To Airbnb or Not to Airbnb? Episode 330
Join Us in France Travel Podcast
Annie Sargent
4.8 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 28 March 2021
⏱️ 59 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of the podcast Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin discuss the pros and cons of Airbnb for people who visit France. The apartment rental giant is facing more and more scrutiny because it has disrupted the travel market and now rents more rooms than several hotel chains combined.
This episode features my frequent guest Elyse Rivin. You can book a tour with her through her website and you can also support her on Patreon.
Even if you think it's great that the hotel industry is facing increased competition there are some things you need to think about before booking an Airbnb in France:
- Neighbors getting fed up with ever-changing occupants.
- Owners canceling a few days before you're due to arrive.
- Local residents being priced out of the rental market.
- Apartments with hidden flaws.
- Owners taking a long time when there is a problem.
Having said that, there are times when Airbnb is the best option. This is true for visitors who have special dietary needs and will cook for themselves. The same goes for groups who need more bedrooms. We're not anti Airbnb but we think there are better options, especially in France.
Get the Real Local Flavor
France is littered with Maisons d'hôte aka Bed and Breakfast. They are all over the country and there are even some in central Paris! There is no better way to meet locals. The question is how do you find such accommodations without searching for days? Booking.com makes that easy!
We also love the Gites de France site and the properties they list. A Gite is a furnished apartment or house you can rent for a few days or a few months. There are none in Paris, but they are literally everywhere else in France.
If you're driving around the French countryside and would love to stay in a French chateau, you MUST check out the Relais et Chateaux. Some of them are surprisingly affordable! There are some in Paris as well.
The Plum Guide is like Airbnb but they visit the apartment before listing it so you're sure to have a well-appointed place.
Home Stay and Holiday Homes are also possibilities. Annie uses a website called MindMyHouse which is great for longer trips when she wants her dogs and cat pampered at home.
Full show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/330
Patreon | Boutique | Newletter | Booking
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is This is Join Us in France episode 330. |
| 0:04.0 | Bonjou, I'm Annie Sergeant and join us in France is the podcast where we look around France and leave no stone unturned. |
| 0:12.0 | Today I bring you a conversation with Elise with this question. |
| 0:17.1 | To Airbnb or not to Airbnb. That is the question. We share our opinions and experiences and provide you with plenty of |
| 0:26.9 | choices to research your next great place to stay in France with your family or with your friends. |
| 0:34.0 | You've got so many choices to make and I think it's best to narrow things down easily |
| 0:40.0 | and I'll tell you how I do it. |
| 0:42.0 | If you like what we do here at join us in France |
| 0:44.8 | consider supporting us by going to patreon.com for a slash join us and by |
| 0:49.5 | visiting join us in France dot com forward slashique to check out my cookbook, join us at the table and my Paris |
| 0:57.0 | tours on the Voice Map app. The best way to stay in touch with me and with the |
| 1:02.1 | podcast is to sign up for the newsletter |
| 1:04.7 | at join us in France.com forward slash newsletter. the the way. |
| 1:23.0 | The way. The way. The way. Bonjour Elise. |
| 1:39.0 | Bonjour Elise. |
| 1:40.0 | On this beautiful day we are going to talk about the dark side of Airbnb or I know I'm |
| 1:46.9 | not sure what I'm going to title the episode there probably you know Airbnb |
| 1:50.6 | and alternatives to Airbnb because we're going to soon going to start traveling again |
| 1:56.9 | which is great news but maybe we should take a pause and think about what our choices are when it comes to where we stay |
| 2:06.0 | and how we book these things. |
| 2:07.6 | Yes, I think, just because I think we live here in Europe, I mean I know that this is an issue to discuss even in the states and for traveling |
| 2:18.2 | anywhere in the world but it's true that here we have been able to see the bad effects of too much tourism and the |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Annie Sargent, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Annie Sargent and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.