When planning our family vacation the most recent in Europe, Paris has been high on the list of places to visit. After traveling in Europe before with our children, we are advocates of independent living in apartments where possible, and finding a suitable apartment in Paris was one of the first things we did.

While Paris is full of hotels ranging from exclusive budget, it is also home to hundreds (or thousands) of apartments that are available for vacation rentals in the short term. Surprisingly, a reasonable number of these are Australian-owned. After choosing our apartment, one bedroom apartment in a 11th district, we booked directly with the owner of Australia. Generally, a deposit is required to confirm booking and balance due 30-60 days prior to arrival. Dealing directly with the owner of the apartment was great – she was on hand to answer questions we had before we left Australia (Which is the nearest subway station? How can we arrive at the apartment airport? Etc..)

After our final payment, we sent detailed information about the apartment and the neighborhood. This included details about who we meet at the apartment, the owner’s favorite restaurants, bakeries, etc., and the location of the nearest supermarket. As agreed, we called the apartment of “manager” on arrival at the airport in Paris and organized a time to respond. With dragging suitcases behind us, our new Parisian friend had spotted a mile off us as we made our way into the depths of the subway and ride on the street. After a demonstration of the security system and a quick glance around our home for the next few days, the building manager said goodbye, but not before leaving his phone number in case we need the assistance during our stay.

The apartment was not big by standards, but we have been informed of the size of the flat from the beginning there were no surprises. With a double bed in the bedroom and a sofa in the living room twice, we were going to live in neighborhoods a little closer than normal, but it was not a problem. The children were happy to sleep on the sofa folding as a major European football tournament had started the day before our arrival in Europe, and they could watch TV in bed. A real holiday treat! One big bonus of renting an apartment is the luxury of having your own kitchen. With Paris as our first stop on an eight-week holiday we were not going to eat in restaurants too often, to have our own kitchen was both practical and budget friendly. Each morning my husband walked down to one of the many bakeries close (Bakeries) and buy fresh croissants for breakfast and a few sticks for lunch. With its collection of French words scarce and much of the language of signs, he always managed to come home with what he set out for!

We have expertise with the local supermarket on our first day in Paris, the storage on the usual staples, cereals, milk, fruits and vegetables, and what our imagination has never been for dinner. With our fresh baguettes stuffed with ham and cheese and a few bottles of water, we would have went to visit our day. Buns never tasted as good as they did while watching Paris from the Eiffel Tower! Having our own little “home” in Paris was great, and while we certainly looked like the tourist standard, it made us feel like we were in Paris for a few days. Leaving our apartment every morning, we walked to the subway station to visit our day. With so many wonderful things to see in Paris these days were always full and it was very nice to have our own little apartment to come home. The food was within reach of previous visits to our supermarkets and we have not felt the need to dress to go out for dinner. A bowl of pasta, a salad and some fresh crusty French bread, was all we needed before collapsing into bed exhausted!

Choosing the location of your apartment in Paris can be a difficult decision, but the excellent Paris Metro, it is easy to move where you stay. Many travelers like to be near the Seine, the choice of apartments in the Latin Quarter or Marais district, but we found no reasons at all to stay a little further. Our regular morning walk took us to the Bastille where the fast and efficient Metro took us all over Paris. With so many options to choose from, finding an apartment in Paris should not be difficult. Whether you are traveling with children or not, apartments offer an excellent alternative to hotels and the possibility to cook your own meals, they can save you money at the same time.