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Although I always stay with friends while in Paris, I sometimes rent an apartment so that I can stay out later and/or get up later for my airport departure. Renting is also a perfect solution for my friends visiting from Belgium; the train from Brussels only takes an hour and a half, but having a place to stay in Paris makes for a mini vacation rather than a day trip for them.
I found Lena’s studio on AirBnB.com a site I have used before for rentals here in the US. Pour mes amis Francophone, vous pouvez aussi louer le studio avec amivac.
Lena’s studio is in a perfect location between the Jardin du Luxembourg and Jardin des Plantes, just a few minutes walk from the RER B which goes directly to Charles De Gaulle airport. For less than $100 a night, this very secure, quiet studio is a steal. The popular Rue Mouffetard is only two blocks away with wonderful restaurants and shops, and the apartment itself faces a green courtyard. Lena speaks English perfectly (as well as Italian and of course French), and uses this studio as her office, so everything is immaculate and functional. There is free wifi and the phone can be used to call several countries landlines (not cell phones), so this is a real home base.
At 35 square meters, this is easily double or triple the size of many hotel rooms in Paris and you get the added convenience of having a full kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, two burners, appliances (toaster, coffee maker), cutlery and dishware. The pleasure of buying baguettes, cheese, fruit, and wine is matched only by the ease of having a place to prepare a snack or meal should the mood strikes you.
The bathroom is huge (by Parisian standards), with a full size tub, good water pressure, and even a selection of shower gels and shampoos. Lena supplied all the towels and sheets for the fold out futon in the living room, so aside from maid service, her studio has everything and more than a hotel room.
Lena was very organized, sending out information about the area (her favorite markets, restaurants, transportation details) as soon as I booked. I enjoyed her place and Lena so much that we talked about trading places next time. Since her full name is Helene, we even have the same name (Elaine in French is Helene), so we wouldn’t even have to change the answering machine!
The Cirque du Soleil show LOVE at the Mirage has a number of limited seats available at 50% off if you book through it with your hotel stay online; this deal includes 20-30% off your room at the Mirage, so take advantage of the offer if you want to see the show. I saw LOVE twice in two months and now it looks like I will be seeing it again!
If you are planning to drive to Las Vegas, why not rent a car rather than put miles on yours? There is a website called Vroom Vroom Vroom which allows you to compare prices from all the major car rental companies in one place for your dates and destination; it’s like Hotels.com but for cars. The beauty of the site is they list the cars available through the different companies with pictures that come up as you scroll so you can see what the cars look like if you are unfamiliar with the model offered. As a bonus, this is a company that actually puts money towards climate and environmental causes to offset the emissions of cars they rent.
And if you do go to the show in your rented car and need some clothes for the trip, stop by Lulu’s (see my previous post for more about this great store) in Manhattan Beach today for their annual summer sale with items 50-80% off. I love the Cosabella dress I bought at the sale last year, and I will most likely wear it to Las Vegas when I go in September, so yes, I actually DO what I recommend!
>The Cirque du Soleil show LOVE at the Mirage has a number of limited seats available at 50% off if you book through it with your hotel stay online; this deal includes 20-30% off your room at the Mirage, so take advantage of the offer if you want to see the show. I saw LOVE twice in two months and now it looks like I will be seeing it again!
If you are planning to drive to Las Vegas, why not rent a car rather than put miles on yours? There is a website called Vroom Vroom Vroom which allows you to compare prices from all the major car rental companies in one place for your dates and destination; it’s like Hotels.com but for cars. The beauty of the site is they list the cars available through the different companies with pictures that come up as you scroll so you can see what the cars look like if you are unfamiliar with the model offered. As a bonus, this is a company that actually puts money towards climate and environmental causes to offset the emissions of cars they rent.
And if you do go to the show in your rented car and need some clothes for the trip, stop by Lulu’s (see my previous post for more about this great store) in Manhattan Beach today for their annual summer sale with items 50-80% off. I love the Cosabella dress I bought at the sale last year, and I will most likely wear it to Las Vegas when I go in September, so yes, I actually DO what I recommend!
I always prefer living in an apartment or house when I travel so I can taste the local flavors of the markets. I enjoy shopping for daily supplies like the natives, even buying toilet paper can be a fun adventure in a foreign country. In most cases I can find a rental for about the same or less than a hotel room, but even when it may be more, the added privacy and savings of eating a few meals in usually make it worth the difference.
Every time I have traveled to the South of France I have stayed in a hotel, but next time I go, I will be renting a place. I’ve already written about VRBO and Beau-Paris rentals, but for the South of France, France Bound has some spectacular places.
If I end up traveling alone, a 1 Bedroom in Nice for $780-$1500 a week, should work out just fine, with a partial view of the Mediterranean, on the Promenade des Anglais, and just 2 blocks away from the famous Hotel Negresco ($1,200 per night for a 1BR in the summer). If I can gather a few friends to journey with me, a private 3 bedroom 3 bath villa in Cannes for $6,700 a week (or $1,116 per person divided by 6 people) with a large pool, terrace, garden, 2 car garage, air conditioning and satellite TV, should work perfectly.
Being able to live in a villa in Cannes during the summer, with a pool overlooking the French Riviera is not just life for Tina Turner anymore; we can all live like rock stars at these prices.
>I always prefer living in an apartment or house when I travel so I can taste the local flavors of the markets. I enjoy shopping for daily supplies like the natives, even buying toilet paper can be a fun adventure in a foreign country. In most cases I can find a rental for about the same or less than a hotel room, but even when it may be more, the added privacy and savings of eating a few meals in usually make it worth the difference.
Every time I have traveled to the South of France I have stayed in a hotel, but next time I go, I will be renting a place. I’ve already written about VRBO and Beau-Paris rentals, but for the South of France, France Bound has some spectacular places.
If I end up traveling alone, a 1 Bedroom in Nice for $780-$1500 a week, should work out just fine, with a partial view of the Mediterranean, on the Promenade des Anglais, and just 2 blocks away from the famous Hotel Negresco ($1,200 per night for a 1BR in the summer). If I can gather a few friends to journey with me, a private 3 bedroom 3 bath villa in Cannes for $6,700 a week (or $1,116 per person divided by 6 people) with a large pool, terrace, garden, 2 car garage, air conditioning and satellite TV, should work perfectly.
Being able to live in a villa in Cannes during the summer, with a pool overlooking the French Riviera is not just life for Tina Turner anymore; we can all live like rock stars at these prices.
St. Barthelemy or St. Bart is probably my favorite island in the Caribbean because it is one of the few islands where there was never any slavery, very low crime, and a very high standard of living. Add beautiful beaches, French inspired food, and friendly natives, and you have a recipe for a pleasant vacation no matter how much time you spend cooking your skin on the beach.
I rented a one bedroom condo through St. Barth Properties, the Terrasses de St. Jean, close to the airport and across from the beach with a view of the bay for about $1500 a week off season (April-December). It was fully equipped with a TV, DVD player, CD player, all kitchen appliances, linens, towels, and spotlessly clean, and daily maid service is included except for Sundays (be sure to ask if the property you want has Wifi if you want to surf on the internet).
With a nice terrace (hence the name of the property), for the price of a room, this condo was bigger than most suites in a hotel, with the added benefits of a full kitchen and living room. If you need a larger villa, they have full houses for rent starting at about $4,000 for a three bedroom (which sleeps six) with a fantastic view, which works out to about $570 a night for a family that would normally rent several hotel rooms and have to pay for restaurants for every meal. There was a very nice grocery store across from the condo I rented which had all the supplies for breakfast, including great croissants, and perfect picnic food, like pates and roasted chicken, for beach lunches. We had dinner out every night of the week except for one (it was a vacation after all), but for the one night we cooked, everything we needed was at the store.
Renting a property with this company does not mean you must do without hotel amenities, a rental with St. Barth Properties can include all the concierge services at a hotel, from an airport meet and greet to arranging for scuba dives or golf tee times. They are only a phone call away if you need anything, but you have the option of going into seclusion or exploring the island solo if you prefer.
Living like a native is one of the best ways to travel, so why not go native on one of the best islands?
>St. Barthelemy or St. Bart is probably my favorite island in the Caribbean because it is one of the few islands where there was never any slavery, very low crime, and a very high standard of living. Add beautiful beaches, French inspired food, and friendly natives, and you have a recipe for a pleasant vacation no matter how much time you spend cooking your skin on the beach.
I rented a one bedroom condo through St. Barth Properties, the Terrasses de St. Jean, close to the airport and across from the beach with a view of the bay for about $1500 a week off season (April-December). It was fully equipped with a TV, DVD player, CD player, all kitchen appliances, linens, towels, and spotlessly clean, and daily maid service is included except for Sundays (be sure to ask if the property you want has Wifi if you want to surf on the internet).
With a nice terrace (hence the name of the property), for the price of a room, this condo was bigger than most suites in a hotel, with the added benefits of a full kitchen and living room. If you need a larger villa, they have full houses for rent starting at about $4,000 for a three bedroom (which sleeps six) with a fantastic view, which works out to about $570 a night for a family that would normally rent several hotel rooms and have to pay for restaurants for every meal. There was a very nice grocery store across from the condo I rented which had all the supplies for breakfast, including great croissants, and perfect picnic food, like pates and roasted chicken, for beach lunches. We had dinner out every night of the week except for one (it was a vacation after all), but for the one night we cooked, everything we needed was at the store.
Renting a property with this company does not mean you must do without hotel amenities, a rental with St. Barth Properties can include all the concierge services at a hotel, from an airport meet and greet to arranging for scuba dives or golf tee times. They are only a phone call away if you need anything, but you have the option of going into seclusion or exploring the island solo if you prefer.
Living like a native is one of the best ways to travel, so why not go native on one of the best islands?
St. Barthelemy or St. Bart is probably my favorite island in the Caribbean because it is one of the few islands where there was never any slavery, very low crime, and a very high standard of living. Add beautiful beaches, French inspired food, and friendly natives, and you have a recipe for a pleasant vacation no matter how much time you spend cooking your skin on the beach.
I rented a one bedroom condo through St. Barth Properties, the Terrasses de St. Jean, close to the airport and across from the beach with a view of the bay for about $1500 a week off season (April-December). It was fully equipped with a TV, DVD player, CD player, all kitchen appliances, linens, towels, and spotlessly clean, and daily maid service is included except for Sundays (be sure to ask if the property you want has Wifi if you want to surf on the internet).
With a nice terrace (hence the name of the property), for the price of a room, this condo was bigger than most suites in a hotel, with the added benefits of a full kitchen and living room. If you need a larger villa, they have full houses for rent starting at about $4,000 for a three bedroom (which sleeps six) with a fantastic view, which works out to about $570 a night for a family that would normally rent several hotel rooms and have to pay for restaurants for every meal. There was a very nice grocery store across from the condo I rented which had all the supplies for breakfast, including great croissants, and perfect picnic food, like pates and roasted chicken, for beach lunches. We had dinner out every night of the week except for one (it was a vacation after all), but for the one night we cooked, everything we needed was at the store.
Renting a property with this company does not mean you must do without hotel amenities, a rental with St. Barth Properties can include all the concierge services at a hotel, from an airport meet and greet to arranging for scuba dives or golf tee times. They are only a phone call away if you need anything, but you have the option of going into seclusion or exploring the island solo if you prefer.
Living like a native is one of the best ways to travel, so why not go native on one of the best islands?
I learned to drive when I moved to California from New York; almost no one in New York City owns a car (unless they are rich) because with easy public transportation and parking that costs upwards of $20 an hour, the obviously smarter transportation choice is either a cab or the subway.
Hertz has recognized this and they have adapted the Velib concept of hourly bike rentals in urban centers of Paris, to cars, in cities like New York, Boston, London, and Paris. They have recognized that people who live or travel to densely populated cities with good public transportation and sparse parking, might want a car for just an errand or a day. This is even a great option if you have your car in the shop for a few hours and the repair facility does not offer a loaner. College campuses are also a great location for this new Connect concept because some students don’t own cars and may actually try something new, less expensive, and handy; one location here near Los Angeles is the Pepperdine University Campus in Malibu.
Costs start at $6.80 an hour with a $50 yearly fee, and the rates include up to 180 miles a day, all gas (each car comes with a gas card), insurance, and road side assistance. Cars include the thrifty gas sipping Prius or Camry, and just about the only restrictions are that you must be at least 18 years old, you can not drive to Mexico, smoke, or have a pet in your car.
Everything is high tech in a nice simple way; you book on the phone or online to join and they send you a Hertz Connect card which allows you to unlock your car with a swipe on the windshield. Once you make a reservation, they will email and text you directions to your car location. Keys are inside along with a gas card and the paperwork. When you are done, just park it where you found it and swipe your card to lock up. You can even use your card in London or Paris!
>I learned to drive when I moved to California from New York; almost no one in New York City owns a car (unless they are rich) because with easy public transportation and parking that costs upwards of $20 an hour, the obviously smarter transportation choice is either a cab or the subway.
Hertz has recognized this and they have adapted the Velib concept of hourly bike rentals in urban centers of Paris, to cars, in cities like New York, Boston, London, and Paris. They have recognized that people who live or travel to densely populated cities with good public transportation and sparse parking, might want a car for just an errand or a day. This is even a great option if you have your car in the shop for a few hours and the repair facility does not offer a loaner. College campuses are also a great location for this new Connect concept because some students don’t own cars and may actually try something new, less expensive, and handy; one location here near Los Angeles is the Pepperdine University Campus in Malibu.
Costs start at $6.80 an hour with a $50 yearly fee, and the rates include up to 180 miles a day, all gas (each car comes with a gas card), insurance, and road side assistance. Cars include the thrifty gas sipping Prius or Camry, and just about the only restrictions are that you must be at least 18 years old, you can not drive to Mexico, smoke, or have a pet in your car.
Everything is high tech in a nice simple way; you book on the phone or online to join and they send you a Hertz Connect card which allows you to unlock your car with a swipe on the windshield. Once you make a reservation, they will email and text you directions to your car location. Keys are inside along with a gas card and the paperwork. When you are done, just park it where you found it and swipe your card to lock up. You can even use your card in London or Paris!
