Thanks in advance! We are a group of 7, will stay 3 days in Omis, Croatia in August. 1 question:
(1) We have an offer from an apartment owner in Omis. He offers us 700 euros for 3 days in his beachfront 3-bedroom apartment. This seems high, like 230 euros per day.
Also, must wire to his bank 30% up front. No other contract details.
The place looks nice, but are we getting a bad deal here?
I don't have any experience in Croatia, but I know with the flat I am renting in budapest, there is no money down. Maybe consider going through a website with some regulations? There are tons of British sites out there.
If you don't get better advice on this page, I would not send money ahead. You can always reserve and wait until you arrive to pay.
If he won't hold the room for you, look elsewhere. There are other apartment available in Croatia, probably cheaper.
At least you can negotiate with the owner when you find one you like. I have done that successfully in the past.
Be very careful. I just read somewhere and I don't recall where in Croatia about a rip off concerning the same type of beach-front apartment for rent with a large down.
Try looking on tripadvisor.com for any mention of this property.
Checking trip advisor is good advice. Otherwise, this sounds fishy (as you sense). It leaves you with no protection--I would look elsewhere.
Best of luck,
Ashley
http://www.hitherandthither.net
He may or may not be giving you a bad deal. Keep in mind that Croatia is to most of Europe what southern California and Florida is to the US: highly prized for sunny skies and gorgeous beaches. Also, many apartments in Eastern and Southeastern Europe are not divided into multiple bedrooms and communal living spaces - many are just one large room for sleeping and "living" and another room for a kitchen.
Thus, you are likely paying a premium for these two benefits: a more American-style dwelling, right on the beach with an ocean view.
It's not the price that would worry me as much as the fact that he wants you to pay a portion in advance. In Croatia, organized crime is experiencing a surge - it shouldn't affect tourists, but it leads me to wonder whether this could be a scam. I think to be safe, you should check out three or four other similar apartments and see if they require the payment up front. If so, you'll know that it is standard practice here; if not, I'd go with one of the other rental outfits.
I travelled to Croatia last year and rented an apartment that required a deposit with wire transfer.
The deposit did not arrive before departure and the apt. owner said 'no problem'.
We paid in full on arrival.
Later on my return to the states, I received notification that the deposit arrived in the bank.
I emailed the Apt owner this info indicating that I would like my deposit refunded.
It never happened. The apt. we stayed in was smaller then expected. It was like a hotel room with 2 beds pushed together , a small sink and hot plate.
Would we go again ? Yes ! We loved it. I guess I would just skip the "wire transfer" arrangement and pay on arrival.
Good luck with your trip. It's a stunning countryside-- we were in Dubrovnik.
No more comments needed, subject can be closed. Thanks everybody for your input, much appreciated and very helpful!
