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OK so I am asking the impossible.

Next year we are on a really tight budget. I am determined however not to go without my 3 weeks in France. We always rent a gite or cottage but cannot sustain that level of expenditure next year. I would like to stay in the Poitou Charente region in July/August 2003. I need simple accomodation for 5.Wait for it I want to get 3 weeks for £600 or 900 Euro. That is no more than £200 or 300 Euro per week. Can it be done? Fodorites of the world unite save me from spending a cold summer in Britain devoid of all decent cheese wine and festivals. There must be a shed out there somewhere I can rent. Buzzy

Buzzy No advice for you but I am eyeing your thread with interest for any potential ideas which are thrown in. GOOD LUCK! Kavey

Maybe you could try staying at Formule 1 hotels. Less than 30 Euros per night, per room. You would need to get two rooms for 5 people, so that comes to a little more than 10 euros per person, per night.

Perhaps you could try a home exchange.

We found several gites this year for an average of 400 euro a week. We rented through the gites de france centrale de reservation (as we got started late, alhtough not as late as you...) I suggest you broaden your regions just slightly and call a few centrals (there'sn no point looking thbrough the guides as most places are taken for the tilmes you are looking) Tell them when you want to go, how many epis you want and they will find you a place. Send mail fi you need more details, and good luck!--a long time gite renter

Hi, Buzzy. Not impossible at all! Just out of curiosity I went to the GDF site http://www.gites-de-france.fr/fr/index.htm and found no less than 19 gites in that area, mostly in La Vienne (departement containing Poitiers), for E305 or less, that would accommodate your family. I was using the criteria of at least 1 epi (most were 2, some 3), at least 2 bedrooms. And I was using the dates of July 6-13 of this year. (You can't search for next year yet.) That probably eliminated some that will be available next year. (I am assuming that francesca misunderstood and you are looking for July-Aug of 2003.) These places may not be luxurious, but they looked perfectly fine to me. If you would like some reference numbers, I can provide those, and if you need help with the GDF site (which is not the most user-friendly, especially if you don't speak French) I will be happy to help with that as well. If you would like to e-mail me, substitute "charter.net" for "home.com" in the above address. I have rented many gites in France and much prefer them to hotels or B&B's. I have just recently rented one for Aug. 3-10 in the Luberon for E274 for the week! (That took some doing!) Good luck and let me know if I can help further.

Sorry to post a "me too" post, but I couldn't help myself. I too think the "gites de France" is the way to go. There's a wide choice everywhere in France, and they're usually of very good value.

Okay, I thought I had a pretty decent understanding of French, but can't determine the meaning of 'epi' -- my dictionary translates to 'cob,' 'epi de mais' as corncob -- what am I missing here? Otherwise I'm intrigued by this thread and remember, again, why I love this forum so well! Merci . . .

I have found this very interesting. But what is a gite? The prices sound great, but I would like more information. Debby

Sorry, Cosette, I guess I should have explained the "epi" reference. GDF offers houses for rent primarily in rural areas. In fact they are often referred to as "gites ruraux." So, instead of using stars to indicate level of comfort, they use 1-4 epis, or ears of corn. Cute, huh?

Betty -- thanks for the info. Haven't traveled outside Paris yet, in my 3 trips to France, so I'm really appreciative of this info -- I had no idea where to start to book a gite, and I love the 'ears of corn' concept!!! Do you have any specific recommendations or are most of these accommodations similar? I have no idea where (or when)we will travel . .. How far in advance are reservations generally needed? Merci again! and PS to Debby -- I think that a gite is similar to a farmhouse B & B in Ireland, or maybe it's more like a cottage. Anybody else?

You could try camping...not as shoddy as it sounds as the French do camping so well (large tents with separate bedrooms, BBqs, hedges for privacy etc). or have you looked at villadeals.com? It may not suit you as I think it's all last minute offers, but worth a look.

The gite is not like a b&b, which is called "chambre d'hotes" here. It is simply a house for rent in a rural area. You have a kitchen etc and it is what the British call "self catering"--you even bring your own towels and sheets (though US sheets won't really fit the beds). The GDF guide books have some stuff translated into English and German (like their rating system, which has mostly to do with the equipment in the gite rather than decor). I believe many of the regional web sites also offer English translations and cite which owners speak English.

A "gite" has come to mean pretty much the same as a "location saisonniere" (seasonal rental) or a "location de vacances" (vacation rental). Can be anything from village house or apartment, a part of a larger house that has been fitted with kitchen, bathroom, etc. to a several-bedroom, independent house in the country. They are most often rented on a weekly basis. In all the "gites" I have rented the sheets were included in the rental price or were available for separate rental, usually around 10-15 euros per person per week. But it is a question you must ask. In the house I am renting in the Luberon, sheets were not provided in the rental price but when I asked, the owner agreed to supply them. Gites-de-France is a national organization that inspects and rates the rental property, based on the amenities it offers. It does provide some level of standardization and security that you are getting what you pay for. But there are other organizations, like Clevacances, that offer similar guarantees. There is normally a contract that details the contents and amenities of the property and indicates the rights and resposibilities of the renter as well as costs (amount of deposit, when and how the remainder is to be paid, any extra charges for electricity, damage deposit, heating charges, etc.) The owner and renter keep copies of the contract. Some owners rent through such organizations or real estate agencies, others do so independently. In any case you must be careful to read and understand all of the fine print so that you don't have any unpleasant surprises. If you choose carefully a "gite" can be less expensive than hotels or B&B's, especially for families or groups of friends. It offers more space, provides (usually) laundry facilities, and the possibility of preparing at least some of your own meals, which also saves money. And I think it is a pleasant way to become more like part-time resident than a tourist. For more information you can go to the GDF website listed above. Part of it is available in English, but in many cases, the house descriptions are only in French. Hope this helps to clarify things for you. Oh, and as to when to start looking, for July and August (most popular and most expensive) you should probably start in February or March. June and September are a little easier and less expensive. The other months, if the property is offered for those months, can be arranged a couple of months in advance.