We highly recommend renting an apartment near a Metro stop while in Paris. This saved us money with meals since it allowed us to store food, cook and heat things up. Paris had wonderful street markets filled with bread, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables. We also went into a local grocery store and were able to get and try out several food items we don’t find at home. My kids loved exploring the aisles, especially the snacks and candy section, with unfamiliar but delicious looking items. It was a great opportunity to explore the local neighborhoods. Families also get a bigger space in apartments which is a premium compared to European sized hotel rooms.
We booked our apartment through www.vacationinparis.com during our visit in Oct. 2009. This is a US owned company based in New Jersey. They were very helpful and sent us the keys with detailed instructions a few weeks before we left. We sent the keys back to them in a prepaid envelope after we returned.
We initially paid with a credit card for our refundable security deposit. We paid in US dollars up front so we weren’t subjected to the euro-dollar conversion and fluctuation like the hotels at the time of check-in and had the price locked in. They charged a cleaning fee and a surcharge of $75 if staying for less than seven days. Even with the added fees, our nightly rate was a better deal than most Parisian hotel rooms.
Our non-smoking studio apartment was on the 6th district (arrondissement) on the left bank right by the St Germain-des-Pres area and Rue de Bucci with plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants. There was also a grocery store within the area. We were on a second story with restaurants at the bottom floor on an alley full of international cuisine.
It was within easy walking distance to the Luxembourg Gardens, the Seine, Notre Dame and the Louvre. The Odeon Metro stop was a block away which took us to all the Paris attractions with minimal transfers. We felt safe in the neighborhood considering we walked there late at night and even walked at 5:00 AM to catch a train.
The apartment was clean and roomy enough for the four of us. It was well secured with several locks. It also required an entry code at the building entrance after nighttime hours. There was a loft area with a double bed which was perfect for our then 6-year old daughter. My husband, then 4-year old son and I slept in the fold-out futon bed. It wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping arrangement but surprisingly we slept well. It may have been from sheer exhaustion of being out all day exploring the city.
The bathroom was small with a separate shower and toilet area. The kitchen was also in a separate room with a refrigerator, stovetop and microwave. A computer was available with Internet connection. But, we found it most helpful translating from French to English the instructions on the washer/dryer unit.
The washer/dryer in the unit was very useful as we limited the number of clothes in our carry-on luggage.
The location was so ideal but we probably would not stay at this particular flat again since there are plenty of other options around Paris. But, we would definitely stay at another apartment for the space and for better overall value.
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Hi Mary,
Thanks for visiting my site, and boy, am I glad to have found your site as well :) I find that we have a few things in common – like travel and food / eating :). My blog used to be more on the travelling side of things, but now that I’m awaiting the birth of baby #3 (gasp!), I am currently sidelined and doing more of the food side of things. LOL!
Regarding lodging in Paris…I agree, renting an apartment is a better option for families than hotels. Space is the biggest issue for me…and I’d rather have a little kitchenette with a fridge and microwave is more important for me now that I have kids! With Paris brimming with street markets and fine grocers, I think it’s a better idea (budget-wise) to cook and prepare your own family meal when on vacation!
Cheers! and Happy 2012!
-Jen Laceda
Thanks for stopping by Jen! Congratulations and good luck with Baby #3. You’re totally right about Paris. I loved the street markets and it was the perfect place to get an apartment. We would definitely do it again on our return visit but with bigger space. I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with you through our blogs too. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Mary, We visited Paris last year and rented an apartment seven blocks from the Eiffel Tower, also close to the metro. We used Homeaway to find our apartment and enjoyed the process as well as our two-bedroom apartment! When looking for Paris apartments, be sure to look at the size of the metro hub. Some stops are small, just a stop on a line with one or two connections. Others are major stops where many metro lines converge. The larger the stop, the easier it is to navigate the city.
Thanks for the tips Karen! We’ve only used Flipkey for apartment rentals and this one in Paris. We’ll definitely look into Homeaway. What a great location you had.