Villa Help

turtle2k1

After weeks of searching for a holiday we are now considering staying in a Villa instead. We have never done this before (we are a couple) but I have found the 2 best sites to be owners direct and holiday lettings?

My question is for people who have stayed in villas before - there seems to be a vast array of choices for areas so to narrow down my search abit can you give me any advice on more specific areas. We have to go in the summer holidays as I work in a school.

alocacoc

hello something to consider is when I was looking at villa's etc

they were 10 minutes "drive" to the beach etc and other places Im sure you get my drift

this might suit you but would be my worst nightmare the last thing I want to do on holiday is faff about getting places especially a few KM's away

turtle2k1

Thanks for your help. We were going to hire a car but I understand what you are saying. I've been looking on the Hoseasons website and they have some good value villas on there.

gpc273

A lot depends on your budget, we have used VillaParade.co.uk several times.
The villas we have stayed at in Spain, Cyprus and portugal have always been top notch, they arrange your flights via a low cost carrier and the price will include a car.

mrsdee

we always book a villa or apartment (most recently villa with pool) and have always been delighted. you can tell quite a lot by the amount of effort the renter has put into the advertisement (quality of photographs etc) and reviews from previous renters. I like holiday-rentals.com too as you can read reviews. we have stayed at some wonderful places in Europe and Caribbean using rental sites and much prefer it. Masses of space, no need to get out of room to allow for cleaners, can stock up fridge with snacks and drinks, barbecue on relaxing evenings with glass of wine, eat outside and get straight into pool afterwards (my stepkids love this) and do your washing as you go along so not going home with masses of laundry... I love it. I hope you embrace it too. Also way much more cost effective and loads of privacy. we always check for - how far is nearest supermarket and how far to nearest bar/restaurant. driving at night on dodgy roads a bit of a nightmare but if you are happy to stock up in the morning, cook and have a bottle of wine at home in the evening from time to time this is fantastic and can save heaps too! great for kids too as they are not restricted - we had many hotel scenarios where kids locked themselves out of room etc and of course there is no space to sit and enjoy yourselves as a family in a hotel. and there are often other noisy/ill behaved families in hotels too!

pinkcandyflossprincess

i went to lanzarote for 5 weeks over xmas previuos to the one just gone and opted for a local village instead of the main resorts- it was like being at home really, a lot more relaxed than suffering the noise of drunken holiday makers!
with children its so much better having your own pool and my essential washing machine etc
I used owners direct x

BoxerfanUK

Another good site is; www(dot)villarenters(dot)com

eslick

steps to take

1. find a country where you want to go
2. price flights to that country, if prices are ok and in budget then think about a villa.
3. decide where you want to stay thinking about where you want to visit
4. look for villas on the websites and others vrbo.com is good for some countries. try ones that you think are out of your price range.
5. get prices back from the owners or agents.
6. Haggle - two years ago we got a much bigger villa than we expected by haggling, this year wanting to go to the same place as we did last year and stay in the same house, already got knocked off $400 off the price just by haggling.

poet123

We love villa holidays. Depends what you want, we like to be in a village or resort so that we dont have to drive to eat out at night. Downside is that if you have kids they do not meet other kids,not a problem for usas they are all pretty selfsufficent and enjoy each others company. However, this year we are only taking one child, so we are thinking carefully about our options.

lagoslife

Some great advice already from mrsdee.

I agree that in addition to the 2 sites you have looked at try holiday-rentals.com

Once you have chosen your area (also try tripadvisor for destination information) pay attention to photos and reviews (on holiday-rentals) from past guests.

Some villas also have their own websites with further information.

The availability calendar should give a good indication of how popular the villa is. I wouldn't expect much (if any) discounts for peak weeks. A good property could rent 10x over.

Also phone the owner if necesssary, to clarify any queries you have.

dojoman

Where are you thinking of going?