We are a couple planning an extended stay (6-8 weeks) in Freiburg (or immediate area) in Sept/Oct 22. Seeking an apartment/home to rent.
Minimum size: 2 bedrooms & 1 1/2 baths. Prefer not to be remote. One of us speaks German.
All suggestions/experiences welcome!!
Harold & Marly
At this official tourist office page you can search among the 3,500+ apartments in the Black Forest region in and around Freiburg.
https://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/stg/ukv/result?tt=2a1512dab3a1b14253564104a41b3e78
The region is crisscrossed by railways, so staying in other places should not leave you isolated if you stay in a railway town. Many such towns offer the Konus card, which provides free rail transport into Freiburg and all around the Black Forest. You can see a map at this page:
https://bw.tourismusnetzwerk.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/KONUS-Flyer-PDF-Download_GB.pdf
I can’t help with the apartment, but wanted to mention that if you go to the Freiburg tourism website, they can send you some brochures on the area which I found helpful for my visit. I was only in Freiburg for part of a day during my recent trip to Switzerland and we all loved Freiburg!! Enjoy your time there.
Thank you both VERY much! Excellent suggestions!
Harold
For an apartment, look for "Ferienwohnung".
For an extended stay on a budget, I have heard people rave about house swapping. I have never done it myself, so I can't speak from my own experience. But it might be an idea to consider.
Be aware that Freiburg is a university town. Which means that competition for housing, especially affordable apartments, is great. If you decide on something like Airbnb, make sure that you get a legal (registered) one. Be aware that neighbors may not be enthusiastic about your presence per Airbnb rental.
Just to say about Freiburg specifically: The housing market there is VERY tight, and you should make sure you find a place well ahead of time, and expect the rent to be high, at least by German standards.
The semester starts in October, and this is the most difficult time of the year to find something. You could also look for ads for something called Zwischenmiete, which is when someone is looking to rent their flat for a few months while they are away. This will be easier of course since one of you speaks German. But, I am not sure how easy it will be to find something like this from overseas--many people prefer to deal with people who already live here. Ferienwohnungen are another good suggestion, where this issue would not be a problem. I would just say to make sure you are planing ahead on this.
Excellent point! We forgot about the competition with students!
We should probably find an alternative location.
Harold
What was it you were particularly interested in when choosing Freiburg, if I may ask? Might help to know in case you are looking for suggestions of alternative places.
Student housing doesn't generally include Ferienwohnungen / vacation rentals. That said, any "FeWo" you find right in Freiburg, while it may not be occupied by students, is likely to be more expensive and perhaps less available than comparable places in the vicinity of Freiburg. Look into the outskirts of Freiburg and into smaller towns nearby that are well connected by public transport (like the Stadtbahn / tram, or the regional railways) if you need easy access to Freiburg. These towns, 10-20 minutes out and connected by train:
Bad Krozingen
Waldkirch
Emmendingen
Here's a listing by an owner with two apartments in Bad Krozingen from the site I linked to previously - just an example of what you might find.
Like this listing does, most listings indicate the distance of the rental from the rail station or other transport stop. There's also a link to the owner's private website, which in this case lists the same prices, but also indicates that discounts are negotiable for long-term stays (more than 6 nights.) Such discounts are very common when you book directly with the owners - sometimes with just 4-5 night stays. In your situation, I would ask about a long-term stay discount in every inquiry.
You'll be there a long time - so a major consideration is cancellation policy. Reservations in Germany are like contracts. If the establishment does not publish or communicate a specific cancellation policy, any booking makes you financially responsible by law for the full amount owed for the period booked. Book for two months, pay for two months. Most establishments these days DO have cancellation policies, thankfully, but whether the place you wish to book has one is something you cannot count on and that you MUST determine on your own - and not just prior to making a deposit or paying, but prior to booking.
Yes, I think the tipps from others about nearby towns are very good, and most FeWo-type places would be well out-of-budget for students, so you are not in direct competition with them, of course. But nevertheless, it really is worth planning ahead on this, because even though Freiburg is not a huge "large city" in Germany, the rental market is really wild and very, very tight, especially at the start of the semesters in October and April. It is also the fifth-most-expensive large city in the country! (See here).
These towns, 10-20 minutes out and connected by train
I'm sorry to throw a bit of cold water on this nice idea, but I am afraid that nearby towns that are well connected by public transport are still very popular for student housing. In university towns like Freiburg, there is no way for all students to live downtown or near the campus, so usually many of them live in nearby towns.
even though Freiburg is not a huge "large city" in Germany
I wouldn't say "even though". I would say "because". A huge large city of a million inhabitants can find accommodations for 30.000 students - three students for every 100 inhabitants - fairly easily. A smaller or medium-sized town of 200.000 will have a much harder time fitting 30.000 students - fifteen students for every 100 inhabitants - in.
