Are Saturday to Saturday Rentals in Europe a thing of the past?

[Pauline]

Previously on Slow Travel, when booking a vacation rental in Europe, it was ALWAYS Saturday to Saturday EXCEPT in the cities. Miniumum 1 week booking, start day Saturday. This was my experience in Italy, France, Switzerland, and the UK. Vacation rental owners liked this because they could have every day booked in the high season and cleaning staff were always scheduled for the Saturday. I think renters liked it too - fly out on Saturday morning, check in to your rental that afternoon. Car rental agencies at airports were always a zoo on Saturday morning. Grocery stores always busy Saturday afternoon in countries where shops close on Sunday.

I based my definition of Slow Travel on this - spend a week in a vacation rental and see what is near you.

Then AirBnb arrived with its different view of vacation rentals, a short (3 day) or no minimum stay, no care to the starting date. I see a few places trying to maintain Saturday to Saturday rentals but their are not many left.

Personally, I like this because flights are cheaper mid week, you can book 5 nights if a whole week won't work. But I miss that old way of Slow Travel.

Are you still renting Saturday to Saturday?

 

[Kathy]

I think many places do still rent for a full week, though not always Saturday to Saturday. When I looked recently in Cornwall, I saw some places that had a different day. And I know in Provence, that many places-- especially the large properties-- are still for full weeks, usually Saturday to Saturday.

I think it the schedules mainly relates to housekeeping, and I know this from having our own apartment in Provence that we rent when we're not there. Finding and keeping a reliable cleaning person is really important.There are a limited number of cleaning people available, and most of them need to to have steady work more than just one day a week, especially if their work is focused on a main season.

I know most AirBnBs seem to allow shorter rentals and also often last-minute rentals. I'm not quite sure how they manage the cleaning part.

 

[Parigi]

I understood the Saturday-to-Saturday system was mainly used in France. It had originally been meant to suit families with children who have school Monday to Friday. Another factor is that this system gives the landlors more of a chance to rent out their popular rentals non-stop, with no 2- or 3-day gaps in between.
Outside of France, and outside the Gites-de-France system, this Saturday-to-Saturday rule is by no means set in stone, in my experience.

 

[Sharon J]

Still rent Saturday to Saturday at Sant'Antonio outside Montepulciano. Works perfectly. As you said, fly in, drive to rental, depart the following Saturday to new location. Three days would never be enough at anyplace we stay.

 

[Cameron]

There's much more flexibility in arrival dates. With apartments in Paris, I find there's often a four-day minimum, so there's no day of the week start date. When looking in London recently, I ran across five-day minimums.

Here in the US, I find that summer vacation rentals in apartments/houses are always 7 days, with either Saturday to Saturday, or more often along the coast, Sunday to Sunday.

 

[JustTravel]

Our apartment in Brugge Belgium is one of six plus the owners' unit. Rental starts/ends on either Monday or Friday. The regular cleaning ladies come on those days. We will be arriving on a Wednesday this year and because we really want to stay there, our rental starts on the Monday before our arrival - De Drie Koningen.

In Venice, however, our apartment is being rented though a hotel, so rental can start on any day because the hotel has regular housekeeping staff - Pensione Guerrato.

Our last rental in Paris is owned by the "madame" who lives upstairs. Rental can start on any day and it is very popular - Apartment by Place des Vosges.

 

[DragansDen]

Villa, rental owners, will always use option minimum stay seven days. Novasol for example. If you will stay short one night book the hostel or hotel for one night: Hostelworld.Com or Booking,com.

 

[Parigi]

"always use option minimum stay seven days"
Not always.
In my experience, the rental minimum has been, 2 days, or 3 days, or 5 days, or 7 days, or 14 days.

 

[Pauline]

In my experience, the rental minimum has been, 2 days, or 3 days, or 5 days, or 7 days, or 14 days.

I agree. Everything has changed now because of AirBnB.

 

[Cameron]

Well, I have to back-pedal a bit on Paris.

With the crackdown on apartments not paying taxes, the number of "legal" apartments are fewer, and I've noticed a few of my favorites are now requiring a six-day minimum in 2019, instead of four-day, as they in 2018.

 

[JMichael]

They may no longer require Saturday to Saturday, but we still follow the Slow Travel philosophy Pauline taught us years ago: stay at least a week, live like a local and roam in concentric circles.

 

[Pauline]

They may no longer require Saturday to Saturday, but we still follow the Slow Travel philosophy Pauline taught us years ago: stay at least a week, live like a local and roam in concentric circles.

I do too! Even if it isn’t a Saturday start we usually spend a week. It just feels right. I’ve noticed on AirBnB that some people offer a good discount if you book for a week or more.

 

[freakTraveller45]

I understood the Saturday-to-Saturday system was mainly used in France. It had originally been meant to suit families with children who have school Monday to Friday. Another factor is that this system gives the landlors more of a chance to rent out their popular rentals non-stop, with no 2- or 3-day gaps in between.
Outside of France, and outside the Gites-de-France system, this Saturday-to-Saturday rule is by no means set in stone, in my experience.

Yeah, that's not a rule at all!