Paris Apartments, France

There are scores of websites and companies that rent mid- to high-end Apartments in Paris, which are great places to stay if you’re looking for more plush surroundings. But while many owners will rent a short-term vacation apartment from an agency, the most economical way to stay in Paris is to find an apartment that’s for rent by owner. These deals may require a bit of digging, as residents will often post to online bulletin boards or send out e-mails to friends to pass on rather than listing them with agencies.

Aside from being less-expensive than a hotel, a benefit of renting an Apartment in Paris is that you can save big-time by skipping hotel breakfasts and get your own freshly-baked pain au chocolat from that charming little pastry shop on the corner. The upside to renting an apartment over checking in to a hotel is the price, the fun of staying in a neighborhood and living with the locals, and having a kitchen to cook in. The downsides?…

If you’re looking for a desk clerk or maid service, forget it. If you’re staying in an apartment, there usually isn’t anyone to call for museum hours, restaurant reservations, of if there’s a problem. Ask if they have someone you can call in case of an emergency.
The owner’s stuff may be there if you’re renting an apartment directly from an owner. You should expect a set of clean sheets (ask), as well as towels. But don’t necessarily expect fluffy stacks of high thread-count, brand-new linens or spacious, empty closets with lots of space.
With any apartment, you’ll pay a premium for location. Apartments in the Marais or Left Bank will be more expensive than other neighborhoods. Similarly, space is valuable in Paris, too. A studio will be far less than a 1 or 2-bedroom apartment. Consider how much time you’ll really be spending in your apartment and that tiny—and less-expensive—studio will probably be just fine.
Many rentals advertised may be from owners who are not legally entitled to rent their apartments. Keep in mind that they may not have insurance to cover events, such as personal and accident coverage.
Other things to inquire about: what floor is the apartment on, is there an elevator, what is the neighborhood like, are the owners smokers, can you use any food in the kitchen, are there any pets or plants, does the building have a guardienne, and ask if they can leave any instructions for operating the appliances as European machines work differently than their American counterparts.

Ask about a security deposit and how the rent will be paid, as well as the length of time before the deposit is returned. In spite of what some of the travel wags are telling you, few in Paris are interested in giving someone a deal who wants to pay in dollars.
Respect the owner’s belongings. Don’t snoop, and if you break something, leave a note and offer payment.
For those who want to be wired, ask about Internet. Paris has free WiFi in nearly 400 public parks and spaces, too.
The first 9 arrondissements are considered the most desirable by visitors, although there are great places in other areas, too. Parts of the 10th, 17th, and 20th are not to be overlooked. But avoid areas where you’ll feel uncomfortable, especially on the outer reaches of the métro lines. Taxis can be scarce in Paris, especially late at night.
Make sure to get explicit instructions and directions from the owner about the apartment. Many places in Paris have door codes, numbered elevators, and what-have-you, which can be confusing if you’re jet-lagged and unaccustomed to Parisian apartment buildings. Print them out and bring them with you.
Always take caution sending money to strangers in advance and ask for references that you can telephone (not email) so you can confirm, to avoid being scammed. Never send money by telegram or Western Union, or places where you can’t verify the owner or get a refund. Some of the B&B websites have online reviews or verify owners, for an additional measure of assurance.

It is quite convenient to enjoy a low-impact vacation in Paris. All encompassing public transportation, a growing bicycle culture and walk-able neighborhoods make cars almost completely unnecessary. French foodies demand fresh, locally grown ingredients, and the city’s iconic parks provide plenty of green spaces. Growing interest in organic eating and the environment mean that there has never been a better time for eco-conscious travelers to check France’s capitol off their to-visit list.

Go green
It is simple to go car-less in Paris. The Paris Metro is one of the world’s great subway systems. With 16 lines crisscrossing the city, it is possible to rely solely on the Metro (perhaps flagging a taxi after an especially late night on the town). Weekly Metro passes are available starting at 17.20 Euros.

Paris is also a great city for walking. Though the main roads are heavy with traffic and seemingly impassible, many visitors find it preferable to take on the city’s many neighborhoods on foot. There is a plan to make central arrondissements car-free within the next two years. Plenty of maps and unguided walking tours make the city accessible, even to non-francophones. Many experienced Paris travelers consider walking the only way to truly experience the city.

Recently, Paris has become a good place for bicyclists. Bike lanes and new rules of the road (cyclists can use bus lanes on major thoroughfares) have made it much more convenient to see the city from the bike saddle. Despite the sometimes-frantic roadways, drivers in Paris are much more cognizant of bikers than their counterparts in the U.S. The city-wide Velib bike rental program makes it possible to rent bikes cheaply when you need them and drop them off at another location.

Sleep green
The small, centrally located Gavarni Hotel is probably the greenest place to lay your head in Paris. It claims to be 100 percent carbon neutral and relies completely on renewable energy. Eco-friendly cleaning products and organic cooking practices round out the impressive list of features. Even without the green-ness, this is a desirable hotel because of its location. It is within a short walk of the Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees. The problem? There are only 25 rooms at Gavarni, making booking ahead a necessity.

Great Apartments in Paris

Hotel de la Porte Doree is another green gem in the City of Lights. Its air conditioning and heating systems are state of the art and consume 75 percent less electricity than average units. Other standard green hotel staples like organic cleaning products, low-flow faucets and toilets and recycling program make this a good bet for Paris-bound environmentalists.

Eat green
Vegetarian options may be slight in Paris, but locally-sourced food is abundant. You could even say that it is the norm. Remember, despite its image as a center of culture, France is largely an agricultural country with a long coastline. This makes locally (or at least domestically) grown or caught foods a major part of the diet. And notoriously finicky Parisian eaters demand fresh ingredients. Travel + Leisure Magazine points to two high end green eateries, all-organic BioArt and local-grower-supporting Arpege, which carries an impressive three-Michelin stars into the kitchen. The chef at Arpege actually uses horses to till the land on the restaurant’s farm field on the outskirts of the city.

Farmers markets can be found throughout Paris on various days of the week. Though not all stalls have organic produce, the “bio” movement — as it is called in France — is gaining steam and most markets will have at least a couple of stalls selling organic foods. Specialty organic grocers like Naturalia and La Vie Bio are growing, with several dozen outlets throughout the city. Prohibitively expensive Raspail Market has a higher than average amount of organic produce for sale, but it is, unfortunately, more about the bio fad than making organic eating practical for the masses. Save money and hit the local markets or organic grocers.

See green
As we pointed out above, one of the true joys of a trip to Paris is strolling around the city’s neighborhoods and along its boulevards. There are plenty of parks and gardens to enjoy as well. In most of these green spaces, there’s public art, mainly in the form of sculptures and statues. The Jardin des Plantes is nearly 400 years old. It includes greenhouses with tropical plants, a Natural History Museum and a botanical school. Jardin des Luxembourg is the most famous park in Paris. It is known for its fountains, statues and the palace that sits on its grounds. Nature-lovers will find Luxembourg overly manicured. Larger, more natural-looking green spaces, like the Bois de Boulogne, are found on the outskirts of the city.

Though the fad has largely passed in the U.S, rollerblading is still popular in Paris. A group known as Pari Roller organizes weekly night-time mass skates through the streets of the city. It is an interesting way to see the city without producing any carbon.

Paris is not an urban green utopia. But the elements are all in place for those who want to enjoy a convenient vacation with low environmental impact.

You always tend to arrange for your accommodation well in advance before going abroad. Interestingly, most people prefer staying in a furnished Paris Apartment than in a hotel while touring the beautiful city. Why? Freedom and flexibility are two chief aspects which make these Paris Apartments an ideal choice for the visitors. Now, as a visitor you can easily spot some good and furnished apartment rentals in Paris. But, there are few important things to keep in mind before you select a Paris Apartment of your choice. Below listed are few important questions that one must ask before renting a furnished apartment in Paris. Is the rent offered all-inclusive: It is better to pay your rent as a whole, rather paying it in bits and pieces. So ask for an all-inclusive rent deal from your provider since that rules out chances of paying out any amount in the name of any (hidden) fee later. However, in genuine cases, such things are made clear right at the beginning, but if you are still unsure, better ask for it.

Is there a charge for late arrival: In case of a late arrival at the destination (which may be due to whatever reason), it might result in penalty in monetary terms. So better confirm in advance if the provider of your furnished Paris Apartment rental(s) will charge you for checking-in late.

How to collect the keys: Important but overlooked at most of the time, this is a key issue. Ironically, this is where lot of time gets wasted. Most furnished rental apartments in Paris observe a very simple keys collection procedure. So the tourists don’t have to worry about it every now and then.

Is Credit card Payment Accepted: Although more than 99% of the apartments in Paris will provide it, yet it is advisable to ask the payment options available with them. I hope these inputs will help you in settling for a full furnished apartment rental in Paris.

There is no precise tally of how many of the 1.3 million residences in Paris are being used for short-term rentals. Industry professionals estimate there may be tens of thousands, with a significant proportion owned by foreigners who bought them as vacation homes or investment properties. (Those buyers are predominantly Americans, Italians and Britons, according to brokers.) Those in the industry also say they believe that the numbers have risen sharply in the last 10 years as the Internet has made it easier to find potential renters.

To legally offer short-term rentals, owners would need to have their residential properties reclassified as commercial sites, a complicated process that involves finding a commercial property in the same neighborhood that can be transformed into residential use. “It isn’t difficult; it is impossible,” said Fabrice Luzu, a notary who has helped many international clients invest in city real estate. “The owner must apply for a special permit and there is very little chance he would obtain it.”

Without such a permit, any apartment classified as residential in a French city of more than 200,000 must be offered with a minimum one-year lease. The law, passed in 2005, has some exceptions for student housing. For landlords in Paris, the difference in income can be substantial. Depending on how it is renovated, a 650-square-foot apartment in the chic Saint-Germain-des-Prés area, for example, could be rented furnished for 2,500 euros ($3,100) a week.

The vacation rental concept, as opposed to staying in a hotel, seems to be very much a la vogue in cities and other tourist destinations. There is the dual advantage of being able to save money by not going out to restaurants at every meal and to experience the place more like a local than a tourist. With the appeal of both aspects, I set out to rent an apartment in Paris for a week-long visit with my daughter.

“Apartment rentals can be hit or miss,” a frequent Paris visitor warned. He had rented apartments on separate occasions from three different agencies. No doubt the best way to choose the right rental is on recommendation from a friend who has had a good experience. Barring the reliable word-of-mouth method, guidebooks and googling bring up an overwhelming array of choices.

To narrow the search, it’s helpful to know which arrondissment, or area of Paris you prefer to be in, such as near the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter or in the historic Marais district. It also helps to know what you can live with and what you can’t in terms of access and amenities.

Although many established rental companies list lovely apartments at mid to upper level price points, I decided to dig deeper to explore some ‘good value’ options. A company called Paris Hideaways caught my attention, offering a range of attractive apartments from basic to deluxe, with studios starting at about 500€/week.

We opted for a one-bedroom called Heure Bleue in the heart of the Marais. Simply but adequately furnished, the apartment has large beautiful French windows with abundant natural light. It’s on the first floor with an elevator (or only one flight of stairs to climb) and overlooks a courtyard so it’s reasonably quiet – important features I came to appreciate. I liked the fact that the owners live below and own an art gallery nearby, Galerie Vieille du Temple. And we were just around the corner from the exquisite boutiques on Rue des Franc Bourgeois.

The online booking process was easy and Paris Hideaways’ property manager answered my pre-trip questions by email and met me upon arrival. She explained the entry codes and all essentials about the apartment and provided her mobile phone number in case of emergency.

Paris Hideaways founder Katia Provencher, a former Paris tour guide, concentrates her listings in desirable, mostly central locations. To get an idea of different options, I visited a few of her other listings in the Marais and one in another popular area, St. Germain.

After seeing Sheherazade, a well-appointed townhouse with contemporary décor and a hint of Moroccan style, I made a mental note to tell my friends, “Instead of a house party at the beach why not a sejour in Paris?” A magnificent terrace garden and an American kitchen with a huge dining table make Sheherazade a perfect urban escape for friends, family or couples traveling together. Clarisse mentioned that a group of ladies had just celebrated birthdays with a festive week here.

Les Matins Sucres is in a super location near the Bastille and so very French – on the 5th floor with views over the tree-lined Boulevard Beaumarchais. It is quaintly furnished to sleep five and its best feature is a long narrow balcony for sipping café or wine in the open air.

Abracadabra is small studio in a modern building, well located and clean as a whistle. The owner lives next door and takes great pride in making sure her guests are comfortable. Close to Metro Chemin Vert, Abracadabra is an easy place to settle in.

If antiques and Parisian style is your cup of tea, the elegant Clair de Lune in St. Germain will impress. With a stately entrance, the spacious apartment wraps around a busy corner in a prime location and reflects the joie de vivre of its charming owner. This apartment is only available for a certain period during summer/early fall.

As expected, each apartment has a different character and appeal. And, as with many rental agencies, apartments are owned or managed individually, so payment policies may vary. Before booking, in addition to checking the location and amenities of the unit, it is important to verify policies and the required currency for rental deposit, fees and security deposit.

If you decide about renting a flat in Paris, you will never go back to staying in a hotel. It's a different experience and fulfilling that it is bound to provide you with not only great memories but a deep understanding of Parisian lifestyle.
Yet, for those who never rented their vacation apartment in Paris before, the decision to transition from familiar surroundings of a reception desk to a private flat can be difficult one. It shouldn’t be. Today, renting an apartment in Paris is easier and safer than it ever was. However, if you are the other 75 percent of visitors and hotel halls is all you know, renting an apartment can be a step in an uncharted and unfamiliar territory. To push you over this mental blockade, we have listed top six reasons of why renting an apartment beats staying in a hotel hands down. Here they are:

Reason no#6: Space
Whether you are traveling with your family or just need a healthy amount of floor space to move about, renting an apartment will provide you with the greatest amount of space for the price. Often times you can rent an apartment that can easily and comfortably house over six people. While in a hotel this would mean splitting your family into two or three smaller rooms, in a larger apartment you will be able to feel at home. If you are travelling with friends this type of setting can offer extreme savings over hotels as costs of rental are divided between you. Even if you are traveling by yourself or with only one partner, apartments are cozier and more spacious than hotels. Simply put, they were built for creature comfort. If you are the kind of person who enjoys waking up, make your coffee in your kitchen and then walk out on your balcony rather than slug your way down to the hotel restaurant and peek through the window that does not open, apartments are the choice for you.

Reason no#5: Atmosphere
Let’s face it: no matter how many spas and gyms hotels advertise, staying in them will always be devoid of any sort of atmosphere. You will always pass unfamiliar faces of tired, jet-lagged people who only wish they could get a bit of privacy – preferably away from you. Who can actually enjoy the constant sound of luggage on wheels, or the vacuum cleaner at full-blast in an adjacent room? Who can call the dining in a hermetically-separated from the beating city’s lifestyle hotel restaurant a meal? Lets face it: there is nothing personal about staying in a hotel. Now imagine opening the doors to your own, quiet and cozy apartment in the heart of Paris, opening a bottle of wine with that special someone; then going out your own private balcony to enjoy your special Paris view. See the difference?

Reason no#5: Cook your own meals
The sad truth about hotel meals is that they only look good in their brochures. Even if you do get lucky and your dinner does taste delicious, you probably feel that it is far from being a meal. It simply lacks the intimacy you can have in your own place with your family, friends or just spending relaxing time and eating in front of TV as we all enjoy doing. Another great thing about getting your own meal is that you are not forced into your hotel’s time table if your meals are included. You can simply eat what you want and when you want.
Although you may not be a born chef, you will soon appreciate the beauty of being able to quickly whip up your own meals as these translate into great money savers over time. Not feeling like cooking at all? Jump out and eat in your favorite local café or order home delivery – just like you would at home.

Reason no#4: Independence and intimacy
Whenever you hear a word “intimate” used in a hotel’s ad know that you are dealing with an oxymoron. Other examples of oxymoron are: liquid gas, found missing, larger half, only choice, civil engineer, virtual reality or peace-keeper missile. Simply put, there is nothing intimate about tons of tired tourists or time brackets for coming and leaving and eating. Intimacy and privacy are adjectives naturally suited to your own home, even if it is a temporary one. It is the feeling you can recognize once you turn the key into your own flat. It is the feeling of home.

Reason no#3: Comfort
Unless you are staying in a five star hotel, chances are that the level of comfort you will experience will not be just modest. If you are staying in one of the world-wide chain hotels you probably already know what the room layout is and how the bathroom looks like.
Selected apartments in Paris such as the ones on paris-apartments-for-rent.com offer superior standards of comfort. If your budget allows for a luxury apartment rental, you are certain to stay in one of Paris’s premiere apartments with great amenities such as Internet, satellite TV and many others – not to mention your own personal kitchen. Living room, balcony, bedroom and so on.

Reason no#2: Cost
Renting an apartment in Paris provides a great value for your money. These savings are multiplied depending on how many people share the apartment. As in hotels, the prices of apartments vary with location. Premium locations are more expensive but they also have more to offer. Paris’ first nine arrondisements are considered the most desirable. However, the 10th, 17th and 20th are not to be overlooked. Being able to make your meals or drop by your local supermarket is another way of saving additional cash.

Reason no#1: Experience (a memorable stay)
Experience is probably the number one reason why you should get away from the tourist-heavy hotels and rent your own apartment in Paris. By doing so you will stop being a tourist and become a Parisian. The memories from your stay will be forever distinct from the dozens of same-looking hotels and motels you stayed in. You will get a deeper understanding and feeling of what Paris is all about and immerse yourself in its lifestyle – leaving the tourist crowds behind. All this while staying safe and comfortable in a private, intimate setting.
As with all things in life, there are also some disadvantages with renting an apartment such as the fact that you will not be able to count on the room service to come and clean your things each morning. Yet these disadvantages are tiny in comparison to the benefits and advantages you get from renting an apartment in Paris.

More and more travelers are turning to Paris vacation rentals from companies like ApartmentPlan.fr to afford their dream Paris vacation this autumn.
USA Today recently praised Paris vacation rentals as an antidote to the rising euro in the article Sleep off the Beaten Path.” The April article quoted budget travel expert Reid Bramblett: After airfare, lodging has become the single biggest expense on a European vacation, and it’s getting pricier every day,” he says. I’ve watched over the past four years as hotel rates have, on average, gone up by about 70%.”

Indeed, a typical hotel room in the French capital costs 180 euros, according to the new Paris and Ile-de-France Hotel Benchmark Survey by Deloitte & Touche. In contrast, ApartmentPlan.fr leases entire Paris apartments from 85 euros per night. Families, baby boomer, and snowbirds are leading the trend, drawn by the value, spaces, and amenities of Paris Apartments. As Money Magazine noted, The economics of rentals get still more enticing for families and groups of friends, especially when you do some of your own cooking.”

Europe has a grand tradition of private accommodations (experts estimate 36 million holidaymakers enjoy vacation rentals there each year). From artistic garrets to aristocratic mansions, ApartmentPlan.fr introduces guests to the Paris vacation rental of their dreams. Guests get to:
Welcome2France has Paris vacation rental properties to suit any size or location needs. To see details on all the Paris vacation rental properties available through ApartmentPlan.fr or to make a reservation, visit www.ApartmentPlan.fr

Grand hotels have fabulous settings, but their service is impersonal in nature. Guest's personal likes and dislikes are never considered. They are cold and unappreciative, whereas rental apartments are warm and cozy. They make tourists feel at home.

A hotel room would usually have a fridge filled with over-priced drinks. Not only that but in many hotels, there is a fridge with in-built sensor such that if any of the items inside is moved, it is automatically registered and guests have to pay for it on checkout. This prevents them from storing their sandwiches there. There no facilities for cooking and often no facilities for cleaning clothes.

An apartment typically has a fridge which is entirely empty for guests to use for storing food and ingredients for your own cooking. They often have a well equipped kitchen with all sorts of utensils such as fry-pans, salad bowls, cereal bowls, toaster, coffee machine, an oven and other more unusual things like a blender. In many apartments guests get complimentary coffee, a selection of teabags, sugar, and even things like olive oil, salt, pepper and other basic ingredients. In addition Paris apartments, usually have smoke detectors to help guests feel safer during their stay.

Staying in an apartment during a visit to Paris and the rest of France is often an option that is overlooked. If the holiday-maker is after cheap travel then they will likely want to have cereals or freshly-made croissants for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch made out of the local produce in the local markets. Finding cheap places to have lunch in Paris can take time, and finding cheap places to eat lunch near tourist attractions is almost impossible.
Some apartments in Paris have a washing machine and dryers, but it’s quite common to find small studios without washing machines, so it is something to look out for when considering two or three different apartments.

Another important feature to look when looking for apartments is the size. It is often the case to be misguided by the price without realizing that one of the apartments might only be 18 m2 and the next one 30m2, which is rather more comfortable and avoids getting the feeling that one lives in like a sardine. If travellers bring their family over they will more likely be looking for a one bedroom apartment with a comfortable sofa bed, kitchen area, and a lounge/dining area.

Paris has a lot to offer in its very diverse 20 districts that form the city. One of the most inviting districts to discover is he 14eme arrondisement (14th district), which is a bustling neighbourhood bustling with local markets, artists workshops and real French-looking street life. In this quarter travelers may typically find a small-sized (12 m2) hotel room ranging from €110-140/night. In turn, if they are able to venture into the apartment holiday option, they can be expected to find a studio apartments of up to 40 m2 for as little as €75/night for week bookings.

There are yet other modern conveniences about staying at apartments. Guests can enjoy amenities like free wi-fi Internet access, LCD TV, DVD and high-quality stereo music, free international phone calls to call friends and relatives at ease and tell them what a wonderful time they are having. Also, in some apartments, you can enjoy pleasant views over a small square and twilight settings in the background, which is also an enriching experience.

I had always thought of the residential 16th arrondissement as one of the most boring districts in Paris. Then I discovered a city nature trail along an old railway track by chance while hurrying to a doctor's appointment. I didn't have time to investigate, but the receptionist was able to tell me where it ends, although she didn't know where it starts.

Months later I returned to try it out, starting from the Porte d'Auteuil métro where it begins along the Boulevard Montmorency, and finishing opposite no. 27 Boulevard de Beauséjour just before the Restaurant La Gare, the former station of Passy-La Muette. Notices at the beginning and end of the walk, which is just under a mile long, state that the line was once part of the Petite Ceinture, the Victorian goods and passenger line encircling Paris which was closed down in the 1980s. The tracks were removed in 1993 and within a few years the line had become a flourishing wilderness, overgrown by trees. It was also a unique habitat for over 200 species of plants, birds and butterflies, most of which had disappeared from the rest of Paris.
In 1997 a volunteer group of residents and ecologists cleared it and persuaded the city to open it to the public as a "green corridor", in which weeds would be actually encouraged to flourish. It was opened three years ago, but as yet, not many people seem to know about it. It is used mainly as a shortcut by local residents and I saw no one sitting on the benches or reading the informative notices about the fauna and flora along the route. I did see harebells, wild cyclamen, buddleia and mushrooms and picked up the shell of a bird's egg, but it was the lure of the path stretching ahead, almost hidden by trees, that I found irresistible.

My only complaint is that the walk is so short. It could easily be combined with a visit to the Musée Marmottan, just off the avenue Raphael, a little over 200 yards away, via the shortcut across it at rue de Ranelagh. The museum is one of the high temples of Impressionism in Paris, famous for its collection of Monet's water lily paintings and including the one of Le Havre, 'Impression, soleil levant', which gave the movement its name. It also has work by Degas, Caillebotte, Pissarro, Rodin, Renoir, and Berthe Morisot in particular, as well as a small collection of medieval manuscript illuminations.
The Restaurant La Gare, still with its station clock, is at the end of the Boulevard de Beauséjour, on the way from the Marmottan to the nearest métro, La Muette. At street level, a bar leads onto a terrace overlooking the glass roof of the former station and the greenery of the trail stretching into the distance below, framed by tall Art Nouveau apartment buildings. The roof arches over the restaurant downstairs, which reminded me of a 1930s gentleman's club, and you can buy newspapers here, too. The glass also extends outside over a tree-framed terrace, created from the original platforms, with the platform signs 'Voie 2' and 'Voie 3' still in place.

If you want to explore the charm of the former village of Passy, continue east of métro La Muette along rue de Passy, turning right into the engaging little place de Passy with its graceful green fountain and café. The cobbled rue de l'Annonciation, with its 18th-century shuttered houses and irresistible food shops leads from here to Balzac's house at the very end, to your right across the rue Raynouard. It is easy to miss because it is on a hill, sandwiched between two streets, reached by steps down from the rue Raynouard. I found the house, with its provincial green shutters and secluded garden, more interesting from the outside than inside, although Balzac's study, in which he wrote La Cousine Bette, has been reverentially preserved. To the right of the house, more steps lead down from rue Raynouard to the rue Berton, a cobbled, narrow passage with its old gas streetlamps still in place. Balzac's reason for choosing the house was its back entrance onto this street, which he used to escape those creditors who had managed to get past his password-protected front entrance.

If you follow rue Berton into the avenue Marcel Proust and then continue along the rue Charles Dickens, you come to Square Charles Dickens, and the small arch of the medieval entrance to the Musée du Vin on the left, almost hidden by modern apartment buildings. Its collection is housed in underground stone passageways extending deep into the hillside, which were once the cellars of a wine-producing 14th-century monastery. They are linked to the passages of an even older stone quarry, used for the building of Notre-Dame. The steep admission charge includes a glass of wine and there is an underground restaurant, but, again, I found the museum's setting more interesting than the contents.

Rather than taking the nearby métro at Passy, I recommend following rue des Eaux downhill from the museum to the river, and crossing the avenue de President Kennedy for the Pont Bir-Hakeim stop for the 72 bus, on your left. This glorious ride takes you along the Seine, with close-up views of the Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro, Invalides, Place de la Concorde, the Assemblée Nationale, Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, the Conciergerie and Notre-Dame, before its terminus at Hotel de Ville, a flourishing finale to your exploration of deepest western Paris.

The dramatic increase of French hotel prices over the past few years, especially in Paris, have led many tourists to shorten their holiday or simply pick other European destinations to spend their vacation.
However, some wise travelers have already pitched on a far more money-saving accommodation system which, it appears, may well become as popular as the traditional hotel business in the years to come.

Indeed, weekly apartment rental has become for many the best way to experience the city of lights without putting further strain on their holiday budget. If the advantageous financial aspect of vacation rentals is a well-known fact, it is also the best way to live in the city just like one of its native inhabitants and forget about all the hassle of “not being at home”. Don’t want to go to the restaurant? You can have a romantic dinner at home! Don’t want to go to the bar? You can have a bottle of wine in your own private living room with your guests! It goes without saying that renting an apartment in the very heart of a city is certainly the closest way to experience Paris just like a true Parisian would.

Choosing your pied-à-terre in the city is now as simple as booking a hotel room and can be done in a few clicks. And with such a large choice of apartments or studios, travelers can now find an accommodation that will match their expectations in terms of size, budget or location, be it for adventurous backpackers or luxury travel addicts.

It’s spring time in Paris and every so often I must come back to my favorite city and sing her praises in some way, especially if I can not be there for my annual expedition. Many Paris aficionados (is there an official name for this like Paris-phile?) like me experienced Paris for the first time as a student, returned often with a boyfriend/husband (not always the same one), then upgraded to girl-friend weekend shopping trips and are now getting prepared for mother-daughter or family trips.  As the clan grows, so does the need for size… and anyone who has been to Paris knows all too well how hard it is to get a spacious room or connecting rooms in Paris in the right location without breaking some serious dough.

So why not rent and live like a real parisienne (or your version of it, anyway)?  What you may miss out on room service (over-rated IMO) and daily housekeeping, you make up in space (much more of it), price and the new feeling of no longer being a tourist.   Renting an apartment can give you and your family the pleasure of feeling like you are in a home away from home  (it’s important to use a good company to make sure it is the home you want).  You also no longer have to go out to eat three times a day, every day, which can get tedious after a while (not to mention fattening!). If you like to cook, just go to the market. If not, then just hit your local boulangerie and bring back some fresh croissants to your awaiting family.

The choices for visitors to Paris in summer are almost limitless. For those who enjoy lying around getting red-hot, there are the Paris Plages (beaches) from mid-July to mid-August, when stretches of the river Seine between the Pont Neuf and the Pont de Sully, and the Bassin de la Villette, are transformed into oases of sun and sand.

But for blue sky and balmy blooms, I prefer to take a leisurely stroll on the 4km-long Promenade Plantée, which runs from the Bastille along a former railway viaduct, Viaduc des Arts (now full of craft boutiques, galleries and workshops) to the Bois de Vincennes. If I have any energy after that, the Bois de Vincennes has a zoo, floral park and boating on the lake. It’s also the ideal spot for a lazy picnic lunch.

The Promenade Plantée features in the 2004 movie, Before Sunset, as does Le Pure Café in the 11th arrondissement, my favourite untouristy spot to sit outdoors with a cold drink. In the best-pavement-café stakes a close contender is Chez Prune on rue Beaurepaire, where “bobo” (bourgeois or bohemian) regulars rub elbows on the peaceful banks of the Canal Saint Martin, with its metallic Venetian-style footbridges.

I head for the Arènes de Lutèces, the remains of a Greco-Roman amphitheatre, the oldest archaeological site in Paris, tucked away off rue Monge in the Latin Quarter. Last time I was there, on one side some old men were playing boules, and on the other a group of women were improvising an operatic lesbian version of Star Wars in French. Free theatre, in short.

At Paris’s prettiest cinema, La Pagode, you can enjoy a glass of champagne in a Japanese-style garden full of lilies and bamboo. The cinema itself is a replica of a late-19th-century Japanese palace with paintings, gilding, tapestries, stained glass and chandeliers.

If it gets too hot, cool off in the Ice Bar at L’Hotel Kube, in the 18th arrondissment, where you can sip potent vodka in a refrigerated multicoloured room at a numbing -10°C (don’t worry: sessions last just 30 minutes and parkas are provided).

In summer Paris offers something for lovers of all sorts of music. On June 21 the whole city thrums and booms from dusk to dawn at the unmissable (and free) Fête de la Musique (www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr) with multicultural ear candy at every bar, square and street corner, from lonesome crooners to world-class rock stars.

The less-vaunted Paris Jazz Festival (www.parcfloraldeparis.com) takes place every Saturday and Sunday in June and July, in the Park Floral, part of the Bois de Vincennes. This year, in addition to the main stage of jazz events, there will be a “garden of improvisations” for more intimate recitals, musical landscaping and intuitive dancing.

There’s no denying the Gypsy jazz buzz in Paris right now. One atmospheric hot spot is La Chope des Puces in the suburb of Saint-Ouen -- if you haven’t shopped till you drop at the massive nearby fleamarket. And on rue Boyer in the 20th arrondissement are two more savvy concert venues with eclectic programming of contemporary music: La Bellevilloise (www.labellevilloise.com) was formerly Paris’s first workers’ cooperative; and La Maroquinerie (www.lamaroquinerie.fr) was once a leather workshop. Both have charming terraces where you can enjoy cocktails and tapas.

This summer I will be seeking out cabaret -- red velvet and carved wood, glittering lights, bevelled mirrors and glorious ballrooms. Cabaret Sauvage on avenue Jean Jaures (www.cabaretsauvage.com) hosts world music, electro, techno, hip-hop, jazz, folk, funk, rock and reggae. Bobino (www.bobino.fr), a sexy offbeat option in Montparnasse, features a dinner show and dancers, magicians and illusionists performing into the early hours.

The repertoire of open-air La Péniche Opéra (www.penicheopera.com) ranges from contemporary and opera to chamber, comedy and cantatas -- all performed on a barge on the Quai de Loire -- beside the Bassin de la Villette. Chez Gégène (www.chez-gegene.fr), a restaurant-cum-dancehall east of the city in Joinville-le-Pont on the banks of the river Marne, has a more rural feel: you can eat on an outdoor terrace and dance till 2am to traditional bal musette, frenetic rock or tango.

For a dose of art, as well as the major exhibitions (Turner, Munch, Yves Saint-Laurent), the recently launched Centquatre gallery on rue Curial is artistry at its best: a bold and energetic space complete with installations, exhibitions and open studios, not to mention readings, performances, theatre and concerts.

And what would Paris be without food? Don’t miss the best open-air market near Bastille -- the Marché d’Aligre (www.marchedaligre.free.fr). Choco-Story (www.museeduchocolat.fr) on boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, a new museum tracing the 4000-year history of cacao in words, images and flavours (yes, you do get to sample some locally made chocolate).

And on the roof of the Palais de Tokyo (www.palaisdetokyo.com) modern art museum on avenue du President Wilson is the culinary phenomenon that is Art-Home (www.art-home-electrolux.com), a temporary restaurant where scrumptious experimental food is prepared by a master chef before guests’ eyes, if they can tear them away from the stunning views of the Eiffel Tower.