FAQ

About Bookings

  • If you’re a nomad or a remote worker, if you like to live with other people, and want to find a home base, then Aulus Coliving is for you.

    We value people who strive to be real, authentic, and who like to share with others.

    Also, if you like being in nature and/or in the mountains, and if you’re an active person, this will be a paradise for you.

  • We have a maximum capacity of 15 people. We found that anywhere between 10-15 people is the sweet spot for a great community that can be sustainable in the long run. By not having too many people, we keep things not too hectic, which helps finding a better balance when staying for a long time.

  • We’d like you to stay at least one month (and we encourage you to stay more!). Having such a minimum stay is key to keeping a good balance for everybody. By staying minimum one month, you won’t feel like you have to do everything on the first week/weekend, and this will put less pressure on other people. Also, it takes time to make great connections with people, and we don’t want to rush that. Longer stays are the key to community stability.

    However, for now we also accept 2+ weeks bookings if you can’t commit to a full month yet (additional charge per night in this case). This option may be removed at some point.

  • What you pay covers:

    • Private access to your room

    • Ensuite bathroom (unless in the shared bed room)

    • Access to all shared spaces and community events

    • Fully equipped kitchen

    • All utility bills (electricity, gas, water, internet)

    • Weekly cleaning

    • Tea and coffee

    • Access to the coliving washing machine (additional fee of 2€/load, that’s the only thing you will pay extra).

  • No, we don’t accept anybody under 18 years old.

  • Unfortunately the place is not suitable for pets at the moment.

  • After you send a request and get accepted, we will ask you to pay for the first month (or full amount if you stay less than a month) via wire transfer. Then, when you’re here, you pay month by month at the end of each month.

    If you cancel your stay before arriving (up to 30 days before), you will get this money back as a deposit for your next stay (within 24 months max).

    If you cancel your stay less than 30 days before arriving, you lose the first month, as it makes it more complicated for us and we may not be able to find someone else to stay with such a short notice.

Planning your stay

  • We have written a full article here with everything explained step by step.

  • Absolutely not! You can easily get here with public transport. Also, you can find plenty of shops/restaurants/activities accessible by foot (max 5 minutes walk). There are also several buses to go to the next big town. And if there are more people with cars (which is usually the case) you can also tag along.

  • Yes, you can park anywhere in the village. There is a parking lot with 15 spots just 50 meters away from the coliving.

  • We have a small supermarket 150 meters from the coliving. It has everything you need on a daily basis, and some really nice local products. You can also buy fresh bread every morning in another shop, delivered from a local bakery.

    For bigger purchases, we go to the nearest big town (30-40 minutes drive, 1h by bus). There, on Saturday morning, there is also the most amazing farmer’s market (bold claim, I know, but wait until you see it).

  • As the coliving is in the mountains, the weather can vary quite a lot. Sometimes we have a few weeks of amazing sunny weather, followed by a week of rain, it’s impossible to predict. It could be sunny in the morning, with rain (or not) in the afternoon. 

    Then, temperature wise, it’s the same as everywhere else: cold in the winter, hot in the summer (such useful information, you’re welcome). The cool thing about the hot days here is that it stays fresh in the morning and evening. Everybody sleeps so well here. 

    Also, from experience, if you look at the weather forecast online for Aulus-les-Bains, you can basically add +4 degrees to what the forecast says (we don’t know exactly how they measure the temperatures around here but we think there are 2 options. Either they are drunk, or they do it at a higher altitude, in the forest, which makes the forecast for the village not so accurate).

Work

  • We have 1GB fiber optic (+ 4G backup). Fully optimised Ubiquity - Unify setup with access point on each floor. With Wi-Fi, you’ll get a solid 150-500mbps depending on your device and where you are in the house.

    There are plenty of spaces to work from, including a silent coworking space. Your room also has a desk if you want to take private calls.

    So, yes, we made sure you can get your work done. If you have any specific requirement, please let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

  • Yes, each work station comes with a desk, ergonomic chair, and extra monitor. We also have some standing desk converters that you can use.

  • Anywhere in the shared spaces (except in the silent coworking), inside and outside, as long as you are mindful of other people. You can also take calls in your room for full privacy.

Life at Aulus

  • There is so much stuff to do, we can’t possibly list everything here. In the village we have several cafes/restaurants, a spa/thermal bath, an art gallery, tree climbing, and more.

    From the coliving you have access to several hikes, including one to the “Cascade d’Ars”, which is the biggest waterfall of the region.

    Then there is a ski station just 20 minutes away (bus or car) with lots of things to do all seasons.

    Finally, when taking a car (or local buses), you have access to everything that the mountain has to offer. And we have so many cute villages to explore around, so much food to try. The region of “Ariege” is full of small producers and farmers’ markets.

  • The kitchen is shared but you are responsible for your own food and your own meals. You get a private space to store your food (fridge + pantry).

    4 times per week we organize family dinners (Monday to Thursday). We split the group in 4, and each group is responsible for cooking one meal. If we are 12 for example, then 3 people will cook on Monday, 3 people on Tuesday, etc. When it’s your time to cook, you come up with the recipe, you cook, and you clean. The other days? Just put your feet under the table, grab the nearest fork/spoon, and start eating.

    If you feel it’s a lot of stress cooking for many people, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. We’re helping with the grocery order, and if you have never cooked for a big group, you will be in a team with others who are more experienced and will guide you along the way.

  • Yes, yes, and yes! We love when colivers take initiatives. You can propose any idea you have, and then you take the lead to organize it. We can also help you for the organization if needed.

  • No, the official language in the coliving is English, and you can easily get along in the village and around with English and just a few badly pronounced French words.

  • If you have studied a bit of French, you might have learned that we have one pastry called “pain au chocolat” (literally translated as chocolate bread). Well, here as we are in the South of France, you can forget everything you’ve ever learned. People here call it a “chocolatine” (why, you might ask me? Well I have no idea, I’m originally from the North). If you have one thing to learn/unlearn before you arrive here, this is it.

  • Yes, if you want to be a volunteer at Aulus Coliving, you can stay without paying, in exchange for a 15-20h workweek (flexible schedule). In this case you will be in a shared bed room (with just one other person). Please check this page first and then contact us.