A Guide to Self-Catering Apartments

If I can, I make phone contact with the agency or with the representative for the property. I evaluate how they "sound" to me. Do the prices and the facilities they quote jibe with those touted by the other sources I have checked? Are they accommodating and forthcoming in response to my questions?

This isn't Kansas, Toto

People assume that leasing an apartment in a foreign country is the same as leasing one in the United States. Not true. To my mind, there are some crucial considerations about the apartment you choose: o Is electricity free? It might be billed at check-out, or you may have to regularly feed coins to a meter. Most apartment rentals now include electricity with the rental fee, but if the agency is silent about it, you should ask. o Will you have all modern appliances? Unless specified otherwise, most rental apartments in Europe will not provide a dishwasher. Some will have clothes-washing equipment, but not dryers. In some, a telephone costs extra. Ask before booking.

o There may be hidden fees. Does the local government levy a tax that you have not been warned about? Is there a usage fee for any portion of the apartment building or the equipment? What is the total actual daily or weekly rental fee that you must pay? Is there a security deposit? If the landlord or agency seems evasive, or if the answer is confusing, look elsewhere.

o One might expect that apartments catering to tourists would provide sheets and towels. Au contraire. Unless you want to schlep your own linens, ask if they are furnished. Some rentals charge more for these. If they are provided, how often are fresh ones dropped off?

o What is the security arrangement? Will you be provided a physical key, or will you enter using a combination key and security number? Who else will have a key, and from whom and where do you pick it up when you arrive? o If you want your own bathroom, make sure it is specified as an en suite bath. If you don't mind sharing facilities with other residents, an apartment with a shared bath is always cheaper. Ask what the bath includes. Is it merely a toilet/sink, or does it have a tub/shower, too?

o What is in the kitchen? If you plan to cut costs by preparing your own food, is the kitchen sufficiently outfitted? I like to cook full meals with ingredients from the markets. Therefore, a kitchen with only a hot plate and a coffee pot would never suffice for me, although it might be fine for those who aren't interested in learning to cook the local delicacies.

o If you intend to rent a car, is parking available? If so, is the space nearby? Does it require a separate fee? o In what form and in what amount will you make your payment? Most rental agencies accept credit cards, but not all of them do. If this is the case, your bank can send a wire transfer.

o Are there any other unforeseen restrictions on your stay? For example, is there a limit to the number of people who may stay overnight in the apartment, or are there rules concerning which days you may check into or out? If you arrive in town at night, will someone be there to check you in and give you a key to the dwelling?

o Finally, be sure you receive a written confirmation either via the Internet or mail. Ask about the cancellation policy, too. Be sure you understand all the financial arrangements-fully-before completing a final booking.

Leave Jeeves, the butler, to the hotels You don't need Jeeves. You can wash your breakfast dishes yourself, use the coin-operated laundry down the street, or (horrors) sweep the kitchen floor, if need be. You can learn the intricacies of foreign plumbing. The independence and the fun of living in your own apartment more than make up for the lack of room service and guides leading you by the nose, on someone else's schedule.

And what, pray tell, are you likely to remember of your stay in a self-catering apartment? I lapse into reverie to report: