We have rented apartments 4times--3x in Wengen, Switzerland and 1x in Provence. In Switzerland we were very familiar with the area so finding an apartment was not hard.

In Provence, we took the recommendation of an email friend of mine. The big mistake I made there was not planning too well--we stayed too long in one place. The apartment was interesting--the closet was downstairs and the bedroom was upstairs in an open loft area, and the steps were very steep. So, I had to toss the day's clothes down to the living room as I could not do the steps and carry anything safely. We had 1 1/2 baths, a neat kitchen, great landlords, lots of room, and a friendly cat, a swimming pool, and lots of quiet when we wanted quiet.

We will do it again, for sure. Not sure just where, right now, and not sure how we will find the right apartment except in Wengen Switzerland. We eat out one meal a day and do our own food for two meals. We definitely do save money, but not sure how much. The joy of having the rooms and the space is a wonderful thing for two old travelers.

Gretchen Fifer South Carolina