Discovering Charming French Vacation Rentals + Meet Our New Rescue Pup, Ollie!

This was an excellent, all encompassing walk and talk, which provided the many details to consider when renting a place in a foreign country. I’m with you that when I’m on vacation I do not want to have a ton of cleaning responsibility upon checkout. I’ve seen rentals requiring washing of the linen and towels, remaking the beds, etc. Considering most of them have a steep cleaning fee, I am not interested in doing those extra chores. Your advice to look on google maps to check out the surrounding area of the location was great! I always do that to see what amenities are in the near area — stores, restaurants, bars, markets, etc. We no longer rent cars on vacation so we are very selective about where we stay when we travel. How nice to see that the girls have another brother! You have a very big heart to take on Ollie and his medical issues. Bless you and thank you!

The walk and talk provided excellent information. You brought up a lot of points that I might not have paid close attention to. The pointers are valid anywhere, I think, too. Ollie is adorable and he seems to fit in well with the girls. I have three dogs also, and it's amazing how different it is with that one addition.

That lucky Ollie! He has hit the jackpot with your family including the girls! 💞

Seeet Ollie is adorable! And thanks for the many good tips on finding a place to stay!

I have so many things to say about all of your points! Excellent vlog full of helpful tips. Especially the one about asking for additional photos. I've had so many surprises, not good ones. The properties with very few photos says it all. And why do the french think it's ok to not supply soap?! Of any kind? Not even dish soap. Who travels with their own dishwasher tablets? Or hand soap? or sheets? I stayed in a wonderful place that I couldn't find or I should say google maps couldn't find in Eguilles. (google maps rarely works here in France, use Wayz for directions) When I got there, the driveway to the house above their own house was dirt and had washed away a bit. I couldn't get my rental SUV up the driveway to park by the house. I had to haul my luggage up by foot. I had no idea that I should have asked more questions. Thank you Shannon. xoxo

You are so right on about doing your due diligence when looking for rentals (goes for anywhere, even in the U.S.). Every single item is relevant when traveling & looking for places to stay. I travel on an extremely tight budget and I am still super picky about the places I stay, which can make the hunt for a place to stay pretty interesting and more likely than not, frustrating. Sadly, prices have gone crazy high on some of the mainstream lodging sites like Airbnb, even for basic properties. I'm an Airbnb host when I'm not traveling & love to offer a beautiful place for far less than a hotel, so I know it's possible. Unfortunately, now days, many property owners are in it for different reasons, so prices have gone through the roof & quality has gone downhill (at least in the US). For this reason, I am always on the search for alternative ways to have a place to stay when I travel. I can get quite creative when I need to, which is maybe not the 'perfect' way to travel for most, but for me, it offers me the chance when otherwise I would not be able to travel. If you have a higher ltravel/lodging budget, it might make things a bit easier, but still all Shannon's points still hold true. For times when I use Airbnb type platforms (not hotels), I will, once I have narrowed my selection to a few places, always message the owner prior to making my decision. I ask them any questions that aren't addressed in their listing that will be important in making your decision. Since I travel alone and I am curious by nature, love to walk at night when it's an option (mostly in cities), I ask things like how safe is it for a single, older, female to walk after dark, etc.   Here are a few specific question of mine:   *How current are the photo's in the listing?   *Are all the items in the photo's still at the property?   *Are all the appliances mentioned in the listing in working order & still on the property? I stayed at a property that said they had a microwave & when I arrived, it didn't exist, so it made heating up food challenging.   *If, there is heating & cooling mentioned...what type? Is it controlled by the renter or is it a communal set up, where the manager decides when to turn it on? While I was in Nice last November, the apartment I stayed at had central radiator heat & it hadn't been turned on yet, leaving it a bit cool both at night & in the morning. I ended up buying a small portable heater in order to take the chill out of the air. I didn't need it during the day, so it wasn't so bad.   *Also, in some of the older apartments, there can be a sewer(?) smell in the bathroom, which is most unpleasant to me. I'm not sure why it happens, I've only experienced it in France (so far), but it has been on more than one occasion & it made an otherwise excellent apartment, get a lower review. Had I asked & had they been upfront about it, I would have at least had the option to choose another place. *I always bring a pair of inexpensive flip-flops that I wear in the shower and never go barefoot in any place I stay. It doesn't matter how much I pay for a place or how clean it looks, I never go barefoot in any where I stay.   *I always have several pair of silicone earplugs. I'm a light sleeper and unfamiliar sounds can keep me from getting a good sleep, so earplugs are a must for me. *I take my own pillow. *I've had issues with the check in process, so now I make sure to have very clear instructions & a phone number to text/call if something comes up & I need assistance. If a property is not owner occupied, rather a vacant apartment, often you pick up keys to the apartment from a shop nearby the apartment, or someone will meet you at the apartment to hand over the keys. It's very important , if this is the case, to know the hours you are able to pick up the keys or meet the 'key giver' & also what you can do if you happen to miss your flight, train is delayed, etc., and your arrival time is outside the original plan.   If you are meeting someone to hand over the keys, be sure to have a way to contact them as well. Nothing worse than arriving late in the evening after a missed connection, and not know if you will have a place to stay or not. I've had a situation where the train I was on broke down & I missed a connecting train, making my arrival a day later. I've also been traveling by train when there was a strike which meant I had to take the bus, making my arrival time change. It can be stressful, but it's so important to stay in touch with the person/people you are renting from so they are informed of what's going on.     Like Shannon, I check & double check all the fine print and especially their cancellation policy. I need to have the option of a flexible cancellation policy when I travel. And for sure, check any other fee's they may have for whatever purpose (extra energy use, cleaning fee's, etc.).   I've likely left out a few things or rambled on about something unnecessarily, but hope that gives you some insight's into what I've learned through booking places to stay online.   Hopefully, everyone has positive traveling experiences, but it never hurts to see what others have experienced while out & about. Makes for less anxiety (in my case anyway). As always, Shannon does such a super job of sharing information that it can be hard to find anything to add to her video's information. Happy traveling to everyone

These are all very good tips. I agree 100% with everything you said. I wish,wish,wish that France had KING-sized beds.I realize they do not, so we always rent a two bedroom in order tp sleep well. It's way more expensive but it's our holiday . We factor it into the budget. Love your videos here and on Instagram. Thanks so much. Looking to come over again this October ❤