Lyon and Paris france

I have not used AirBnB. In Paris I have rented twice from Cobblestone Paris, https://cobblestoneparis.com, and this coming December I have reservations through Apartments Du Louvre (ADL), https://www.apartmentsdulouvre.com. I am going through ADL this time because their building has an elevator which my mother will need access to, she has limited mobility. The ADL building in Le Marais is controlled by them, the apartments in the building are rental units. Paris has cracked down on rentals, there is to be a 13 digit registration number assigned to the apartment. Booking,com is good about listing apartments with the registration code.

Enjoy your trip.

Hotel Pros:
• You can drop off your luggage if you arrive before check in time and your room isn’t ready.
• May have a restaurant, café and/or snack bar.
• May have concierge services.
• May offer shuttle services if arriving/departing via airport.
• You can carry a hotel business card to show the cab driver.
• Amenities i.e., shampoo and body lotion.
• Elevator access
Hotel Cons:
• May not have refrigerator and microwave in room.
• May have to find a laundromat if there’s no washer and dryer for hotel guests. Laundry services tend to be
expensive in hotels.
Airbnb Pros:
• Has kitchen essentials allowing you to store leftovers and re-heat.
• Can request washer & dryer, hair dryer, etc.
• May not have concierge services, however, super hosts tend to be good sources.
• May need to bring your own soap, etc.
Airbnb Cons:
• May not be able to drop off your luggage if you arrive before check in time.
• Only book with a super host to avoid cancellations. Super hosts tend to be more reliable.
• No access to food or drinks unless you grocery shop.
• Doesn’t have a shuttle if arriving from the airport.
• No business card showing the address if you want to show the taxi driver.
• May no have amenities.
• No elevator access.

I have not had great experiences with Airbnb, both in Paris and in Milan. You get almost zero service, so that is what you're paying for. Once we arrived late at night, and my husband needed to send something for work yet the wifi wasn't working. The owner wasn't responding to texts at midnight (and I kinda understand that). In another, the place was night and day different from photos! But it's not like you can ask to change rooms.
As for hotels, my husband and I got sick once in Paris on Friday before a holiday weekend. Our hotel front desk spent almost an hour calling around to find a doctor that was open. I don't know what we would have done without her!
In my opinion, I wouldn't get an Airbnb (unless I had a large party) because you miss vital hotel services. Good luck!

While I can appreciate the help of a good front desk/concierge for tips on my visit, and I love a good hotel breakfast, the premium paid for a half-decent hotel is hard to swallow. With Rentals/AirBnBs I appreciate (usually) having a separate bedroom & living space, laundry in the unit lets me pack more efficently, and while I eat out a lot when I travel, the kitchen at least gives me some flexibility with that. Stays of 1-3 nights I usually just look at hotels, rather than take the time/effort of "setting in" to an apartment.

There are horror stories with AirBnB, but statistically, they're pretty rare. I thought I'd offer my AirBnB/VBRO booking strategies for risk reduction:

First— Set up a list to save good choices, so you can narrow the field.

—Filter by cancelation policy. I won't book anything that locks me in 48 hours after the booking. I look for free cancelation 60, or preferably 30 days before arrival.
—In a town with lots of options I skip listings that have only a few or zero reviews.
—Historically I look for current reviews, though Covid has left a year gap for many places.
—Avoid places that have a bare minimum of furniture (which is likely the cheapest stuff from Ikea.) Those hosts just don't care.
—Look for windows! A good flash can make a room look bright in pictures, but are there actually windows in there?
—Don't hesitate to message the host with even a small question (or make up a small question). Establishing communication could help tip you towards or away from a place.

Lastly, vacation rental management companies, like a previous poster mentioned, can offer a good balance. Usually a little more than AirBnBs, you know the places are selected for the portfolio and professionally managed to a standard. One Fine Stay is another, fairly high-end company like that. (They have some amazing places!)

If you are going in July, you might want to seek AC in Lyon. It is almost essential in Lyon in the summer; temperatures are often in the 90s. I’ve rented 2 apartments on separate occasions in the Croix Rousse, and renovated former silk worker places without AC are saunas in the summer. I love the Croix Rousse area & the market in that neighborhood. Having a kitchen, or at least a cooking area that an AirBnB or VRBO rental provides can save money on some meals, as well as not having to go out every time. Compared with even a hotel that includes breakfast, you don’t necessarily have to get fully dressed in the morning before getting a bite to eat. Enjoy! If you like cooking, the Plum Lyon cooking classes are marvelously taught by a very knowledgeable English speaker.

Airbnb recently reacted to the court decisions changing the apartment rental landscape in Paris:

La majorité des hôtes Airbnb à Paris louent leur résidence principale.

Airbnb states that the majority of their Paris rentals are owners renting their own principal residences. This is a major change from years past and one forced upon Airbnb by the French government in an effort to preserve, to the greatest extent possible, scarce rental apartment resources for citizens of Paris.

If you do not mind staying in someone´s home while they are away, Airbnb, and similar platforms, offers some advantages over hotel stays.

We stayed at a most wonderful AirBnb in Lyon in August 2021. It was one of the best ones I have ever stayed in. Right in the old area and walkable to everything. It was a delight to walk out the front door (down several flights of stairs) and have the boulangerie across the street and access to the metro within blocks.

When we stay places for 2+ nights, we much prefer an apartment. I like to spread out and have room to make my breakfast, relax with a glass of wine on a patio or in the living room, etc. I also like exploring grocery stores and markets to buy local food.

Here is the one we stayed in. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12985701source_impression_id=p3_1619623276_%2F7%2FT8kzZk7%2BvAV02

It is called Charm Old Lyon near Courthouse 2

I would stay there again in an instant. I hope it is still there.

Caryn

AmandaR, don't forget your credit cards may also help find local doctors, the Amex office in Paris was a lifesaver for my wife years ago when she had a dental emergency. The guy was nearby and trained at the U of Chicago, most importantly he had a little electric putting machine in the waiting room. Great time killer.

are there still American Express offices? I remember when they were in all the cities, but I haven't seen one recently

The American Express office in Paris closed years ago and is now a Nepresso boutique.

Anyone with a medical concern can ask at any pharmacie for guidance. A pharmacist may prescribe a number of things himself, but they will always know where to send you for any medical concern.

There is also SOS Médicens, which will dispatch a doctor to wherever you are for about 60€ to 90€, 24/7 (I can't remember the exact cost). To reach them dial 3624 from your mobile, they have English speakers.

Another easy way to find doctors/dentists is through Doctorlib. Typical office visits to a medical professional in France cost 30€.

I will be in Lyon for the 3 nights and Paris for 5 nights

I'm quite late to post, but I wanted to add my positive experiences with AirBnBs. Since 2015 we've stayed at literally dozens in France, Spain, Italy, and North America. The benefits are many, not least of which is the space you get for much less money. I had to travel extensively when I was working, and I think I have developed an aversion to hotels as a result, so read my comments with that in mind. As a tourist, after walking around and exploring a city all day, the chance to come back to a living room with comfortable chairs or a sofa, a kitchen with a bottle of rose chilling in the fridge and a living room separate from the bedroom is truly a luxury, especially as you will be paying much less per night for an AirBnB than for a hotel. The other advantages are the ability to make your own breakfast and, most importantly, wash your clothes! We travel for 4 weeks+ at a time, so that is crucial. We enjoy going to markets and pick up food for dinners and snacks or lunch because we have a full kitchen waiting for us.

While we have had WiFi issues from time to time, we have had just as many in hotels. I have rarely had occasion to use any of the amenities in a hotel, and I certainly don't miss the lobbies and bored front desk staff. We have only encountered one problem - a broken toilet in Paris and that was fixed in under 12 hours. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish that at home!

We have had wonderful experiences with owners who have gone out of their way to help us with securing taxis to airports at 5 am (Madrid and Paris); lost briefcases (Madrid); amazing resources for restaurants, local bakeries, wine shops & bars - and all far more personal and better than those recommended by hotel staff. We were in Lyon in June 2019 and stayed in an AirBnB while our friends chose a hotel around the corner as they wanted the security of a hotel. They soon regretted their choice and spent a lot of time relaxing in our apartment rather than their cramped hotel room.

The other benefit is that you are usually staying off the tourist track, so you are more likely to avoid 'tourist trap' restaurants and instead enjoy restaurants and wine bars frequented by locals. I live in a city that pre-COVID had many tourists with a lot of restaurants that are magnets for tourists and avoided by locals. And they are all close to the downtown hotels. The truly great restaurants aren't anywhere near the hotels.

It will take time to choose a good AirBnB - spend time looking at all the photos, use filters, and read the reviews very carefully. Look for the things that matter to you. Noise and a comfortable bed matter a lot to me, views, not so much. It's rare in Europe to have apartment buildings with elevators, but if that's important make sure you filter for that. And, as others have mentioned, check the cancellation policy for the property you are considering. I also use the map function to see what else is close by, especially a boulangerie, metro stations and restaurants.