Rent an apartment! Get more, spend less, live like a local!

For those of you who have never done this before, be aware that you may never stay in a hotel again.  The reason why you may not have heard that you can rent an apartment, even for just short weekend stays, is because the accommodation industry is both dominated by hotels and lacks any major network of communication between apartment owners and would be renters.

That is where AirBnb comes into play.  They've created a site where owners can list their property, which can be anything from just a bed, to a room, to an entire apartment.  There really is something for any budget.  Whether you're a backpacker and want a bit of privacy, as a break from the hostels...OR an entire family not thrilled with the idea of renting two or three different hotel rooms, AirBnb has the variety and selection that you need.

Hotels in Paris are expensive.  There's no two ways about it, they aren't cheap by any means.  Even if you do get one at a price you like, the rooms are much smaller than what you'd expect.  Normally, I'm pretty flexible on where I stay, but this was my honeymoon.  Can't really rough it.  So I tried AirBnb for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised!

This is where I stayed:
http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/71495

The apartment was exactly what we were looking for.  Living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, all decorated nicely in a quiet Paris neighborhood.  It was close to a few metro stops and grocery stores.  The neighborhood really felt like what you'd expect in Paris, while the Champs Elysees, one of Paris' hottest destinations felt more like the 17th Street Mall in Downtown Denver.  Staying at the apartment, I got a much better feeling as to what it'd be like to live in Paris.  After the owner let us in and gave us the keys, she explained some important information about the apartment, the city, and places she recommended.  She helped us find the grocery store and the nearest metro stations.  She flat out bought a toaster for the apartment right after we arrived.  If you're ever in Paris, definitely try and stay at their apartment...you really can't get a better value in a hotel.

So there you have it, save money, get more value, and live like a local!  I've written more about this topic in the past.  If you're interested in saving money on accommodations be sure to read about it in my Liberated Traveler Series.

-Jason of TWiBT