An apartment in Paris in the most central location possible – a Francophile's recommendation

A little something before we start: If you came here to check if the apartment is available on your dates and book it, please go toLink thisIf you are interested in receiving information about the apartment, based on my personal impressions, you are welcome to continue reading.

It's no secret that rental apartment prices in Paris have risen sharply over the past year. The main reason for this is that the coronavirus has taken quite a few out of the market. Apartments for rent , which were rented long-term during the pandemic. Added to this is the war that the municipality is waging Paris Against Airbnb apartments in the city, and the issue of renting apartments to tourists has become a complicated and expensive business.

Regardless of Corona, the Airbnb model has many drawbacks, and recently, due to falling demand, apartment owners have begun charging all kinds of unreasonable fees, which make booking an apartment clearly unaffordable.

However, even in the current period, if you're lucky, you can find some bargains. This happened to me when I flew to... Marseille.

It all started in November 2019, when I decided to take a two-week trip toProvenceOn the flight to Marseille, I sat next to a nice guy named Audi, and we started talking. I told him about the website “Francophiles Anonymous,” and he told me that he was currently in the process of renovating some great apartments in Paris, which he planned to rent out to tourists from Israel.

When the plane landed, we each went our separate ways and I pretty much forgot about that conversation, until one day, a few years later, my phone rang and it was Udi on the line. He told me that the coronavirus pandemic had disrupted his plans a bit, but now, with the pandemic seemingly behind us, he was finally about to finish renovating the apartments and asked me if I would like to check out the first apartment, which had just been renovated.

And the truth? Audi couldn't have come at a better time. Usually, when I come to Paris alone, I stay inHotels, because I like the fact that there is reception service at any time of the day (and of course room cleaning).

This time the situation was different, because I was planning to come to Paris with my parents and the price of renting two rooms in a hotel was very high (quite a few hotels raised their prices, both to make back some of the money they lost during the Corona period and because they have less competition since quite a few apartments have left the market).

So, when I heard about the location of the apartment and its price, I didn't have to think too much and booked a place for us in September 2022.

Why should you rent this apartment?

Winning position

Let's start with the amazing location of the apartment (Rue Royal 7). Less than a minute's walk fromPlace de la ConcordeAnd this, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the best locations in Paris.

The first reason for this is that you are within walking distance of several wonderful museums:

• Hotel de la Marine – Located right on Place de la Concorde, a minute or two walk from the apartment.
• The Orangery Museum – is about a five-minute walk from the apartment.
• The Louvre Museum – is about a ten-minute walk away (or even less if you walk quickly).
• Orsay Museum – is a fifteen-minute walk from the apartment.
• Housing Museum – Located around a 20-minute walk from the apartment.
• Rodin Museum – It is also about a 20-minute walk from the apartment.

The second reason is the proximity to quite a few Parisian attractions that can be reached on foot. Here are just a few examples:

And if all this is not enough for you, at Concorde Square you can find 3 metro lines:

• Line 1: can easily take you to the Arc de Triomphe, La Défense (if you travel west) or toSouth Mara, if you travel east.
• Line 8: can take you to Invalides (if you don't want to walk there), toOpéra Garnier, to the north of the Mara and more.
• Line 12: can easily bring you toMontmartre ValMontparnasse.

Elegant and luxurious Parisian apartment

Having talked about the simply wonderful location, let’s talk about what’s inside the apartment itself. I’ve stayed there twice (so far) and really enjoyed it both times. It’s a 75m19 apartment, located on the second floor of a XNUMXth century building (there’s an elevator), behind an elegant wooden gate and a small courtyard. The first thing you notice, even before you enter the apartment, is the almost total silence that comes from being behind a facade and a courtyard.

The apartment itself is divided into a living room, which leads to the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and shower room. Since it is a large apartment, it can easily accommodate a couple with two other small children, or two couples. In short, this apartment can easily accommodate between 4-6 people.

As you can see in the pictures, the design of the apartment is classic Parisian: parquet floor, fireplace, white panels, etc. There are quite a few drawers and cabinets for storage, the bathrooms are very well equipped (there is even a towel storage unit) and in general, it is very easy to feel at home there. The kitchen is also equipped with everything you will need and needless to say there is WiFi in the apartment.

The bed in the apartment is very comfortable and large, so much so that even Louis XIV I would feel comfortable there with a lover or two :-). I didn't check the sofas that open into beds because I didn't need them, but I believe they are comfortable too.

Another thing I noticed was the large TV (the size of a small movie screen) in the bedroom. Personally, I travel all day and when I get back to the apartment I crash into bed and fall asleep, but if you are traveling with children I am sure you will definitely appreciate this screen (the TV is smart, of course).

Oh, and one last thing I forgot, the entire apartment is air-conditioned (no small feat, since, unlike hotels, a significant portion of apartments in Paris are not air-conditioned).

In short, you will find here everything you need for a perfect stay!

VIP service you won't get in any other apartment in Paris

One of the biggest drawbacks, in my opinion, of renting an apartment is the fact that there is no reception service (unless you rent an apartment in an apartment hotel) and you are basically on your own and have to rely on your apartment owner, who will meet you on time, give you the key, and be available for any questions or requests.

I really enjoyed the friendly service I received and felt as if I was living in a hotel, with all the benefits of an apartment.

A private driver to pick you up from the airport

One of the unique things that Audi offers is a private driver who will take you fromCharles de Gaulle or from the airport of Orly.

As you can see in the picture, it is a large, luxurious and very comfortable car (my parents sitting in the back felt like they were already in the living room of the apartment 🙂 ). But beyond that, the Audi driver is simply a lovely person. When he took my parents back to the airport (I stayed in Paris for a few more days), it turned out that there was a problem with the flight and he stayed with them until the problem was resolved and my parents passed the security checks. For that, I thank him from the bottom of my heart and highly recommend him.

Airport shuttle price and return: 140 euros (or 70 euros each way).

Wait, so how much does all this cost?

The apartment in Paris is rented starting at 490 euros per day. True, it's not cheap, but it's 30% less than any apartment of the same size, quality of furnishings, service, and location that you'll find on Airbnb (you're welcome to check it out and see for yourself). Also, if you're a large family who wants to live in the city center, you'll see that it's actually not a high price at all, if you compare it to the price of two rooms (at least) in a hotel in the same area.

And there's also a little bonus.: Audi has agreed to provide all readers of “Anonymous Francophiles” with a free SIM with a browsing package, so you don’t have to waste time and money on fiddling with SIMs and communication. This bonus applies not only to this apartment, but to all Audi apartments (details on these apartments below).

If you would like to book the apartment all you have to do is go toLink this.

If you need a slightly smaller apartment, or the price is a little high for you, you are welcome to continue reading.

Other apartments in Paris that might suit you

As I wrote at the beginning, Audi has several smaller apartments at cheaper prices. I haven't had the chance to live in them yet (I hope to do so during my upcoming visits to Paris), but I can definitely say from looking at the pictures that this is a very high level of equipment (and of course the same VIP service is offered here, which I enjoyed in the apartment on Place de la Concorde).

You can find the full list of all his apartments atThe apartments page on my website.