Once you’ve decided your destination, your next step is to figure out when you will travel and book a flat. We avoid travelling in the summertime. It’s peak season and everything is more expensive and more crowded. In Europe, many countries simply shut down in August while everyone goes on vacation. We like being home for the holidays, so we generally won’t travel between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas is also usually peak season for pricing accommodations. If you can travel during off-peak times, you can usually negotiate a lower rate for your rental flat in a long-term rental. This is because the landlord knows that he or she will have a guaranteed income during the entire slow season and will be happier to work with you. The off-peak travel times vary due to location, but usually they are in early spring and late fall, so that’s when we tend to plan our travel.
Of course climate is also a factor. We’re breaking most of our own rules when we travel to Poland, because we don’t want to be caught in their bitter cold winters. Therefore, we’re starting our three month nest there in mid-August. You will want to check rainy seasons to see if your destination is better in the spring or the fall. You’ll want to weigh what you can stand weather-wise against the higher costs of a better travel season.
The longest you can live in most countries with a U.S. tourist visa is three months. You can leave the country for a few days and then return to the same place if you really want to stay longer, but we’ve decided that for us, three months is a good length of time. It’s long enough to meet people in the community and to get a real flavor of the place, which is the entire idea.
Each location is different, but for us, we’ve found that we like to live within a city. Our base home in Charlottesville, Virginia is a more country setting, so city life is a nice change for us. It’s also nice not to have to drive everywhere in unfamiliar areas and we enjoy walking to the sights. Many places we’re considering have good train connections so if we are in a city near to the train station, it’s easy to tour other towns by train. We’ve always been able to do without a car, only renting one for the day when we want to go places not served by trains or public transportation. The downside of city living is that it is usually more expensive, it can be noisy, and there is often no parking if you do have a car.
Once you’ve chosen your location, you then need to figure out in which part of the city you want to stay. At this point, I usually invest in a few travel guides for our target city. I also research on line. Where are the sights we’d like to visit? Are there any we would like to be close to? How is public transportation around the city, how much does it cost and what areas does it cover? What areas look interesting, fun and safe for us? We’ve generally avoided the very centers of the tourist areas for several reasons. First off, they are usually the most expensive accommodations you can find for a short term rental. Secondly, because it’s often the area with entertainment, nightclubs and bars, it can be noisy at night, making it difficult to sleep. Thirdly, as our goal is to learn what it is like to actually live in each location, we believe we can best do that by living in a residential area. Each city is different, but we generally try to look for a medium to upper class residential area that is walkable to the city center or is conveniently served by public transportation. We feel safer in a better residential area, and after the city center, that is also where the most short term rentals will be available.
We’ve used HomeAway.com and AirB&B to begin our search for long term rentals. HomeAway is generally better for Europe and AirB&B is better for the Americas. They are good places to get an idea of the cost, the locations that are generally available, and the services and fees that are usual for the area, as these change from place to place. For example, in York, England, there were no fees at all above the stated rate, and weekly cleaning was included. In Florence, Italy, there is often a nightly fee per person added above the quoted rate, and most places also charge utilities. It’s very important that you are clear on all the fees before booking a room. There can be additional fees per person per night, very high cleaning fees, deposits, parking fees (for a car you may or may not have), utility fees, taxes and more. If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. If you find places that look as though they will work for you, MESSAGE more than one of them, (do NOT hit the orange button requesting to book!) Tell them your approximate dates, describe yourself briefly, and ask for the best possible all-inclusive price for the time period that you will be there. This is the paragraph we use for inquiries:
Hello! We are an American couple in our late fifties, non-smoking, who would be very respectful of your apartment. We are landlords ourselves. We are researching apartments to stay in (city) for three months in the spring.
Could you tell us the full price that we would pay for three months, including all fees and taxes? We could be flexible on dates. Also, because we would be there for 3 months, is there any possible discount for a long term stay? Thank you!
Some people will not be willing to negotiate, but we have gotten as much as a 25% discount by asking. If you find more than one flat that would meet your needs, you have the ability to accept the best offer. If they offer parking and you will not need it, you can let them know and ask if that could affect the price.. You could offer to clean the apartment yourself if cleaning is included. Don’t be shy negotiating – this is the part of the process where you can save the most money. If they won’t negotiate, move on. There are plenty that will work with you, especially if you are interested in off-peak times to rent.
However, the best way to find a flat is through personal connections. The flat we contracted in Boca de Toro was from a connection we made on a previous trip. If you know anyone who lives or has connections in the city you have targeted to nest, ask them if they know of any places or if they know of a local company that deals with short term rentals. Local establishments are usually cheaper than going through HomeAway or AirB&B, but they are not as easy to find. Finally, as we’ve traveled, we’ve met people with vacation homes or connections in other places we’d like to visit, and we expect that we will be able to use these connections eventually. Just don’t be shy asking and let people know that you are open to travel around their schedules..
