"In most European countries, you can rent apartments in towns and on farms and houses in the countryside through agencies or directly from the local owner. The Italians call them 'agriturismos'; the Brits call them 'self catering apartments'; the French call them 'gites'; the Swiss and Germans call them 'ferienwohnungen.'
Vacation rentals come equipped with everything you need to live comfortably: sheets, towels, pots and pans, dishes, and cutlery. The house or apartment is cleaned before you arrive. Food is generally not provided, so you will need to shop for basic groceries when you arrive.
Rentals range from very simple apartments on working farms that rent for $500 or less per week to luxury villas that sleep 12 or more and rent for $5,000 or more per week."
-- Pauline Kenny in Slow Travel: Settle Down in a Temporary Home
Living Abroad 
