Join Us in France Travel Podcast To learn about Join Us in France Tours, visit Addicted to France If you enjoy the show, subscribe to the Join Us in France Newsletter Click here for show notes and photos for this episode. Click here to review the show on iTunes. Join Us in France Book Group on Goodreads Click here to leave us a voice mail question or comment. Send email feedback: annie@joinusinfrance.com Follow the show on Facebook Introduction Renting an apartment in Paris is a great option, especially if you're planning on staying in Paris one week or longer. It is probably not ideal for first-time Paris visitors who don't know the area yet, but even for them, it can be a good option if they are coming with children or extended family. In this episode Phil Goldsmith shares the secrets to finding an apartment in Paris and he breaks it down into simple steps that anybody can follow. If you've rented apartments in Paris and would like to share your own nuggets of wisdom, call the voice mail line 801-816-1015. Also stay tuned until after the interview with Phil to hear from Inaugural Tour Member Sue Walsh. Enjoy the show! What You Will Learn about in Today's Episode 40" On today's episode, Phil Goldsmith shares his tips and secrets for finding an apartment in Paris. 43" Our next Paris Tour is scheduled for Oct 1 through Oct 7th 2017; we would love to have you join us in France, not only through the podcast but also in real life. 2'16 Interview with Phil Goldsmith starts 5'11 Why rent an apartment and stay at a hotel? An apartment gives you more of a chance of living like a local. Hotels are a lot more anonymous. Apartments are also more likely to be situated in a residential area rather than a business/commercial area. For instance there are few apartments for rent in the 2nd arrondissement, but there are lots of hotels there. When staying in an apartment you probably won't get your breakfast at a café, but you may walk to the local bakery and get a chocolatine while observing real life. 7' It is true that there is nobody living on the Ile de la Cité who is not either a millionaire or someone staying at a hotel. 7'34 Will renting an apartment save me money? We'll come back to this question later in the episode also, but renting an apartment doesn't so much save you money as it gets you better value for your money. Renting is cost effective for people who are staying for several weeks. 8'50 If you're going for just a few days, just get a hotel. Finding the right apartment takes a long time. There is no standard rating system for apartments, each agency does things their own way, you have to spend time looking into the place you are considering renting. 9'54 You get more room in an apartment than in a hotel. Apartments are great for kids or extended families too. Apartments make it easy to accommodate bigger groups. 11' Gite de France are made for families, they typically have mom and dad and two or three kids. Those are mostly in the countryside. 11'38 Because apartments are a little less expensive, you can leave the apartment for a few days and explore other areas nearby. 12'12 The disadvantages of renting an apartment: You have to do a lot of research to find an apartment. People sometimes wonder if this is a legitimate rental. You're better off going through a reputable agency than Craig's List! 2-bedroom apartments are harder to find, but it can be done. The apartment will be quirky or charming depending on how you want to look at this. 13'36 Some of the crazy places Phil has rented in the past: rickety tiny stairs and steep stairs without handrails or bathroom where you have to go out on the terrace to get to the bathroom. 15'30 Be prepared to deal with a security deposit. Different agencies handle this differently: some put a hold on your credit card, some what you to bring cash to give to the owner that you will get back when you check out. For some of the longer rentals there may be charges for cleaning and electrica