powhatangal

P.S. I would pay the 40 euro.

Lois2

I would gladly pay the 40 however I can see the early check in working if it is vacant the night prior but how do they have time to clean if previous guests leave at a normal check out time? Don't get the timing.

Kristina

Lois2: The early check in for 40 euro is only available if no one is there the night before. If there is, then we can drop our bags for free at 10 am, but then we cannot check in until 1pm.

Kristina

I just realized I never followed up. Our trip was in March. We arrived and....there was no one at the apartment. Someone let us into the apartment's courtyard so we wouldn't have to wait on the street with our luggage. We emailed, texted and called all the contacts we had. After an hour we gave up and went to have breakfast and then someone called. There had been some miscommunication as to who was supposed to meet us.
In the end, we met with the cleaning lady who let us come up to the apartment and drop our bags. Then we went out for a few hours and returned when she was done, no fee for early check in (which we could not do anyway).
Had we been able to check in at 10am when we arrived, I would have gladly paid the fee to have been able to be horizontal for a hour before going out again.

iris1745

www.specialapartments.com/

We did the same with this company. Check in was at 3pm.

We called the agent at 11am on arriving in Paris proper. She explained how to walk to the apartment and she met us at the entrance to the building.

Gave us the door code, we dropped off our luggage with no fee and went out for a few hours while the cleaning lady was finishing up.

annhig

I'd tell the apartmlent agency that I would expect to have this service for free.
If 40€ is not a large sum as some say, it mustn't be huge compared to the rental.>>

I know I'm not the only one here with a place that we let out and we wouldn't dream of charging someone for arriving early if the place was empty the day before. just like we don't mind if they arrive early and drop off their luggage, or wake us up at midnight when their lost luggage is being delivered, or need an ambulance at 2am when one of them has got drunk and fallen down the stairs, or want to use our computer to book an early ferry home because it hasn't stopped raining for a week, or they need picking up from an obscure garage because their van has broken down, or.....

These Parisian apartment owners have it easy!

iris1745

In addition, after we left Paris our villa in Nice was not occupied the day before and we were let in early.

Not only to just drop our luggage, but relax with no extra fee.

That day could have been horrible. At the car rental location in Nice it was a ZOO with long lines.

We rented with Budget and saw a little sign at the Hertz counter and were in and out in a very short time. Whew!!

fuzzbucket

I know a lot of Parisian residents - and waiters - are getting awfully fed up with people who can't access their apartments, have piles of luggage, and insist on sitting for several hours - often ordering one espresso while mom and the kids go in search of the nearest patisserie, bringing back sacks of goodies that they have the gall to eat at the table. Total addition: 2.40 EU for 4 people who have sat there and/or wandered off repeatedly for several hours.

You chose to rent an apartment, you knew you couldn't have access for several hours, there's no reason to make the rest of us regular customers suffer for your problems.

Pay the fee for early arrival and leave us in peace!

NYCFoodSnob

Thank you, Kristina, for the follow up.

<i><font color=#555555>"I know a lot of Parisian residents - and waiters - are getting awfully fed up with people who can't access their apartments, have piles of luggage, and insist on sitting for several hours - often ordering one espresso while mom and the kids go in search of the nearest patisserie, bringing back sacks of goodies that they have the gall to eat at the table."</font></i>

Just how many "fed up" residents and waiters do you know? LOL! Something tells me you're projecting your very own negative bias.

If this is your definition of hospitality, then spare me from EVER encountering your role as a host. I hope others are spared as well.

There is a reason why Paris is known for its awful people with awful attitudes. This post illustrates exactly that. Shame on you for promoting the worst of a negative stereotype.

iris1745

For me, Parisians have never been awful people. My wife and I have been embraced by Paris.

In the metro any number of times, when a women even made a telephone call for us.

One women when we got off Line 2 from CDG at Luxembourg and were disoriented.

Many more times in France. One host when we departed the chateau B n B gave me a hug. How can anyone not love France.

Never think fuzbucket thinks well of me as we have been on any number or thread on opposite ends of the discussion, but I would certainly welcome him/her at our GTG over wine.

It only takes please and thank you and you have a friend in Paris, France or anywhere else in Europe.

fuzzbucket

NYCSnob - I have a much larger circle of friends than you do - certainly in Paris.

iris - a good debate is always a pleasure. Glad to be invited!
A bientot.

kleeblatt

I really like the OP's question because it has to do with travel and hasn't been asked before.

Everyone has different priorities so you'll get different answers. I'd pay for it myself because of the luxury of relaxing after a long flight.

Fuzzbucket mentioned an issue about tourists buying bakery items in a nearby shop and bringing it to the cafe where they are enjoying a cup of coffee. This is a huge no no in Switzerland as well. If you want to have coffee and food on the cheap, buy everything to go and find a bench to enjoy your meal. Whatever you do, don't bring it to a cafe to eat. It's rude and usually goes against the restaurant's policy.

Enjoy Paris!

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"I have a much larger circle of friends than you do - certainly in Paris."</font></i>

Your contempt for tourists and your extreme presumption is duly noted. Your pissing contest is of no interest to me.

You don't know me. You don't know my relationship to Paris. Making an outrageously presumptuous statement only makes you look as ignorant as those tourists who purchase bakery items and eat them at another eating establishment. Perhaps it takes one to know one.

<i><font color=#555555>"an issue about tourists buying bakery items in a nearby shop and bringing it to the cafe where they are enjoying a cup of coffee. This is a huge no no in Switzerland as well."</font></i>

<b>It's a stupid, ignorant thing to do anywhere</b>, no matter who you are, no matter what level of education you have, no matter the origin of your country.

Personally, I don't know anybody that stupid, and my optimistic nature imagines a world where something like this happens rarely. What culture would accept such behavior and then make it OK to do in another culture?

I know the world is full of sneaky, selfish people, who may try to hide ignorant behavior if it means getting their way. Some selfish people are quite nervy, we see that often on this board. Nervy, selfish, ignorant people who behave like this at any food establishment around the world deserve to be publicly embarrassed and thrown out.

However, I sincerely doubt that there are many people who come to Fodor's, who need to linger with luggage until check-in time, who would ever think it's OK to behave like this.

<i><font color=#555555>"My wife and I have been embraced by Paris."</font></i>

LOL. Now there's a vivid imagination.

I love Paris, but I don't have a Pollyanna or hyper-romantic view of the place. Like most large cities in this world, it has it's share of really ugly, nasty people.

I have a long history with Paris. I often don't believe certain usernames on this board who claim to be Parisian.

sparkchaser

<i>Like most large cities in this world, it has it's share of really ugly, nasty people.</i>

And dirt. And smell. And dirty smelly people.

iris1745

Hey jansij; Can I now take a back seat to being an 'Ugly American??'

jubilada

I am unaware of any cafe type place anywhere that would welcome outside goods. That's just rude.

Vicky

I simply can't enjoy myself until I've had a shower so I'd pay it. A shower wakes me up in addition to feeling clean and refreshed (which a kind of sponge bath in a lobby ladies room doesn't do). I've lain around on a lobby sofa like Camille (Prague) until a room was ready -- no doubt they sped things up not liking the idea of someone practically passed out by the front desk!

justineparis

We were in a bar in Paris about a month ago.

The Green Linnet.

There is a sign that says you are welcome to bring food in and enjoy it with one of their beverages.

They do not sell food ( except for bagged peanuts and chips/ crisps) .

Anywhere that does sell food will not welcome you bringing in food , of course, that only makes sense.
There are some cafes that do not sell food in the morning, in thise rare cases you may bring in a croissant etc to habe with their coffee.

I would agree that using a table for hours with onky a minor purchase is rude, 2 or 4 people having a full meal would perhaps not be so bad, however one should not bring piles of luggage anywhere. If your bags are not able to be by your feet, not blocking anyones way that would be less offensive.
Unfortunately some people seem to lack common sense and respect.

annhig

I am unaware of any cafe type place anywhere that would welcome outside goods. That's just rude.>>

jubi - it is a feature of some french cafes that you are allowed to bring in for from outside, particularly if it's something they don't themselves sell. This only applies to the "lower" end of the market of course - I don't think they'd be very impressed if you brought your pain au chocolat into the Georges V to eat in the bar! Personally it goes against the grain for me and I've very rarely done it, but I've seen it done lots without complaint from the waiters.

it's very rare in the UK but I know a couple of frankly quite rough pubs in Cornwall that have signs up saying that you may bring in your own food - I'd never seen it before in the UK and thought it was a sign of how poor some people are here.

justineparis

" its a stupid, ignorant thing to do anywhere"

No , its a stupid ignorant thing to do in most , but NOT all places.


But making pronouncements like that , in bold face type no less, is ignorant because its not true.
Shows me a person does not know Paris as well as they brag they do.