Thoughts on Paris Apartments- Too Expensive?
 

I've found some great apartments for our stay in Paris. However, some of them look quite expensive. I was wonder if the price for the following apartments are too much for Paris? Do you know of any nice, cheaper ones, or is that just how Paris is? I would hope to find a place for around 3000-3200 USD or 2180-2325 Euros.

Apartment One
http://www.parisperfect.com/apartmen...int-joseph.php
Cost (high season- when we will be staying): 2632 Euros or 3620 USD per week

Apartment Two
http://www.vrbo.com/403985: 2821 Euros or 3881 USD

How many people with you?
You could check out www.guestapartmentservice.com
We've used then with great success
Or
www.parisperfect.com
Given good reviews from Fodorites

If 4 people this doesn't seem high.

There are apartments at all price ranges from under €700 or €800 a week to over €5000 per week. The posher/larger the place, the more expensive.

Paris Perfect is a very good agency - but they do tend to be at the high-ish/posh end of the market.

If you don't want to spend PP rates - keep searching vrbo or try homelidays (similar to vrbo) or agencies like Paris Attitude or Vacation in Paris

www.homelidays.com
www.parisattitude.com/‎
www.vacationinparis.com/‎

There are 4 people in the group. Thank you for the other suggestions.

TPAYT, did you feel your experience with Paris Perfect would justify the cost?

I have not had a personal experience staying in Paris Perfect apartment...they do look very nice but do a search here and on TA to get an idea of some of their business practices. I found many reasons not to go with thim but many like them. They are at the high end of prices in Paris. For excellent customer service check out Guest Apartment Services...Haven in Paris...Paris Best Lodge...or Vacations in Paris.

Paris Perfect---I'm just going by the many, many trip reports from Fodorites used them. We've tried but never could co-ordinate our dates and also we prefer to stay on Ile St. Louis. Guest Apartment specializes in that area and they have given us outstanding service.

It seems that your preferred area is near The Eiffel which just doesn't do it for us. We like to be closer to The Seine.

I like Paris Perfect, but some of TA has me worried. I looked at Vacation in Paris and these tow properties in particular look very nice:

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_193.htm
http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_276.htm

Second one is more expensive than PP, though. Sigh. First one looks almost perfect, though.

Those both look very nice. The apartment in the 8th isn't in a perfect location for me, but it might suit you.

I take it that two bedrooms and two bathrooms are what you need; two baths is probably going to be expensive.

We're okay with one bath, but definitely need two bedrooms.

I think $600 per night is reasonable, or is it too low?

http://lacigaleparis.com
I have stayed in this apartment 3 times. 2 bedrooms 2 baths. Subway is about a 1 min. walk. You can't do much better that this place.

You might also look at Parisian Flat if you're considering high-end apartments.

http://www.parisianflat.com/

Like TPAYT, I've rented from Guest Apartment Services and have been very pleased.

http://www.guestapartment.com/

If you do a search, you'll uncover a long, long Paris Apartment Rental thread with many recommendations.

You might also want to check with Paris Vacation Apartments. They've been recommended quite a bit here over the years, though they've always been fully booked when I've contacted them.

http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/

>>I think $600 per night is reasonable, or is it too low?<<

I have never paid close to $600/€435 a night. But 'is that too low?' really doesn't make sense. You can pay a fraction of that - or twice that. It entirely depends on how posh you want to go. Just like buying a car, you can get a very nice,serviceable car for $20,000, or a high-ish end sports car for $100,000, or a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead for $550,000.

For me - no, $600 a night isn't reasonable. But maybe you are above my pay grade. If you are prepared to pay $4200/€3000 a week - then yes, it is reasonable.

We are using Parler Paris and have had an easy rental process. We leave Friday for 8 nights. Will give a review when we get back.

Jainsj- Thanks for putting into perspective. It was a silly question.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I love all the links. If I find something I like, I'll be sure to post back here in case anyone else needs something similar.

We have rented an apartment from http://www.parisbestlodge.com based on excellent reviews of Fodorites here. So far we have had great communication and they have been very easy to deal with. We won't be there until September so I will report back on our experience after our stay.

I agree with leely2 regarding parisvacationapartments.com.

We stayed in a 2-BR/2-BA in the Palais Royale in 2010 they manage and it was great. As I recall it was on the order of $2400/week, and that's US dollars. So on the order of maybe $350/night.

Does ParisVacationApartments have any 2 bedrooms with a room that has 2 single beds? I see no mention of it on their website. We will be traveling with teenagers off opposite genders, so they can't share a bed, and it will be WW3 if one has to sleep on the couch and the other gets a bed.

Paris Perfect apartments are stunning. But they are really pricey. Look into Paris BestLodge.

We also use ParisVacationApartments. They are well priced and well located and so book up quite early! Most have king sized beds, air conditioning and comfortable furnishings. We've used Paris Perfect in their low season when the price drops.

I just booked for May 2015.

We have used VRBO with great results. Our one exception was a listing in the back of the Harvard alumni magazine. My wife and I are overeducated, so we get lots of alumni magazines :-) Every one of them has vacation rental listings in the US and abroad.

The most we ever paid for an apartment in Paris was $2700 for a vast, well-equipped place for six of us on a side street off the Rue Bonaparte in the 6th. Our room had a garden view but no closet or wardrobe. Another room had storage space but was a bit of a hike to the bathrooms. The third bedroom had only one view less window but was large. Perfection? No. Comfortable? Yes. Charm? Considerable? Location? Awesome. Parisian feel? Unbelievable.

If what you want is not matched by what you find right away, keep looking.

I didn't see your last post earlier. Paris Vacation Apartments has several apartments where one or both bedrooms have beds which separate. You just need to ask which can be set up as twins.

Also have a look at www.onefinestay.com for some very nice Paris apartments.

Some agencies are more expensive, but there is a big difference in renting, say, a VRBO or Airbnb flat or a Onefinestay flat. Paris Perfect and Onefinestay manage properties; it is closer to a hotel experience, with service, beautifully made-up beds etc. This is more expensive, but I prefer this to renting directly from an owner.

Paris Perfect does not "manage" all their properties and if you ask they will tell you that. I think at one time they did but now some of their properties are managed by other companies...for those they have to go to them to check availability etc. Once on the ground you are dealing with a different company.I know some here won't believe that but check with them. I was told in advance and ended up not booking with them but some others got the surprise upon arrival. It is not uncommon for an apartment not to be an "exclusive" property with one agency...you will find some on many sites. It can be just fine but you should know.

I thought they worked like Onefinestay; letting the property, taking care of payment, preparing the property for guests with their own linens, cleaning after guests leave. We let a flat through Onefinestay in London, and they handle everything.

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that there is a big difference between different agencies, and therefore also a price difference.

I too have stayed at http://lacigaleparis.com . American owner, great location and well maintained.

Tulips...big different in agencies...good point.

Yes, I did like that Paris Perfect managed the properties, but while the apartments are beautiful, I think they are also slightly overpriced. 5000-6000 USD/3600-4300 Euros for a two bedroom apartment (turns out I was originally looking at their sale prices for February/March) is very expensive. I ended up really liking the Paris Vacation apartments and the Parisian Flat apartments. Similar quality (it seems), much better price.

Also, looking at the availability of these places, it looks like we will have to go in late July. Would this be a really bad time to go?

Paris Perfect is probably the most expensive agency in Paris, so it is not normal nor for average folks. It is for people with a lot of money to spend on vacation apts and also want a lot of hand-holding.

Yes, I agree Christina. I think I could make Paris Perfect fit my budget, but why would I do so if there's plenty of other, nice, slightly cheaper apartments? Does anyone else feel the same way? OneFineStay appears to do similar things to Paris Perfect, but aren't as pricey (still expensive, but not 1000E per night expensive).

Of course I feel the same way. We have rented very cheap apartments in Paris, but not the cheapest.

I go with the nicest I can afford.

I don't think you need do pay the prices for Paris Perfect...I note you have not indicated a strong need to have a view of the Eiffel Tower...for me that is their strong point...they do have some apartments where it almost seems like the tower is in your room...and for that you pay top $$ and I'm not sure the current level of service is worth it. So I would pick another company...still beautiful apartments but more reasonable and I don't think you will compromise anything.

Also...before you get too excited about a certain property do check with the agency as to the availability...many popular apartments book very far in advance.

Thanks for the last tip, Lois2. It's happened to me more than once! I've checked that all the apartments I like have availability, as to avoid
disappointment.

And yes, I don't really care that much about an Eiffel Tower view. Not worth the price.

I think I've decided upon one of the Parisian Flat apartments.

Friends of mine have rented the one on Rue de Vaugirard for later this year. Please report back about your experience wherever you end up booking.

I have long coveted the Parisian Flat and the Parisian Vacation Apartment places!

Leely, I will definitely be sure to report back! When are your friends going?

Thanks! They aren't going until fall.

Enjoy your trip.