Changes in your meal bill!

As of 1 July 2009, VAT on all restaurants and cafes will be cut from 19.6% to 5.5%, in real terms this means a saving of about 10% on an average meal price.

The French government introduced the measure to encourage consumer spending during the summer, something which comes as welcome news and helps further, given the recovering Sterling against the Euro of recent weeks.

Quality Villas continues to offer luxury villas in France and luxury villas in Italy - including late availability and special offers.
Please call to speak to one of our staff or visit us online and browse our portfolio.

Latest addition to our Italian programme...

Our Italy villa portfolio has just increased its number by 1, with the addition of 'Il Gallinaio' near Viareggio on the Tuscany coast!

Sporting an indoor pool, enclosed grounds and palatial accommodation, this is a luxurious retreat on the doorstep of the Tuscan beaches, with Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio close by.
The rest of Tuscany, Carrara and the Cinque Terre are also close. Florence in one hours drive.

The property benefits also from a billiard room and sauna.

Good availability for the remainder of 2009, please visit our Tuscan villa near beach for more information.

If you are looking for a late escape for 2009, we still have availability and good offers to suggest.
Please visit us online : France villas or Italian villas or call us on 01442 870055.

Are you getting yours?

Every few weeks, we release a newsletter to our clients and other 'passers by' who have spoken to us in the past and given permission for us to contact them... our newsletter is a run down on any changes in the villa market from us, plus any special offers we may have. We also add in occasional details from partners of ours, for example France magazine, GoLearnTo.com or Travel Time World (an Advantage travel agency). Of course this blog, our website or just calling us are also great ways to stay in touch!

If you would like to hear more about us and haven't added your email address yet to our database, please do so, we would be delighted to keep you informed about our news! Click here

If on the other hand, additional emails in your in-box are not to your liking, we fully understand! There is an unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email we send, so if you decide you prefer not to get such mailings, it is easily fixed.

If you are yet to book your summer holiday to France or choose a villa to Italy , please do call us or visit us online, we would be very happy to assist you.

Learn and enjoy on your holidays!

Fancy learning to cook in Tuscany, surf the big ones in Biarritz, play the Flamenco guitar or learn to salsa dance in Spain? How about organic perfume making courses in France?

www.GoLearnTo.com are learning holiday specialists with over 1000 inspirational holiday courses in 30 countries worldwide to suit all timescale and budgets.
Your holiday is the perfect time to indulge in a new interest or hobby so give yourself a holiday to remember and treat yourself to a holiday course in an activity you’ve always aspired to do.

Holiday courses are ideal for singles holidays or travelling with friends and our exhilarating learning holidays are a little bit different from the rest.

If you are looking to get more from your holiday and are in need of some inspiration, then take a look at this excellent website and you could be taking home a new skill that will stay with you long after the holiday is over.

Be inspired – see what you can learn on your next holiday....

Recently in Italy...

In the last few weeks, our Managing Director John Gerry and his family enjoyed a holiday in Italy at two of our flagship Tuscan villas.
In the first week, John stayed at Il Pescatore, a large villa near Siena, which in Johns words, is 'ideal for a family re-union'. During his stay, John had some chefs come to the property who cooked for his party (and showed him how to cook and prepare Italian food during the time) as well as a pizza evening, making use of the built in pizza oven.
On the second week, with many of his family and friends having headed in different directions after an enjoyable time together at Pescatore, Johns holiday continued at La Riserva. This charming restored farmhouse near Greve, just south of Florence ensured another pleasurable week. Wine tastings, meals out in nearby Greve and a chance encounter with one of the estates resident roedeer completed a fine stay!
Our villas in Tuscany are currently all visible online, whilst many owners have been reducing their rates as the season encroaches, there are several good deals to be had. If you would like to find out more about either Il Pescatore or La Riserva, please follow the links or call us to speak to one of us who has seen the villas, or John himself if you prefer!
Click for:
Italian villas or for French villas

Outstanding special offers for Italy

Villa Domus Romana
With the season marching on, we have been receiving some exceptionally good deals here at Quality Villas via our forward thinking owners.

The green heart of Italy, Umbria, is an area of outstanding beauty, tradition and culture. Wonderful towns and cities like Assisi, Perugia, Todi and Orvieto await whilst Tuscany is just a hop, skip and a jump across the border.

We have two special offers, one at the Domus Romana, sleeping 12, with large infinity pool, panoramic views and all mod-cons including Wi-Fi, the other is Villa la Colomba, also sleeping 12, similarly well appointed.

Domus Romana was £5665 in the summer, La Colomba £5600...however both villas are now on offer for any remaining weeks at just £3000 per week. A saving of £2665 and £2600 respectively.
Both are luxurious properties of the highest standards.

If you might be interested in renting either of these villas, please do email us (info@qualityvillas.com) or call on 0044 (0) 1442 870055 and speak to one of our staff who has seen the properties and can answer any questions you may have.

Villa La Colomba

The Loire valley and its elegant chateaux

Think of the Loire Valley and one conjures up images of breathtaking chateaux – there are more than three hundred in fact in this famous region! Built around the 17th – 18th century in the heyday of French royalty most of these chateaux have magnificent ornamental gardens which can be as interesting as the chateaux themselves.

Chateau des Perdrix, one of the featured Loire chateau in our programme, sits within a 240 hectare estate and dates back to the 15th century with lovely original features. This superb property has traditional furnishings, tapestries, original fireplaces and wonderful beamed ceilings.

Another in our portfolio is Manoir du Lac. This impressive property sits on the banks of its own private lake surrounded by well tended gardens and mature trees. This house oozes charm with original tiled and wooden floors, panelled walls and ceilings, and marble fireplaces.

Coupled with superb scenery and great wines such as Anjou and Saumur the Loire is a breathtaking region to visit. Our full selection of rental accommodation in the Loire is visible on our website, by following the highlighted link, or please call on 01442 870055 for details.

Quality Villas adds a little Polish...

Technically speaking, the title in fact means we have expanded our distribution slightly and now also have a small selection of our villas appearing on a new Polish website!

Quality Villas has a network of travel agents around the world: it means owners of villas in our programme could receive clients from the USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Malta, pretty much anywhere, in addition to clients from the UK! With our new Polish connection, we hope to welcome new clients from this country also.

Normandy and Brittany

Normandy is of course famed for its sights of historical interest such as the D-Day landing beaches and the Bayeaux Tapestry. However, holiday makers also come for the great mix of lush countryside and miles of unspoilt coastline. In addition, the region offers fantastic local produce including Calvados and of course great cheeses. Day excursions range from Mont St Michel, the Normandy D day landing beaches, to Honfleur with its picturesque port and long history. To the west, Trouville and Deauville with their renowned sandy beaches, casinos, luxury shops and delightful local markets await, whilst if golf is your thing then there are many good courses around the area to try.

Think of Brittany and one imagines rugged beaches, rocky bays and sandy coves. Quaint fishing villages and sea side ports groaning with the days catch also beckon. Brittany’s south coast, the Gulf of Morbihan is a popular choice. This area groans with things to do and see from Carnac, Quimper, Pont-Aven and Concraneau. Seafood is in abundance along this coastline as well as the famous crepes which are delicious!
Quality villas have holiday villas in Brittany and villas in Normandy. Please follow the links for details or call on 01442 870055 and speak to one of our friendly staff.

A very special offer...

One of our most popular properties, the 'Ferme de Campagne' located in the Loire, has unexpectedly not been booked anything like as heavily in previous seasons. Musing over the availability of today, in July and August, there is only one week rented! In previous years the property was nearly completely booked by this time of the season, so what changed?

Well of course the global economical situation is a concern, but at the prices being asked for this property, it actually looks to be excellent value: sleeping 8 and July prices from £1570 per week (meaning effectively £196 per person, per week). There are spacious grounds and a private swimming pool, whilst the location (driveable from the UK incidentally) is in the Brenne regional park, an area abaundant in wildlife and nature. There have been many happy clients from previous years that have enjoyed the house, we only hope that 2009 can offer the same happy memories to some more! The owner has offered 20% discounts off the second week of two week bookings, an added incentive to make your summer holiday complete...
Please click to view this Loire farmhouse .

Long sandy beaches and warm Mediterranean waters: the fabulous Languedoc region.

Think of the Languedoc and one imagines the medieval city of Carcassonne with jousting and troubadours; the fabulous Corbiere Valley with endless vineyards; the Ariege with its breathtaking backdrop of the Pyrenees to the pretty coastal towns of Port Vendres and Collieure famed for their fabulous seafood. For the wine buffs there are no less than 4 main domains in the area offering heady reds to sample and to buy! The beaches are long and sandy and perfect for children to play and/or for Mum & Dad to sunbathe on. Water sports are also an option should you feel energetic!

All along this region we have family villas to rent still with availability. Why not book a luxury family villa near Carcassonne in the Languedoc region. Prieure de Lagrasse was originally a 12th century priory to the Abbey of Lagrasse and converted into a vineyard domain in the early 18th century. This imposing property is now an elegant family home and perfect for family gatherings. Large rooms elegantly furnished and a garden filled with flowering shrubs, lavender, mature trees and a swimming pool with a magnificent pergola to enjoy your poolside lunches or night time barbecue. Our portfolio of French villas continues to grow by the day, whilst special offers are also being added - visit us online for more.

Fireworks and fun for “le quatorze juilliet”

Bastille Day will be here before you know it and “le quatorze juillet” is a great day of national celebrations throughout France. It is a national holiday where joyous cries of “Viva la France” can be heard at the fabulous firework displays littered right across the country with some even singing the national anthem “La Marseillaise”.
Gill Woolsgrove our Area Manager for South West France says: "What an excuse to break out the champagne and enjoy an evening picnic which is what I have been doing for the past 15 years! Every year a large group of friends take tables and chairs, delicious food, champagne and disembark at Castelsarrasin in the South West France. We have our meal by the river where the fireworks are lit and then have a birds eye view. Each year the fireworks have got bigger and better and last year they were lit to music which was fantastic. Hundreds of people bring their chairs or rugs to sit on the grass and everyone has a great time. Castelsarrasin is a market town near Moissac and we still have availability with some of our family villas near Moissac."
Why not book one of our French villas and go to Castelsarrasin for the fireworks and celebrations. I might even see you there……

Muscles, Lycra and madness

They say there is a fine line between sanity and madness and the Tour de France is no exception and literally the biggest bike race in the world.

Traditionally, the race starts in the North, whereby this year it will start in the south from the principality of Monaco. Starting on Saturday July 4th to Sunday July 26th 2009, the 96th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,500 kilometres.


Many of the families who book a Quality Villas holiday ask about hiring bikes with some even bring their own either to amble along country lanes or to tackle steep hills and mountainous terrain. All of them may want to be a “Bernard Hinault” who has won most of the races and nicknamed the 'Badger' but what better than to enjoy this sport decked out in bright lycra to match the army of cyclists that are encountered each week in France. Cycling is particularly big in the south west due to the terrain and open countryside. During the summer there are many cycling events that lead up to the grand race itself.

The route this year will take us past two of the villas in our programme – one on the coast near Sete and the other near St Gaudens south of the Pyrenees. Both properties have availability during the Tour de France so why not book them now for a ringside seat! If you prefer a villa near the sea in France then Villa Mont St Clair is ideal. Situated a short stroll from the pretty resort of Sete, this villa is just a couple of minutes from the sea. For those who prefer the rugged countryside of the Haute Garonne then Le Vieux Grenier is for you, another charming French villa . This converted granary nestles in the small village alongside the river Louge yet only one hour from Toulouse and easy reach to the Pyrenees.

Golf in the Midi – Pyrenees

It is surprising to many people who visit that there are so many golf courses in the Midi-Pyrénées. This is in fact one of France's largest regions. Surrounded by the Pyrenees mountains at the South, the area is ideal for golf players searching quiet but spectacular environments to play their favourite sport. With 36 golf courses across its eight départements, Midi-Pyrénées offers really diverse landscapes for fans of that little white ball. There are numerous courses ranging from 9 holes to 18 holes. Our area manager, Gill Woolsgrove comments as follows: "The first course I played on was a pretty 9 hole course near Cahors which was uphill most of the way and a challenge. I ventured onto other courses and upped my “holes” to 18 – I was confident! This time the course had so many water hazards and bunkers I soon went back to my 9 hole course and retired gracefully to the 19th hole !"
Golf in this region offers beautiful greens and most with stunning views. All have a good clubhouse with a well stocked bar and many offer a 3 course lunch for less that 12€. So, for those of you who want a couple of rounds of golf while the family are sunbathing by the pool, perhaps at one of our villas then give us a call to discuss our villa selections that are near or on golf courses. An example French villa near golf - please click link.













Villa Mont St Clair - a French villa near golf courses

Umbrian Luxury...

Tenuta Fossatello, located midway between Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio is one of the most exclusive villas in the Quality Villas collection.

Our area manager, Elisa Marinangeli makes her comments: " Tenuta Fossatello is one of our most unique villas and is my favourite property - a dream to experience! Surrounded by green Umbrian hills, located between Orvieto and Todi, this is a perfect place to relax. One can settle down with a drink (perhaps one of the estates own wines), swim in the azure pool, or just stroll around the estate, enjoying the beauty and peace all around. The owner of the villa is also a producer of premium Umbrian wines and is happy to arrange tastings.

For an Umbria villa holiday - please speak to one of our friendly sales team (0044 1442 870055) or if you wish to speak with Elisa herself for a local angle on the villas, this can also be arranged.