MediaVacances closes on 20 November 2026: what to do before, why your booking stays valid, and where to keep renting from private owners without commission.
MediaVacances.com, a French site for renting holiday homes directly from their owners, is closing on 20 November 2026. If you booked through it, or simply want to rent from private owners in France, here is the short version: a booking you have already confirmed stays valid, because it is a direct agreement with the owner. Before the closure, copy the listing and note down the owner's contact details. To keep renting directly and commission-free, Driing, a French platform, lists more than 500 properties across 13 regions.
MediaVacances.com will stop its services on 20 November 2026. The site explains this itself on a page titled “Why is MediaVacances.com closing?”, reachable from the banner displayed on its pages (the site is in French). For more than twenty years it let private owners rent out their homes directly to holidaymakers, with no commission on bookings.
According to that page, the commission-free model the site defended for more than twenty-three years had become less and less suited to market changes, competition and marketing needs. For you as a traveller, the site disappears, but renting directly from an owner does not.
Copy the listing, note the owner's contact details and continue any ongoing conversation directly: this is the advice MediaVacances gives its tenants, and it takes about an hour. After the closure you will not be able to reopen the listing to find a phone number or an address.
Also keep your message history: copy the important exchanges (dates, price, the host's promises) into a document.
No: the closure of the site does not, on its own, cancel a confirmed booking. According to MediaVacances, a booking already in progress changes nothing for the tenant. Your agreement was made between you and the owner: it is a direct contract, and the site was only the place where you met.
Keep everything that shows this agreement: the rental contract or written confirmation, your exchanges with the host, proof of payment (bank transfer, receipt for the deposit) and a copy of the listing. A quick French vocabulary note: arrhes is a deposit that either side can walk away from (you lose it, or the owner returns double), while acompte is a down payment that commits both sides to the booking. Check which one you paid, then write to the owner to reconfirm the details of the stay.
Renting directly is safe if you check the host before paying, not after. The risk does not come from paying the owner directly; it comes from sending money to someone you have not identified. Four habits are enough.
On a large platform, a commission weighs on every booking; with direct rentals, the owner's price is the price you pay. Large platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com or Abritel offer a lot of choice, a powerful search engine and built-in payments. In return, they earn a commission on each stay, which is reflected in the displayed price or in what the host receives.
Commission-free direct rental, which MediaVacances practised and which Driing continues, works differently: the owner has no commission to pass on, sets the price, and the guest pays it as it is. For properties also listed on other platforms, Driing’s surveys showed a gap of about 17% on average in the traveller’s favour.
Driing keeps the principle you knew: listings from private owners, direct contact with the owner and no commission. Driing is a French platform connecting travellers and hosts, with more than 500 properties across 13 regions.
To see what this looks like, browse seaside holiday rentals across France, a chalet or flat among the mountain stays, or the charming B&Bs all over France. Each page gathers listings from owners you can contact directly.
Is my MediaVacances booking cancelled?
No. According to MediaVacances, a booking in progress changes nothing for the tenant: it is a direct agreement between you and the owner, which the closure of the site does not break. Keep the contract, your messages and your proof of payment, and reconfirm the details in writing with the host.
How do I find the owner after the closure?
Before 20 November, collect the owner's details from the conversation page or the listing: name, email, phone number and the address of the property. This is the advice MediaVacances gives its tenants. After the closure you will not be able to reopen the listing, so copy it now.
Where can I rent from private owners after MediaVacances?
Driing keeps the model you knew: more than 500 properties from private owners in 13 regions, direct contact with the host, no commission, and owners verified before anything goes online.
What if I am already talking to an owner?
Continue the conversation directly, by email or phone, before the closure. Note their contact details, confirm dates, price and conditions in writing, then ask for a contract. A dated message is evidence of what you agreed.
Is it risky to pay an owner directly?
The risk comes from the unknown, not from paying directly. Check the host's identity and ownership of the property, ask for a written contract, pay a deposit (arrhes or acompte) rather than the full amount, and never pay under pressure. If in doubt, walk away.
Is renting directly cheaper than using a commission-based platform?
Often, yes: with a direct rental, the host has no commission to pass on in the price. For properties also listed elsewhere, Driing’s surveys showed a gap of about 17% on average in the traveller’s favour.
Does Driing take a commission on my rental?
No. Driing takes no commission, from the traveller or from the host. Payment and contract are settled directly with the owner, as you agree together.
MediaVacances.com closes on 20 November 2026. Before then, copy the listing, note the owner's contact details and continue any ongoing conversation directly. A booking already confirmed is not cancelled: keep the contract, your messages and proof of payment.
Going forward, renting from private owners remains possible and safe if you verify the host, sign a written contract, pay a deposit and never pay under pressure. And if you knew MediaVacances for its commission-free model, Driing continues the principle: listings from private owners, direct contact, no commission, verified hosts.
This article is general information and does not replace personalised legal advice. For any question about your account or data at MediaVacances, please contact that service directly.
