While looking for an apartment in Paris I have searched these forums. I found numerous threads, each with some information but no central location for comparisons. In going to the websites of various agencies/landlords mentioned I noticed significant differences:
One had good looking, reasonably priced apartments, but when I was about to book, I was told there was an additional 40eur %26quot;cleaning charge.%26quot; Charging extra for cleaning would be like charging extra for electricity or using the elevator; it is an expected and necessary service, and should at least be disclosed on the website.
Some agencies have one week or longer minimums; some will rent by the day.
Some only have apartments in one area, such as Montmartre, or Tour d%26#39;Eiffel, others have listings all over.
I propose a single thread where several agencies are listed. Please reply with the name (or better yet website) of the agency you used and a brief (I should talk!) impression, good or bad. If there is anything else we should know, such as limited to one area, please add that.
Thanks, and sorry about the length of this post.
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I used VactioninParis.com last November and was very satisfied with their service. They have apartments all over the city, and in varying price ranges. I think the minium length of stay depends on the actual apartment owner not necessarily the agency handling the property. The apartment we used ID 191 on Ile St. Louis had a 4 night minimum at the time. We were not charged for additional cleaning although there were some instruction on how to leave the apartment as far as towels, etc. There was a $150 key deposit that was refunded in a timely manner after our vacation.
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I am leaving for Paris next Monday and have rented an apartment thru Vacation In Paris also. This is my 5th rental with them and I%26#39;ve always been pleased, they are easy to work with, have various sizes, areas and prices of apartments throughout Paris, they%26#39;re based in the US so you pay in USD rather than Euros and all costs are upfront so you know exactly. Have also used VRBO twice when renting in Paris and again, have been pleased.
www.vacationinparis.com
www.vrbo.com
Hope this helps you get started.
Susan
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Another favorable vote for Vacation In Paris for the same reasons listed above. To me, they seem less expensive than others. You generally have the keys in hand prior to leaving, with detailed instructions as to how to access the apt. I also like that they%26#39;re located in the US and so their transactions are in USD. That means no issues with euro fluctuations.
I%26#39;ve used them five times as well and all have been positive experiences.
I think that if you rent with the agencies which consistently get good reviews here on TA (and there ARE others than VIP :), you%26#39;ll have a good experience renting.
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Ditto for VIP.
We%26#39;ve used them several times. We prefer to spend less on accomodations so we have more for other things. That said, the apartments we%26#39;ve rented have been nothing fancy but clean and comfortable.
They seem to have something tfor everyone in terms of price and location.
I will use them again for future visits to Paris.
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Thanks for all the responses so far. Keep%26#39;em coming!
One thing I found was that many apartments are owned by a company which lists them on another site. For example I found the exact apartment on vrbo.com and homeaway.com Sometimes these owners have sites of their own.
I have also noticed that the availability calendars on the websites may not be up to date and that we may have to enquire to see if the rooms actually are available.
FWIW I found vacationinparis.com rather difficult to navigate. I just sent them an email describing what I need and hope they can recommend one or two good choices. I will post the results.
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The VIP website changed. You used to be able to view all apartments. This made it easier for me because I wanted to compare 1 bedroom places with studios. Now you have select by number of bedrooms so it took me longer to check out all of my options.
I found the easiest thing to do is to e-mail them with my dates and wants. They have always gotten right back to me with several good available choices.
I cannot imagine renting a place where we needed to bring large amounts of cash (Euros), wire money, of send a large deposit. Now some agencies are taking CC or using Paypal which is good.
I have conflicting feelings about the need to meet a rep at the apartment. What if our flight is delayed? What if we are arriving on a Sunday or a holiday? However, on the other hand, it would be nice to have someone show us how to work the appliances.So far we%26#39;ve managed, and it has been great to get the keys in advance of our trip.
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Last year, we rented through PerfectlyParis (contemporary chic). We dealt with Gail and she was wonderful. We originally booked Bijou de Bellefond but when our travel partners cancelled, we wanted to downgrade to a 1 bedroom. Gail was very accommodating and there was no charge for switching (apartments are individually owned). A representative met us at the apartment (can%26#39;t remember his name) and we enjoyed our stay. They accept payment through PayPal (which is great so that you don%26#39;t have to carry wads of cash).
The site also lists other rental sites ... like Frenchyrentals (a family member stayed at Constance, which was really nice, in Montmarte as well). I would feel safe renting from them, because they were recommended by PerfectlyParis.
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WE are a party of 4 and have been looking at paris autrement.com. They have beautiful apartments , and someone meets you there to go over appliances,ect. We have never used them or any rentals and are looking for some information or reviews, or someone who has used them. Please if you her anything let me know. There are many rentals out there Isabelles apartments,paris perfect , paris attitude, but we liked paris attrrement, but can%26#39;t find anything about them. Thanks, Zippergirl
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It appears that parisautrement.com specifically focuses on apartments in the Marais. Obviously, many would prefer to stay there, but if you prefer elsewhere, I would not recommend it.
I just went to the website to try it out. It seems easy to navigate with good pictures. The two flats I looked at look very nice but a bit pricey compared to the others I have been looking at over the last 24 hrs.
Of course that is just my opinion based on some very limited observations.
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I%26#39;m renting an apartment in the 18th arr from Paris Vacation Apartments. Their apartments are very nice but on the high end of cost; Their representative Alex Mony has been exceptional in dealing with. Paris Vacation Apartment has every amenity I was looking for plus more. A person will meet me at the apartment to show me how everything works and I will have their cell phone number during my stay. I don%26#39;t have to pick-up a key in one area and then go elsewhere to the apartment. After weeks of research I%26#39;m very pleased %26quot;so far%26quot; in the choice I made. Always make sure you read over each company%26#39;s terms %26amp; conditions. Just about all are different.
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