Where to Stay?

Well, since Paris is our only planned destination, the obvious answer would be, Paris.

Before I told my wife we were going to Europe, I spent considerable time researching hotels.  I searched every variation of "Good hotels in ____?" that I could think of and numerous matches were given.  If you Google "Good hotels in Paris" over 65,000,000 matches are displayed.  Over 65,000,000, really?  How are you supposed to narrow that down to the one hotel you want to stay in?

While I was busy entering variations of my query, I came across a site that offered short term apartment rentals for less money than hotels were charging.  A little research later and I find there is whole cottage industry that rents apartments to vacationers in Europe, actually not just Europe, everywhere.  Short term vacation rentals are available in just about every country, as an inexperienced traveler, this was news to me.  Thankfully, one of the rental sites had a link to TripAdvisor for reviews.

TripAdvisor is one of many traveler oriented websites that can be found on the web.  Others include, Rick Steve's website which strongly favors European destinations,  Lonely Planet is a good all around site for destinations throughout the world.  Each has user ran forums that contain a wealth of information about anything and everything you could possibly want to know about traveling.  If you don't see what you're looking for, just ask a question through the forums and answers will be provided.

I ventured into TripAdvisor and Rick Steve's forums and found what I was hoping to in the way of where to stay in Paris.  First, apartments really are cheaper than hotels, but just like hotels it depends on what you think you need.  I was able to find apartments that ranged from $70.00 per night all the way up to over $300.00 per night.  These ranged from very small studio apartments to three bedroom homes.

When shopping for an apartment, consider the pros and cons.  On the positive side, all apartments are equipped with a kitchen and cooking utensils so you can save money by preparing a few meals at "home" rather than eating out. Many apartments have a washer and dryer, this will let you pack lighter and save a little by doing laundry in the apartment rather than going to a washateria.  You will be living next door to the locals.  What better way to experience a new country than to live among the locals rather than hiding in a hotel.

On the negative side of the coin, there will be no maid to change your sheets and make your bed.  You won't have access the hotel concierge and you will most likely not have English speaking neighbors.  Or if they do speak English it will be very limited, probably much like your ability to speak their language.

It all comes down to what is best for you.

As I mentioned before, my wife and I like to travel casually.  We believe the best way to enjoy a vacation is to slow down and enjoy the surroundings, the people, the food, just not be rushed.  So, we opted for an apartment.

Now, there are an abundant amount of agencies that handle vacation rentals, Cobblestone Paris, AirBnB, VRBO, homeaway, flipkey and many, many more.  The key to choosing an apartment is to decide what you "need".  We knew we didn't need a three bedroom two bathroom apartment afterall, we are not traveling to Paris to look at the inside of an apartment.  Once you decide on an apartment, go to one of the travel forums and look/ask for reviews.  TripAdvisor is good for this as their members are very active and vocal about the good and the bad experiences they have had during their trips.

So, all of that just to say we found an apartment that I believe will suit us perfectly for our Anniversary in Paris.