Vacation Rentals: Living the Dream in the French Countryside

It only took a couple of years into parenthood to realize that our pre-child vacationing strategy of two-week road trips centered around fine dining and a different charming hotel every day or two needed some serious tweaking. The moment of truth came when my husband and I were stuck in a small hotel room near Gordes with our toddler, fighting each other for the rights to the relative calm of the bathroom. I still remember the book I was reading in the bath, aptly titled, The Drowning Room!

Living out the ‘Life in Provence’ fantasy without sinking our life savings into repairs was very appealing. We would spend our days foraging for wild berries and herbs, relax around a fire pit in the evening with local wine, take day trips to monasteries, castles and farmer’s markets, ride bikes down country lanes, paddle down the Dordogne river and dip into chilly Corsican streams. With only minor disappointments, this is just what we’ve been doing for the past 15 years, renting houses, mostly in the French countryside, for summer vacations.

The internet was in its infancy when we started, but I found lovely houses through friends and in the seasonal rental section of FUSAC – France USA Contacts – the Parisian Anglophone classified paper. Later, I turned to vacation rental listings online. Some of my favorite sites are listed below. 

Benefits to renting a house or apartment

1. Room to relax and opportunities to live like a local

Whether you’re traveling with children, friends, or multiple generations, it’s great to have your own space and some room to spread out. If your idea of a vacation is to sleep in, rest and read, perhaps go for a hike or some light exploring, a comfortable environment to hang out in, or to come home to, renting a vacation home is probably for you. If, however, vacation means room and concierge service and a prompt response in English when something goes wrong, you may not be ready for the vacation rental experience abroad.

Relaxing at Villa Trotta

© Victor Vianu

Spending some time in one place provides the opportunity to explore your environs in more depth and to take you off the obvious tourist path, allowing perhaps for more exchange with the locals. You might find yourself at the municipal pool, having a pasta dinner at an Italian sagra, or local fair, taking part in the evening ritual of strolling through the village, playing boules, or spending the evening under a traveling circus tent. You may even encounter some similarly-minded visitors, like Amanda Smith whom we met in the south of France when she was researching her book on Paris markets that became Paris in a Basket.

2. Kitchen.

“I’m on vacation! I don’t want to cook.” I hear this from a lot of friends, but it’s very convenient to have the option of cooking a quick meal. I find it tiresome, not to mention expensive, to eat every meal out and enjoy shopping in local markets and tasting local delicacies like the small, sweet Mara des Bois strawberries, potato and foie gras tourte, and confit de canard in Dordogne. I also like to explore local supermarkets and even bring home some of my vacation treasures such as white truffle pasta sauce (Tuscany), canned beans with figatellu sausage (Corsica).

Waiting for Bananas Pompei

© Victor Vianu

Vacation cooking is simple and often centers around outdoor grilling adventures - marinated and grilled tuna, mackerel and shrimp, roasted garlic, bananas “Pompei” - or local figs with honey and goat cheese, walnut tagliatelle (Provence), homemade plum crumbles, if you’re lucky enough to have an oven. Local apéritifs like Christian’s “Whiscass” (Whiskey and Crème de Cassis), wine and eaux de vie can be enjoyed without worrying about driving home.

You may find a local farm nearby that can supply you with fresh eggs, cheese, and even milk. Where bakeries are few and far between, bakery trucks make the rounds two or three times a week. Look for “Dépôt de Pain” signs at shops in small villages where you can pick up fresh bread daily.

Fresh Bread Here

© www.meilleurduchef.com

3. Choosing a Rental and When to Go.

The best time to travel is off-season, especially if your destination of choice is the Côte d’Azur, or French Riviera. Not only are the rates significantly lower, often by 30-50%, but the crowds and traffic are only a fraction of what you’ll endure during high season. May and June, and September and early October are perfect for travel. If you are constrained by school vacation schedules, avoid the coasts and explore the countryside. Or, go to Corsica where you can enjoy the sea and the mountains in the same day and crowds are much more manageable, especially outside of the major tourist conglomerations. 

4. Settling In and Country “Quiet”.

When you find a rental you like and have determined that the dates match, be sure to ask if linens are provided (some sites such as Gîtes de France charge extra for sheets and towels), if the house or

Maison Camille

© Victor Vianu

apartment will be clean upon your arrival and if you are expected to clean before leaving, if internet and phone access are available, and if there are any other charges associated with the rental. Make sure you get clear arrival or driving instructions and get a local contact number and find out if you have a common language with the local contact. Read the online references for the rental or ask for references if not are supplied. Find out well before you arrival how payment should be handled and if there is a security deposit.

 If you’re going to be spending time in the countryside, you’ll most likely be renting a car. It is much more economical to rent a standard, rather than automatic, car. Be sure to pick up a detailed map of the region which you’ll need for navigating country roads. A GPS can be useful, but I wouldn’t rely on it solely. I usually find that reserving a car in the US is cheaper than reserving in France. Even when I’m planning my trip in France, I often call the US number to make the reservation. Make sure you have a local number to call in the event of car trouble (like a broken axel on the Amalfi coast), and it’s a good idea to keep the gas tank filled (in the event of an oil refinery blockade).

There is occasionally a disconnect between the city dweller’s idealized view of peaceful country life and the actual experience. You may be jolted out of your country reverie at an early hour by clanking, whirring, bell jangling and the like, the seemingly abandoned church right next to the property may have a bell programmed to chime loudly every hour, or the rushing river that runs under the old mill house may keep you awake.

Before finalizing your vacation rental, locate the property on a map (use google) to determine if there are any major roads or other possible noise sources (restaurant, bar) near the property, and to figure out how far the property is from sights that you will want to visit. Country houses are often rather remote. You should have a good idea of how far from the nearest village, supermarket or tourist spots you want to be, and how much you are willing to drive every day.

You should also ask your host where the nearest supermarket is and if it will be open when you arrive. Whenever possible, I try to stop at the supermarket on the way to stock up on the first necessities (including toilet paper) and some simple ingredients for the first night’s dinner and next morning’s breakfast.

Dordogne Rooftops

© Victor Vianu

Bonnes Vacances!

Vacation Rental sites

www.sabbaticalhomes.com (Paris)

www.vrbo.com (Antibes, Biot, St. Petersburg)

www.summerinitaly.com (My review of Villa Trotta in the Cilento)

www.gites-de-france.com (French); en.gites-de-france.com (English)

www.corse-locations-marina.com (Corsica)

www.holiday-rentals.co.uk (Sardinia)

http://www.veniceapartments.org (Venice)

www.lapetitegardette.com (Manosque)

http://www.franceprovenceholidays.com, La Tourmaline, near Uzès

www.losinj.com (Croatia)

http://www.slovenia.info/ (Slovenia)