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So whats the deal with renting a Paris Apartment instead of a hotel? Where do I look?

So whats the deal with renting a Paris Apartment instead of a hotel? Where do I look?

Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 09:54 AM
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So whats the deal with renting a Paris Apartment instead of a hotel? Where do I look?

I am going to Paris in November and I have become hooked on looking at all the threads on the subject and the rental agencies for Paris Apartments. So whats the deal? It looks like I can get a small studio or 1 bedroom for the same price (if not less) than a cheap 2 star shoebox hotel. It almost seems too good to be true. Are these places clean and as spacious as they look in photos?

I am hoping to find something in the Marais area for about 800 euros or less for 8 nights. What do agencies charge as a fee? Any tips will be appreciated!
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 10:07 AM
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Some of my list (also researching it):

http://www.rentals-paris.com/getpropsbydate.asp

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals.../europe/france

http://www.sant.com/

http://www.parismarais.com/stay-in-le-marais.htm

http://www.parisianflat.com/

http://parisperfect.com/

http://vacation.apartment-paris.com/...lis-Apartment/


http://www.lacigaleparis.com/

http://www.paris-serviced-apartments.com/


http://www.maraisflat.com/


Hope this isn' too much information!
Michel_Paris is offline  
Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 10:11 AM
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Here's another site:
http://www.jack-travel.com/

When I looked last year, I found an apartment for two in the Marais that cost 55 Euros per night (it was on the above Jack-Travel.com site). I didn't end up going for it, because I wanted air conditioning. The main drawback was that it was on the French 4th floor, with no elevator.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 10:16 AM
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You can find renter reviews of Paris apartments on slowtrav.com a site specifically for travelers who stay in lodgings other than hotels.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 10:52 AM
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I'll add panacherental.com to Michels' very good list. I have had good luck w/them as well as vrbo.com & Paris perfect.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 10:55 AM
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2 more that I got from slowtrav are beau-paris.com and Homelidays.com

I rented for the first time 8 nights in May from beau-paris. I got the cheapest apt. they had near Nation for a bargain price of 365 euros for 8 nights. It was a small studio. It was clean and had everything I needed. Owner extremely helpful and pleasant.

I know you want to be in Marais and have bigger budget but I mentioned the apt. for other super bargain hunters. I have another apt. in St. Germain area booked for end of Sept. I liked having an apt. very much.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 11:11 AM
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www.paris-sleeps.com is also a great agency.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 11:20 AM
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Yet another site -

www.parisaddress.com

Their home page says it is comprised of people who own property in Paris and rent it.

The only reason I didn't rent from them was I wanted air-con (not necessary in November!) as we were going in July; otherwise the apartment on the Quai de la Tournelle seemed perfect. I would certainly consider renting it at other times of the year.

They do have apartments all over Paris, so have a look and see what they have in the Marais.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 11:39 AM
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My 2 cents: You need to know that renting an apartment will be quite a different experience from staying at a hotel. You need to be a tolerant, independent traveller. If you are the sort of traveller who likes her services (concierge, valet parking, bell hop, help with restaurants, directions, etc) you will not like staying in an apartment. If it is noisy at night there is no one to call and complain to. If it doesn't come with great towels, or pillows, or whatever, you'll need to either forget about it or buy your own.

That said, we recently rented apartments in France and Italy and I loved it. There were 4 of us, so it was cheaper. It feels more like you are living there and not just a visitor (an illusion, but oh well).

I would urge you to try hard to communicate with womeone who has (recently) rented the SAME apartment you are looking at. Sometimes that is impossible - so make sure you are going with an agent you trust. Definitely go to slowtrav.com. It has the best listing of reviews on individual apts that I've seen. Once you have a few in mind you can search for the street name or tha agent on here and see if you can get some clues.

The agencies, as far as I know, do not charge a separate fee to the renter. Their commission is out of the rent. Be sure to ask them a lot of questions. Ask if the apartment(s) you're interested in are professionally cleaned. That has been an issue for some renters on here.

Good luck.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 12:31 PM
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We rented an apartment for the first time last year.
We used a company called vacationinparis.com. The primary reason for using this company was becasue they mailed us the keys so there was no need for anyone to meet us at the apartment. We were arriving on a Sunday and the other agencies I contacted would not allow a Sunday check in or out.

Another thing that I liked was the ability to pay by CC and since it is a NJ co. were were charged dollars not Euros.

Having heard numeous towel stories and being aware of the lack of wash cloths in all of the hotels we've stayed in. I decieded to bring along towels and wash cloths, just in case. While there were no wash cloths in the Apartment, the towels were fine, though not perfectly matched. The apartment had a washing machine too, so I washed a load of towels mid week. I don't mind reusing but my husband likes clean towels everyday. Rather than take up space in my luggage I left the towels there and hopefully, someone got some use out of them.

We were very pleased with the apartment and are planning to use this company again.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 12:32 PM
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...and be sure to read this post:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34654479
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 02:02 PM
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If you are undecided you can consider a compromise: an apartment-hotel, like Citadines. These hotels provide apartments (bedroom, living room, fully-equipped kitchen) that are a bit like hotel rooms. You get less service than you would in a traditional hotel, but more than you'd get renting an apartment on your own. It has some of the convenience of an apartment (being able to fix your own meals, more people allowed in the room, etc.), but also has some of the convenience of a hotel (predictable cleanliness, regular if not daily maid service, 24-hour staff, etc.).

There are several Citadines in Paris, and there are other chains that provide similar services (I mention Citadines only because I've actually been to those).
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 02:33 PM
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There are dozens of agencies renting Paris vacation apartments by now, that's for sure. For starters, here is a good website that lists the main agencies and gives some comments on how many apartments they have, etc. I found it very useful as a starting point:

http://www.france-apartment.com

Most agencies have the commission built into the posted rate, but it should be stated on the web site. Almost all do, but I have seen a couple that have about a 25-33 pct commission on top of the posted rate. You have to read the fine print. that isn't usual, but the one I'm thinking of does that for longterm rentals, but includes the commission on rentals of less than a month or something.

I'm sure you don't need people to tell you that oh yes, all apartments are exactly like they look in the photos. Usually, the main problem is they can look a lot larger in the photos than they really are, so be sure to get square meters or measurements.

You should be able to get something for 100 euro a night, sure. The main drawbacks are that the vast majority do not have air conditioning (not an issue in November), and just the fact that you have to prepay and make large deposits and a lot of that is nonrefundable. Then, just the usual that you are never sure if you are going to like the place or the neighborhood or what lurks across the street. For example, I rented a small studio and liked it okay and the neighborhood, but it was directly across the street from a small Algerian cafe that played very loud music beginning pretty early in the morning when you wouldn't think anyone would be there, and often going very late at night. That's the kind of thing you can't know about in advance.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 03:43 PM
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Definitely read the thread TravelNut directs you to. It is by one extremely dissatisfied customer and her recent Paris apartment report. She would answer your question "Are these places clean adn as spacious as they look in photos?" with a great big - NON!
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 05:10 PM
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Richard: I replied on another post about the rue ste. croix de la bretonnerie apartment. I can recommend another apartment we stayed in last visit. It was located on rue Mornay, top floor with two terraces. The building was modern, but surrounded by old buildings. Canal St. Martin - basin arsenal were almost directly out the door. Great views of Sacre Coeur on one side and Pompidou and Hotel de Ville other side. Two metro stations were convenient; Bastille and Sully Morland. It had a decent sized kitchen and living/sleeping room and nice bathroom. The terraces were great. It was cold when we were there, but we still got out onto them. The website is www.paris-vacation-rental.com. The person I dealt with was the owner who lives in Vermont. We paid him by sending him a check here in dollars and paid in full before we left. No money exchange in Paris. He had his business partner meet us at the apartment and give us keys. The sleeping arrangement was a murphy bed that was extremely comfortable. The furniture was ok, could use a bit of an update, but nothing terrible. It also had a small anteroom with a sofabed type thing where we left our luggage and called it our dressing room. The owner has another apartment on Ile St. Louis. Take a look at the website. It was very easy dealing with the owner.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 05:46 PM
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 05:49 PM
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I have to chime in and second Suzanne2's reco for Vacation in Paris.

We rented from them for a 5 nt. stay over last New Years, and couldn't have been happier with the service from both the folks in N.J. and Morgan, their man in Paris. Everything was exactly as pictured and described on the website, and things couldn't have gone smoother.

While we stayed in their apt. #74 in the 7th arr., I know they have some listings in the Marais (3rd and 4th) as well, plus if memory serves, one or two in the 2nd very close to the Louvre.

I know firsthand that trying to select an apt. can be a bit overwhelming, but keep at it, and best of luck! Hope you enjoy the experience as much as our family did.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 05:58 PM
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Also check out parisvacationapartments.com

We were very happy with them.
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Old Aug 3rd, 2005, 05:58 PM
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Finding the most appealing to you hotel in every way in Paris can be daunting - finding an apartment even more daunting.

All turns on what, exactly, you have in mind - lodging wise. What's really important to you - location, size, ammenities?

We've done both. If you speak little or no French, it's quite the advantage to have folks at the front desk or a concierge to help you out with dinner, tour reservations, directions, recommended places all about the neighborhood, booking a shuttle/taxi to the airport, etc. Hotel rooms tend to be quite compact, so an apartment will give you somewhat more space (though, often, not as much as you would assume), along with a kitchen, laundry facilities (sometimes), etc.

I, personally, would be a bit wary of any apartment less than a cheap 2*.

Regarding photos - you MUST scrutinize them carefully. Nearly always, what you see is what you get - space and decor. Photos include EVERYTHING. Assume there are walls at the edges. (Same goes for photos of hotel rooms and bathrooms.)

Renting an apartment is somewhat riskier than booking a hotel room, particularly with regard to being able to find reviews from folks who've actually stayed at specific apartment. Though, rooms vary enormously throughout individual hotels, so "cramped" or "spacious" rooms at a small hotel may not describe the room to which you are assigned.

Whether you book a hotel or an apartment, typically, there are no constants, only variables, unless you can find a number of reviews/recommendations for the particular apartment you have in mind.
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Old Aug 4th, 2005, 03:00 AM
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