How do I find a rural house in North of Spain?

How do I find a rural house?

We all have this experience: We are looking for a rural house to spend our vacations or a weekend and we start to plan. Where do I find the best house? The offers are endless and there are all kinds of accommodations and internet portals that offer them: Toprural, Clubrural, Escapadarural,  Homeaway, Rentalia, Airbnb…and you haven’t got a clue where to start.

Which kind of rural house are you looking for?

Initially, you should establish a few criteria:

• the destination

• The type of people you are traveling with

• How many days you dispose of

You don’t look for the same facilities when you go away for 2 days  as when you plan your yearly holidays. Your requirement will be completely different if you travel with or without children. Once this is solved you start your search.

Where do you look?

In Spain exist several specialized Internetportals for rural tourism, like Escapadarural and Clubrural, and other regional portals like Cabriarural or Casasruralesasturias. Currently there is an enormous offer for “rural” accommodations which after all are not that rural. Accommodations enrolled at the “Rural Tourism Organisation” have to comply with certain rules and receive inspections which check and assure their requirements.

Be careful with newspaper advertisements, bargains, or the house that belongs to a friend of the cousin of our neighbour from the 5th floor. I am in the rural tourism business since 1994 and I’ve seen it all. Desperate families that, after practically travelling through the entire country, found that the rented house didn’t even exist. Clients who found an entirely different house than the one shown on the photos, impossible beds and houses in unacceptable conditions.

The Internet is good tool when you want to be sure to find what you’re looking for. The here mentioned Internetportals are a good help and the forums and discussions give you additional information. As a house owner myself I know that expressed opinions on the houses are not always corresponding to reality, but these are still a good hints.

Consider your needs and requirements and search on base of these. It might be important for you that the house has a garden, or a fireplace or a huge TV, than you should use these search criteria. The Internetportals as well as the websites of the accommodation themselves offer this kind of information, so there will not be any surprises.

How do I decide?

After applying all the filters, like dates, number of persons and requirements you need to decide. On-line reservations are very fashionable nowadays. This is not a bad thing but it always depends for what. I myself prefer the personal contact. That means you communicate  talking or by mail which gives you a feeling for the person who will be responsible for a part of the success of your holidays. This contact will help you in your final decision.

Perhaps I can be useful for your next trip. I’m available for all questions you might have. I know a lot about Rural Tourism. www.primorias.es