Villa Holidays on the French Riviera Corniches

This means you've got two choices. The first is to pay through a bank or wire transfer - and of course, there will be fees involved, whether you're from a country inside the European Union or from somewhere else.

One of your options is to talk to your hosts, and find out if they would consider using PayPal. It has the advantage of being instant, there are limited fees for you - or for them, as long as they have an individual account, not a business one, and it will save you a lot of paperwork.

If you're renting your French Riviera villa from an agency, pay attention to your contract however, because sometimes agencies act on behalf of individuals, and while they may accept payment with credit cards, you may be charged additional "agency fees or surcharges." (Sometimes the amounts can be negotiated, sometimes not. And you should be aware that some smaller agencies still do not accept credit cards and will also require payment through bank or wire transfer - merchant fees for credit cards here are very high, and for smaller businesses, it's just not worth it.

Checks outside the European Union are usually not accepted, and even European Union checks from countries other than France are usually not accepted - but it never hurts to ask.

Rental Periods:

Most rental property on the French Riviera - whether you're renting a villa or one of the many beautiful French Riviera hotels, run from Saturday afternoon to the following Saturday morning. Prices are, of course usually determined by the season, and you can expect to pay a significantly higher price during high season. Here is something else you should be aware of - high season isn't just during the summer months. For most French Riviera villa rentals and hotels along the French Riviera, high season also includes: School vacations, special fairs or other events (such as the Cannes Film Festival, Nice's Carnival or Monaco's Monte Carlo race) and certain times of the year - summer, New Year's, etc. are always considered high season. As a general rule, low season runs from December through May.

Which means that if you're flying over on a different day of the week, you might have to stay in a hotel until Saturday afternoon, unless you've made other arrangements with your host. (You should be aware that it can be very difficult to find lodging during high season, so if you're not traveling on a Saturday, make sure that you've book all additional accommodations before confirming your reservation at your private French Riviera villa and paying the deposit.) Many of the best French Riviera villas are booked up to a year in advance - and are often fully booked throughout high season, so you may need to plan your trip accordingly.

Deposits:

Most rental villas in the French Riviera charge a "breakage deposit" or a "breakage and cleaning deposit" in addition to other deposits or fees that might be included in the rental agreement. Provided there has been no damage (above normal "wear and tear"), this deposit is usually refundable. However, read your contract to find out if it will be refunded when you leave, or if it will be mailed to you or deposited in your bank account, and how soon.