The Left Bank

When deciding between vacation apartments and rental apartments in Paris, it is important to get a feel for different areas. Parisians refer to areas of the city in two different ways, by name - the Latin Quarter, the Marais etc - and by arrondissements. Whilst the boundaries of the former become blurred, the latter make up 20 fixed administrative districts that spiral out, clockwise and in ascending order from the Louvre (1st). Together they make a jigsaw puzzle and each piece has its connotations. 5th: intello. 6th: chic. 16th: affluent and stuffy. 18th, 19th, 20th: lively and multicultural. Like it or not, residents are often assessed, at least at the outset, by their postcodes yet the city is evolving fast and such connotations follow suit. Our rental apartments are dotted all over Paris.

The Islands - Ile de la Cité, oldest part of the city, home to Notre-Dame cathedral and the Ile St-Louis with its shops, restaurants and unique charm. These islands are unlike other parts of the city and are not to be missed. All within easy reach of a number of our rental apatments during your vacation in Paris.

Star attraction of the affluent (and often stuffy and institutional 7th and Western Paris area is the Eiffel Tower, the monument that for many first springs to mind when they hear the word Paris. Always elegant, it is prettiest after dark, when every hour, on the hour, tens of thousands of flashbulbs give it the effect of a shimmering sequin dress. Nighttime is also the best time to head out of your vacation apartments Paris to ascend the Eiffel Tower, otherwise teaming with tourists during the day. St-Germain-des-Prés (6th) is, in popular mythology, the intellectual part of Paris, famous for Sartre and co. These days, it's more a pillar of fashion and the cafés are too expensive for impecunious brainiacs. So if you're on a budget, eat in your rental apartments before heading our into the Paris night. Within there you will find Paris' most beautiful park, the Jardin du Luxembourg (it's free!) and the Musée D'Orsay overlooking the Seine. To the east, the Latin Quarter (5th) is where several of the city's academic institutions are based - and, in pleasant contract, home to some of Paris's jazz institutions. South of here is Montparnasse, no longer the artistic stronghold of the 1920s, but good for cafés and the Cimetière Montparnasse which is home to some of France's illustrious deceased.

We hope that this information will help you to better enjoy one of our rental apartments in Paris and make your Paris vacation more hassle-free!