VIP Service in Paris

People are busy making their summer vacation plans right now.  They must be, because we're on the customer referral contact list for Vacation in Paris Holiday Apartment Rentals and I’m getting lots of emails from potential travelers to Paris.  These travelers want to know how we liked our stay in Vacation in Paris (VIP)’s Rue Cler Delight apartment last summer, and how we would rate the service provided by VIP.  I tell them all the same thing:  great apartment, outstanding service!

At the breakfast table

After browsing through VIP’s many, many apartment listings ranging from studio to luxury units, we chose the Rue Cler Delight for three reasons:  location, location, location.  Just kidding, but even though that’s true, our other reasons were air conditioning and price.  We were not disappointed in any regard.  The one-bedroom apartment is in the 7th arrondissement, on a quiet residential street around the corner from a metro stop (line 8, École Militaire), a large supermarket, and best of all, rue Cler.  Rue Cler is a pedestrian-only open market shopping street with row after row of fresh produce, wine, cheeses, pastries, and prepared foods that will save you from having to eat at restaurants three meals a day.  Every morning during our week in Paris, hubby and I would stay in bed and send the kids around the corner to rue Cler to buy warm baguettes, croissants, and fresh berries to bring back for breakfast.  Heaven for hubby and me, yes, but more importantly, the interaction with merchants who don’t speak their language, dealing in foreign currency, and the encounters with unfamiliar customs forged unforgettable life experiences for my kids.  These moments and the independence they foster are some of the most significant reasons I travel with my children.

Front entrance to the
Rue Cler Delight apartment

But I digress.  Back to the apartment.  It has one bedroom with a king-size bed and a queen-size sofabed in the living room, so it easily sleeps a family of four.  (I know, I know, I’ve blogged about how my kids don’t like to sleep together in the same bed anymore, but occasionally they have to.)  The apartment is small, so it's a tight squeeze to get into the kitchen when the sofabed's open, but it's maneuverable.  The air conditioning is a portable unit, kind of large and clunky, but works adequately well, especially on a continent where A/C is still in its early evolution.  The kitchen is clean and modern and well-stocked, and there’s even an (almost) American-sized refrigerator!  When traveling with kids, the ability to throw together a pot of spaghetti after sightseeing all day, instead of sitting in yet another overpriced, foreign-food (“mom, why don’t they have french fries?!”) restaurant, is priceless.  And speaking of price, at the time of this writing, the apartment is only $185/night for four people during summer season.  A hotel room for four people in Paris would be hard to find at that price, and certainly wouldn't have a kitchen.

Lastly, I researched numerous holiday apartment rental services, but was most impressed with VIP.  The company, based in New Jersey, offers the reassuring courtesy of sending you the Paris apartment keys before you leave on your trip.  The huge benefit here is not having to meet with a stranger somewhere in Paris when you arrive, or find a management office somewhere in Paris, to pick up the keys.  No appointments, no hassles, just go straight to the apartment and let yourself in.  The directions and arrival information are impeccable.  If you should have a problem while at the apartment, a management team is available in the city.  When I called them to ask about a funny noise the washing machine was making, I received an immediate response by a native-English speaker.  All contact I had with the VIP staff was professional and friendly.  I highly recommend using Vacation in Paris Holiday Apartment Rentals on your next visit to the City of Light.

Family Vacation