The Frustration of Booking a Paris Apartment - Is It Worth It?
 

We thought we would like to try an apartment in Paris for a week in September 2007. We have absolutely no complaints about our usual Hotel Monge and the price would not be any less. After studious Fodors research, we chose three VRBO apartments in the Marais, all highly recommended and all available according to the calendars on each site.
The first apartment owner replied that he was negotiating a long term lease with another client. The second owner simply replied that it was no longer available. The third owner (#79965) has not even bothered to reply though I have sent two emails, a week apart. Remember all three sites showed vacancies for the required time in September when I tried to book.
Is this usual and my expectations have to be adjusted?
Are the owners holding out for longer term rentals and therefore I am trying to book too far in advance?
Is this the frustration of trying to deal with individual owners through VRBO?

We had good luck with parisvacationapartments.com. And you can pay in $$$. ((b))

I like homelidays.com LOTS of great flats in all price ranges and is similar to VRBO in that you deal directly w/ the owners - but have the added insurance of an agency to back you up.

As for VRBO or any site where you are dealing w/ owners/one offs - sure, their situation can change. One may have a holiday flat and decide to convert it to long term letting. Or the flat may be sold. or just about anything. And I find in general some don't answer e-mails as quickly as you are used to in the states.

Is it frustrating? Yes.
Is it worth it? In my book, yes.

That's different from my experience using VRBO. There may have been one or two instances over the last few years where I never received a reply to an inquiry, but I figure that was just a situation where the owner was either temporarily otherwise occupied or no longer renting but neglected to remove the listing.
I like VRBO just fine, but suggest you also look at some other resources such as www.craigslist.org where I have also had good luck.

Hi R,

>Booking a Paris Apartment - Is It Worth It?<

What is it that you expect to get from an apt rental that a hotel wouldn't give you?

((I))

I can tell you what I expect to get from an apartment rental that I can't get from a hotel:

Two rooms -- one of us can go to bed and the other can watch TV or whatever.

Plenty of comfortable seating. When we return from a tiring afternoon of sightseeing, there are at least two really comfortable places to sit down and relax or stretch out -- I don't consider a bed condusive to that, and rarely to Paris hotels have two comfortable seats and a sofa!

A place to keep cheese, juice, and chilled water. Maybe milk so I can have my own cereal in the morning. Even though we never cook in an apartment, it's sure nice to have that little kitchen for the refrigerator or to make iced tea in the afternoon.

No maids to knock on the door when I'd just as soon not see them. I'd prefer our privacy and just pull up the covers and make the bed ourselves.

Enough room to unpack everything and store the suitcases out of sight and out of mind.

A place that feels like a "home", not just a hotel. Most apartments have nice personal touches and a "lived in" feel.

Of course an apartment isn't for everyone. If you rely on the services of a front desk or need maid service everyday, then an apartment probably isn't for you.

Good answer, Neopatrick. In addition, my husband likes his space, and the usual cramped European hotel room bugs him. And I like to get a washer/dryer, admittedly hard to find in a Paris apartment.

I'm not a morning person, and it's nice not to have to get up and get dressed by a certain time in order to get breakfast. So we usually have breakfast in. (My husband goes out for the croissants.)

And it's fun to shop in the local shops and markets, the bakery, the charcuterie....

:-) :-)
I'm always happy to read things like that! Thanks Patrick and Mimar.

I know of a great apartment in Dijon that maybe one day I can stay in it its not already booked up.

I'm still waiting for you degas! ;-)

We leave this Thursday for Europe and are spending 8 nights at this Paris Apartment: vrbo.com/19130 and communication has been great. I'll post my thoughts on the apartment when we get back but the owner has been really helpful, quick to respond and we're able to bring a euro bank check, rather than pay cash. It's all been easy.

We much prefer an apartment to a hotel.

I *prefer* a hotel when I'm traveling. My friend stayed at Hotel Monge this summer (perhaps at your recomendation? someone here gave me the name) and liked it alot. I don't "need" hotel ammenities, but I like them. It is a luxury to have maid service, a front desk to help you, etc. Plus since I'm often traveling solo, staying in an apartment is just too lonely and weird for me (yes I have tried it several times).

Our main frustration in looking for a Paris apt was I always wanted one that was too expensive or already booked, lol.
When working with VRBO, you are working with various people, we called sooo many who never returned our calls..they are not all on the ball with this.
We ended up using an company that owns apartments, has an on-site manager who is American and though the prices were higher than some, our satisfaction was 100%..
I love hotels, I would live in a hotel if I could. (actually I have for short periods of time)..
But in our case, our son was meeting us in Paris, he was arriving halfway through our stay from India..we usually stayed in a hotel that is on the expensive side, it would have been too expensive with a second room added.
He could get up in the night and have snacks, read etc, (jetlag) and having been to Paris enough times, we were interested in staying in an apt in a neighborhood and pretending for a bit of time that we lived there too.
Room service ( husband) and maid service( me) were missed a tiny bit but never important enough to make the apt a bad idea ..
Just keep trying or try other sites ..Good luck rob!

"Room service ( husband) and maid service( me) were missed a tiny bit"

Scarlett, you are a dear saint for giving that all up for your Son's benefit. He is lucky to have your support. I hope he took you to a fancy restaurant!

Scarlett is like a friend of mine who once returned from a nice trip and said their hotel was like being in a third world country -- room service closed from 2 AM until 6 AM. That was "roughing it".
LOL

Patrick, Mimar and Scarlet, you said it all. I am with Mimar on the sleeping in part. I hate it and feel guilty when we tell the maid that we are not yet ready to leave the room.

DH is a breakfast eater, I'm not. I can never get used to having to be up by a certain time to eat the sometimes included breakfast or to have to get ready for the day, just to eat. I'd much rather sleep in. (I more than make up for the missed breakfast during the remainder of the day).

Like Patrick, DH has his cereal, juice, bread etc..
A late night cup of tea and a pastry is also a benefit.


We like the privacy, and the ability to do our own thing and to spread out in comfort. Bed sitting just doesn't do it for us.

Yes it can be a hassle, not so much the renting part with us, but being very very disappointed in the apartments themselves once we arrive.

We have rented many apartments, mainly in Paris, some good, some great, and some really bad. All in good areas which lessens the blow.

The amount of rent that you pay doesn't guarantee cleanliness and basic comfort. Not all landlords have pride of ownership - to some it is just a business with a constant turnover.

As I tell DH, 'with the right lens, I can make our bathroom look like Versailles'.


Do a search here, there have been many recent apartment recommendations in or near the Marais.

Good luck.

Nina

Thanks for your replies - thw suggestions and the reassurance to continue the quest (wish coco had one in Paris!).
We are busy sifting through suggestions - Budman - none appear to be where we wanted to try and many above our budget
Seamus - I will give that a try
janisj - thanks for the suggestion re. homelidays.com
We have found one but the map is confusing. Is anyone familiar with this Marais area and how does it look to you experts?
http://tinyurl.com/ych2rt
<<Situated in the Marais district of Paris, the flat has been completely renovated.It is an exceptional area to take advantage of Paris life. Within walking distance from Centre Georges Pompidou, the Museum of modern art also called Beaubourg by Parisians, the building is just near Nicolas Flamel's house which is the oldest house in Paris Nicolas Flamel was the alchemist who claimed he had invented the way to transform lead into gold.Thanks to its view on a planted flowered terrace, the flat is calm.>>

robjame - that actually looks like an OK place and the price seems good - I'd consider staying there with no more than 2 people total since it is not that large a place. If you go to http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pj.cgi?lang=en and enter the address for the Flamel house (51, rue de montmorency) you will be able to look at both maps and actual photos - this property appears to be right next door to the Flamel house.

Robjame,
I know what you mean about HomeHolidays.com's map. I just looked at the link you provided, and can tell you that it is pretty vague, IMO. In fact, I'm currently hunting for an apartment to rent, and find homeholidays.com to be about the vaguest site, although with the best prices!

You can't tell if that apartment is in the 3rd or 4th, or what the street might be like. I guess you could write them and ask.

I have found that site to be full of less than complete information, and kind of moved on. A shame because the rates are so very good.

C'est la vie, I guess. I hope someone can help more than I did. Maybe you could start a new thread, for that apt.?

I haven't ever tried to rent from a private owner because I'm not personally comfortable with that, so I've only used agencies. It does seem unusual you've had bad responses so far, but anything can happen with private owners. I did have even one agency that wouldn't rent a place to me even though I was ready to book because the owner had some guy looking at it within the next few weeks, coming from London or something, and he was (supposedly) looking for a long term rental of several months, so they preferred him. I wanted to finalize something as it was a popular period and I didn't have time to wait around for them to make up their mind, so I booked something else. After a couple weeks they came back and said this hot prospect had changed his mind and I could have it, and I said too bad, I booked something else, I can't sit around waiting for you guys. But I never had problems even getting responses, of course, from an agency.

People have to decide what they are looking for and what is important to them, in terms of whether it is worth it. It generally is not to me, because it's more expensive than a comparable or better hotel, and it's too much trouble and too risky for me (in terms of what it will really be like). Given how expensive they are and you must prepay, you can't really afford to just leave if you really hate it or realize it is worse than a hotel in many ways.

I have always gone to Paris alone, however, and I think that is part of the issue in terms of expenses and what you get. I think they can make a lot more sense for a family with kids in comparison to a small hotel room. For one person, they are just too expensive in comparison to the hotels I usually stay at.

A lot of the things people who say they are worth it like are completely irrelevant for me, and that's part of it. I don't care about a washer and dryer and have no desire to cook inside when I am visiting Paris, I love to go out to cafes and restaurants, even for breakfast. I stay in and eat simple food when I'm at home, I'm not going to do it on vacation in Paris when going out is part of the reason I like Paris. I can't hang around Parisian cafes reading the current Le Monde and having an authentic cafe creme when I'm at home.

Apts in my price range don't usually have comfortable chairs or even comfortable beds. A lot of vacation rental apts are furnished very badly and very cheaply and are uncomfortable in many ways (cheap mattresses, uncomfortable chairs, poor lighting, etc.). I usually go in summer, and few have air conditioning, also (at least not in my price range).

I don't usually eat anything in my hotel room, and don't care to, and don't snack much between meals, but I always stay in a hotel with a minibar, so that's plenty for me to keep some water or drinks or something. I also don't sleep real late so don't have any issues with maids wanting to clean my room before I leave. I don't like noise, and I do agree that is one thing that would be appealing to me, as the maids can make a lot of noise just in the hallway, but you aren't guaranteed quiet in apartments, either. I stay in hotels where maids don't bother you if you put up the do not disturb sign and I don't ever feel embarrassed at leaving a room when I want, even if I slept until 11 (which I never do), I wouldn't care what the maid thought about it.

So, you just have to decide for yourself what you want an apt. for, and how much that is worth to you. As for that last one you listed, I know about where it is because I know where Flamel's house is. It's near the Judaism History Museum and a few blocks from Rambuteau metro stop (around the corner of rue du Temple and rue de Montmorency or Chapon, that general area).

The apt. doesn't appeal to me, which is sort of an example of what I was talking about -- value in comparison to a hotel. I won't stay in a hotel that puts the TV on the ceiling, I sure wouldn't stay in an apt. so small that it had to do that also (note the TV near the ceiling in the bedroom). The "couch" looks very uncomfortable, perhaps a futon, and there is no decent reading lights. I also don't like it when the toilet and sink are in a different room than the shower myself. I hate the wall hanging over the bed--I find that bedroom decor depressing. I don't think there is even a single chair in the living room -- well, I mean there are some straight-back chairs amd bar stools, but no armchair. So that's an example of how some of the things that appeal to people don't exist in many apts. (eg, comfortable chairs to sit in). I like the kitchen, it's cute.

All of this is just my preference, though, so if you like it, I think the area is okay.

I used RentParis.com a few years ago and was very pleased. The apt was as described and the process fairly easy. (If you exclude the fact that PayPal wouldn't let me send them money, but I blame that on PayPal. I hate paypal!)

<i>Author: degas
&quot;Scarlett, you are a dear saint for giving that all up for your Son's benefit. He is lucky to have your support. I hope he took you to a fancy restaurant! </i>
degas, thank you for recognising my Saintliness .. The Boy did take us out for dinner but you know how it is, a Mama is just thankful to see and spoil her boy, that is what keeps us happy.


<i>Author: NeoPatrick
Scarlett is like a friend of mine who once returned from a nice trip and said their hotel was like being in a third world country -- room service closed from 2 AM until 6 AM. That was &quot;roughing it&quot;.
LOL</i>
Patrick, I would not go so far as to say it was like being in a Third World, not even my mind can summon up that description for Paris in the 7th :) but I do understand her &quot;roughing it&quot; feeling, I do love room service...sigh.

robjame, in case you need more ideas..www.parisperfect.com

This is why I prefer a reputable agency like Parisperfect.com. I've rented vrbo's in other places (but not Paris) and the anxiety over dealing with people who aren't very professional, or who ask for full payment but have no references or assurances that they aren't a scam, or who have very strange procedures for getting a key to me, or who don't even live in the area in case something goes wrong...ugh.

Paris Perfect apartments are amazing, and they have fabulous customer service (before and after you get there). You pay more but IMO it's worth it. I'm sure there's other good agencies as well.

FYI, in my experience if you don't get a reply from a European hotel/b an b/apt, it means it's not available. They don't bother to write back and tell you, that's just the way they do it.

&quot;room service closed from 2 AM until 6 AM. That was &quot;roughing it&quot;.&quot;

Neo, who needs room service at that hour? I thought most of us &quot;robust&quot; travlers would be still out drinking and catting around?

Hi robjame,

I can certainly see how your experience so far would be a setback. The problem with vrbo (and other sites like it) is that you are dealing with an individual who may or may not be on the ball. However, having rented more than a dozen houses and flats in France over the past seven years, I'd say that your experience so far is unusual. We have found almost everyone we have dealt with to be quite prompt in responding, and the availability calendars have generally been up to date, too.

As to the question of is it worth it, I can only say that NeoPatrick expressed it perfectly: the space, privacy, and flexibility turn a good vacation into a wonderful experience.

I guess I'd urge you to keep looking. I can't believe that all the good places in Paris are already booked for September 2007. Have you scanned the listings on www.frenchconnections.co.uk and www.holiday-rentals.co.uk?

Good hunting.

Anselm

Ditto.

Six weeks in a two-bedroom apartment here in Paris is wonderful. In addition, we have a living room, a separate dining room plus a well-equiped kitchen. It's home away from home.

take a look at parisbestlodge.com

I have rented with him and he is great. he also has some very nice apartments in some great areas. With parisbestlodge.com you are dealing with a real person who owns the units and acts as an agent for others. I promise you will be treated fairly.

I've used London Guest Suites many times &amp; am thoroughly pleased with them. They also have flats in Paris, the rates are in USD &amp; the agency is in the US. You might like to check it out. When anything has gone wrong, they've completely made it right which is why I'm a repeat customer.

http://www.londonguestsuites.com/

I really appreciate the thoughtful replies as to your preferences for apartments/hotels. I am working through the suggested agencies - but there is so many apartments and, without a specific recommendation, it is difficult to make a decsion from a few pictures.
The ParisPerfect ones look fantastic but well above our self-imposed limit of &euro;800 per week.
I had my heart set on the one that Anselm and family had stayed in on 2 occasions - lost to a long term rental.
Any specific suggestions for a one bedroom or studio?

Bob, here are three Paris apartment recommendations I have saved:

3 Bourg-Tibourg in the Marias:
http://www.bienvenueaparis.com/m-see-apts.htm

slowtrav review: http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=1300


Quartier Batignolles in the 17th: http://www.rentalapartmentparis.com/

Fodor Trip report: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2


Rue St. Sevarin Studio in the Latin Quarter:
http://www.parisattitude.com/apartme...numProduit=114

Fodorite comment:

Author: mitzime
Date: 09/07/2005, 03:10 pm
I can now report that the apartment listed as Paris Attitude 114 was fantastic!! Yes, it's in the noisy Rue St. Severin, but the owners have installed sound-proof windows (and I do mean sound proof) that cut out everything, if you so choose. The church St. Severin is across the pedestrian-only street. The place was as sweet and comfortable as can be, the neighborhood was a blast--convenient to everything, the owners were there to meet us at our arrival, and the security deposit (a check drawn on a U.S. bank) was waiting for us in the mail when we returned from France. I would definitely recommend it.

Well, let's have a little get together. That St. Severin studio is the one we rented in July for 10 days also. We have also reserved if for another 10 days this July. We loved it. Yes, the street outside is noisy, touristy, and somewhat tacky -- but the church you are facing is magnificent, the closed windows are soundproof (except for the final night of World Cup when the noise would have awakened the dead), and the air conditioning really works. It is surprisingly large and comfortable -- the only studio we've rented as we usually get one bedrooms, but this somehow seemed larger. The kitchen in tiny so not very good if you're planning on a lot of cooking.

Hi--
I am arriving in Paris this Saturday (12/16) and I am staying at VRBO# 79965!! Small world. Great looking flat isn't it? I think that perhaps the owner is having problems with his e-mail. I heard promptly back from him the day after I first inquired and then booked the flat within 2 days after that with no hassle whatsoever. Then I sent him and e-mail with some questions and didn't hear back. I called him after the long Thanksgiving weekend to find out what was going on and he said that he had never received my e-mail. The same thing probably happened with yours. Try calling him. He lives in Florida and his phone number is listed on the VRBO site. His name is Matthias Masson and he is quite nice, so I'm guessing his lack of response is more due to a technological error than negligence. Good luck and if you want to know more about the flat I'll post feedback on VRBO after my stay.
Andrea

robjame,

Here are some additional reviews of apts &amp; agencies:

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/list.asp?r=Paris

Though I usually use agencies (not in Paris) and loved the responsivness of all of them, I have also used VRBO - as others have said, every owner is different personality. By coincidence, you had the luck of dealing with three that are not very organized.

Staying in an apt is wonderful! Shopping for THE BEST bread/croissants, wine on your balcony, lots of room, someplace to do a load of laundry--fantastic!! Rented from parisperfect.com last June--great apt (Chardonnay) for me, my sister, and my niece. All of their apts are near the Eiffel Tower. Also good luck with guestapartments.com--many on Ile St Louis, my favorite area of Paris--another sister and I stayed there in June 2004--Apt DQA--just right. Not sure I'd rent direct from an individual-less recourse if things aren't what they're supposed to be

We stayed in an apt in the Marais for two weeks in October. As others have said, we loved the privacy, the space, and I loved having a W/D so I didn't have to cap off a long trip with a ton of laundry!

This was our apt: http://www.vrbo.com/49273. The pictures give you a pretty good idea of the size. Looks like it's only available the first half of Sept, though. The owner was quite helpful and provided a ton of info for our stay. There was some sort of cleaning fee which *may* put it over your limit, but not by much. In addition, he charged a hefty security deposit ($1500 or something like that) that was fully refunded after the trip, but you need to make sure you have that much on hand.

In addition, if it makes a difference to you, it's on the ground floor which means you don't get direct sunlight, and the mattress is super-firm. There's also no dishwasher. However, the apt is lovely, nicely appointed, clean and pretty. It basically looks exactly the way it does in the picture (though he's switched the placement of the bed and the sofa since the picture was taken).

I've never had any problems renting from vacationinparis.com.

We did have a problem recently when AF lost our luggage for 5 days. They refused to call us on our cell phone when the luggage was located and insisted that since there was no concierge, that we sit and wait in the apartment for the delivery guy to show up.

This is one time a hotel would have been better. 5 days of our precious vacation time was wasted.

I too was going to suggest vacationinparis.com. They have apartments all over Paris, and a number of studios and one-bedrooms that are within your budget. It is an American company and you pay by credit card, in dollars. The apartments are listed on the website by arrondisement, so you can limit your quest to your desired area.

Yes, it's worth the trouble. A totally different experience, though perhaps not for everyone. As for the cost, consider this place in Paris, on the other side of Place de la Bastille from the Marais, walkable to the latter:

http://www.slowtrav.com/cl/detail.asp?l=2636

We stayed there last month and have submitted a positive review to Slow Travel, though it will be some time before it's published.

By the way, it's not a coincidence that the Slow Travel site, slowtrav.com, is mentioned more than once in this string. It's THE PLACE on the Internet for people who want to rent a vacation house or apartment, anywhere in the world.

Dave - what floor is the apartment on? lift? Are there shops and cafes in the area?