Apartments

Paris Guide©

Judy and Mel Croner

Apartments

Apartment Rentals

There are many websites that feature apartment rentals. We have provided just a few that various friends have used with some success. The ParisNet website provides a nice checklist about renting an apartment in Paris.

As with any short-term rental, don't set your expectations too high. Typically, rental apartments are just that, apartments purchased by their absentee owners for the sole purpose of full time rentals. Often furniture is closer to motel moderns than to your home. Kitchens typically are sparsely but adequately furnished. Be sure to check is there is a dishwasher, or a washer or a dryer. (The latter, often, are small combinations that can take hours to wash and dry two pair of socks and some underwear.) Pay particular attention to the quality, condition, and size of the bed. The French version of a "king-size" bed is considerably different from that in the U.S.

If the rental agency does not provide a great deal of specific information, go on to the next one. The place they are renting, likely, is a dog.

Before you rent, get a Paris map and check out the exact location of the apartment. Preferable arrondisements are, on the Left Bank: the 6th, 7th, 15th; and, on the Right Bank the 16th, 8th. Perhaps more charming, but, also, more chancy are the 3rd (the Marais and Place des Vosges) and the 6th (Jardin de Luxembourg) 5th (Jardin des Plantes and rue Mouffetard).