Common Questions

1. What should I expect when I arrive at the house? You will almost certainly be met by the owner or his representative, perhaps a caretaker. You will be given keys and taken on a brief tour of the house. You will probably be asked for a security deposit, but we will tell you about this well in advance of your departure.

2. How will the house be equipped?
You should expect some things and not others. Of course, you will have had a description of the house and will know that it has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Expect all the bedrooms to have proper linens and the bathrooms to have towels. Expect the kitchen to have glassware, cutlery, plates, and cookware suitable for the number of people occupying the house. Should you expect paper towels, olive oil, soap, spices, dishwasher detergent? It would be nice if we could assure you that ample supplies for your first few days will be there, but this is something we can not, in most instances do. Some properties, particularly those at the “high” end, will have caretakers who are happy to do a bit of advance shopping for you, and even to arrange for a meal for the night of your arrival, when you will almost certainly be a bit worn out from your travels. Ask us about this if it is important to you.

3. Must I rent a car?
One of the most frequently asked questions is: “Will I need to have a car?” The answer to this is almost certainly a resounding “yes”, unless you have rented an apartment in Paris, London, Rome, Florence and a few other cities. In that case, then a car is more of a liability than an asset. But in the countryside, you will be seriously disadvantaged if you attempt to do this without a car. While public transportation can be wonderful in Europe. It is not suited for a stay in a villa in a small town in the heart of the Chianti. Train stations are not numerous and those that exist, with a few notable exceptions, have service that is strictly locale. This means that a long part of your day will be spent waiting on train platforms and once on the train, stopping at every imaginable town along the way to your destination. A car is necessary, really!

Why are you balking at renting one? Worried about those legendary crazy drivers in Italy? Don’t worry; in general they are much better drivers than we are in this country. Do they drive very close to the rear of your car if they want to pass? They do, but in our long experience they are in complete control of their cars; just don’t do something silly, such as slam on your brakes to dissuade them from following so closely; something I have seen drivers do in this country. They are not ready for this, as it is totally against the rules of the road in Italy.

Remember when you were a kid and your mother told you to close your eyes and drink the chocolate malt she was handing you? It was medicine, not chocolate and your reaction was a pretty unpleasant one. Surprises sometimes work for birthday parties; they do not for the road, where such a surprise can cause a serious incident. Is the reason you are not inclined to rent a car because it seems so expensive? Well, it is rather expensive, but so to will be using public transportation, and as time is money, so too will be the wait for trains and buses. We have had quite a bit of experience with renting cars in both France and Italy; we are happy to offer advice and, in most instances, offer you a rental car that is less expensive than anything you can find,whether by phoning your friendly travel agent or searching the Internet.

4. Eating Out
The place you rent will always have a kitchen and we urge you to use it. One of the great pleasures in renting a house or apartment in Europe is to go to a market (or two or three), and come back and let loose the secret Gianni Bugliagli or Marcella Hazan in you. But you will, of course, want to try the wonderful restaurants that dot the countryside wherever you are in France or Italy. (Now add Ireland to the list, with the economic revolution that has occurred there in the past ten years or so.)

Do we have our favorite restaurants near the places we rent? We do, but do you really want us to recommend a place to eat? Remember, this is an adventure and you are just as able to discover a wonderful place as we are. Keep in mind a few rules I have developed over the years; 1. Stay away from places that have their menus posted in more than one language. [Note” Restaurants always have their menus posted in the window; it is the law.] 2. If the parking lot is filled with Audis, Porsches, Bentleys, and the like, stay away. You want little Fiats and Renaults.

5. What if I don't speak the language?
There are many people who believe that English is the lingua franca of the entire discovered world. Sad to say that this is true in many, many places. It seems that one can walk into a tiny restaurant in Kathmandu and know that they needn’t know a word of Nepalese. Can one manage in Italy and France without knowing a bit of these languages? Almost certainly the answer is “yes” but just think how much more you will enjoy the renting experience if you know some basics. It is difficult, although I must admit that it is easier when you are 11 than when you are 40.

There are myriad “quick” courses, whether given at schools such as Berlitz, local adult education, individual tutoring, or the almost mind-boggling array of tapes, CDs, phrase books, and the like, on display at chain bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble, or on-line at Amazon, and others. We strongly urge you to spend a little bit of time learning some basics. You will be pleasantly surprised to see how this almost always elicits a smile from the Italian or French shop keeper you have encountered. (Don’t believe everything you hear about the French, particularly the Parisians, correcting your somewhat butchered pronunciation. It does happen, but very rarely.)