from work, but there are places out there that will rent on a daily basis; rentparis.com being one of them. Good Luck.

Thanks ! LoveItaly and Opaldog,
We sent out inquiries to a couple of apts last night, already finding that our dates in early March are filling up fast!
I found a couple that are so beautiful, I was tempted to stay there, even though I would be waay out of the usual area we stay, one apt is in the 16 but amazing!
One of the hotels we tried has only twin beds that they do NOT push together, I wonder why they are so adamant about that :) which is making the privacy of an apt more appealing.
We are looking in the 7th.
If anyone has seen the French film, The Dinner Game, I was inspired by this film to have an apt in Paris with the Eiffel Tower as my view from my window~

Just got back from Paris. I rented an apartment from RentParis.com and all went well. (It was my mother and I)

One thinkg to keep in mind is that a lot of these apartments have MUCH smaller kitchens then Americans are used to.

Scarlett, If you are looking for an apartment with a view you may want to check www.parisperfect.com We have stayed with them for three years and most of their apartments have spectacular views. The owners are great to work with. These apartments look like the website shows and yes I admit they are too expensive for some, but if they are in your budget you will have a wonderful experience. We are very partial to the 7th.

<i> Thank you, Laidback!! I will go look right now ~</i>

http://www.parisperfect.com/montrach...apartment.html

I will have to dip into Pups savings to pay for this one, but how beautiful and how about that view??

Hi Scarlett!

A Fodorite names Lauren posted this not too long ago:

I rented a lovely studio from Pascal Zytomirski last summer. He acts as a rental agent for the people who own the apartments and handles a number of them.

I was very well satisfied. You can email him at [email protected]

Pascal speaks fluent English (he worked in the US at one time) and is totally reputable.

They seemed to have apartments in many different neighborhoods, not just the 7th arr. People seem to like working with Pascal. I e-mailed him about renting a Marais apartment. Haven't heard back yet.

Good Luck!
--Betty

So as not to confuse everyone, Betty wrote the last paragraph of the previous post (not Lauren).

Pascal's apartment rental website is:
www.rentalfrance.com

(Gee, can you tell that it is absolutely dead at work today?)

Thank you Betty! I am checking into one of the apts, on rue de Grenelle!

Scarlett, I'm following your post with much interest. I researched apartments for our last Paris visit, but we were 2 couples traveling and finding a *true* 2-bedroom was a bit of a challenge. I just couldn't see traveling thousands of miles to sleep on a couch (even a French one!) Keep us updates on your findings - good luck!

ParisPerfect was Paris perfect. $$$$, alas yes. We rented Bordeaux for 6 (2 children incl.) of us June 2003. A grand adventure.

Scarlett, after staying at many hotels over the years in the 5th and 6th, we have been delighted with our apartment we've rented the last two years. Facing St. Germain, right between Rue Buci, and Rue Seine (and facing Rue du Four) the location couldn't be better. It does have a quirky tiny elevator and we have never met a single neighbor in the building -- but we don't mind.
You can see it at www.sant.com

Scarlett,

We have used guestapartment.com--found them through a guidebook (I forget which). They have beautiful, and I mean beautiful, apartments, mainly on Ile Saint Louis.

The quality of service is very, very high. I wasn't paying for it, lucky me, because the prices match the quality. Worth the splurge, in my opinion.

I love staying in apartments. I never cook in them, but I do keep goodies in the fridge and wine in the cupboards. I'm just not really a hotel person, I guess.

Good luck!

My husband and I rented a one bedroom apartment once in the 8th arrond. It was in a very elegant Haussman building. I was surprised at how much I liked the neighborhood as our hotel stays were usually in the more popular tourist 6th and 7th arrondissements. But we hardly used the kitchen except for late night snacks or making coffee or tea so it didn't save us any money overall. And I missed having daily maid service. But the extra space was nice, so was having a washing machine, and I loved pretending I lived in Paris, even for only two weeks. Looking back, I think playing make believe Parisienne was the best part of the apartment experience!

Scarlett-
I have let apartments in Paris, Prague, and Berlin. Having stayed at many hotels of varying classification, the apartment experience in Paris provided a different (mostly in a nice way) experience. To dispense first with the few downsides: no daily maid service (without addd'l fee) and no room service (save local delivery) The list of positives is IMHO much more voluminous, includes being able to make coffee in the morning without having to get sufficiently presentable so as to not frighten children and small animals encountered en route to the cafe; kitchen for stashing comestibles, preparing midnight (or whenever) snacks; more space than in a hotel of equivalent price; often a washer dryer that lets you get away with packing less.
There are a range of options at all prices, and shopping for a flat can indeed become a full time obsession! In Paris we rented and enjoyed, I believe, a flat mentioned above by Opaldog posted at www.paris-vacation-rental.com/neighbor2.html Not posh, but certaily no dump, it has two little terraces with great 7th floor views excellent for morning coffee and evening wine, full kitchen, good size bathroom, and the location was good (quiet residential neighborhood close to two Metro stops, few minute stroll along the canal to Bastille area, cafe/brasserie, grocery store) The same owner has another property on Ile St Louis but that looks great, but it was smaller than we wanted for 3 people and already rented anyway.
I probably should stop telling folks about this place - it may be rented the next time we want it! - but it's all in the Fodorite spirit of sharing.

Hi Scarlett-

I just rented an apartment in the 3rd for my first trip to Paris in the spring. I went through www.vrbo.com and had no problems...the owner was very prompt in returning my e-mails and I contacted him on Crhistmas Eve! By Christmas morning I had my stay confirmed and a receipt sent to me! I have used vrbo in the past to rent places in Lake Tahoe &amp; San Diego and have always been happy. It is nice because you are dealing with individual owners, not rental companies. Let us know what you decide!

Patrick,
Wow! I wish I had seen that apt. before my last trip - a great price for that size &amp; location. I'll keep it in my file for next time.

Kelbert, that is great!!
That is the site that I am waiting for info on, to two different apts in the 7th. Both top floor apts with skylights and balconies and views of the Eiffel Tower.
This is fun.
We rented from Manors and Co in London years ago. We really enjoyed that, but it seemed easier to do in England so we haven't done it since, in France.
But the idea of being on our own, as if we lived there, was so appealing..
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! I will let you know what we end up with :)

We have gotten far off the original track and now have to make a decision..I <b>hate</b> making decisions!
We started thinking that we might like to feel less right in the thick of the tourist parts and more as if we actually lived there, so...We can have a 2 bedroom off rue Passy or a sort of 2 bedroom in Les Halles. Of course, the Passy apt is much larger but farther away-
it is vrbo.com # 43121
Les Halles is vrbo.com # 49647
Someone want to help me make my decision? The Yankee said whichever one I want!! (clever way of getting out of that one!lol)
btw-<i>Happy New Year!</i>

Scarlett, I would much rather stay in the Passy neighborhood than around Les Halles. Passy is very nice residential neighborhood, more so than Les Halles. To me, it would be no question. I looked at those apts and they both look pretty nice. I don't know why you say the Passy one is larger as it is smaller in terms of square feet.

However, the Passy one has real beds, and the Les Halles one has one queen and just a fold-out couch in the second room. I guess some people don't mind sleeping on them, but the Passy one is a whopping 210 euro less a week. Given Passy is nicer and the apt that much cheaper and with real beds, it would be an obvious choice to me.

I have no particular fondness for the small streets around St Eustache where that apt is. Passy isn't far out to me, it's right across the river from the Eiffel Tower, and has excellent metro and bus connections. I would think the shopping better also (for food, etc.). I don't know what you want to do that would be so much closer at Les Halles, but places I would like to hang out, dine, etc, would be closer to the Passy location, or certainly not farther. The neighborhood is nicer, and I'd much rather have Passy metro as my main one for use than les Halles, that's for sure.

If you want to go clubbing or jazz clubs, etc., les Halles would be better.

Gee, I've looked at both too and I'm not so sure. I'd want to see more pics of the Les Halles one, but that location doesn't bother me -- assuming it is on Rue du Jour which it seems to indicate. In fact, I'd see myself walking to a lot more near there than in Passy.
Is there a shower in the Les Halles one? I look at the living room and it is SO stark. Two chairs sitting facing a small TV -- that's it? No comfy sofa, no table to put a glass of wine on or reading lamp if you wanted to read in one of those chairs? It just looks like it's all about high style without a thought of comfort or practicality. (Sorry that's the interior designer in me talking). I will say the Passy one looks more inviting and comfortable.

Thank you Christine, that was everything I needed to hear.
We really had no interest in Les Halles until I found that nice apt, then thought that between the two, Passy might require more travel to be within the City center where we usually find ourselves.
But after thinking about it and looking at guide books regarding Les Halles, we are going to go with the Passy apartment.
It will be just the two of us, with perhaps a visit from our son, who will be arriving in Paris from India/Thailand/Japan!! so it will be nice for him to have an actual bed to fall into, rather than the sofa..he does have a hotel in the Marais booked also.
I was mostly having a moment of anxiety, having to make a decision. I have those when I am standing in front of my closet also, so I thank you for your help in making this apartment choice.
Scarlett

Hi Scarlett,

These 2 apts. are very different. The Passy is slightly smaller even though it has 2 BRs and is rather traditional and located in a quieter, more residential area. The Les Halles is more modern and open, and is jam up against ST. Eglise church in one of the most tourist-laden areas of Paris. We have rented from the owner and can recommend him. We stayed in his loft apt on rue Champ de Mars, with a drop dead view of the Tower while in bed no less.

Hi Scarlett, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with your stay in Passy. Don't forget you are near the Guimet museum and the Trocadero (unbeatable views of the Eiffel Tower), and within a short walk of the lively, lovely Victor Hugo area. You will enjoy spending time in the BCBG world of the 16th and taking advantage of its untouristed restaurants and cafes and the excellent shopping. I expect to hear that when you return, you'll have become &quot;tres seizieme.&quot; And you DO know that the 16th is known as the Poodle Arrondissement, don't you? Sounds like a perfect fit! ;-)

Yes!! BTilke, I read that today, Poodles! he will be quite distressed to find out, I will try not to speak of it in front of him since he cannot go ((&amp;))
Thanks for the encouragement ((F))

*ps*
Streetwise and MapGuide maps make it hard for me to tell distances, which are not my forte anyway~ so it is good to hear that things are closer than they appear on the map :D

I have twice rented an apartment in Passy and loved it! The Metro station was close to us, but we found we preferred taking the bus line #72 when we wanted to head over to the tourist sites in the 1st. Everyone mentions how nice it is to keep wine, juice, and coffee, but I found that my favorite reason for renting an apartment while on vacation is the ability to relax after a day of sightseeing in a living room, without feeling jammed into a bedroom only situation.
I really enjoyed exploring the neighborhood, and it gave us a fresh outlook! I rented from a Frenchman who lives and works in the US, so we paid in dollars.

We had a wonderful experience renting the perfect apartment in the 6th (bordering the 7th) from the most accommodating American gentleman. I found it quite by chance when looking through vrbo. Do yourself a favor and check the website: chezmichelaparis.com. Whether furniture, linens, dishes, bathroom - everything was deluxe. We truly felt like lucky guests in a friend's home.

...Scarlett, how exciting for you!

For Christmas, I gave my son &quot;City Walks: Paris - 50 Adventures on Foot&quot; by Christina Henry de Tessan. It is actually a 'deck' of cards and on each one there is a destination along with directions (that even someone like myself could follow). Although you have been to Paris many times, you probably don't need it but I thought it was a novel idea for the traveler.

Good luck in your selection.

P.S. My jaw dropped when I saw the pictures of the parisperfect site LOL:D

seetheworld, I bought that same deck of cards and I'm bringing it to Paris next week.

It is available at Restoration Hardware, everyone, and is on sale now for about $12. The walks look really interesting and fun!

dln, thanks for providing that little bit of *important* information. They also have a deck for New York City.

the large one bedroom offred by rentapris.com at 20 rue Chapon is a delight and much more reasonable than Parisperfect. (the smaller one bedroom on the sam street is small)

rentapris.com? I can't find that.

Duh, on a hunch I realized you must have ment rentparis, and yes I found it.

Here is a prior thread by someone who stayed in a hotel in Passy, probably fairly close to that apartment. He gives a pretty good idea of what it's like around there, and there are some suggestions on here of bakeries, shops, etc.:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/
threadselect.jsp?fid=2&amp;tid=34549016&amp;start= 0&amp;dirtyBit=1

Christina, thanks, but I cannot get the link to open :(

I found there are plenty of good restaurants in the area..I have been reading my Paris Zagat guide ~

We just rented a two-bedroom apartment from Bienvenue a Paris (bienvenueaparis.com) that was very nice (2nd bedroom was small, but had a real bed, and there was a fold-out couch too), comfortable and centrally located on blvd sebastopol(at the intersection of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th). We could easily walk everywhere.. pompidou, louvre, marais, iles, left bank, etc. For tourists, a great location, though lacking the neighborhood charm of some other locations. We were there with teenagers seeing Paris for the first time, so the location was just perfect. They also have a smaller apartment deeper into the Marais which I think would be nice for a couple. The people were very nice to deal with, and you rent through an American office and pay in dollars.

numbat, thanks for this post. I've had those two apartments bookmarked for some time now and was glad to hear some personal feedback. The smaller one at Place Bourg-Tibourg is the one I really have my eyes on. It looks quiet and very charming and is in a nice spot. That larger one you had seems nice too, but I wondered how busy and noisy it might be.