Renting apartment in Paris is a wise business, if you are going to spend at least a couple of weeks there. During this time you will be able to find a secret gate leading to Palais royal gardens, become familiar with a dozen of most wonderful terraces, eat plenty of croissants, buy a lot of nice stuff on Drouot auction. In one word, you will become acquainted with all secret pleasures of Paris.

Agencies

Reserving apartment in Paris through your national travel agency is not very reasonable: at best they will offer you “first class apartments facing the Eiffel Tower” at a fabulous price. It’s better to contact directly – through Internet. There’re many web sites, you can type “rent apartment Paris” or “louer appartement Paris” and choose your cherished accommodation.

Internet agencies offer apartments for rather short period – from several days to a couple of months. Personal ads web sites have a comfortable search according to different parameters - metric area, district, price. Besides, you have a chance to “catch” accommodation at first hand.

Terms

Most Paris apartments for tourists represent either studio – a room with fitted kitchen, or flat, consisting of several small rooms. There’re always TV, CD-player, kitchen with microwave, toaster, clothes washer in them; besides, Internet Access Point – for owners of notebooks. Phone receives only incoming calls: if you need to call somebody, you will have to buy a phone card.

Where you should settle

Price, as everywhere, depends on season and length of staying. But district where apartment is situated is the most important factor. Paris is divided into 20 districts (arrondissements), spreading from center to outskirts spirally. Inner spiral turn, from 1st to 6th districts – represents a historical center, where there’re many old buildings, monuments and museums. Then you can see blocks, built in XIX century. Here you also can visit aristocratic suburbs in the West (16th district), and eastern outskirts, populated with emigrants and proletariat. Number of district is definitely noted in the address, so you will be able to value your future accommodation easily, without looking in the map. Renting apartments in the center and such districts like Trocadero (east of the 16th district), 9th district, Sent-Onore, around Elysian Fields from Roosevelt avenue to Triumphal Arch (8th district), in 12th district and around Bastille (west of 11th district) is most expensive. Tiny studio (with 2-level bed) in the 1st district (Louver outskirts) will cost you 550 Euro. Anyway, you will have to pay at least 400 Euro per week. A good apartment will cost you more than 1 thousand Euro.

You can find cheaper apartments in 10th, 11th, 14th and 18th districts to the South of Eiffel Tower (15th district) or around Italian square (13th district). And, finally, if you are in Paris and need to rent a flat for a short while urgently, pay attention to American church’s bulletin board (65, quai d'Orsay).