A great way to spend you vacation is to rent a house or apartment. You get out of a hotel and can cook and live a little bit like a local. A trip to the bakery in the morning, cooking some of the great food you saw at the market, or just sitting outside – all possible in many rentals. So how do you find them?
Obviously there are a number of internet sites dedicated to this task. Some of the most useful world-wide ones include (in no particular order):
1. VRBO.com Vacation Rentals by Owners
On this site you can search worldwide with a large number a possible search criteria from dates, price, number of bedroom etc. to help you find your ideal rental. There is also a map function where you can see where the properties are which is very useful when looking in locations where you don’t know the territory.
2 en.gites-de-france.com
This is the English language version of the popular French website. A gîte is the French term for an independent rental. Like the other sites there are a number of search criteria and properties are rated as to the level of comfort they provide.
3. Homeaway.co.uk
This site has a slick interface and a number of suggestions to help you if you aren’t exactly sure where you want to go. Homelidays.co.uk has been acquired by the Homeaway.co.uk brand.
4. flipkey.com
Flipkey’s point of difference is that it display tripadvisor rating of those rental properties that have been reviewed on the tripadvisor site.
5. Airbnb.com
For rentals being offered by owners this is a comprehensive site. Sometimes these rentals appear a little less polished than other offerings, but the prices are also lower. And the site is well known.
6. athomeinfrance.com
At Home in France is a specialty agency assisting travellers to France in renting vacation homes in the French countryside and apartments in Paris. Our distinctive portfolio features over 250 privately-owned apartments, cottages, farmhouses, manor houses and villas located in France’s most popular regions –
7.rentaplaceinfrance.com
Rent a place in France’. We specialise in the marketing of properties for winter lets and long term rental in France, for periods of one month and more. Bookings are made directly with the owner and we do not charge commission.
9. http://www.purefrance.com
Operating at the more luxury end of the rental market this site offers gorgeous places with set change-over dates
10. http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/
Holiday lettings is a tripadvisor company but offers a wide range of options & some payment protection if booked through this site.
3 Things to keep in mind for when entering into a rental arrangement
1. Look at the rental price and be clear what costs are included. Also check what additional extras such as a cleaning fee that may be payable before you leave?
2. Is there a security deposit to be paid when you arrive?
3. How much of the rental price needs to be paid in advance?
Leave a Reply