Many of the rental listings have a washing machine included but seldom list a clothes dryer. I'm not looking for an apartment until next year but I was wondering why no dryer.
I know that you can hang clothes to dry but with items like jeans, etc. it wouldn't be quick drying. Who wants to spend their vacation looking at hanging wet clothes?!
Is the lack of a dryer due to space limitations? Just curious.

Many European apartments (and lots of homes actually) do not have dryers. Space is an issue so many have washer/dryer condenser combined machines (this is what we have). I think electricity is also expensive in places like Italy and its lovely and warm most of the year so the culture is just to hang clothes. Its very different than N. America and we had to get used to it when we moved to London. The combined machine doesnt fully dry alot of the time either so we still have to hang sometimes after a cycle.

If it doesnt say dryer you can always email the owner and ask but dont be surprised if its more difficult to find than you expect.

Maybe they have a garden and you can hang the clothes outdoors...which is lovely

That would be okay, except the rental will be a month in January! They would really need a dryer at that time.
Thanks for replies.
Hanging clothes outside reminds me of my childhood...

It's due, as Jamikins says, to lack of space and high electricity costs.

If the place has a terrace, you don't have to watch your clothes dry: Hang them out and leave them. But if you're going in high summer, be aware that the sun will quickly scorch light clothes and that jeans are not the most comfortable things to wear.

LOTS of European 'washers' are washer/dryers in one appliance. So when you are checking specific properties -- and it isn't clear -- ask if it is a washer-dryer, or spin dryer.

I was typing while you posted. In January, you can take jeans to a laundromat. Some will wash, dry and fold them for you.

Any apartment you rent will have 1 or more clothes drying racks. If there is not outside location to hang your clothes you can set them up on the rack inside overnight or while you're gone for the day and they (at least the thin items) will be dry in no time.

Heavy items - sweatshirts, jeans, etc will take a lot longer to air dry, so only wash items that you really need to have.

I've seen that a lot in France, also. I heard the main reason was electricity was so expensive but when I rented an apt and paid for the electricity, it didn't seem any more expensive than where I live in the US. I can't imagine how that works with things like sheets and towels or anything that kind of needs fluffing (ie, sweatshirts). I air dry a lot of stuff in my own home in the US, actually, but for things like jeans I usually put them in the dryer for about 10 min first to get out wrinkles. Then I air dry them so they don't shrink too much.

I've been in rental apts that had room for a dryer but still didn't have one. I think it's just custom to some degree and they way they are used to, but it still seems very inconvenient for a lot of things in the city. I wonder if they send out laundry or go to laundromats a lot for the sheets and towels, etc.

Hello Lynnaustin

From my experience with clothes washing machines in Italy, the spin cycle on the wash is super fast. It sounds as if the whole machine is getting ready to explode or at least blast off into space. First time I heard a spin that fast, I was truly afraid to stand near the thing.

But wow, does it do a job of getting the water out of the clothes. Once you hang them up (yes, even denim and heavy socks), you may find that it will be dry overnight.

Bad thing is that perma-press shirts come out very wrinkled and usually require an iron afterwards.

Oh, and be sure to get specific operating instructions from whoever walks you thru the apartment. Same for the dishwasher. Definitely different than you'll find in the states.

Happy travels!

Thanks everyone for all your responses.
The apartment will be for a family member and 3 others. A dryer is important to them so at least now I can give them this info.

We sometimes opt for using a laundromat even if the apartment has a washer and pseudodryer. Having everything done at once and not dealing with the dryer cooking items of clothing is just worth it.....I hate to iron and find many items need ironing after surviving washer/dryer combo.

"<i>The apartment will be for a family member and 3 others. A dryer is important to them</i>"

You might also give them advice (like Judy's above) that using a dryer is not necessarily a good thing. European dryers don't generally work the same way as those in the US. Whether they are part of the washing machne or separate -- they can ruin clothes -- or wrinkle them beyond what a simple ironing can fix. Plus they can take <u>forever</u> to dry anything substantial. (And if the items are lightweight -- they'd dry over night in the bathroom anyway)

I have had several rentals in Europe with a combo washer/dryer and stopped using the dryers as they left the clothing very wrinkled. It was easier to hang the clothing.

We found the drying racks to work well, and although they don't look like it, they can hold an entire washer-full of clothes.

I agree with HappyTrvlr. I have tried to use the dryer part of the washer/dryer combo machine and just gave up. The clothes came out so wrinkled.
I thought maybe it was just my not understanding the directions.

You have to be careful with the washer/dryer combos in holiday rentals. If they're a low end brand, the dryer function may not work well...there are some brands that are so poor, you might as well drape things on the radiators (at least in winter, when the heat's on).

Also, be careful about putting low-end washers on the highest spin cycle setting. I did that last year in a Germany holiday apartment rental. The washer was in the bathroom and during the spin cycle, it gyrated across the floor and pushed the bathroom door almost completely shut. I had to push and shove at the machine for about 15 minutes before I could move it enough to get the door open, then it took another 10 minutes to push it back into place (a washer full of wet clothes is HEAVY). If your holiday rental comes with a late model Miele machine, no worries. If it's a low-end brand or a really old machine, well, don't expect too much.

JanisJ, we had a Miele dryer and it worked fine. Dried clothes well and no wrinkles.

"<i>JanisJ, we had a Miele dryer and it worked fine. Dried clothes well and no wrinkles.</i>"

Ah -- but how many holiday lets have a Miele?

Heck, lots of folks in the USA install Miele appliances -- and pay big bucks for the privilege. But <i>most</i> European washer/dryers and dryers are complicated and fry clothes.

"European dryers don't generally work the same way as those in the US."

Your statement wasn't restricted only to holiday lets. However, in addition to Miele, Bosch, Siemens, and Zug brand dryers don't "fry" clothes. And they're no more complicated to work than my mother's Maytag.