Does anyone have information about renting villas/ family homes or rooms in France? Rick Steves mentioned this as an option on a recent episode of his show but I have not found much info about this in the France book. I would like to be able to cook my own meals as a way of saving money.
Posted by
Springfield, VA, USA
283 posts
We have rented homes many times in France--Provence, Loire Valley, Paris, Bayeaux, Verdun, and Epernay this year.
The service I have used the most, and been happiest with, is gites.com Gites are homes that have been upgraded with government help and are then rented as vacation homes by the owners. In Verdun, it was a little harder, as that is not as big a vacation spot. I found that one through the owner's website. Last year in Paris, I used VRBO.com It was fine and the location was great, but the apartment was in need of some work--first time I found that.
We love to rent. It is cheaper per night. You can cook meals and not always have to go to a restaurant, plus you get to shop in the markets and stores for food and wine. You don't always have to go out at night, after a long day of touring.
I certainly suggest you try it!
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
47 posts
We have taken a condo in Nice (for central location) for two weeks through www.riviera-rentals.com. Plenty of photos and comments on the rentals.
Posted by
Arlington
127 posts
I highly recommend renting, either for couples or larger groups, if you'll be in one location for more than a few days. We've used www.vrbo.com frequently, & also www.homeaway.com...& have had great luck with both. Though we've rented more often from vrbo, what I like about homeaway is that you can put in specific requirements (like A/C in Paris in August! or # of bathrooms) to narrow down your search. Shopping the local markets & bakeries is fun, & it DOES save money. But the extra space is the nicest part of renting, along with getting to know a neighborhood.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
695 posts
Hi Nick, we have rented an apartment in Antibes a few years ago, we like it because it is nice to cook a few meals, you can do laundry,you have more space then in a hotel and you feel like a local. i have found the apartment online, or used a website like www.vrbo.com or others, a few of my friends have used www.nosmaisons.com, you can find some apartments or houses in differents regions of France. The prices are in Canadian dollars and pretty good. Sorry the site is in french only.
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
Nick,
We have rented from both VRBO and Homelidays com. thruout Europe. We have had great success with both sites.
After reviewing both sites, and several others, we found our Paris apt for the end of May on Homelidays.
Gites.com is a wonderful way to rent small cottages in the French country side. I don't like the website, but the place that we found in the Loire looks neat.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
689 posts
The Slow Travel website is great for finding rentals because members post reviews.
Posted by
Anaheim, CA, USA
1455 posts
My last trip I rented an apartment in Paris and loved it!! In addition to a kitchen, some will have washer (not all have dryer) so you can save space in packign.
Posted by
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
34 posts
Hello Nick, we returned from a stay in Paris in April 2009. We used www.paristay.com to lease an apartment. It was in an excellent location, but the unit itself was not near as nice as we thought it would be. I am not sure if I would recommend using this site; there are numerous "additional" charges that may not be on other sites. Pay attention to the small print: insurance charges, cleaning charges, meeting charges, reservation charges, etc. Stick with reputable groups and review everything. If you have any discomfort, move to the next service. Enjoy yourself.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL, USA
264 posts
Whatever you rent; be sure you have a contract!