FAQs

You will want a car for your stay as there are no shops in the village and there are many sites in the area you’ll want to visit. You may want to rent a car in Paris or elsewhere on your trip, but if you want to get closer before you fetch your car, you can take the train (or airplane) to Clermont-Ferrand or St Etienne. Both cities have car rental agencies at the airport and train station.  St Privat du Dragon is easy to find and we will give you instructions on how to get there in your information package.

After your balance is paid and before your scheduled arrival, French Farmhouse Holidays will send you a rental information package about your stay at the property. It includes exact directions, the property address and telephone number, and the keyholder’s name and telephone number. The packet also includes general information about the rental and your stay in France.

You are asked to arrive after 4 pm on the day your rental starts. You need to leave no later than 11 am on your departure date. We appreciate your respecting these times to allow adequate preparation for your arrival and for those who follow you.

If you know in advance that you will not be able to arrive by 6 pm, please let us know your arrival time so we can make alternate arrangements. If you are delayed en route and will not be able to arrive by 6 pm, please call the keyholder to advise them of your new arrival time.

Although the renters before you may have left a few things, you are expected to supply your own provisions. There is a good stock of spices and other basics in the pantry cupboard. If you use up anything, you are expected to replace it before you leave. You can see a full list of on-site equipment and items on the Inside the Farmhouse page.

Services and shops in most villages and small towns are closed on Sundays and Monday mornings. Since most rentals start and end on a Saturday, we suggest you stop at a local market on your way to the house for provisions to last until Monday.

Our house has a washing machine and a dishwasher. European appliances function quite differently from those in North America. Instructions will be provided in the welcome binder at the house.

Our house has a welcome binder – a loose-leaf notebook with a variety of practical and tourist information – as well as a box full of local maps and brochures. You’ll also receive some of this information in your rental information package.

Once you arrive, you can also visit the local Office de Tourisme for tourist maps and brochures.

If there are problems with the house upon your arrival or during your stay, be sure to let us know. Call the keyholder or and tell them what’s wrong. Usually, problems can be remedied easily and will make your stay that much more enjoyable. We regret that complaints cannot be reviewed after your return if the keyholder has not been notified and allowed to resolve the problem while you are in residence.

If the problem is not resolved by the keyholder, you can contact French Farmhouse Holidays either France or in Canada (the French number will be supplied in your info kit). Be aware that there is a 9-hour time difference between France and the west coast of Canada. We will respond as quickly as possible.

The property is cleaned before you arrive and again when you leave. At departure, you are responsible for leaving it in an orderly fashion and there is a checklist at the back of the welcome binder for you to follow. Dishes should be washed and put away and all trash and bottles removed and deposited in the designated receptacles.

If more than average cleaning is required to prepare for the next renter, charges for extra cleaning will be charged to you.

Driving in France isn’t necessarily difficult, but it is different. French intersections are more often roundabouts, as opposed to traffic lights and unmarked intersections give priority to the right. Also, the left lane on the autoroute is strictly for passing – you will be tailgated if you’re not keeping up; don’t take it personally. But the biggest change for a first time visitor is that route markers are not always prevalent on road signs, but the towns along the way are always marked. That’s why it’s good to carry a map. It’s much easier to plot your trip by knowing in advance the towns that you’ll pass through; you won’t see a route number before every turn.

A few general speed limit rules (unless otherwise marked!):

• in a village or city – 50 km (as soon as you see a white sign with a red border with the city’s name)
• outside a village or city on a road with no central road divider – 90 km
• outside a village or city on a road with a central road divider – 110 km (90 km when raining)
• on the highway – 130 km (110 km when raining)