NAVIGATING POTENTIAL PITFALLS OF VACATION HOME RENTALS

For many travelers, especially families with children or several couples vacationing together, renting a house, cottage or condo somewhere special can be an affordable, roomy alternative to spending a week or two in a hotel. Good rentals offer many benefits and are available most places around the world.  Planning a rental expedition should start a minimum of six months to a year before the actual trip.

Unfortunately, few situations in travel are as unpredictable, or as irreversible, as renting a place sight unseen. If you arrive to discover that the reality of the realty doesn't match your expectations, not much can be done.  Perhaps the pictures or descriptions upon which you made your choice were misleading. Or maybe the place isn't as clean or in the condition you'd prefer. Even simple repairs can take a frustrat ingly long time to happen, and finding another place to rent in the area at the last minute probably won't be an option.  Veterans know that landing a suitable vacation rental takes both luck and skill. Here are a few tips.  Once your destination is determined, get catalogs from commercial rental agencies in the area. They'll provide lists of lodgings and expedite the process, for a fee. Tourist offices can generally suggest suitable brokers. Many real estate rental services can be found online. Private home owners often run ads in publications like the New York Review of Books or college alumni magazines. Perhaps friends or colleagues who've been there before can offer suggestions.  Since photos and catalog descriptions seldom convey a complete story, before making a decision, ask the rental agent for a floor plan with dimensions. Get details on items like bathrooms, bedrooms and swimming pools. Ask about deposits and what's included in the price. Taxes, utilities, bedding, cleaning and telephone are often extra.  Of course, the best way to avoid last minute surprises is to make an advance planning trip to the area to check out the possibilities beforehand.  A short-term rental can make for a wonderfully relaxed vacation or serve as the center for a series of wide-ranging day trips.  And there are plenty of rental opportunities outside the United States.  For example, whether or not exchange rates make European vacations less expensive this summer, one way to make them more affordable is to rent a country home.  Several European countries operate programs that let travelers rent rural cottages.  For example, the French government subsidizes over 55,000 country properties through its Gite system. Most gites are free-standing houses, but they may also be a floor or wing of a larger building. They range from very rustic cottages to luxury chateaux. Prices can be quite reasonable. For example, a private house, complete with a tennis court in the scenic foothills of the Pyrenees, costs about $750 a week, high season.  All gites are graded according to the amenities they offer, with a rating system that awards them one to four ears of corn. Gite guidebooks, which are published for dozens of different areas of France, provide a photo of the property along with basic information about the rental. Arrangements can be made directly with the property owner or through the booking Service of the Federation Gite's de France, which is also where to order guidebooks.  The Italian government operates a similar system they call Agriturismo. It includes more than 7,000 properties, from spartan rooms in renovated barns to luxurious apartments in picturesque 16th-century castles. Agriturismo prices start at about $50 per person per night.  If you would like to have a fjord in your future, you can rent a family-style cottage in the countryside of Norway. Known locally as fjordhytters, many of these are on working farms. They are certainly a bar gain. Weekly rental rates run an average of $75 a person.  In addition to their low cost, these rural vacations offer a refreshing alternative to crowded cities and over-developed resorts. They also support historic preservation and give your family the chance to explore regional customs, crafts and cuisine.  And there are literally hundreds of short-term rental opportunities in Britain. The British Tourist Authority has a free brochure "Self-Catering Holiday Homes" that lists 30 home rental agencies which meets its standards. Call 800-462-2748.  Author Gale Armstrong has also written a helpful book, "Cottage Holidaying in Britain" (Classic Media Publications), which profiles 350 properties in England, Scotland, and Wales.  For France, contact the Gite de France office in Paris at 011-33149707575 or visit their Web site at www.gites-de-france.fr.  For Italy, visit Agritourismo's Web site www.agritour.net.ital.html.  For Norway, contact Bornton Overseas, 800-843-0602.  

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