Frequently Asked Questions

I’m familiar with the 6th arrondissement, could you tell me about Le Marais?
Le Marais is one on central quartiers of Paris. It is located on the right bank and has a great blend of historical buildings, natural beauty and a feeling that you are in the middle of an active Parisien neighborhood versus a tourist neighborhood. Some people use the comparison of New York City, where the Marais is more like SOHO or Greenwich Village, while the 6th arrondissement is more like the Upper West Side. Every year we are always impressed by the influx of stylish new stores and restaurants in the Marais, which is particularly now happening in the 3rd arrondissement. We lived in the 6th arrondissement for several years and prefer Le Marais. You can take a brief virtual walking by clicking here.

Is the neighborhood safe ?
We’ve walked home from dinner very late and have never felt uncomfortable at all in Le Marais. As with any big city, you need to take care on metros or if you venture into areas like Les Halles, the Sentier, etc.

Do you have references ?
We have a list (click here) of reviews from previous clients and if needed can always put you in contact with someone relatively close to you. We’ve had clients from Australia, Canada, England, US and Germany.

What is the best way to get to and from the apartment ?
On our documents page (click here) the “Directions to Elzevir” document describes the various ways to get to the apartment. Our preferred transportation is a taxi, especially after such a long trip.

What are your favorite museums, restaurants and parks in the area ?
You will see many of these by following our walking tour on your first day.

Museums (in order) : Hotel de Ville (free exhibits), Cognacq-Jay on rue Elzevir, Musee Carnavalet on rue des Francs Bourgeois (history of Paris), Maison Europeenne de la Photographic on rue de Fourcy, Musee Arts et Metiers in the northern Marais, Museum of Magic and Automatrons and the Musee de l'Histoire de la France (archives)

Restaurants : Reconfort (37, Rue du Poitou), L'apparement (18, Rue des Coutures St-Gervais), Robert & Louise (64 rue Vieille-du-Temple), Gli Angeli (5 Rue St Gilles), Chez Janou (2 Rue Roger Verlomme), Le Petit Marche (9 Rue Béarn)

Cafes/Bistors : Chez Camille (24 rue des Francs Bourgeois), Breizh Cafe (109 rue Vielle du Temple), Cafe Charlot, Royal Cafe (downstairs for afternoon tea), L'Etoile Manquante (34 rue Vieille-du-Temple), Le Petit Cureaux (16 Rue des Filles du Calvaire), Cafe Hugo (place des Vosges)

Places & Gardens : place des Vosges, Rose Garden at the corner of rue Villehardouin, Square Cain (rue Payenne), Garden behind the Swedish Institute (11 rue Payenne)

Streets to wander : rue des Francs Bourgeois, rue vielle de temple (lower part for cafes), rue vielle de temple (upper part for small stores and art), area just north of the Picasso Museum for little cafes, stores and galleries, rue charlot (see our walking tour)

Odds & Ends : basement of the BHV (14 Rue du Temple, best hardware store in the world), Merci (new concept store at 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais

Outside Le Marais : Cafe Beaubourg (to the the side of the Pompideau Center), Colette (the first concept store at 213 rue St. Honore, 75001), Georges (top of Pompideau Center), Cafe Flore in 6eme ... the list is endless!

How do we get into the apartment ?
When we receive your balance payment 30 days in advance, we will send you directions (see example on our documents page) to the apartment along with keys (for US clients only and some international exceptions). With the keys, you can then enter the apartment on your own timing though it must be past 10h30 if we have back-to-back clients. For non-US clients, we will pre-arrange for our property manager to meet you during a one hour window.

How often do you do detailed maintenance of the apartment ?
Besides our regular cleaning and repair organized by our property manager, we visit the apartment twice per year for at least three months to perform some detailed maintenance, additions, etc. so that the apartment is always in top form. Many owners don’t have this personal involvement and we feel it is critical to provide in providing a high quality, luxury apartment.

Do you have air conditioning ?
We have been considering air-conditioning for a number of years, especially since the “canicule”, and may add it in the future. However, In the meantime, we find that given the apartment layout (click here) with windows on the street and courtyard side, we always get a good cross breeze by opening the windows and closing the shades on the courtyard side during the day. Also, in the apartment we have several fans to help when needed. If you’d like, we can put you in contact with clients that have stayed during the summer months.

Are the appliances hard to operate ? Is everything in French ?
We have personally written an English guide to all the appliances which contains simplified instructions. A pdf version of the guide can be found on our “documents” page and it contains a wide range of other information about the apartment, the neighborhood, etc. If you have any problems, you can always contact our property manager.

Do your provide any concierge services ?
If you need concierge services, we would recommend “At Your Service”. Our property manager is available to answer apartment questions and resolve any issues.

Can’t we fit four adults in the apartment ?
The bed in the bedroom is a queen-sized (160 cm x 200 cm) bed and the one in the living is a double-sized sofa bed. Two adults on the sofa bed is too uncomfortable and we want to make sure that people have a great experience. We recommend looking for a two-bedroom apartment.

Could I see a sample of your rental agreement ?
A sample can be found by clicking here.

Do you charge for cleaning ?
Cleaning is included in the rental price. If you stay longer than 10 days, there will be a weekly cleaning and linen changing included in the price. Any cleaning at a higher frequency would be a charge.

What type of payment do you accept ?
Most payments are by personal check though we also accept payment by wire transfer, paypal and bank checks. The latter methods are typical for non-US clients.

I love your apartment, what are your prices and how do I make reservations ?
Thank you! You can see our prices on this page of our website along with making reservations or general inquiries. After we receive your request, we will email you a rental agreement and a reservation letter which explains how to make payments, etc.

Do you provide discounts for extended stays ?
We do provide discounts for extended stays based on our normal occupancy rates during those months. The discount can range from 10% to 20%.

How far in advance do you receive bookings ?
We have some regular clients that book more than a year in advance. For the most popular months, we typically receive bookings at least 6 months to a year in advance. Please contact us as early as possible even if your plans are tentative so we can pencil you in and contact you as we receive other requests. We stay there several months during the year but can adjust those dates based on client's reservations.

How about last minute stays ?
Though rare, we sometimes have openings the last minute or last minute cancellations. We do offer discounts for those dates especially those within a 20 days of departure.

We need 8 days but you only have 7 days open ?
If you are comfortable with changing places, we can recommend hotels a few blocks away where you could stay for the extra day.

Will my North American credit cards work in France ?
Generally VISA is taken everyone and MasterCard the second most popular (Amex is a far third). In France they are used to having a computer chip ("puce") on the card so you might get a puzzled look when you hand the card to someone. Usually all they have to do is slide ("glisse") the card through the alternate reader on their system. If you are in the outlying arrondissements, make sure they don't take your card away to do this but bring their portable machine out as it is very easy to copy North American credit cards. Also, you'll find that the North American cards will not work in kiosks (eg. automatic ticket dispensers for the metro) and other automatic machines as these systems only work with the computer chip. Another recommendation is to tell your credit card company you are traveling as they might put a hold on your card if they see foreign charges. One last thing is that many cards charge a very high foreign exchange fee (up to 6%!!) so ask your card company what they charge and choose your card with the lowest fee.

Will my ATM card work in France ?
If your ATM card is on the major networks (eg. Cirrus, etc.), it should work just fine. There are a large number of ATMs in Paris and in our neighborhood.

Your apartment is wonderful but unfortunately booked already, do you have any recommendations ?
Please email us and we’d be glad to provide some recommendations.

If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us (click here).

A bientot!
Bill et Ineke