The majority of people who live in Paris live in apartments. There is an enormous range when it comes to price – you can find a room for a few hundred euros per month and you can spend upwards of €10,000 per month for a loft looking out over the Seine. As is true anywhere else, location is key. What you get for your money in St Germain des Pres is not what you get in the 19th. Know what you want before you arrive and decide what it is you’re willing to give up; if you want to live in a house, odds are you’re not going to find one in Paris. There are exceptions, but to buy or rent a house in the city is brutally expensive, and even if you have the money it may be difficult to do. If you’re set on living in a house with a garden and a parking space, consider the suburbs where this is infinitely more affordable. Serviced apartments or ‘apart’hotels’ are available as well. If you don’t have the time to find a perfect, personal and charming place you can find very comfortable serviced apartments throughout the city, often in very desirable locations. These serviced apartments offer the amenities of a hotel but with fully equipped kitchens included. The Citadine (www.citadines.com) apartments in St Germain des Pres, for example, directly face the Seine and sit on some of the cities most valuable property.

Furnished apartments provide the comforts of home but without the services provided by apart’hotels. By renting a furnished apartment you’ll save yourself the trouble of starting from scratch or shipping your belongings to Paris. This is, of course, a matter of taste. If you’re happy to live with someone else’s things and can afford to pay a bit more per month, consider a furnished apartment. Another advantage to living in a furnished apartment is that there is less hassle when it comes to the lease. As mentioned, a furnished apartment is not subject to the same laws as an unfurnished property. On the downside, this means it is far easier for a landlord to throw you out should they wish.