Vacationing in Paris during the winter of 2012 and leaving the hotel behind...

Guest: chasejla (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 01/29/12

My wife and I along with our two tall kids ages 12 and 14 visited Paris in January, 2012. We tend to be Hyatt/Ritz Carlton types of travelers but decided to try our first VRBO for this visit so we could connect ourselves and the kids better with Paris. This apartment delivered everything we had hoped it would. What we may have thought would be a trade off for that upscale hotel luxury and concierge service, with this apartment you get back tenfold returns in clean, efficient European comfort combined with absolutely prime location. The place had plenty of room for us, beds and bath were terrific, sunrises and window views to the rooftops of Paris were unforgettable. The coordination on arrival was smooth and friendly, with plenty of orientation to the neighborhood provided to get us moving. Adding to the tapestry of traveler reviews, I also confirm that the previous comments are true. Read them all, then go ahead and book this place with confidence based on those reviews. And to all you previous guests: thank you for the extensive travel library and suggestions you’ve left behind. For us tourists, how great to find your comments along with the latest Frommer’s Paris in the library in paper form, as our e-Nook versions weren’t cutting it. Echoing some comments: you can’t go wrong by visiting any of the cafes/restaurants within steps out the front door, we especially enjoyed Bar a Manage (BAM) steps out the front door to the right for late night wine and dessert, and we enjoyed the draft beer place out on the Rue Rivoli for plenty of great Trappist Monk drafts and friendly service. La Poule a Pot was indeed a terrific recommendation for dinner. So glad someone recommended that app for your Iphone “ZUTI Paris” for truly effortless Metro/RER guidance -- seems like every train in the city hits the Metro Chatelet stop which is just a half block from the front door. After a few days in this place, you’ll feel like a local. What a great trip, and a great place. Thanks again Clare!

Owner response:What a thoughtful appreciative review. Thank you for taking the time to write We liked your choice of drinking and dining places, On our next visit to La Poule a Pot will think of you and raise a glass. Expect Allison and Brendan enjoyed being locals and fetching the bread each morning from the bakery with such wonderful smells. Just reading your account makes us want to book Eurostar again. Best wishes, C

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

The Excellent Ratings are True

Guest: Jim (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA)
Date of Stay: 11/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/27/11

My wife, nephew and I spent Thanksgiving week in Paris. The apartment and location were excellent. Clean, well stocked, outstanding views from windows. Here are some practical details: Having stayed in VRBO properties before what distinguished this property was that the quality of things in apartment were excellent - knives were sharp. Dishes were tasteful - silverware was sturdy - internet worked as did the phone and television. Shower was hot and good water pressure. The place feels like a home not a place for renters. Good books on the bookshelf. What as wrong??-- cannot find a thing to say. One must understand that compared to US space -- the apartment is compact. There is not wasted space. But even with my nephew there -- we had privacy. All and all a first rate experience from the moment we arrived until departure.

Recommended for:

Paris honeymoon

Guest: Demetrius (Florida)
Date of Stay: 09/23/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

We had the most wonderful experience at your apartment.....Compared to hotel rates, it was very reasonable, especially since we like to do our own cooking and shopping. The location is just amazing. We walked or took the subway (2 within a block of the apartment) to every sight, museum, garden, or district we wanted to see. Because we were so centrally located, we spent all our time enjoying Paris rather than traveling, very nice. The apartment is well equipped, with a telephone you can call home with, WiFi, music, espresso machine, all the cooking utensils one needs to get by. There are markets and bakeries nearby, the one downstairs is excellent and the staff is particularly friendly, something that is hard to come by in Paris. Climb the Bell Towers of Notre Dame, go to the top of the Arch de Triumph for sunset, take an evening cruise down the Seine (let a full boat go and be in line first for the next one), look for Les Freres Zitoun, a piano and stand up bass playing duet on the walking bridge from Notre Dame. Spend a day in Montemarte, visit all the little museums in Paris, we had a better experience there than the Louvre, although that was worthwhile as always. So, thank you again, we will definitely recommend your property to anyone who wants a unique and personal experience in Paris.....and we shall return, as well. Aloha, Kristi and Jack

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Wonderful stay

Guest: Jenny & Sameer (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/10/11 Review Submitted: 09/20/11

We had a wonderful stay, the photos on the web site were accurate and we found the apartment to be a complete delight. The location is outstanding with wonderful local restaurants to try and an amazing bakery just around the corner. Easy walking distance to many major tourist sights or a metro within minutes. Clare and Kaye could not have been more helpful. Would love to stay again if we return to Paris and would not hesitate to recommend the apartment.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Paris Adventure from a Great Home Base

Guest: Bike Boyz (Dillon Beach, California, U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 08/16/11 Review Submitted: 09/08/11

My wife, her best friend, and I spent 2 weeks in Paris at this apartment in August. The apartment was wonderfully located one block from the Seine, 10 minutes from the Louvre, Ste. Chappelle, and Notre Dame and around the corner from a great boulangerie and three great restaurants. There are nearby metro and RER stops to take you to Versailles, D'Orsay, and other sites. So the location is great!! The apartment itself was really fine. Balconies overlook the street and there is a view of the Seine (albiet limited). The two bedrooms are reasonably sized and the beds large enough for two adults. The bathroom has a very good shower and a washing machine. The living room is large and has a sofa bed that a friend of mine used for three nights, so in theory the apartment could accommodate 5 people though it would be a bit crowded given one bathroom. The kitchen was fine with a fridge, microwave/convection oven, and all you need to cook meals though we usually went out for dinner and tended to relax with afternoon wine/cheese at home. The free wireless was a nice bonus as was the ability to call home to the states for free. The CD player worked fine. The tv didn't work but we didn't bother calling about it since it didn't really matter to us. The apartment is on the sixth floor so the walk up each day is a good work-out but there is a TINY elevator if you have bags, groceries, etc. We carried our bicycles up the 6 flites since they couldn't fit in the elevator. We had friends over for dinner one nite who were renting another apartment in Paris and they just loved our place!! We would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a clean, well located, and comfortable apartment for a Paris visit and would certainly stay here again when we return.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Ideal Paris Location

Guest: Michael (Florida,USA)
Date of Stay: 08/06/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

The location of the apartment could not have been better! Within walking distance of Notre Dame, Ste.Chapelle, the Louvre, and the Pompidou Center, it was the perfect location to see the heart of the city. The apartment was spacious, comfortable, light and open. A view of the Seine greeted us each day from our balconies, and the boats that passed by. There are a multitude of cafe's, boulangeries, and patisseries all around. A central metro hub was less than a block away(Chatelet). The apartment contributed to a truly memorable stay in Paris! (Our dates of stay were Aug.6-13, 2011)

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fantastic apartment for our family of four! First trip to Paris for our two boys, ages 14 and 11!

Guest: allison (los angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 07/16/11

We had a lovely visit in this apartment. The listing and photos which describe the apartment are accurate. The apt is spacious and airy, the mirrors along the walls and high ceilings and skylights help to make it seem bigger. Look at the sq footage as I find in general in Europe, the rooms are smaller than in the US. This is the first time we've used VRBO & my husband, more than once, said, "Are you sure we will have a place to stay when we land? We did wire thousands of dollars to an unknown account!" Not to worry! Clare's friends were staying there the day we arrived and they greeted us with open arms even though we arrived too early and we just wanted to drop off our luggage. Having two boys, 14 and 11, it was the perfect place for them to relax after a long day of museum touring rather than in a small hotel room! We did not use any of the appliances (washer, drying rack, tv...couldn't find English channels, printer, microwave/oven..didn't cook). There was not an electric coffee pot (only a French/Italian Press). It was a bear to clean so I just bought coffee in the cafes. The bathroom was clean and sufficent. Lighting was really good. The beds were extremely comfortable. The apartment's location was such a wonderful plus. Chatelet metro was right there, the Seine was across the street, Notre Dame just a few blocks away. I read the other reviews and I only can say the 8 steps up to the apartment after the elevator was easily manueverable for a young family. I don't think my kids ever used the elevator...even at 11pm at night, they would race up the stairwell. The only negatives about the apartment is that outside of the landing of the elevator on the 6th floor, there was some water damage to the building and the floor was covered in construction type paper to walk on. When I first saw that, I thought, "Uh-oh, what are we getting into?" But it was outside of the apartment. The only other negative is that there is a throw rug in the main living area which is a leather shag? I think it needs cleaning as it doesn't look like it can be vacuumed or has been cleaned in a while. Probably a shorter pile carpet would be better for cleanliness/allergy sake. All the reviewers loved the Boulangerie at the bottom of the apt but I was so disappointed! The baguettes were just so-so & on our 3rd visit she forgot to put in my chocolate croissant! Definitely will recommend this apartment to friends and family as I have already done so! Thanks, Clare!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A charming Parisian base

Guest: Bighorndon (Chicago, Il, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 07/10/11

First of all, if you are an American, leave your bias and perceptions at home! "Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore!" could not be more true. Everything that the owner says about the property is true but if you are expecting American scale and size you may be disappointed. We are completing our stay and it has been great once we adjusted to the quirks of European living. The benefits of this location are impossible to ignore. From the surrounding neighborhood restaurants and boulangerie (bakery to you, tourist!) to the convenience of the daunting Paris Metro it is hard to beat. HOWEVER it also is not for the faint of heart either. Six floors means six floors with the world's smallest elevator as your best friend and worst nightmare if you are claustrophobic. I also would suggest this would not be the best place to be if you are infirm or seriously physically impaired since you still have a winding flight of stairs to navigate once you exit the ascenseur (elevator). However, if you are young at heart, open minded, and reasonably physically able I think you will love it as we have and we are two mid-septuagenarians traveling with our teenage granddaughter.

Owner response:Thank you for taking the time to write. We agree that the ascenseur does give a new meaning to "togetherness" but we adapted fairly quickly. I think there are 8 stirs that curve to the right when you come out of the ascenseur--There is a hand rail so it is not a long challenge. So glad you enjoyed the neighbourhood. Strangely it is quite residential although very close to place everyone wants to visit. We quite like the fact that so many young people live in this area nd we can meet them at the 3 restaurants around the corner. Paris is fun--for all the young in heart so we are delighted to hear you have joined the clan! Best wishes, and come again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway.

Ideally located apartment

Guest: vinny N.Y. (NEW YORK)
Date of Stay: 05/23/11 Review Submitted: 06/20/11

This 2 bedroom apartment on Victoria Ave is charming and centrally located. Right off the Siene river, one block from the train, a taxi stand at the end of the block and within walking distance of so many of Paris beautiful attractions and landmarks. The apartment is filled with everything you would find in your own home. I used the washing machine, the printer and wifi for my lab top, stereo and T.V. and the electric drying rack. The washer was small, but worked well, The electric drying rack took a long time to dry my clothes, I would of preferred a conventional dryer, but there's limited space. I was unable to find the english television channels and I was returning to the apartment too late in the evenings and out early in the mornings to have Myriam come over to show me again. The apartment looked as advertised on the internet. I believe it is due for a paint job and and needs a good cleaning. I would of rated the apartment higher with an excellent rating if it had a fresh coat of paint and a thorough cleaning. I would rent this apartment again, as well as, recommend to friends and family. I cannot say enough in regards to the location of this apartment. It just worked out amazingly for us. We basically toured Paris on foot and felt very safe on all our journeys throughout the different neighborhoods. The mattresses are very comfortable. The shower and hot water works well. The kitchen has all the necessities. The balconies and sky lights give great light and views throughout the apartment. My May 2011 visit to Paris was enhanced by this comfortable/charming apartment.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Cathy (-)
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 11/11/10

You know you have selected a wonderful apartment when after returning home you are homesick to be there again. We miss it already. It is full of light during the day with skylights in the bathroom and kitchen and two large windows in the kitchen and full glass doors opening onto small balconies in the main room and each of the two bedrooms. The light is captured in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the main room and large mirrors over the fireplaces in the main room and master bedroom. The living/dining room and kitchen are one big room, but each somehow its own space without walls and as one big room make the apartment feel spacious. The view of the Sainte Chapelle spire just across the Seine is picked up in the mirror. It is lit up at night as is the Hotel de Ville from the main balcony. There are metal rooftops and that great stone architecture all around. They are not only beautiful but are great noise blockers, so the apartment is remarkably quiet. At night the apartment feels cozy. The beds are comfortable; the kitchen adaptable to cooking sole meuniere, etc. should one wish; the shower is good; and the collection of books and a few well-chosen CD's were much appreciated. The location brings many of the main attractions within walking distance and the entrance to the central subway hub is one long Parisian block away. We hope to make it our home away from home once again in the not-too-distant future.

Recommended for: