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Written by Savi, 71 Comments

There’s something about Paris that makes one feel intoxicatingly alive. It’s hard to put a finger on it. Perhaps it is the lure of being an iconic city peppered with romance. Or the picturesque patisseries at every corner.

 

Whatever it is, it keeps calling out to us. Every few months, we find ourselves making our way back to Paris – a pilgrimage of sorts if you will! Over the years we’ve discovered new areas we love in the city, offbeat spots to view that perfect sunset over the Eiffel Tower, and learnt to appreciate the city of Paris in a whole new way.

 

Paris apartment rental tips
There isn’t anything like Parisian patisseries

 

travel the world
Paris has us wrapped around its little finger

 

But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed – almost four years ago we wrote an article on how staying in an apartment in Paris is one of the best ways to experience the city. Four year and many trips later, we still feel the same way. On our most recent trip to Paris we rented a luxurious Parisian apartment with Paris Perfect Rentals.  We opted for their centrally-located Calvados apartment in the seventh arrondissement. We really enjoyed our time in the rental apartment – be it sipping a glass of wine in our little balcony overlooking the Eiffel Tower or picking up breakfast from the neighbouring boulangerie. The best part? Coming back ‘home’ after long days of sightseeing.

 

In fact we enjoyed ourselves so much that we thought we would pen an article on the things to keep in mind while choosing a rental apartment in Paris, so you can have a similar experience too:

 

renting an apartment in paris perfect tips
Midnight strolls in our neighbourhood 🙂

 

paris perfect apartment rental
We even bumped into Bruised Passports’ readers, (Jessica and Chance from Texas!) in our neighbourhood – thanks for saying hello guys 🙂

 

  • Select the area with caution

While it is easy to go opt for a generic Air B&B rental apartment in countries such as Slovenia or Iceland, the task of choosing an ideal apartment becomes really hard in sprawling cities such as Paris, London, or Rome. First you need to narrow down areas that are centrally located. As if this isn’t hard enough, you need to figure out whether or not the apartment is right for your family based on mixed reviews. But that’s not the hardest part. The hardest part is always finding an apartment that is spacious enough – most rental apartments in these sprawling metropolises feel cramped.

 

This is why it is advisable to opt for a reputed rental company in the know when you travel to larger European cities. For instance Paris Perfect offers a selection of handpicked rental properties, which are centrally located and well furnished. The apartment we picked was spacious and boasted of a bedroom, large living room, 2 bathrooms, and a full-fledged kitchen. The best part? It was just a 2 minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower – in fact we could see the Eiffel from our balcony 🙂 Happy times.

 

View from the balcony of our Paris Perfect Apartment
View from the balcony of our Paris Perfect Apartment

 

paris perfect apartment rental
We chose an apartment minutes away from the Eiffel Tower

 

paris perfect apartment rental
View from our balcony in the evening

 

  • Double check amenities

Every time you book an apartment in Paris, make sure you check the list of amenities provided to guests. Some important we look out for include flexible check-in, fast wifi, coffee maker, and a dining table. Perhaps the most important one, especially in Paris, is the ability to understand and speak English. For instance Paris Perfect Rentals is run by American expats, settled in Paris. This ensures ease of communication before arriving in Paris. You can also inform your host if your flight is delayed and clarify your doubts about a new city as your host checks you into your rental apartment. This always puts us at ease, and we are sure you would feel the same 🙂

 

paris perfect apartment rental
Renting an apartment in Paris is the easiest way to feel like a local 🙂

 

paris perfect apartment rental
A full fledged kitchen is always great 🙂

 

  • Make sure your apartment has air-conditioning (if you are travelling during summer months)

I’ll be honest – we learnt this the hard way. On our first vacation in Paris, we rented a wee apartment in Montmartre (still one of my favourite areas in the city) without getting into the nitty gritties of it. Big mistake! Along came a heatwave that made nights in the tiny carpeted apartment insufferable.

 

So take this from us – if you’re travelling to Paris during summer months, make sure you apartment is equipped with an air-conditioner (or fans at the very least!). While we take this for granted in a lot of parts of the world, you would be surprised at the rarity of air-conditioners or fans in European apartments. Make sure you check beforehand and book accordingly.

 

paris perfect apartment rental
Our living room with the air-conditioner (bottom right!)

 

  • It’s the little touches

Now that the bare essentials are out of the way, let’s move onto those little touches that alleviate a regular stay in Paris to something more special. If you, like us, enjoy indulgent stays, then you’d love the little things that made our stay with Paris Perfect Rentals truly special.

 

There was a welcome hamper, jam-packed with milk, orange juice, and other essentials, waiting for us at our apartment. Little gifts (Eiffel keyrings) were left by our bedside. Luxurious toiletries and bath salts did their best to seduce us into running a bath for ourselves. But how could I forget the bottle of wine that lay in our little French balcony, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, ready to be popped open – an ideal start to a Parisian holiday indeed!

 

Paris perfect apartment rental
It’s the little touches that matter the most 🙂

 

If you need further help deciding, check out this little video we made of our time in Paris

 

Visiting Paris? Check out our favourite things to do in Paris here 🙂

71 thoughts on “An Indulgent Weekend in Paris: Renting a luxury apartment with Paris Perfect Rentals

    1. Agree with you completely 🙂 Renting an apartment is the shortcut to feeling like a local in a new city

  1. What an amazing holiday, that apartment looks so wonderful, I would love to go and stay in it and sit on the balcony sipping wine whilst looking up at the Eiffel tower!

    1. That little balcony was definitely my favourite part about our Paris Perfect Apartment Rental 🙂

    1. Hey there – that’s so cool. Apartment rentals are ideal if you’re travelling as a family. Hope you had a great time in Paris 🙂

        1. We stayed in the Calvados apartment, which was super central. You can take a look at our detailed video on Youtube on how to pick the best apartment rental for yourself before making a choice 🙂

  2. It looks like you had a wonderful stay and the apartment looks beautiful. I will definitely look into this.

    1. Hey Jessica – thanks a ton. I’m on a mission to convince family, friends, and readers to try staying in an apartment on their next holiday in Paris 🙂

    1. Hey Samantha,

      You’re absolutely right – we couldn’t get enough of the view. Plus the apartment was one of the most spacious that we have seen in Paris 🙂

        1. Seems like the one we stayed in is not available anymore on their site – but you can choose any other, they’re all great 🙂

  3. I am beyond jealous! Paris has always looked gorgeous and I’m desperate to go there one day! Hopefully soon though, and I’ll definitely be checking out an apartment/ a rental when/ if I go! 🙂

    1. Elyse you must visit Paris – it’s a gorgeous city and if you get the chance do stay in one of these stunning apartments 🙂

  4. Renting a perfect apartment in Paris is an excellent idea. Such a beautiful city to explore, and having a comfortable base that is perfectly located is just what you need.

    1. Hey Jen – glad you agree. Always enjoy finding a great apartment. It makes for the perfect base to explore a city, especially Paris 🙂

    1. I couldn’t agree more Sarah 🙂 Really enjoy staying in apartments in Paris, even though it’s hard to find the perfect one

  5. Paris is such a beautiful city. I think renting an apartment is a great idea – more time just for you and whoever you are travelling with

  6. I love Paris too, although I have never stayed in an apartment there – what a lovely idea! It sounds like the perfect base to explore the city!

    1. One for your next holiday – look up Paris Perfect if you want a luxurious apartment. Would suggest opting for one in a quiet residential street close to Eiffel Tower )

  7. You’ve convinced me! As always, you guys do an amazing job of enticing me with beautiful descriptions and gorgeous photos! Can’t wait to see what you guys get up to next!

    1. Hehe Adele – glad you agree. I remember the first time we rented an apartment in Paris – it was small but it made us look at Paris in a whole new light. You have to try it out for yourself 🙂

    1. I agree Rhian – there’s something immensely comforting about coming back to a ‘home’ after a long day of sightseeing 🙂

  8. Great recommendations! My folks love visiting Paris for a romantic weekends, they tend to stay in hotels but might look at apartments next time for longer stays x

    1. Hey there – glad we managed to persuade you to give renting an apartment in Paris a go – pretty sure you’ll love it 🙂

    1. Glad you agree Anosa – been really enjoying renting apartments on vacations recently, especially if we are staying for more than a couple of days 🙂

  9. This is a great post – we ended up booking quite a cheap Air Bnb which ended up being quite far out of Paris and very small!
    We still had an amazing holiday none the less, and I have used Air Bnb to book two holidays this Summer 🙂

    Dani x

    1. Hey Stephanie – it’s one of my favourite cities too. Do try renting an apartment the next time you’re there – pretty sure you’ll love it 🙂

    1. Lottie – Paris definitely calls a weekend at the very least. But I’d suggest spending a week there just to take it all in 🙂

  10. I have never been to Pris but I have flown over it and I remember how big it looked like. The location of the flat should be considered very carefully, you re right. You couldn’t have chose better for yours!

    1. Hey Joanna – you should definitely try and make it to Paris soon since we’re practically neighbours 🙂

  11. Planning to be in Paris next month,for two weeks. We rented an apartment in the 5th. Our first time in Paris. Can’t wait!!

  12. Paris is a wonderful city and I love how you guys have explored it on your own accord. Sometimes a little indulgence feels necessary and well-deserved. My recent trips to the Bahamas – although they have also been for work – feel like the perfect mix of indulgence and practicality. Thanks for sharing guys.

  13. Wow, that was a nice trip you had and and the pictures looks beautiful. Being a part of a travel startup such post encourages us to discover more about all these places. And this is simply awesome

    1. Hey Mahak – we’ve written articles for a lot of mid-range, budget, and luxury options in Paris, so it’s impossible to specify one budget – it will depend on where you’re flying from and the kind of accommodation you choose

  14. Hey Savi and Vid. I’m planning a trip to Paris and read almost all the blogs you guys wrote on Paris. I loved the idea of staying in an apartment. I did check Paris Perfect like you said. And the apartments are beautiful, but they are extremely expensive. It’s showing per night approx € 500-700. (INR ₹40k to 50k) On the other hand hotels are available for INR 10k. I’m a little confused. Can you enlighten me a little. Also which apartment did you guys stay in? Can you mention the name. Thanks , much love!

    1. Hey Prachi – that’s right. That why they are ‘luxury apartments’ – we’ve included them as suggestions for a special holiday or honeymoon in Paris. Unfortunately it is close to impossible to get an affordable yet well located hotels and apartments in Paris (we’ve been bitten many times), so I’d ask you to cross check the logistics of the hotel you’re thinking of booking.

      However if you do want a mid-range apartment, then I’d suggest reading our other articles on Paris – we’ve stumbled on some nice ones in all our years of visiting Paris. If you do decide to go the Air B&B route, please check out our video on Air B&B on Youtube for some pointers and things to keep in mind, especially while booking accommodation in places like Paris, London, and NYC. Hope this helps. Have a great trip 🙂

  15. Hey,

    We are planning for a few days in Paris as one part of our Honeymoon and this apartment renting looks like one of the best options among the expensive hotels present, plus considering visiting in July, the tariffs will be at the peak.

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