Hi - I've started my own research into good web sites and books listing self catering accommodation in France, Germany and the UK. Would you mind sharing information on any that you have used and would recommend?
Thanks!
Sue

I presume you already know

www.slowtrav.com

Hello...

For the UK part I can highly recommend Premier Cottages!
http://www.premiercottages.co.uk/

I have used them many times over the years and have never been disappointed. You deal directly with the owners of the properties, so, there are no agent fees involved! In fact, I'll be staying at a another of the properties this coming May in Northumberland, England!

Have uou tried www.vacationvillas.net?
Or, if you know the town where you want to stay in Germany, type it in, and add .de for example Freiburg.de..this will take you to the city's website, often available in english as well. Ferienwohnungen is vacation apartments. Good luck!

Sue, I have a bunch of Scottish ones I keep in a word document. Email me for it.

swood, we have used these three in France:

- www.frenchconnections.co.uk

- www.holiday-rentals.co.uk

- www.vrbo.com

Anselm

Like Anselm I have had a good experience with frenchconnections.

I have just booked in Rome with vrbo.com, which has all sorts of interesting properties.

I have previously used -- but years ago -- both Blakes Country Cottages and English Country Cottages.

The Landmark Trust in Britain has extraordinary properties, not all of which have extraordinary prices. So too has the National Trust, some of whose properties are on great estates now open to the public.

I have also bookmarked -- but not yet used:

http://www.vacationrentalsfrance.com/
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com
http://www.holidayrentals.co.uk

Anselm, I hope to see you after you return from France and before we leave for Italy on Feb. 28.......

For Scotland we have been pleased with Discover Scotland:

http://www.scothols.co.uk/

Hi again....another place we have used a few times and love are the self-catering cottages in the little medieval village of Stanton in the Cotswolds, UK!!!!
http://www.stantoncourt.co.uk/

Also, check out English Country Cottages!
http://www.english-country-cottages...._homepage.html

They also offer places in Ireland and France, and you can check them out by clicking the link on the home page!!!!

How about vrbo.com? Vacation Rental by Owner. I always check them out.

julies, Anselm already mentioned it ;-)

We used www.vacation-apartments.com to find our apartment rental in Germany.

Tracy

Thanks everyone for your advice, it's much appreciated.
How quickly holiday plans can change! Sheila we're now focussing on France so I won't bother you for your Scotland list at this stage. Cheers!

We found some really nice places through the Alistair Sawday book (there's a website too) on holiday homes in France.

For France we have used several times www.cheznous.com/ never been disappointed. You deal directly with the owners of the properties.

For Germany just type in the name of the town you want to stay in and its homepage will come up.

Here you need some German in order to cope, but usually there will be a heading called 'Unterkunft', and when you click on this a list of accommodation categories will appear. You choose one ('Ferienhauser' refers to self-catering apartments) and are given details on attributes, prices etc. of places in the list.

I just did that for the town of Klingenstadt and found half a dozen places from which to choose. Prices there are around 25 - 35 Euros a night.

Harzer

Try untours.com they are getting into the self-catering service this year. Their tour prices are pretty good also!