Hi Tom: There are, of course, iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre that I felt I HAD to

After years of working princess cruise specials for mexico 70 hours a week at jobs that paid the bills but brought no joy, I felt like the proverbial princess cruise specials for mexico "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. In early 2007, searching for meaning in my life, I set out to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography. My stories feature the destinations I visit and the people I meet, with an emphasis on cultural travel and traveling princess cruise specials for mexico in a manner that benefits princess cruise specials for mexico and deeply interacts with locals. Read more about Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel here....
It didn t have a great view. I slept on a click-clack sofa bed that was little more than an Ikea futon and the kitchen was the size of a postage stamp. But the location of my little vacation rental apartment in Paris more than made up for its minor shortcomings.
The longer I travel, the more I strive to connect with the culture of every destination I visit. One of my secrets for accomplishing this has always been to haunt coffee houses, where I meet locals princess cruise specials for mexico rather than other tourists. On this trip to France, I added a new weapon princess cruise specials for mexico to my arsenal when I accepted an offer from HomeAway.co.uk, the UK s number one holiday rentals princess cruise specials for mexico site. HomeAway connects private property owners with vacationers around the world who enjoy the freedom and value of a holiday rental home over a hotel. I jumped at the chance when they offered to put me up in  an apartment located in a residential Paris neighborhood, where I would be more likely to have a local experience.
In addition to providing me entry into the local scene, princess cruise specials for mexico staying in an apartment with a fully-equipped kitchen meant saving on meals. Within easy walking distance I found a neighborhood shop where fresh fruits were polished and stacked high. Close by was a neighborhood grocer where I picked up French Brie, a robust gourmet olive oil, and black olive tapenade. Each morning I followed princess cruise specials for mexico the delicious yeasty aroma of fresh baked bread to a local bakery and carried home a traditional baguette, princess cruise specials for mexico still warm from the oven. After stuffing my face with these French specialties each morning, princess cruise specials for mexico I walked two blocks to the Metro, which whisked me to any of Paris famous sights for €1.9 (Euros).
When my brain (or my feet) couldn t take any more, I returned to the 9th district and plopped down in a cafe for coffee and conversation with Parisians who were unwinding after work. Fortunately, there were no lack of choices. My apartment was located in the heart of Paris between Montmartre and the Louvre, an area teeming with theaters, restaurants, retail stores and, of course, the requisite coffee princess cruise specials for mexico shops. A restaurant kitty-corner from my apartment served the best apple crumble I ve ever tasted and the owner of a Tabac one block away whipped me up a fantastic salad with roasted vegetables one Saturday afternoon when I took a break from cooking.
With all that vacation apartment rentals offer, I expected the price to be high. I had unknowingly arrived in Paris during fashion princess cruise specials for mexico week, one day before my apartment rental reservation began, so I had to find a hotel room for one night. Despite searching for hours, the best rate I could find was €160 (about $218 USD) per night. princess cruise specials for mexico Choke! The following day I hot-footed it to my apartment, which was priced at a very affordable €69 per night or €450 per week ($94 USD per night, $612 USD per week). Comfortable princess cruise specials for mexico and affordable accommodations with lightning speed wifi, located in a non-touristy neighborhood now that s a combination that just can t be beat. I ll definitely be adding apartments to my accommodations mix in the future.
HomeAway.co.uk kindly hosted my stay in Paris, however the receipt and acceptance of complimentary items or services will never influence the content, topics, or posts in this blog. I write the truth, princess cruise specials for mexico the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
You might also like: 322 Steps Another Gorge -ous Day At New Hampshire's Franconia Notch State Park Crane Point Museum And Nature Center, Marathon, Florida Keys Living the Good Life on Mexico's Riviera Maya Video of Sand Crabs in Hua Hin, Thailand
This and a number of other Paris and other European city apartments are actually managed by a company called BELLBOY which I would not recommend to anyone. Here s my tripadvisor review of our awful experience of one of their apartments earlier this year I think every holiday rental apartment princess cruise specials for mexico should have the decency to provide a toilet seat this one didn t. Nor did it supply a coffee pot. The two are not connected, except princess cruise specials for mexico both factors contribute to a satisfactory holiday rental, so we mark this down accordingly. princess cruise specials for mexico And we paid about £30 for cleaning, but I can t see that the cleaners spent much time here .. it was a bit too shabby all round, unloved and uncared princess cruise specials for mexico for. The photos are rather too flattering, though on the plus side the location is great and the apartment is quiet, which is a real bonus for anywhere in Paris. But no toilet seat really is pretty shoddy and we won t be recommending this holiday stay destination to any friends or family.
princess cruise specials for mexico Indeed a superb location. It is so hard to find a great place in Paris. I have an advantage of having a great friend in the city, so no problem with place to stay, but always good to have sth to recommend to others!
Wow! How cool is that? I love that little apartment. I think you re right. Staying in a normal residence versus some hotel with a bunch of other tourists is a must better way to take in all the cultural and truly experience what a city is all about. I ll have to check out HomeAway for my next vacation as well. It sounds so much better!
Romance is actually something you cannot put off or schedule; however, what you can schedule are the dates. Make time for each other, no matter how short it may be. Schedule dates ahead of time and make sure to make no other commitments. Take this time to enjoy each other s company. It s not a crime to take a break from talking about work problems or family issues. After all, a little breather is what you need to refresh yourself and your relationship.
Paris seems to be in the air Springtime in Paris, and all that After 2 1/2 weeks of family travel in England and France coming up, I will be set free in Limoges the last week of March. I am in a great state of flux on what to do (also solo traveller) I fly back to Seattle 4 days later from Orly. Have never been to Paris and was overwhelmed by all the choices of neighborhoods to rent an apartment. (Oh, and apt. rental is the way to go! Not only HomeAway but also VRBO and a host of others. Spent 3 weeks in Spain and Portugal in apartments. Only drawback is that most of them require a minimum of 3 or 4 nights stay.) Anyway, I can t seem to make up my mind about taking trains to a few places along the way from Limoges or just hightail it to Paris using it as a base, and then take a train to say, Chartres, as a day trip. How many days were you in Paris? I m wondering if 4 nights, 3 full days, are going to be too long. I like to feel a place more than doing all the tourist sights. Mona Lisa is not high on my list! ; ) What do you think based on your time there. I am also a budget traveler and over 60 (yay for Senior Discounts!).
Vivian, I can t imagine that four days would be too long in Paris. I spent two weeks there and still didn t do everything I wanted to do. In the unlikely princess cruise specials for mexico event that you grow tired of Paris during your four days, the trains make it easy to do day trips to places like Versaille Palace, Monet s Garden, CChartres, and the Normandy Beaches/Caen.
You really had a great time in Paris. I also love becoming like a local in places I go to instead of being a tourist. Becoming a local would be enjoying the place more while not actually princess cruise specials for mexico compelling princess cruise specials for mexico you to spend much just like any tourist. It also helps you discover more valuable things in that place.
princess cruise specials for mexico Hi Tom: There are, of course, iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre that I felt I HAD to see, but the best times are just striking up friendships with locals and wandering the streets of various neighborhoods princess cruise specials for mexico that are not touristy.
So glad I found this, I m actually looking for an apt to stay in when we visit Paris in April. princess cruise specials for mexico My husband will be working out of his company s Paris office for a week which is actually in the 9th so that apt looks perfect. Could you share the link to that apartment?
Hi Cassie: I rented through HomeAway.co.uk. Just now I went to their site to find a link for you and it doesn t appear to be listed on their site. It s a property owned by Bellboy Apartments, named Opera Bohemia. I seem to remember that it was not listed at the time that HomeAway princess cruise specials for mexico arranged for me to stay in it, so perhaps try contacting them and explaining that you saw the review on my site, etc. If it truly is no longer available, I m sure you can find a similar property for a like price. HomeAway literally has thousands of apartments in Paris. Best of luck.
Hi Barbara, I love your blog which I just discovered through Facebook ..I am also a solo traveller woman and like you always on a tight budget so I appreciate princess cruise specials for mexico a lot all of your tips .I am a venezuelan lady of 60 years old ..Thanks a lot for sharing all your experience
When I was in Europe I was a big fan of apartments and less of hotels. You have privacy, kitchen plus all the other utilities, a feeling that you belong there, and you save considerably if you travel with other people
Well you KNOW that apartments are OUR favorite way to travel whether it is here in Europe or in Australia or New Zealand. All of those apartments over the years have really contributed to our enjoyment of each place. I was so happy to read that you had such a wonderful time in Paris!
I travel solo, as you know Jessie, but having now stayed in a vacation princess cruise specials for mexico rental apartment I can easily imagine how much nicer these types of accommodations would be for a family. Room to move around, more privacy, a way to prepare your own meals, etc.
Andy and I really love renting apartments when we travel, especially if we stay in one p