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General Information
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BUSINESS TERMS & CONDITIONSRates include all utilities, bed/bath linens, cooking/dining utensils and parking. Beach towels are not provided, so please bring your own. Each apartment has a small TV (Française seulement), a portable AM/FM/CD stereo with local English radio broadcasts for international news (BBC), sports, weather etc. (FM 106.5 Riviera Radio in Monaco), children's games (cards, checkers, etc.), books in English for light recreational reading, basic cooking herbs, spices, etc. These are privately-owned, "self-catering" apartments, so Guests are required to replenish consumable items, paper products, cleaning materials, etc. and to maintain and clean apartments as if it were their own home. Please return all furnishings to original configurations before departure! Someone will inspect the apartment following your departure. Minimum Stay/Discounts - One week, except for the Film Festival, which is fixed for the entire period of the Festival exhibition - a period of up to two weeks in mid-May. Discounts apply for stays over one week, i.e. 10% for 2 weeks, 15% for 3 weeks, and 20% for 4 weeks. Please inquire should you require a longer stay. Additional days over any weekly periods are prorated according to the appropriate seasonal weekly rate. Reservation/Confirmation
Payment - We hold telephonic/E-mail reservations for forty-eight (48)
hours pending receipt of a signed faxed rental agreement,
Residence
Beauvallon
A reservation is confirmed only upon receipt of Reservation/Confirmation Payment (1/2 rent) within seven (7) days. If we do not receive an emailed Agreement (or by fax, mail or other means) and/or a Reservation/Confirmation Payment within this time, then we reserve the right at our sole discretion, and without further notice, to cancel any tentatively scheduled use of an apartment and reassign its use. Final Payment - The balance of rental payment, with a returnable $200 deposit and $65 setup/prep fee, is required 45-days prior to arrival, after which we'll then forward keys, maps and other information to ensure timely delivery. If it becomes necessary to use "overnight" or "express delivery" services to send keys, maps, etc. to meet a Guest's planning requirements, then we'll simply deduct this from the Deposit. If you are within 45 days of arrival then we ask that you please forward the entire amount. Security Deposit - A $200 refundable Security Deposit is required with Final Payment. This is to cover and reimburse Owner for any damage, repairs, replacement of any broken or missing items, unauthorized phone usage, any non-routine cleaning requirement, etc. Provided there are no problems or damages and the apartment is left in good condition, we will refund Security Deposit by mail after keys are returned to us. If there's any problem or damage (repairs, extraordinary cleaning, telephone charges, etc.), then we will provide a written explanation and the cost and deduct it from the Security Deposit. If the charge exceeds the Security Deposit, then we'll provide an invoice for payment with an explanation of the costs incurred to resolve it. If anything is damaged during your stay, please let us know before you leave. Method of Payment -
Anytime prior to 45 days of your arrival we accept payment via personal and
company check payments in USD ($) if drawn from US bank accounts or credit card payments via
Paypal ( If you are not familiar with it, Paypal (now a subsidiary of eBay) is a secure online instant payment system that debits your credit card, credits any beneficiaries' Paypal account, and then sends a confirming E-mail to both parties. Transactions can be made in USD ($), GBP (£), EUR (€), or most any other local currency. You must have your own Paypal account to make a payment. If you do not yet have a Paypal account it costs nothing to open one, and easily done online. You only need a credit card and an E-mail address. Paypal also recently announced the launch of its UK website. Within 45-days of your arrival, we accept confirmed credit card payments via Paypal, cashier's or bank checks, wire transfers, certified checks, travelers checks, or money orders. If you would like to wire funds, then let us know and we will provide bank routing details.
Apartment
Rental Agreement - To book an apartment simply
email to let us know when you'd like to
arrive and we'll confirm apartment availability. If urgent, you can also
telephone. We're available at all times at US mobile # +1-804-921-8041 or
+1-804-921-3331. Once agreed on dates,
then download the applicable Agreement for either
Residence
Beauvallon
About 45 days from your reservation date, please complete your Final Payment and then we'll send keys, maps, directions and any other additional information...it's as simple as that! If your requirement for an apartment is urgent and you are within this 45-day period, then following complete payment by credit card (UK) or wire transfer, we will Express deliver keys, maps and instructions to any international location within days. Examples of previous delivery times have included: Australia/NZ (5 days), Canada/USA (24 hours), Denmark (48 hours), India (72 hours), Ireland/UK (48 hours), Lithuania (5 days), Netherlands (48 hours), Norway (5 days), and Japan (48 hours). Please familiarize yourself with all information here and in the Agreement. For your convenience we also provide a "Traveler's Checklist" that you can view, save, or print to help you prepare for your trip! It's helped us personally, so we offer it for your use. You can also print and take with you much of the information here on the website for reference. If you have any questions about reserving an apartment for your Riviera visit, just email us today!
CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT TIMESPlease plan to arrive after 3:00 P.M. on your arrival date, and check out before 12:00 P.M. (noon) on your departure date. Please observe this Check-out time and the following Check-out procedures in consideration of the guests who will follow: Checkout Procedures 1) Dispose of all perishable food items 2) Wash all dishes and return to shelves 3) Sweep floors 4) REMOVE all trash, perishable food, personal goods, newspapers, magazines and any other local promotional brochures or sales literature, etc. 5) Return all household items, equipment, furniture, and porch equipment to original locations and configurations 6) Strip linens from beds, with exception of bedspreads, mattress pads, and blankets. Soiled linens and towels may be left in the bathtub 7) If you wash linens before leaving (...that would be great!), then please leave these hanging on the drying racks provided. 8) Roll-up canvas porch awning, close all window shutters, and secure all doors and windows 9) Return all keys as soon as possible with a Guest Comments form we provide In advance, we thank you - particularly on the behalf or our guests who will follow you - for your assistance and cooperation!
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
AngloInfo.Com always has ready information on most things and they also have a page devoted to local transportation. If you have a special requirement, please let us know - we can help through our contacts in the area. We've also received information from Elite Limousines who state that they can offer quick, efficient and economical transport. Contact Pierre Mirochnikoff at aaa.limo@wanadoo.fr or infos@elitelimousines.com for info. Their chauffeurs are fully trained, insured, and licensed. (TCP DOT License N°222). Their website is http://www.elitelimousines.com or call (+33) 1 4720 7020 or fax (+33) 1 4720 7320.
FURNISHINGS AND EQUIPMENTEach apartment is equipped with standard kitchen appliances, e.g. coffee maker, microwave oven, etc. For Résidence Beauvallon
For Résidence Santa Barbara I and II
Upon departure, in addition to leaving apartment clean, please return all furniture and equipment to original locations and configurations...the next group appreciates it ;-)
HOUSEKEEPINGWhile we have someone perform overall apartment preparations, our apartments are SELF-CATERING and each Guest is expected to maintain the apartment and leave it clean and undamaged with and all food and garbage removed. We provide standard equipment such as a brooms, mops, buckets, etc. Additional cleaning materials and incidentals, if not present, are to be obtained at the Intermarché, Casino, or other local supermarket. For Résidence Beauvallon, kitchen residue and small garbage items are to be placed in small plastic shopping or trash bags and disposed of using the trash chute in the outside hallway - behind the door directly to the right of the apartment's front entrance. Larger items can be disposed of in the basement. The door to the basement is immediately adjacent to the stairs on the first floor landing when entering the building, and can be unlocked using a key that is hanging either by the radiator in the kitchen, or in the hallway closet or one we sent with the door keys. For Résidence Santa Barbara I or II, kitchen residue and small garbage items can be placed in small plastic shopping or trash bags and disposed of by walking down to the basement garage refuse room. Use the same door combination provided with your keys and apartment instructions to access the basement. Larger items must be taken to the walk-in Refuse Area behind the Mail Room at the entrance to the apartments. Upon departure, in addition to leaving the apartment CLEAN, please return all furniture, windows, shutters, and other household equipment to original locations and configurations. An associate will check the apartment after your departure, so to receive your full deposit, please take good care of the apartment during your stay.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCEBefore leaving the country, you can refer to medical information that is more comprehensive at the U.S. State Department website; Medical Information for American's Traveling Abroad. In case of an emergency, they also have an Overseas Citizens Service at (202) 647-5225. Relatives can contact this number and State Department representatives in the country you're visiting will be contacted to try to reach you. The US Embassy has numerous resources with guides to English-speaking doctors and hospitals, mostly in Paris, but in a few other places also. In case of emergency, their number is 01.43.12.22.22. Write it down, or print this, and take it with you. More US embassy and consular contacts throughout France are available here. The Nice consular office has doctors listed here. The address to the US Consular agency is: 7 avenue Gustave V, 3rd floor, 06000 Nice; Tel: 04-93 88-89 55 Fax: 04-9387-0738. If you are from a Commonwealth country, or elsewhere, please check with your respective national authorities for more info about the presence of their diplomatic and/or citizens' services locations in France. In Résidence Beauvallon there should be a guide for local doctors in Vallauris - by specialty, in the telephone cabinet in the living room. Several first aid items are located in the bathroom cabinets. For emergency assistance the number for Police service is "17" - for Fire the number is "18." The non-emergency number for the Police is 04.92.90.78.00. As with most European quarters, the apartments are NOT "child-proofed." If you plan to visit with small children, please take appropriate personal precautions to supervise and keep your children safeguarded at all times.
TRAVEL INSURANCEWe've been told that French law requires that travelers be covered by comprehensive Travel Insurance - including personal liability coverage. While perhaps familiar to European travelers, most North Americans and others may not be familiar with, or consider, such coverage. However, it is our Guest's responsibility to ensure that all members of their party are protected for any eventuality that may be afforded by such travel coverage's. AAA offers travel insurance through Access America, Inc. (World Access) in Richmond, VA 1-866-807-3982 (toll-free), which in most instances may cover most any loss. Based on the experiences of some of our guests, and ourselves, we strongly recommend the use of Trip Cancellation insurance, at the least, to protect your vacation investment, as we are unable to make refunds once we have committed our staff and resources towards your holiday. Depending on your personal health circumstances, we also recommend consideration of Medical Evacuation insurance. Medical Evacuation policies pay for emergency evacuations to well-equipped hospitals if you get injured in a remote locale, and some add features such as legal assistance, diplomatic help, and even cash. Check for exclusions such as rock-climbing, injuries from war, terrorism, etc. MedJet offers annual yearly assistance, and will transport you to any facility you want. International SOS Assistance and American Express provide platinum and centurion cardholders with evacuation insurance free, but will themselves determine if and where they'll send you. Most US health care plans will only cover basic transportation to a local French medical facility, whereas a MedEvac policy can get you back to your home country of origin. For your convenience we have provided additional information on the website that we have come across, along with links. More info here...
SECURITYGarde a vous! On guard! BE ADVISED! While safer from bodily harm than many places, the issue of securing money, travelers' checks, papers, passports, and other valuables at all times should always be a primary consideration when going out, especially in France and Italy. Threats to personal safety are not an issue, but unless you're an experienced traveler or otherwise accustomed to blending into a local foreign environment, then you'll be quickly marked as a tourist and thus a target for bold street thieves. Your clothes, language, mannerisms, etc. will easily identify you as a foreigner...a tourist - and a prospective target! France, Italy and Monaco all have very low rates of violent crime, but petty larceny is extremely common in France and Italy, and a sad commentary on the current state of law enforcement in these European countries. Pick pocketing, purse snatching, theft of unattended (and even attended) baggage and shopping bags from vehicles or rental cars with non-local license plates are daily occurrences. If it happens to you it'll surely ruin your day - and possibly your vacation - but you shouldn't be threatened bodily (...frankly, they're mostly cowards). The French Federal Police (Gendarmerie National) is highly competent, but don't be surprised if the local police (Police Municipale) are not very excited about catching petty thieves. Our contacts consider the local police particularly inept, apathetic, perhaps incompetent - possibly even corrupt. They're far more interested in paperwork, discussing news of the day, coffee breaks and aperitifs. There's little evidence of proactive community policing, crime prevention initiatives, or law enforcement EXCEPT parking violations (it's money in the bank). Park in any restricted area and you're a police target! There are few, if any, consequences for perpetrators of street crime, particularly if they are under the age of 16, when they are required to be released after 24-48 hours. Also, unlike Northern France, it's rare that to see helpful, friendly faces at the local Gendarmerie, or walking a "beat" to protect local citizens - unless they're handing out parking tickets. With the exception of Federal law violations, violent crimes or drugs, or crimes against the political establishment - local law enforcement is laughable in Southern France. Our local French friends consider local law enforcement a bad joke. The city of Nice has the highest crime rate in France. Cannes also has a high crime rate, but due to the large numbers of international tourists and business conference attendees, we're told that these crimes go unreported by public officials and news reports suppressed in the local press. We cannot validate it, local business owners tell us that Cannes city officials prefer to avoid alarming the business tourism industry, which holds many international business conferences at the Palais de Festivals throughout the year. Regrettably, these same conferences are also a major magnet, attracting street thieves and teen pickpockets. It is an unfortunate, but regrettably accurate state of affairs here. But never fear, the following basic guidelines and precautions will help insure that you are not a victim and avoid this type of occurrence. 1. Be "on guard" in crowds! Pickpockets and thieves frequent tourist attractions; Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs are a real magnet for thieves after dark), museums, monuments, restaurants, hotels and beaches, trains, train stations, airports and subways - any place where there's a crowd or money is a likely place for theft. 2. Carry only necessary cash and a limited number of credit cards. ATMs are everywhere now in France, so you can access your cash through these. While ATM's are convenient, keep a lookout for thieves and keep your car doors locked when using any ATM. Be ON GUARD for local teens on foot or motorbikes!! Secure spare cash, credit cards, and passport at the apartment, or if traveling in a hotel safe. Only carry a copy of your passport with you. 3. Always assume that cash, cards, etc. are targets for pickpockets. Ladies are strongly advised NOT to carry any handbags. If you must have a bag, then use a shoulder bag or a purse that fits beneath your clothing. 4. If you travel by car keep your car doors locked at ALL TIMES. This is especially true when stopped at intersections and ATMs. Young thieves often ride motor scooters and ride directly up behind a vehicle they mark as a "target." One will jump off and try the doors. If locked, then they take off in a hurry. Also, when they ride by they'll try to open any car doors when you're stopped, and then grab any loose packages or purses - which they will also do when walking along on the street! If someone tries to stop you to ask a question, consider them VERY carefully before giving them your time. If appropriate...disregard them and continue on your way. The key is to keep all doors locked, ALL packages out of sight and in the trunk, and don't carry a purse. We've also been told that thieves will use pepper spray to surprise and distract you, before they snatch something, so keep your car doors locked. However, here's the real kicker - if you harm them in ANY WAY, not only do you run the risk that you might be hurt; but there is also a very good possibility that YOU might face assault charges. Our local friends tell us that they believe that local French law generally favors the perpetrators of these crimes. If you harm them, then THEY become the victims. Victim's rights are unheard of here, as French law is widely regarded as favoring thieves and criminals. 5. Don't leave ANYTHING in a parked car - locked or unlocked. Consider EACH individual situation, maintaining situational awareness at all times, ESPECIALLY AFTER DARK, learn how to listen to your gut instincts and then use your best judgment. If you feel uncomfortable, then pay attention and keep a good heads-up on whatever is going on around you. When you go to the markets, make sure you lock your bags in your trunk! 6. Loss or theft of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. It's always a good idea to make a copy of your passport, and keep it separate from the original. Should the passport be lost or stolen contact the police. 7. Our simple guideline: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." For US citizens, additional information is available in the U.S. Department of State's pamphlet "A Safe Trip Abroad." This provides useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad. Other nationals are strongly advised to check with their government offices in the event it becomes necessary to have support from your nations' government, as well as get a list of your government's embassy and consulate offices in Nice, Paris, or elsewhere in France. Not many electronic indexes of national embassies on the net, but you might stop to get contact info here: Embassy.Org.
TELEPHONESFor dialing instructions to France from countries other than the USA, please check the local national dialing instructions necessary to access the international network, and then dial the country code for France "33", and then leave off the "0" before dialing the appropriate apartment telephone number. The number for your apartment is located on your rental agreement under "Telephones, Messages, and Mail". Please inform your friends, relatives, or associates of your telephone number in the event you must be contacted for emergency purposes. Local calls ("04" prefix) are complimentary; however, no direct dialed long distance calls, directory assistance calls, or incoming collect calls are permitted. Residence Santa Barbara telephones are restricted to local use ONLY. You must have an international long distance calling card (ATT, C&W, MCI, etc.) with the corresponding French toll-free access number in order to make phone calls. Alternatively, you can also purchase pre-paid calling cards with varying totals of call minutes from any French phone store outlet (they're everywhere) or post office. This last option is what we do when visiting. Any long distance calls must be made with a calling card. If long distance calls are recorded on the bill during your stay we will send a copy of the bill for payment. Telephone calls may also be made from the local Post Office. Also mail can be sent through the local post office (Poste). Should we receive an emergency message, we'll make every effort to have the message delivered to the apartment as quickly as possible. AT&T's publishes a Worldwide Calling Guide, an instructional booklet the company has published for more than a decade. This was updated last year to include resources for international travelers carrying laptops with modems. The Worldwide Calling Guide has long provided instructions for dealing with unfamiliar phone systems using AT&T Direct Service. AT&T Direct offers toll-free access to the AT&T network and English-speaking operators to callers from more than 150 countries and saves travelers money by avoiding costly hotel surcharges and high calling rates. If you have a laptop, the Worldwide Calling Guide provides a toll-free number that travelers can call to determine their electrical converter and telephone jack adapter needs, based on the countries they'll visit. There are a number of internet cafes for those who do not want to carry computers. You can obtain AT&T Laptop Access Software™ from the AT&T Worldwide Traveler Web site at http://www.usa.att.com/traveler/. The software does for modems what AT&T Direct does for callers-simplifies lengthy and confusing international dialing sequences and saves money by using the AT&T network. The software automatically adjusts internal dialing scripts the modem will use to access LANs, e-mail and your U.S.-based Internet service provider from more than 150 countries. The AT&T Worldwide Calling Guide, which includes an AT&T Direct Service wallet card for ready reference, is available free by calling 1-800-435-0812. You can also download the card, as well as AT&T Laptop Access software, when you visit AT&T's Web site for travelers at http://www.usa.att.com/traveler/. Internet access for our North American customers is available from the apartment through individual arrangement, due to the associated access surcharges involved. Several guests have had success with America On Line (AOL). More info about AOL international access can be viewed at <http://intlaccess.web.aol.com/Getting_started.htm>, along with the access numbers for all other countries from which AOL is accessed. Suzie and I usually rent a GSM (non-US/international cellular protocol) cellular phone through WorldCell ahead of our trip, and they have offered us the use of their rental phones in the past with the first week rental free. We've had good experience with WorldCell and - mais bien sûr - their per minute charges are like long distance charges, but it's great peace of mind to be connected no matter where you go. If in Cannes and you want a phone you can try Hutchison Telecom in Cannes at 5-7 av. du Maréchal-Juin, tel. 04 93 94 56 56 or fax 04 93 43 50 85. You can also try Selek Ltd. at BVWorldCall.com, or tel. (+377) 97 97 20 87 (Monaco). Also, locally, try Com and Call at 04 93 94 56 56. We believe these latter to be reputable and fair, but do not have any direct knowledge or experience with them. International global-access pre-paid phone card are also available from 1st4phonecards.com (formerly UK Phonecards), a UK-based firm offering cards that can be used to call anywhere in the world from about 35 different countries - including France. The card is currently available in $20 and $50 denominations. It offers toll-free access numbers with no connection or other maintenance fees. Calls are made by dialing a local access toll-free number (in France it's 0800 916 926), and then entering the PIN number that you'll get by email. For example, on a $20 phone card, you'll have up to 180 minutes to call "to & from" Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria, Sweden, Singapore, the USA, or the UK!! The card's details are delivered by email, so there's actually no physical card shipped. This makes the "card" convenient to order. Purchases of "cards" are made by credit card via their secure (secure socket layer or "SSL") server. As "card" info is supplied by email only, this means that the details you need to make your cheap (30-minutes from France @ $3.00) international phone call will be sent to you by email directly after placing your order! Purchasing French Calling Cards & Related Items: |
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| To call from a pay phone requires a French prepaid calling card known as the "telecarte", as coin-operated phone booths hard to find now. The telecarte can be purchased in most any tobacco shop, newsstand, bookstore, post office and many cafes. These prepaid calling cards for either local or long-distance calls are sold for around $7 or $14, and each call subtracts a certain number of units (or "unites") from the card. | |||||||||||||
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 PETSSorry - no pets allowed, well-behaved or otherwise. We'll consider guide dogs for the visually impaired; however, as a general rule...no pets.
WHO TO CALLAgents - If necessary, we may be reached from the apartment by dialing (00) (+1) 804-355-2125. If you need sitter assistance, cleaning assistance, transportation, or any other kind of help, simply let us know and we will put you in touch with some of our local contacts who are willing to help. Police/Emergency and Assistance
Services Maintenance (plumbing/electrical, etc.) - The apartment is operated as a "self-catering" accommodation. In accepting use of the apartment as "your own" and making yourself at home, we ask all guests to take care of immediate "do-it-yourself" issues. Send us receipts for any materials used or services you engaged to assist you to fix a problem, and we'll compensate you for your expenses. For "serious" problems call us directly in the US at (00) (+1) 804-355-2125. Obviously, logistics are problematical for us here, so we ask that you please resolve any immediate issues or problems and we'll make necessary restitution afterwards. Light bulbs and common household tools should be located in the hallway pantry closet.
® Registered marks of RivieraRental.Com, Inc.
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