Everyone knows how to go about finding and booking a hotel. But a chalet?
There are 3 ways that chalets are rented: a chalet domain, an agency or by owner. To find them:
1. The chalet domain: Call or email the tourism office for the area you are traveling. Chalet domains are generally locally owned and operated and thus will be unique in each area. The local tourist office should be able to provide you with the websites of all chalet domains in their region.
2. Chalet agencies & by owner: I’ve grouped these together because it is often harder to tell if you are dealing with an agency, or directly by owner. These rentals are often advertised on “chalet rental” websites. Chalet owners or agencies pay to advertise their chalet(s) on these websites. For example: www.cottagesrentals.ca serves the provence of Quebec, among others. There are hundreds of other sites with large databases of chalets offering precise searches and allowing you to narrow your criteria. Read my post on chalet rental wesites for more information and links.
TIPS: when searching for a chalet for high-periods (holidays, july, aug, feb, mar) I recommend sending out many emails inquiring about dates and pricing. Be sure to include exact dates, number of adults, number of children and optionally your phone number in your request. Including this information from the start will allow the chalet owner or agency to give you an accurate price. Save yourself time, effort and potential dissapointment by getting price/availibility information before spending too much time on pictures, descriptions and details.
