I do believe there is so much investment in Nice from foreigners, that there are ample opportunities to rent your apartment direct with an English speaking owner.
Gone are the days where the agent is king. The direct approach seems to me to have more choice and it is more cost effective. I booked direct with a stunning apartment just a couple of streets from the famous Negresco Hotel and one minute from the beach. I got an excellent two week deal with a pretty good discount.
I did scour around whilst I was there to get prices for hotels. Every thing at the time of my trip was over €100 per night for a double room. I paid €65 per night, plus I had all the comforts of my own kitchen and plenty of space.
So in all I saved €490 for the two week period, which effectively made our flights free and gave us a couple of decent nights out in town.
We eventually booked with a couple who have lived there for over three years. They handled everything professionally and we were very impressed. We will be back for sure. There are plenty of sources on the web to find owners but we did find this particular couple very friendly and professional.
Thanks for this tip. I booked with this company and was able to stay in a really nice apartment in a central area for under half the cost of an equivalent hotel room.
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