Frequently Asked Questions to get easily prepared for your stay

You wish to rent a property on the Ile de Ré but you still have a few questions on your mind?

You have already rented a villa on the Ile de Ré and your stay is approaching rapidly?

Here is some useful and practical information to help you prepare your stay on the Ile de Re in the best of conditions.

Enjoy your stay!

How to go to the Ile de Re?

A special section is dedicated to means of transport to get to the Ile de Re.

Choosing a village on the Ile de Re?

The villages on the Ile de Ré all look quite similar but each is different if you look carefully. To help you choose the village that suits you best, there is a section devoted to the villages of the Ile de Ré.

Do I have to book from Saturday to Saturday?

Bookings are generally from Saturday to Saturday but in the very low season, rentals can start on other days of the week.

Is it possible to book for less than a week?

BSEF rentals are for a minimum of 1 week but in the low season short term rentals can be accepted.

In July & August, is it possible to rent for only 1 week?

In the peak season (from the second week of July to the end of August) only bookings of a minimum of 2 consecutive weeks from Saturday to Saturday are accepted (unless only 1 week remains available in the schedule).

How can I pay the rent?

The payments (booking deposit and balance) are made to BSEF – ILE DE RE using one of the following means:

  • credit card (Visa or Mastercard) via the Online Payment section of the Site,
  • French cheque,
  • bank transfer,
  • cash in Euros (only if the balance is paid on arrival in the accommodation) within the legal limits and conditions for paying in cash.

Do we need a car?

The Ile de Ré is just over 35 km in length and only 4 at its widest point. On this quite little piece of quiet paradise, there are over 100 km of flat cycle paths.

If you are willing to breathe oxygen, if there are not lots of very young children or elderly persons in our group, if you don’t want to go off the island a lot, the best way by far to explore the Ile de Ré is by bike!

Where can we rent bikes on the Ile de Re?

There are as many bicycle hire companies on the Ile de Ré as there are pubs in England! You can find a list of hire companies which we tend to work with in the welcome booklet that you greeter gives you on arrival.

Where can we book a taxi?

You’ll find in the welcome booklet this list of taxi companies which we tend to work with:

  • Béatrice Taxi – +33 6 24 77 27 49
  • Serge Taxi – +33 6 81 86 36 29
  • Personal Chauffeur (up to 6 passengers – English spoken) – +33 6 58 87 22 83 or www.ChauffeurPriveLaRochelle.com
  • Taxi Olivier – +33 6 09 34 00 49 (aux Portes)

VTC La Rochelle 06 11 60 41 64 vtclarochelle@hotmail.com

Where do we get the keys to the house when we arrive?

A welcome message and booklet will be sent to you around 5 days before you are due to arrive. You’ll be given the name and telephone number of the BSEF person designated to greet you.

That person will arrange to meet you directly at your rental property (check-in) in order to:

  • hand over the keys, show you around and give you some advice on different points (working household appliances, instructions relating to the pool, sorting and collecting rubbish, sensitive points),
  • carry out the last formalities (payment of the balance, breakage deposit…),
  • provide your with house linen when requested,
  • give you the welcome booklet, a guide to the Ile de Ré and some tourist information (beaches, places to visit, restaurants…),
  • make an appointment to do your check out.

Who will be my contact during my stay?

A welcome message and a welcome booklet will be sent to you around 5 days before you are due to arrive. You’ll be given the name and telephone number of the BSEF person designated to greet you. In most cases, your greeter will be your point of contact throughout your stay.

When we arrive, will there be basic products in the house (soap, salt…)?

That depends on the generosity of the people in the house before you!! In any case, bring a minimum with you or plan a quick visit to the local supermarket.

Do you accept pets?

Pets are not accepted in all the houses. If you are planning on bringing a cat, dog or other animal, you should point it out at the time of booking. If the animal is accepted, it will feature on your rental contract.

Can we invite friends to sleep during our stay?

Yes of course, as long as the number of people sleeping in the house doesn’t exceed the maximum number of occupants featuring on the contract. Bringing additional mattresses or camp beds is not allowed.

If I have to cancel, will I get my booking deposit back?

The deposit is refunded in 2 circumstances:

  1. the house is rented out again for the same period and under the same conditions,
  2. cancellation insurance has been taken out and the reason for the cancellation is covered by the guarantee subscribed.

All you need to know about the cancellation insurance

This cancellation insurance, interruption and Tenant’s liability will enable you to be:

  • reimbursed of the unused period should you be forced to cancel or break your holiday,
  • covered for damage caused by fire, an explosion or water. To be insured for Tenant’s Liability is obligatory under French law.Please click on the following link to consult the general terms and conditions.

How do I take out cancellation insurance?

You should take out the insurance at the time of booking. You just need to check the box on the rental agreement and pay the premium (see price below) at the same time as your booking deposit.

How much does the cancellation insurance cost?

Cancellation insurance is 3.5% of rent (not including options and end of stay cleaning).

When do I have to pay the balance of the rent?

If you have rented during the very high season (mid July to end of August), the rental balance must be paid 1 month before the beginning of your stay.
If you rent during other periods, the balance of the rental is due at the latest on arrival.
This information is mentioned on the contract.

Are local stay taxes included in the rental price?

No, they are not.

gIs the electricity included in the rental price?

That depends on the rental period and on the house. In general, electricity is always included from June to September. You can find this information on the information sheet on each house in the tab «booking request».

When and how do I pay the breakage deposit?

By cheque or credit card when you arrive.

How much is the breakage deposit?

The breakage deposit varies from 750€ to 2500€ depending on the type of house you have chosen. This exact amount can be found in the information sheet on each house in the section «booking request».

If I break something during my stay, what should I do?

Plase, bring it to BSEF’s attention. This gives us time to repair or replace the broken items and ensure future rentals can take place with correctly functioning equipment. The cost of repairing or replacing equipment will, in most cases, be borne by your holiday insurance.

What is included in the end of stay cleaning?

The end of stay cleaning is done by us. We simply ask that your tidy the house, putting back any items you have moved, you do the washing up and put it all away.

Is the end of stay cleaning mandatory?

Yes, the house is cleaned by the agency at the end of your stay and it is mandatory.
The price of this service appears separately to the rental price so that the client only pays for cleaning once even if the stay is for several weeks.

Are our villas on the Ile de Re rented with bicycles?

Our holiday homes on the Ile de Re are not rented with bikes.

Out of the peak season (from mid-July to end of August), it is not necessary to book your bicycles before your arrival but in the peak season, it is much safer to rent your bicycles beforehand.

Is it up to us to carry out maintenance on the pool during our stay?

For each house, a qualified maintenance person will come round regularly to check on the pool and the quality of the water. If you think there is a problem with the pool, please DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING! Call your Bon Séjour en France contact who will get in touch with the maintenance person immediately.

What does the house linen option include?

When the house linen option is chosen, we provide:the linen for the beds (sheets, duvets covers & pillow cases),

  • the towels (2 per person),
  • the bath mats,
  • the tea towels.

If we choose the « house linen » option, will the beds be made up?

The beds will only be made up if you have opted for the Comfort Pack. Otherwise, we simply provide the house linen.

What is the « Comfort Pack »?

Certain basic additional services include end of stay cleaning and the provision of house linen (sheets, towels, bathmats and tea towels). The end of stay cleaning service is mandatory. The provision of house linen is an optional service.

In addition to these two services, the Comfort Pack offers a series of hotel type services including:

  • beds made on arrival,
  • weekly change of house linen,
  • regular cleaning service,
  • provision of beach towels.

Other services are can be organized on request, subject to availability: daily cleaning, baby-sitting, chef services…

Are beach towels provided?

Only if you opt for the « Comfort Pack » option.

Will I find equipment for my baby in the house?

Every house has a baby bed (travel cot in most cases), a mattress and a high chair. If you have opted for the provision of house linen, we provide a towel for your baby but cot linen is not provided.

Where should we leave the keys at the end of our stay?

The day before you leave (which will generally be the Friday before you leave on Saturday), a reminder will be sent to you by SMS confirming your check-out time.
During the check-out, your BSEF contact will check that your stay went well and go over the state of the house with you. You will hand over the keys during the check out process.