If you are checking out but still touring in the town, will the hotel/mas/or bastide let you leave your luggage and pick it up later in the day? We do this all the time in the states. 2) I don't have a fax machine. I've read here most people reserve via fax because it's considered binding in France. My last European trip I did everything via e=mail. Is this enough of a concern, I should get a little fax machine? 3) Do most hotels wait to bill your credit card until you actually stay, or do they put it on your bill when you book?

Hi hop,

A fax is no more binding than an email -if they "lose" your reservation, it's still lost.

Some hotels bill your credit card immediately for one night's deposit, others wait until you check out.

I can send faxes from my computer, but since I do not leave it on all the time, and have no fax printer, I can't receive them. A friend is kind enough to allow me to use his fax number for confirmations that I take along as proof. You might be able to arrange the same thing.

I read that post about a fax being legally binding, too, and wondered if it was actually true. I always reserve by fax and take the fax with me incase there's a problem, which there rarely is. But I wonder if the French law, if there is one, that relates to faxes wouldn't also relate to printed out e-mail confirmations? Seems likely it would.

Anyway, as Michael says, you could borrow someone's fax machine or if you have access to a store like Kinkos or MailBoxes, you could pay the small fee they charge to send or receive a fax.

Yes, most hotels will happily hold your luggage for you post check-out (or pre-check-in.)

I too have heard that a fax is "legally binding" whereas an e-mail may not be, but the bottom line is that if your reservation is lost, it doesn't much matter. This year I made all my reservations via internet/e-mail and brought printouts of those with me. No problems whatsoever.

If you make your reservations many months in advance and are nervous, it doesn't hurt to send confirmation reminders a few weeks before your arrival.

I e-mail when they have e-mail, fax otherwise. have never had a problem with hotel or restaurant...for many years and many, many reservations. You can also ask your hotel to make dining reservations for you if you communicaate via e-mail with them. I have done this too.

Hotels have cancellation regs and will charge your card for a night or whatever their policy is for laate cancellation. I have never had them charge my room charge until I departed.

Most hotels will store your luggage for a laate check-out as well as early check in.

Thanks for the encouraging replies. I do usually reconfirm not long before a trip. The luggage question was prompted because I don't like to haul it around in my trunk even in the "safe" Pacific NW. One more question. On my trip to Ireland I specified "standard" room in my e-mail bookings. In two places I was rather surprised by the 'wonderful' rooms we had. Yet, after analying my bill later, I felt that I had been upgraded and charged for it. How to avoid this? Especially in a foreign language?

Hi

>...after analying my bill later, I felt that I had been upgraded and charged for it. How to avoid this? Especially in a foreign language?<

When you get your confirmation by Fax or email it should say what accomodations have been reserved for you and the price.

Actually my confirmations as stated were correct by what I thought I had booked. It was a pretty slow month in Ireland due to hoof and mouth. All I could think when I got home was they somehow thought they were doing me a favor by putting me in a better room. At least it was a lesson well-learned. To repeat, repeat, repeat and make sure I'm getting exactly what I first requested.

If you need to fax for some reason, you can also get and EFAX account which allows you to send (and receive) faxes via the internet - at least you don't have to go out and buy a machine. Only issue, you'll get some junk fax emails - but at least it is free!

Mailboxes Etc. (whatever their new UPS name is) has fax machines. We use the one up the street from us and it has worked out perfectly. Most places that mail things for you will have a fax service. The charge is minimal.

We only fax when the hotel doesn't have e-mail available. Usually do reservations by e-mail, print it out and take it with us. Have never had a problem.

Curious about the experience with the Irish B & Bs, since they generally charge by the person, not based on room type in my experience.

If your reservation quoted a price in local currency, then you shouldn't be charged more without your consent, leastwise you could immediately object when reviewing the bill at check out. It almost sounds like the exchange rate moved against you between the time of your reservation and your review of the bill after your return.