Gite kitchen - what will I find?

We have rented vacation rentals since 1995 in Europe and there is no standard. Some are well equipped; others are very bare. It is best to ask the owner or property manager.

At the very least we've always found salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar in France. Sometimes more, but up until now never less.

I have rented a total of seven times, and in all cases the kitchens were just as stocked as any home kitchen. But as noted previously, this may not be true of all rentals? Go ahead and send an email inquiry and see what they come back with. What do the reviews say? I also have found leftover staples (salt, pepper, oil, sugar, toilet paper, etc.) accumulated over previous stays.

We've rented gites in France about 20 times, almost always through Gites de France. What's in the house varies, both as to quantity and quality. We generally pick up some basics like toilet paper, olive oil and vinegar before we arrive, then check out what the gite has when we get there. Sometimes it even has those basics. If we're lucky, we don't have to do any major shopping until the next day.

I've rented houses and apartments in France five times and have found that the kitchens are usually pretty well stocked with the basic pots, pans, dishes, etc. A couple of times I have bought a few items after I arrived, such as a rubber spatula, vegetable peeler, and wire whisk, and leave them there unless I like them well enough to take them home. I always bring a sharp knife with me (in my checked luggage) as knives in rentals are usually pretty dull. Usually, there is enough TP, papertowels, dish soap, laundry soap, etc. to last a few days. When it runs out I buy more -- some people may think you just call the owner for more, but this isn't hotel living. Smaller sized packages are usually easier to find in France than in the US. I leave anything that is left for the next renter. If I happen to break a wine glass or something similar, I simply buy a replacement. Some owners change extra for linens and I think that is because many European tourists must bring their own. One thing you will probably find to be different is the level of lighting. Bedside lamps are usually small have have low watt bulbs (now CFL's). I always find it hard to find a good reading lamp in the houses I've rented. Be sure you get good instructions or using the appliances. In one house, I preheated the oven and when I was ready to use it I couldn't get the door open. There must have been some safety feature that needed to be overridden in order to open it, but I sure couldn't figure it out. I'm just glad that I didn't have a cake in there!

Renting a house in the country or an apartment in Paris will always be my peference over staying in a hotel.

Thanks, all - this is really helpful information! I do want a bedside reading light, and so does my mother; we'll plan to bring some kind of travel light. Fortunately our owner lives nearby, so if we have appliance trouble we should be able to get help quickly.

It sounds as if I might want to bring a few tablespoons of some random herbs and spices in ziplocks, just in case. I will be emailing the owner but he apparently doesn't speak English and my French is somewhat limited, so it may be easiest just to look things over when we arrive and then go shopping. I enjoy grocery stores in Europe anyway, so this will be fun.