Reading a few threads here got me thinking about renting apartment in Europe next time I go. I have always stayed in hotels. My girlfriend and I are talking about Barcelona next year for 5 days. And now that I have done some quick checking I am having a hard time seeing any cons in trying this. Can have your own place, make coffee with a light breakfast before going out exploring, have dinner in one night with some great things from La Boqueria, etc. Many have a nice terrace or balcony.
What am I missing? What are the cons?
I read the problem with a Paris rental- but this really sounds like the exception and not the rule.
No chocolates on pillows, room service, daily room cleaning. Sometimes you have to be careful who you rent place through, but overall I prefer it over hotels.
Typically cheaper, roomier, fridge access and in the hood.
I (and my adult kids) got an apartment through VRBO in Barcelona that worked out wonderfully. It was owned by a woman who lived in Colorado. It was lovely in every way, and we had none of the problems reported with in Paris post. I’ll see if I can find a link to the property and post here.
We are in Paris now in an apartment which, itself, is fine. Great location, 2 mins walk to Luxembourg Gardens. However, the building is being re-roofed and there is scaffolding covering every window in the apt and, worse, the neighbor has decided to do a total remodel at the same time. Hammering, sawing, grinding and debris falling all around us. We arrived on Sunday. Today, the president of the rental agency, based in PA, happened to be in Paris and stopped by the apt.
They have another apt available for us on Oct 7, which isn’t as bad as it may seem, because tomorrow we are going to Vienna for the weekend. I think we have negotiated a refund for 8 nights we will be without an apt (fashion week next week and apts are booked solid) and an upgrade to a nicer apt on the 7th. The 8 night refund will pretty much cover the hotel costs we will incur when returning from Vienna before the apt is available on the 7th.
Perfect solution, it isn’t. But, assuming we receive the refund promised and can arrange to store our stuff at the hotel (and assuming further that the hotel doesn’t hose us on the rate), it is good enough. Although we will have to pack and unpack two extra times.
Apparently, the rental agency was in the dark about the construction until Saturday, when they gave us a heads up. The owner? Who knows what the owner knew and when…
So, I’d be very careful and skeptical about renting. Especially without a reputable agency involved.
If a hotel is undergoing construction or isn’t otherwise habitable, at least you can check-out. I’ve paid a lot i advance for a monthly rental and am hoping that I get made mostly whole, but I’ll only be certain if and when that happens. So our situation has been uncertain for most of a week and will remain so for a while longer. Which isn’t the way we want to spend our month in Paris.
I prefer renting apartments for stays longer than 3-4 days for many reasons: you have a “home” to come back to, if the weather’s bad then I can hang out there and not get claustrophobic, and most important is the shopping and cooking. Usually, it’s more economical and a better value as well (more space, more comfortable, etc…). That said, I’ve only had 1 bad experience, in Barcelona (this was a work trip, the Wifi wasn’t working despite repeated promises of a solution and they were supposed to credit me a few days stay but tried to charge me- AMEX to the rescue!).
But make sure you ask for current status of the building (as Mr. Kaplan’s story points out) and neighborhood in case of construction or other annoyances. I am a light sleeper so I always check how close the bedroom is to the elevator shaft, the stairwell or the street. Oh, and don’t assume there’s an elevator. Six European flights is a LONG way to walk up/down if you forget to buy milk at the store…
The cooking and shopping is one of the reasons I like the idea, as well as more space. Don’t care about WiFi- but understand how it would be bad if you were depending on it. And I sleep like a log…
Construction would be a hassle- and that is certainly a question worth asking.
Just France, recommended by none other than Mark Squires, looks like it is both reputable and helpful. And honest, to boot. We are moving into a larger, more expensive apt on Friday, at no additional cost to me. Personally, vetted last week by the president of Just France, as she was staying there when she visited our apt. I expect to receive a refund for the 8 days that we will be out. We planned our long weekend in Vienna previously, so we will stay in our usual Paris hotel, the Balzac, for 5 nights. With the 8 night refund applied to the hotel, it looks like we will be out only a few Euros, well within my expectations. If things turn out differently, I’ll post about it. Everywhere. And file a dispute with my credit card company (I took lots of photos and made sound recordings, as well as a kept the full email exchange with Just France). But I am optimistic. And will rent from Just France again if things work out as promised.
We always rent apartments and have had very good experiences. I can’t imagine traveling with kids in any other manner.
Prepare yourself for surprises - there always are. But the ability to have food and drink on demand, lots of space and a laundry at hand is worth the risk
Word of mouth (and of bulletin boards) is the best way to guide friends to good services, and to steer them from otherwise.
Indeed, if a vacation travel or rental agent has dealt inappropriately with one client, that can tip off a pattern of practice.
When another client of RentParisNow.com (ParisApartmentRental.biz) posted independently on a travel forum about
unjustified credit-card charges also, It was validating and corroborating, but hauntingly scary. Good luck. You may need it.
Notably, brokered rental apartments (VRBO/HomeAway) are vastly different from established hotels (Best Western, Holiday
Inn, Hyatt). Why? The former tend be mom-and-pop properties, and thereby lack dedicated management professionals,
standardized operating infrastructure (fire/security monitoring), and strictly enforced quality thresholds. Much of the apparent cost savings of a brokered rental serves to offset the risk of mis-represented, sub-par conditions and the lack
of financial recourse if so. There is no free lunch, especially if you cook it yourself. As cost-conscious and self-sufficient as
I am, such rental apartments will be an unlikely choice henceforth on my vacations.
Our situation worked out very well. Just France has moved us into a marvelous three bedroom apartment on Rue Jacob at no additional cost to us (we rented a 1 bedroom apt). Together, my travel agent and Just France are rebating enough to cover my 5 nights at the Hotel Balzac. We are planning to rent again from Just France next year. They have been great. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
My family and I rented an apartment in Paris this past April. Renting an apartment has it’s pro’s and con’s when compared to a hotel.
Pro’s:
More Space
Ability to eat in if desired or needed
Definitely cheaper
Con’s
4th floor walk up. Not a big deal except with luggage
No maid service. (towels and bedmaking an issue)
All in all I really enjoyed staying in an apartment in Paris. It was a unique slice of life that I haven’t gotten on previous trips. I do consider the lack of cleaning service (making the beds and providing of fresh towels) to be a real pain. I would say that the overall cost was about 50% of what it would have cost to get two hotel rooms so our kids could have their own room.
I would definintely do it again in Paris.
I felt comfortable renting an apartment in Paris beause I’m familiar with Paris and can see where a place is located just by using google maps and my own knowledge.
I was thinking about renting an apartment in Spain and found all sorts of great looking places in Barcelona. The problem is that I have no frame of reference there. For all I know the great looking apartment is located next to the town dump or on top of an all night club.
I think this pretty well sums it up. Did you stay in a 4th floor unit by European standards? That’s quite a hike! The last apartment we rented in Paris was in a great location just off the Odeon metro stop. Three flights up on stairs where none seemed to be the same size or distance, mostly in the dark. Still a beautiful apartment with plenty of room for us and the kids. The maid service thing wasn’t a big deal for us and more than offset by having a washer and dryer. That said, if traveling with just my wife for less than a week I seriously consider a hotel. With the kids or for longer stays, an apartment is the way to go.
It was four, steep, uneven flights up. Taking the luggage up and down stunk. Otherwise, you learned quick not to forget things. You hit the nail on the head. If I’m with the wife (for a week or less)…we are staying in a hotel. If the kids are with us, an apartment makes total sense. We were in a good location in the Marais very close to the Hotel de Ville metro stop. When I do this again, I’m going to find a place on the left bank closer to most of the things that we like to do and a bit closer to a MAJOR metro stop that has several lines running through it.
Yesterday, I received a check for $2,000 from Just France and will receive another $500 from my travel agent when she receives her commission for my Balzac stay. Additionally, Just France repaid my entire $1,500 security deposit. I was made entirely whole of my hotel expenses. As promised.
We are already discussing our apartment for next October with Just France. While I am sure there are other good and reputable Paris apartment rental agencies, Just France has been stand-up. And they have some great apartments in Paris and other properties throughout France.
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