Europe Has the Blankets, but Bring Your Sheets

The minor item of sheets is one of the major differences between Americans and Europeans in their attitude toward vacations.

That’s right.

Sheets. Bed linens.

The French, the English, the Germans and other nationalities have known for years the pleasures of renting someone else’s home or apartment for a month of lolling around or puttering in the garden without a hectic tour schedule to meet.

Americans have begun to drift in that direction, and a new guide just published can be a big help in figuring out how to go about renting a villa in Tuscany or an apartment in London.

The catch, however, is that you often must take your own sheets.

The European attitude seems to be that Americans are sissies.

“You Yanks, you’re spoiled. You want everything done for you,” said an English friend in response to my amazed reaction when told that one hauls along one’s own sheets when renting an otherwise furnished private home in France.

“We have houses renting for $30,000 a month, and they won’t throw in the linens,” said Barry Shepard, general manager of At Home Abroad of New York.

Shepard said his company can make arrangements to rent sheets in most, but not all, of the countries where they have rentals.

In France, for example, he said the cost is about $150-$200 a month, per couple, including laundering.

Outrageous as that may sound, there is a certain logic behind it. The price of sheets is truly exorbitant in France.

Last September I walked into Gallerie Lafayette in Montpellier and told the salesgirl I wanted two of the cheapest white single sheets they had, and the bill was 250 francs. At an exchange rate of a bit over six francs to the dollar, that is more than $41.

The situation is similar in other European countries, where the average person has traditionally made do with sheets of a very course quality of cotton.

Peter Trodd, a transplanted Englishman who has lived in Alabama long enough to have picked up American ways, if not a Southern accent, says he’s been trying to teach his British colleagues in the cottage rental business a little about how to market to Americans.

“We supply complete linen in every one of our cottages,” said Trodd, owner of Heart of England Cottages, a rental agency based in Eufaula, Ala.

He said he marvels at the shortsightedness of European marketers who could just as easily buy sheets and raise their rent to cover the cost.

“How’s an American family going to get on an overseas flight with enough towels and bed linens for everyone for a week, or a month?” Trodd asked.

“If they don’t provide sheets, find a place that does,” advised Michael Murphy, one of the authors of “A Traveler’s Guide to Vacation Rentals in Europe,” ($10.95; E.P. Dutton, New York).

The guide covers apartments, villas, cottages, chalets, farmhouses and condominiums. Such accommodations can save you 20% to 40% over the cost of a hotel, Murphy said.

If you’re willing to cook rather than dine out, the savings can be 50% to 70%.

Moti Benami, president of Hometours, a New York City agency that handles B&Bs; in New York, London and France, as well as rentals of apartments, villas and chalets in Europe, New York and Israel, said he advises clients that if just two people are staying at least a week, they can rent an apartment in London cheaper than they can get a B&B.;