I reserved a place for four nights at a B&B through Gites de France. I was sent a contract and a request for a 100 euro deposit. All is well except that I don't quite know how to send a deposit. There is no website to make a credit card deposit so it appears that I have to mail something. Has anyone ever sent something this way? Did you get a bank to make a check for 100 euros? Someone on TripAdvisor sent cash but I don't feel comfortable with that. Suggestions?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
This is always a challenge because it is not easy or inexpensive to send euros from the US to Europe. I have used electronic transfer from my bank to the owner's bank, but that is not without problems. I rented a house in France from a British couple who allowed me to send them a money order in US dollars for the deposit.(They wanted payment in Sterling.) I sent dollars at the current exchange rate and added 10% to allow for variances in the exchange rate, and sent them a self-addressed envelope so they could send the money order back to me. I needed it back so I could redeposit the money with my bank. Contact the owner to see how they may be able to accommodate you.
Posted by
Baton Rouge
73 posts
I use xoom.com---they will send money to the bank account of owner, in whatever currency. There is a small charge, but when they don't accept a credit card, this works.
Posted by
OP
30 posts
Thank you for your responses. The proprietor of the B&B is being very kind and allowing me to forego the deposit and pay for all four nights upon our arrival.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6533 posts
We made a reservation at a B&B a few years ago, they wanted a check for the dollar equivalent of a deposit, we airmailed it. At the end of our two-night stay they returned the check and we paid cash. A little awkward but adequate. If we'd been no-shows I'm sure they could have negotiated the check through their bank somehow.