Is it typical to pay upfront for the holiday houses you rent. I am a little nervous of wiring someone the full amount 2 months before we go. How do you do it?

Yes it is normal. Very occasionally the owners will accept cash on arrival, but usually they are not here to meet you, you get directions and where the key is once you've paid up front.

Many rentals require full payment up front - totally normal. (there are some that only require a substantial deposit and then full payment on arrival)

Hi mom,

You might want to get some trip insurance if it is a hefty fee.

See www.insuremytrip.com

I;ve typically rented apts, condos, and homes that require 50% at the time of reservation and the remainder 30 days prior to the trip.

Of course there is always a small chance of being scammed but I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with the arrangement in your case if there aren't warning signals and little red flags (no pictures, slow communication, evasiveness when answering your questions, no clearly defined cancellation policy).

mom04, we always gulp a bit when we send off significant amounts of money to a stranger, but we have done it more than 15 times now in France and have never had anything go wrong. As a matter of fact, we usually pay the full amount on booking so we don't have the cost and nuisance of a second bank transfer.

I think amwosu describes it perfectly. If you start to feel funny after a series of exchanges with the owner, simply move on and look elsewhere.

Anselm

Thank you all so much. You make me feel better everytime I post here.