One of the best ways to vacation economically in Paris is to rent an apartment.

While many travelers automatically think in terms of hotels when planning a vacation, short-term apartment rental can offer an enjoyable and economic alternative.

As vacation apartments have become more popular in recent years, the number of agencies who specialize in this type of accomodation has blossomed.

And with the explosion of the internet over the past ten or fifteen years, the process of shopping for vacation apartments has become simple and convenient.

Paris is one of the best cities in the world for vacation rentals.  The city abounds with pieds a terre (secondary, or “foot on the ground” residences) that are rented out by the owners for much of the year on a short-term basis.

Many French people acquire apartments specifically for investment purposes, just as Americans sometimes buy condos as as income properties, rather than as primary residences.

There are definite advantages to staying in a vacation rental, as opposed to a hotel. First, there’s value.  Even though you can find hotel accommodations to suit any budget in Paris, often you can find something more spacious and comfortable for the same price if you opt for the apartment alternative.

Secondly, while you’ll miss out on room and housekeeping service in an apartment, you’ll get a taste of what it’s like to actually live in the City of Light.  The feeling, the ambience, of staying in a private residence in a city like Paris simply can’t be touched by the experience of being in a hotel, where everything is essentially made bland and neutral, to suit the widest possible array of tastes.

Then, there’s the cuisine.  While Paris, as everyone knows, is the world’s capital for cafe and bistro dining, it also offers a wonderful selection of specialty shops selling every variety of meat, fish, cheese, pastry, bread and wine that you can imagine.  The French queue up in these shops on a daily basis. That’s the marvelous thing about the French.  They don’t regard eating such delicacies as exotic.  To them, it’s as normal as meat loaf is to an American!

During my first vacation in Paris, while I savored every meal I had in all the various cafes, bistros, brasseries and restaurants (sometimes distinguishing one genus from another can be confusing), I missed the opportunity of being able to shop at the local market for the evening meal, and experimenting with some elementary French cooking.  On a later stay, I rectified that, and it gave my vacation an entirely new dimension. So, if you’re planning a trip to Paris, consider the apartment alternative, and sample what it’s like to be a Parisian, rather than just a tourist in Paris!