This week's Friday 10 is all about Paris. I've had Paris on the brain since Monday after writing about revisiting. Here are a couple of articles to get the inspiration going and a list of beautiful rentals (including the one we booked last year!).
Everything you need to start the getaway ball rolling.
Discovering the fun surprises of Les Berges, September 2013
The New York Times on Les Berges, a fun section along the Seine that encourages adults and kids alike to to play and relax. We stumbled on it last September and let our inner children run amok for awhile. Hopscotch in Paris?! Don't mind if I do.
Playing petanque in Place Dauphine for a little slice of Provence in Paris via MessyNessyChic.
What Anne S. Ditmeyer of Prêt à Voyager would do with 24 Hours in Paris. Hint: it's a wonderful mix of beautiful shops and great food.
Ready for a trip yet? Here's a few places I would (and did) consider renting.
via Haven in Paris | Sacre Coeur Penthouse
Haven in Paris's Sacre Coeur Penthouse ($1275-1550 USD | 18th arr.) Bright and sunny with a great location in Montmartre. Check out its gorgeous view of Sacre Coeur and Paris. Haven in Paris specializes in beautiful apartments of various sizes in great locations throughout the city. I've heard lots of good things about their service and contacted them last year, but we were a little late in booking and nothing was available. Check out everything they offer here. The HiP blog is also a great resource for what to see and do in Paris that's beyond the usual tourist spots.
via Paris Perfect | Chenas apartment
Paris Perfect's Chenas (€214 - €357/night or €1498 - €2499/week | 6th arr.) Located in one of my favorite areas of Paris to wander. St. Sulpice, the Seine, Luxembourg Gardens, Boulevard St.-Germain, lots of boutiques and restaurants, plus two famed macaron shops nearby: Ladurée and Pierre Hermé are all at your apartment door. Bonus: they're having a last minute sale right now! More luxurious apartments at Paris Perfect here and their blog here.
Perfectly Paris Montmartre with a View (€290/night with a 5 night min or €1450/week | 18th arr.) Also available on AirBnb here. This apartment and company came highly recommended to me last year via SlowTalk. Unfortunately, it was booked for our dates and I can see why. The bedroom has an incredible view and the location in Montmarte offers the feel of a village within Paris. Perfectly Paris specializes in Montmartre, so check out their other apartments here!
via Feels Like Home in Paris | Paris with a View apartment
Feels Like Home in Paris Paris with a View Apartment (€185/night or €1090/week, 18th arr.) Right next to Sacre Coeur, this is another well-located Montmartre apartment with fantastic views. I could probably spend hours looking out over the city from that window, I think you would have to peel me off of it at night. The apartment is bright, modern, welcoming, and pretty darn big--especially for Paris standards--at 506 sq. ft. I love that Feels Like Home in Paris provides an iPhone for your stay, so you can us apps or search for things to do while on the go without racking up huge charges on your own phone. Check out their other rentals here.
Paris Best Lodge Bourg-Tibourg (€800/week | 4th arr.) A really unique, brightly decorated compact apartment with a balcony! I gave this one and Studio Mazarin (in Saint-Germain-des-Prés) a good, long consideration last year because of their great prices, locations, and balconies. Paris Best Lodge also has a loyal following and tons of reviews. More options from Paris Best Lodge here.
Cobblestone Paris La Charme du Marais (Rates vary based on time of year, currently $188/night with a 3 night min | 2nd/3rd arr.) Cobblestone Paris is new to me, and their apartments are so beautiful! I had a hard time choosing one to feature. I'm a little bit in love with this airy apartment with a wrap-around balcony (!) on the edge of the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements. It's also a couple of blocks from the pedestrian market street of Rue Montorgueil for easy access to morning (and afternoon and evening) pastries. More great rentals options from Cobblestone Paris here.
And, last but not least, the apartment we stayed in last year.
The view of Place des Victoires from the bedroom window. We sat here watching the sky and the people below for hours. Our peaceful, quiet slice of Paris (at least for a week).
AirBnB A Charming Flat for Paris Lovers ($249/night or $1429/week | 1st arr.) We stayed here for a week in September 2013 and still I can't rave enough about how much I loved the apartment. Here's what I wrote last year for my AirBnB review:
The apartment was an absolute dream for us.
The apartment itself was beautiful, even prettier than the pictures suggest. It was very clean and bright with all of the amenities we could possibly ask for. Marianne has done a wonderful job of making it feel like a really special, welcoming space.
Although there is no elevator, we liked taking the beautiful old staircase. The walk up was worth it every time. The view from the bedroom over Place des Victoires was practically mesmerizing. It was always fun to spend some time people-watching, whatever the time of day. We also found the apartment to be very quiet, which can sometimes be difficult in Paris, so we slept really well. The neighborhood was also lovely and calm in the evening.
The location was fantastic. It was within easy walking distance to so much of Paris and has excellent access to a number of metro lines. The surrounding area was wonderful to stroll through and explore, especially the Palais Royal garden and the covered passages. We didn't feel like we had to go far or leave our neighbourhood to have a great day of exploring, but it was very easy to go further afield when we wanted to.
There are plenty of great shops, restaurants, and bakeries (Aki was my personal favorite) nearby, not to mention to proximity of rue Montorgueil! It was some kind of heaven to go there and look at all of the food shops and then have relaxed a drink at a cafe.
I can't really recommend this apartment enough and I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again (and hope to someday).
Marianne was also fantastic to work with. She was always quick to respond and very professional, helpful, and friendly. You can tell that she truly takes pride in her apartment and wants her guests to feel at home and have a wonderful stay in the city. We certainly felt at home right away and it was very hard to leave!
So there you go. Feeling like a trip to Paris is in order? Because I am. Always!
Let me know if you have any favorite spots to stay in or visit when you're in Paris.