French Connections?
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French Connections?
Has anyone used French Connections for a rental in France - some of the properties look good - some not so much. I know it is by owner so the quality probably varies greatly but I was wondering if anyone had any first hand experience with this site or any of its listings. Thanks.
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#4
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Hi,
We just returned from a trip to France where we rented an apartment in a chateau from Frenchconnections. I used the email address on the property we wanted to rent. It was the email address of the owner. He requested a check for about 1/3 of the rent (in USD) and then we paid him the rest in Euros during our stay. It turned out to be a wonderful apartment in a great location and the owner was very nice. The furnishing were fine, but a little worn. The kitchen was big enough for a table with 5 chairs and the rooms were a nice size. I was told by a French friend that gites are great but very basic. The owner of our apartment did not speak or write English and I do not know a lot of French, but I wrote in English and he in French and we undertood each other. Our experience was positive, but I agree each place is different and you take a chance.
We just returned from a trip to France where we rented an apartment in a chateau from Frenchconnections. I used the email address on the property we wanted to rent. It was the email address of the owner. He requested a check for about 1/3 of the rent (in USD) and then we paid him the rest in Euros during our stay. It turned out to be a wonderful apartment in a great location and the owner was very nice. The furnishing were fine, but a little worn. The kitchen was big enough for a table with 5 chairs and the rooms were a nice size. I was told by a French friend that gites are great but very basic. The owner of our apartment did not speak or write English and I do not know a lot of French, but I wrote in English and he in French and we undertood each other. Our experience was positive, but I agree each place is different and you take a chance.
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French Connections, like Holiday Rentals and VRBO, is a rental by owner site. We've used the first two extensively, and for the most part we've been very pleased.
You do have to use some judgement--the description, the pictures, the correspondance (and in some cases telephone conversations) with the owners give you a pretty good idea of their personalities and what the place is like. In my experience, most of the people listing properties on the first two sites are British (with a few Americans and Canadians), so that eliminates the language barrier. Many of the properties are their vacation homes, so they are what you would expect if you borrowed a cottage from someone. Some are nicer than others, but generally they have more personality than a place that is used purely as an income property. You do get what you pay for (the lower the rent, the more basic the accommodation).
One thing I do when I find a place that interests me is to do a Google search with the name of the town and of the owner. Many places are listed on more than one site, so you get a bit more information on which to base your decision.
You do have to use some judgement--the description, the pictures, the correspondance (and in some cases telephone conversations) with the owners give you a pretty good idea of their personalities and what the place is like. In my experience, most of the people listing properties on the first two sites are British (with a few Americans and Canadians), so that eliminates the language barrier. Many of the properties are their vacation homes, so they are what you would expect if you borrowed a cottage from someone. Some are nicer than others, but generally they have more personality than a place that is used purely as an income property. You do get what you pay for (the lower the rent, the more basic the accommodation).
One thing I do when I find a place that interests me is to do a Google search with the name of the town and of the owner. Many places are listed on more than one site, so you get a bit more information on which to base your decision.
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We're going to a French Connections property in September, so I can't report on how things have turned out yet. But in regards to the arrangements, the owner has been very friendly and accommodating. We asked for a reference and he sent me the email address of a family in Chicago (I think??) who were happy to discuss the property with me. They raved about the house and the location. I always ask for references before renting. One place we considered kept stalling about references, so we crossed that one off the list.
QueenMab
QueenMab
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