Accommodation whilst in Paris for 2 months

harrye

Hi All,

I'm looking into heading to Paris for two months in May and June 2014, to get some lessons, see concerts, buy a new guitar, and finish up with the Samois festival.

I have just started looking into accommodation options whilst I am over there. I am looking to possibly rent a place for two months. I've found several websites offering studio apartments etc, but am looking for anyone with experience with this to maybe share some advice? Or some home-stay options that anyone knows of?

Anyhow, any help would be much appreciated,

Cheers

Harry

Lango-Django

harry, please check your private message box...

will

klaatu

Hi Harry,

My wife and I stayed in a little apartment for two weeks in Paris last year, and we'll never do a hotel again! The bedroom alone was bigger than our hotel room the previous year, plus we had a small living room, a decent-sized bathroom, and a very small but well-equipped kitchen, all for less than the cost of the hotel room. For food, there was a boucherie on the corner, boulangeries within a block or two, and a huge grocery store within a few minutes' walk, so we were able to save a lot with takeout when we didn't feel like eating out.

Locating a suitable apartment rental takes a lot more time and effort than finding a hotel, but it's worth it. There are a number of sources for apartments. We used http://www.homeaway.com, a friend had good luck with http://www.halldis.com, and there are others. Frommer's "Paris - spend less, see more" guide recommends Parisian Home and France Lodge, among others, but we have no experience with them.

Some rentals have concierge services or on-site property managers, which makes things easier; most do not, and we had to make an appointment to meet the owner for checkin. He turned out to be a very nice and helpful person who spent an hour showing us all the ins and outs and was very good to deal with throughout the whole process. In many cases, the web site is just a clearinghouse and you end up dealing directly with the owner, although some (like the ones from Frommer's supposedly) actually keep close tabs on the property. Some listings are actually B&B's right in the owner's home, and you may or may not care for that, so be sure of what you are getting.

You need to pick a general location (we love the Latin Quarter) and do your research. Be sure to read the descriptions very carefully, ask a lot of questions, check feedback, and don't send any money until you have talked to the owner by phone at the number shown on the Web site, because there are scam artists out there.

If you cancel an apartment rental ahead of time you may lose your deposit, which is understandable since they may not be able to rerent the property, unlike a hotel. Many of the renters don't take credit cards, so you need to be prepared to do a wire transfer if necessary (very common in Europe but not so much so here in North America). Some may take PayPal.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM or EM me.

noodlenot

homelidays is also a nice resource for apartments.

elias t.

Hi there , if you ve got a smartphone , there is this application called airbnb which i think is exactly what you are looking for , i hope you find something nice

SteveGypsyJazz

My aunt, who lives in Paris, has a website which lists long term vacation rentals:
http://adrianleeds.com/parler-paris

wim

Thanks for the info guys. I am also looking for a medium-term apartment or sharehouse in paris currently.

harrye

Hey all,

Thanks for all the leads, I'm sure I'll find something between all your suggestions.

Cheers

Harry

p.s. nice one wim!, enjoy it