When to Travel to Paris France

Paris is a spectacular city that is wonderful to visit any time of the year. In springtime and fall, the city is glorious. The weather is perfect and the streets are filled with Parisians. These two seasons book up the fastest and the farthest in advance. Early planning is very important for spring and fall Paris France vacation rentals.

In summertime, the city is lazy. Many Parisians leave the city for rural locations, and getting around for tourists may be easier than usual. Although some shops and restaurants close for their own vacations, the museums are still open.

Even though winter can be cold, grey and damp, the city is still vibrant. Outdoor cafés turn on their heat lamps, and Parisians enjoy the outdoors. And of course, many of the special sites in Paris are indoors anyway. This is the only time of year when renting in Paris is a bargain. Many owners discount prices in January and February and airfares are reduced off season-it can be a great deal!

If you are looking for a special Paris vacation, we can help you find the perfect apartment or house to rent. Call to discuss availability; we are here to answer your questions: 510-559-8080

Arrival day

In Paris, rentals start on any day of the week. The day you arrive in Paris you can start your rental. Although a week is generally the standard rental time period, some owners do accept shorter stays. Check the "Rental Pricing" section of each property description to see if that property accepts stays of less than a week. If you wish to stay more than a week, additional days are prorated.

The Arrondissements - where to stay

Visit our map to familiarize yourself with the different arrondissements or districts by number. Then you can decide for yourself where you want to be. However, no matter where you are in Paris, the Métro or underground is easy to access, easy to use, and a good value. Each of our apartments is coded with the name of the nearest Métro stop. This will allow you to pinpoint their location on a map of Paris. And all of our apartments are located in areas where you will feel safe, enjoy walking to local services and have easy access to a Métro or bus stop.

1st Arrondissement

This is a very central location along the Seine-it is also home to the Louvre. Because you can walk to many famous tourist sights, it is a very popular location. It is a vibrant commercial area with small elegant antique stores, fine restaurants, and beautiful civic buildings. Although there are grocery stores around, it feels a bit less like a residential neighborhood. What it loses in "neighborhood" appeal, it makes up for with its extremely convenient location to the museums and river. And there are many lovely gardens and parks within an easy walk: the Tuileries Gardens, Palais Royal park and fountains, Place Vendôme and more.

3rd and 4th Arrondissements

The Marais, the former marshland of Paris, covers the majority of these two arrondissements. The oldest district in Paris, it has undergone a transformation in recent years and is now the most popular choice for our clients. It is centrally located and extends from the Hôtel de Ville along the Seine towards the Place de la Bastille. Although there are a few large avenues such as the Rue de Rivoli, the Marais is primarily a district of narrow cobblestoned streets. Many of the centuries-old buildings have been remodeled, thus there is a nice selection of apartments that are newly purchased and freshly renovated. Most of these buildings do not have elevators, and smaller apartments are more common in this neighborhood: studios and one-bedrooms.

Population diversity is the rule here with a delightful mix of inhabitants. Part of the Marais was once the old Jewish quarter and one can find active synagogues, kosher restaurants and observant Jews walking to services on the Sabbath. The Marais is also home to a large gay population who frequent a selection of cafes, restaurants and shops-- some along the Ste. Croix de la Bretonnerie. But the Marais is primarily a bastion of the upper middle class family whom you can see walking with their children grasped firmly in hand through the beautiful Place des Vosges. In the afternoons, lines form outside popular bakeries as children and their parents purchase after-school treats.

For tourists, this is a wonderful location. Due to the religious history of the neighborhood the shops were traditionally closed on Saturday. The neighborhood compensated by opening shop doors on Sunday. It is the one of the few destinations in Paris for a Sunday shopping trip. Small designer stores abound here. On Sundays, the streets are filled with Parisians shopping for stylish clothing at chic boutiques. The Musée Carnavalet and the Musée Picasso are both located here. A walk through the narrow streets reveals little gated public parks tucked here and there. There is a large selection of food stores, cafés and restaurants all within easy reach.

The section of the 3rd and 4th closer to the Centre Pompidou is known as the Beaubourg. The Centre Pompidou is the largest modern art museum in Paris. It is a striking modern building constructed to expose its structural elements-the pipes and beams accented in bright primary colors. Around the museum is a large pedestrian-only plaza with the beautiful Stravinsky fountain nearby. This is a vibrant area with many cafés, shops, restaurants and street performers. From here, it is an easy walk across the Seine to Notre Dame and the left bank.

5th Arrondissement

This is the Latin Quarter, dominated by the university students. From the mouth of the Boulevard St. Michel where you can walk across to Notre Dame on Ile de la Cité, there is a rabbit warren of tiny streets filled with a delightful mix of used and new bookstores, inexpensive restaurants, movie theaters and clothing shops. Just beyond this area is the Sorbonne. This is a lively area with many famous monuments including the Panthéon and the Musée de Cluny. Although exciting, this arrondissement can feel very busy. Thus our rentals here are carefully selected to provide a sense of retreat. Rue Mouffetard, for example, is a charming street with a fine selection of elegant food shops, lovely cafés and well-renovated apartments and townhouses.

6th Arrondissement

This district encompasses several lovely neighborhoods that offer both fine shopping and elegant residential apartment buildings. It has long been a destination of choice for Americans. Apartments here often have spacious rooms with high ceilings, ornate ceiling trim, and large double windows with wrought iron balustrades. As this is an area where Parisians live full-time, rental apartments can sometimes be hard to find. Traffic noise can be heard at times, as there are main streets that bisect the area. St. Germain des Prés is the portion that stretches west from the Blvd. St. Michel towards the Musée d'Orsay. It encompasses the lovely Rue de Rennes, and many elegant shopping streets. Montparnasse is the other segment of the 6th. With its many movie theaters and large famous restaurants, it has a lot to offer. The Jardin du Luxembourg, is nearby, ideal for jogging or a picnic. There are marionette shows and toy boat rentals for kids.

7th Arrondissement

The 7th is a continuation of the 6th with a mix of government buildings and fewer large stores. There are many significant monuments with ornate gardens. The Rodin Museum and garden, Les Invalides the resting place of Napoleon and the Eiffel Tower with its vast esplanade are all located in this district. This area is also filled with elegant apartment buildings and the shops that serve the residents. It is an easy walk to the Musée d'Orsay and then across the river to the Tuilerie Gardens and the Louvre.

10th Arrondissement

The 10th district is just a few métro stops northeast of the city's center. It's the "new" neighborhood in Paris, having undergone a recent gentrification. Just north of the 3rd, the tree-lined riverbanks of the Canal St. Martin are the signature aesthetic. Recent articles in travel magazines, such as Travel and Leisure, all point out the charms of this district. Originally a working class district, it is now the home of artists, young creative workers and new designers. Much of this is evident along the banks of the canal where there is a fine selection of new cafés and restaurants. The iron footbridges and locks are still here with the occasional barge passing down river. This is where Audrey Tatou skipped stones along the placid waters in the charming movie Amélie. The 10th offers renters a real neighborhood experience. The district is located between the Gare de l'Est and the Place de la République.

16th Arrondissement

The 16th district, which is northwest of the center, is the neighborhood of choice for Parisian families. It has elegant boulevards, beautiful Haussmannian buildings and access to the very large Bois de Boulogne, a favorite destination for walkers, bikers and horseback riders. From the 16th you can look across the Seine and enjoy one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. The streets are filled with nannies pushing babies in strollers on sunny afternoons. In the mornings, Parisians shop for food in the Rue de l'Assomption, a pedestrian only shopping street. From parts of the 16th, it is a short walk to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysée. And because of the large number of people who live here, everything you need for daily living is at your fingertips. Restaurants, food stores and clothing stores, too.

18th Arrondissement

Montmartre and Pigalle are to the north of Paris. With Sacré Coeur and its beautiful dome, this neighborhood will always attract attention. I immediately conjure up images of Toulouse Lautrec sitting in a café imaging his next great work of art. The Moulin-Rouge is located here, Paris' historical site of flamboyant merrymaking. Although buses still bring tourists to see the performances at the dancehalls and the occasional peep shop still exists along Blvd. Clichy, Montmartre has changed quite a bit. Now it is home to Paris' young and up and coming. With winding narrow streets, little houses with gardens, tiny parks and a vibrant artistic life. The Place du Tertre is a charming park at the top of the hill. On Rue des Abesses, there is an excellent selection of food shops, clothing stores, cafés and restaurants. Sunny afternoons find sidewalk cafes filled with young singles and families enjoying a quick drink. On Rue L'Epic, the street is filled with food stores displaying a wonderful array of produce and prepared food.