Well summer is officially over here on the West Coast…and it seems we’ve skipped right over the crisp, fall days and jumped right to the sogginess of late fall.
As I pack up my shorts and Birkenstocks till next summer, it’s got me thinking about all the fun memories from this past summer.
The highlight of the summer for me was our family trip to Europe. We had the opportunity to go to the Czech Republic as well as Paris! Our kids have been to the Czech Republic many times, but this was their first time to Paris and my wife and I were excited to show them our favourite spots (as we have been in the city a few times).
STAYING IN PARIS
Now for those of you who travel with kids (or even with another couple/friends) you’ll know that hotels in Europe aren’t generally setup for groups beyond 2 people. Typically rooms will have two single beds or one double bed.
That’s why we when we were booking our place to stay in Paris, we wanted to make sure: a) there would be enough space for all 4 of us, and b) there would be a separate sleeping space for the kids.
Enter Cobblestone Paris!
Cobblestone Paris is a vacation rental company that has over 20 luxury apartments spread all throughout Paris. All of their properties are stunning and help you live like a real Parisian.
We ended up staying in Le Passage Du Marais apartment in the Marais district. The “Passage of the Marais” is an elegantly furnished one bedroom apartment for up to 4 Guests – so we knew it would work perfectly for our family.
OUR EXPERIENCE
The apartment was very easy to find. We took an Uber to get there and when we arrived, David, our host, was waiting outside ready to greet us. David showed us around the building and the apartment. He spent some time with us going over the neighbourhood we were in as well as some great things to do while in Paris. His tips on restaurants and cafes nearby were perfect!
Our apartment with Cobblestone was the perfect size for us as a family of 4; it really became our home base while we were in Paris. Having a full apartment made us feel like we were living in the city. We walked to nearby stores to grab fresh breads, meats, cheeses, and other food to eat while we were staying there. We could interact with locals and pretend just for a moment that we were living in Paris…although we weren’t magically fluent in French 🙂
My wife and I slept in the bedroom, and the couch in the living room pulled out for the kids. The kids loved not being in a hotel and having more space to hang out and play in.
Having a full kitchen and laundry facilitates were a huge plus for us as parents!
The apartment came with wifi, an extensive Paris themed movie collection, free unlimited calling back home to be able to check in with family, as well as a library of guide books to help plan our days.
Our stay with Cobblestone Paris was très magnifique and I would definitely use them again the next time I am in Paris.
If you want to check out any of their other amazing properties, you can do that on their website here.
And make sure to check out my Instagram feed for more shots from Paris coming soon!