Snow...

Here at Quality Villas, staff are currently skiing, sledging or generally slipping and sliding their way into the office at the moment!
As the country is gripped in a frozen spell and travel chaos abounds, we still continue to offer luxury villas with pools to our clients, images of serene countryside, azure skies, elegant pools and bright, warm sunshine seem somehow alien even to us at the moment!

We are happy to report however that Morocco remains a short distance away for some winter sun (Morocco villas) and Mauritius also is a fine, longer haul stop off. Try this link for luxury Mauritius villas .

If however you are looking for some long term therapy and a warm feeling inside (something we could all use at this moment) then booking your preferred villa in France or villa in Italy might be just the tonic! Our staff who brave the elements are here to pick up the phone and give you the advise you need in finding your perfect summer escape, warm horizons beckon...

Our St Tropez tip for 2010

The last month has seen a steady increase in enquiries from our clients looking to reserve their villa for 2010.
We are expecting January to be the launchpad for a busy period of sales and our staff are looking forward to offering a high level of service and knowledge to those contacting us, as always.
This week, our area manager for the St Tropez region, Alex Mapelli (as pictured) is offering his personal choice of villa for a family of 4-5, with a budget of around £2000 per week.

"My recommendation would be Bastide du Charme, a lovely property located near Lorgues and just under an hours drive from St Tropez. Its true its not on the coast and misses the razzmatazz of St Tropez close up, however it is close enough and enjoys its own particularly beautiful location. With Gorge du Verdon (outdoor activities) and places like TourTour to sightsee, it really is a popular place to rent with our clients".
Bastide du Charme, from £1370-£2225 per week.
Please click here for pictures of this villa in south of France

If you would like to speak to Alex, or any of our area managers to discuss a villa that is featured in their region in more detail, we are of course always happy to arrange this. Our area managers visit all the properties during the course of the season and are thus fully conversant with them and can advise on any local detail.

2010 and ready to go!

2010, a new year for QV and which also marks the return of Margaret Rees to Quality Villas!

Margaret began Quality Villas back in 1986 and as the company enters its 24th year of business has decided to step back in on a part time basis, given her son-in-law, John, has decided to travel the world and take some time out.

Margaret has various projects lined up for 2010, including a special members club for previous clients of our company; a mailing will follow in the new year with details of this and how you can be a part of it and enjoy certain special benefits.

Quality Villas remains a private, independent company with the same ownership throughout its history and since its inception. We offer a hand picked portfolio of villas with pools in France , villas in Italy , villas in Morocco and villas in Mauritius . Please call us on 01442 870055 or visit us online for more information.

All talk here at Quality Villas

Monday 23 November marked our Annual General Meeting here at Quality Villas. It is really our end of season meeting and we discuss how we can improve what we offer to our clients for the following year. Our staff come from far flung parts of the world (well France and Italy anyway) and together, we make our future plans!

Many items were discussed and should come into force in the coming months to enhance our offering, including exciting new villa additions.

One key point we would like to make is that our overseas staff live near the villas we offer and visit them often: our local knowledge is unparalleled. Our managers are happy to talk with clients interested in a little 'deeper' knowledge about a potential chosen villa, region, town or even activities to do nearby. If you would like to take advantage of this, or to discuss your villa plans for 2010 with one of our UK based staff (who also visit the regions often and the villas we feature) we would be delighted to hear from you.

Our French vacation villas and Italian vacation villas are available to view online at any time. Or please call 01442 870055.

New villas for 2010

As autumn is traditionally a time in the office to settle up the season just past, to promote the next year coming and to generally tidy the office (ok, we mean really the Christmas tree will arrive and we will be getting festive!) but we also take on new villas and many more will be hitting our websites in the coming weeks.

A new villa is always an exciting event for us. We love bringing new areas to our programme for our customers to try (for example Puglia last month) but also in tried and trusted areas, new villas offer new opportunity and something different.

One such example is Villa Arco (shown above). Sleeping 5, located just outside the village of Palaia in Tuscany, this property is elegant, well furnished and has modern conveniences such as air conditioning. With only a couple of weeks so far rented in 2010, this property is sure to rent fast. High season prices £2280 per week.

If you would like to find out more about this house, or to be kept advised of other new villas coming on line, we would of course be happy to add you to our mailing list.
We look forward to offering you a Tuscan holiday villa or French villa rental soon.

Escape the chills!

If you are currently turning up the central heating as autumn cold sets in, you may like to consider that just a short flight away, Morocco is still an accessible and warm destination.

We have pricing and availability now for 2010, however in order to celebrate the new season of 'winter' rentals with our clients, we would like to propose Villa Amanjena, a luxury villa just 25 minutes outside Marrakech with spectacular scenery all round.

Included in the rates are maid service 6 days a week and a housekeeper who will prepare breakfast and either lunch or dinner for you. Click here to see our villa in Morocco

Currently available:
3 Nov-19 Dec 09 at £4450 per week
19 Dec-2 Jan 10 at £5900 per week
Price for the complete property, all utilities, sleeping 8 + 2 children.

If you have not received your 2010 brochure of French and Italian villas, please call us on 01442 870055 or click to visit our Italian properties to rent online or our French villas .

Puglia - southern Italy as our new venture

This week marked our first venture into Southern Italy with a staff visit to Puglia. This up and coming region is in the heel of Italys 'boot' and is famous for its Trulli houses (with conical roof) and white stone. Served by both Ryanair and British Airways, entry airports are Brindisi and Bari. It is also possible to make the journey from Naples.

We have selected a number of high grade properties that will be appearing on our website very soon, click here for our Italian villas . If you would like to discuss booking a villa in Puglia with one of us who knows the region, or Italy in general, we would of course be delighted to hear from you.

New pricing, new brochure and more...

Inching ever closer, after what feels like months of hard endeavour, is the Quality Villas brochure and pricelist for 2010!

Our usual clients will of course receive a copy automatically, however if you have not previously dealt with us and might be interested in a brochure, please click for a french brochure (a request form will open).

The other slight snag is the forthcoming postal strikes that seem about to be forced upon us. Given that all of the brochured properties are also featured online (click here for villa France or here for a villa in Italy ) we would naturally invite anyone thinking of a villa holiday for next year that wants to find a way to beat Royal Mail to contact us online, or to call us at 01442 870055.

We look forward to hearing from you whichever way you decide!

Italian preview

With the new brochure due out any day now, 80 pages of luxurious properties will shortly be in print. The website however contains a wealth of information and many more villas.

Castagnaccio is one such villa that is featured on the website only. Sleeping 9, this attractive propery is located in the Garfagnana area of Italy (bluntly speaking to the north of Lucca/Pisa). Located on a 25 acre estate, this is a very homely Italian property, ideal for families (large flat lawns...) and stunning views. An additional annex has just been created, meaning in high season the property sleeps 9, but can accept rentals for 7 at other times of year.

The rental rate per week is from £2100-£3280 (based on 9 persons) but in low season is from £1560 per week for parties of 7.

Please click to view this Italian holiday villa online.

Or click for our French villa range.

Booking ahead and looking ahead

Although the UK is enjoying some glorious September sun (as I write anyway), thoughts will inevitably start to turn towards annual festivities as Halloween, Bonfire Night and of course Christmas!

This year, many of our regular clients decided to book late, in light of the unexpected economic issues. Regretfully, many villas were booked up by other nationalities who were less hesitant, meaning regulars returning to us later in the year were often unable to secure their first choice properties.

Contracting is almost finished here at Quality Villas, meaning we have full pricing available in most cases as well as fairly open availability schedules in our villa programme.

If you would like to reserve your villa early for 2010, placing a deposit (thus enabling you to sit back, knowing your summer holiday is already nicely arranged ahead of time) we would of course we very happy to discuss any options with you.

We look forward to hearing from you.
Tel 01442 870055 or info@qualityvillas.com

Click for French villas or Italian villas

Keeping warm this winter with Quality Villas!

There has been an obvious transition from summer to autumn in the past few weeks...whilst the trees still have their leaves, the presence of scarves and pullovers is an indication that sun bathing opportunities in the UK at least will be limited for this year anyway!

Fortunately, Quality Villas now has a rather special winter programme in place, offering villas in Morocco and Mauritius. For either of these sites, we recommend visiting us online : Morocco villas here and Mauritius villas here.

In the meanwhile, as a thought provoking suggestion, we would like to mention villa Dar L'Oussia. This is a lovely property right next to the beach, south of Agadir, with a charming private pool, sleeping 8. At £2340 per week and with Easyjet flights starting this autumn from Gatwick (4 November onwards on Wednesdays and Saturdays), this villa offers an ideal chance for winter warmth. Morocco is of course just a short flight from the UK.

If this villa or one of our other 'winter' destinations has appeal, please do call us 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or email at info@qualityvillas.com

Almost ready...

For anyone currently looking ahead to booking their villa for 2010, naturally we are able to take forward bookings at any time.

Furthermore, our new look brochure should become available in mid October - if you have previously booked with us, you will receive a copy automatically, however if you would like to add your name to our mailing list in order to ensure you receive a copy as soon as they are 'off the press', please email your address and details to : info@qualityvillas.com or call us on 0044 1442 870055.

Our website is of course year round! Please click if you wish to visit our selection of French villas or Italian villas.

A good time to enjoy Provence

Autumn is of course a break from the main holiday period of the summer, also known as a shoulder season or mid period. Aside from the technicalities of how to describe it(!) this means effectively prices are significantly reduced compared to the main July-August time but one can still enjoy the same villa and the same surrounding towns and villages, but less crowded!
The weather is still generally very good - often the season for enjoying the great outdoors and the pool can run into early October, so in many ways a September stay is a great way to holiday.
A suggestion from us is the villa 'Les Fontaines' sleeping 8, near Carpentras in Provence. This delightful house is located near the village of Pernes-les-Fontaines with shops, bars and restaurants in proximity.
The villa is currently offered for £3215 per week (was £3530) in September.
If this villa is of interest to you, or you would like to speak to one of our friendly sales team to discuss holiday options, we invite you to call us on 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or email on info@qualityvillas.com - we look forward to being of service to you. http://www.qualityvillas.com

France in September

September has long been one of my favourite months so it is no surprise that I think it is one of the very best times to visit France. Not only will you get to enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm weather, but the tourist season is beginning to wind down which means cheaper travel, fewer crowds and villas offering great value for money.

September marks the beginning of grape harvest season in France and in the medieval and picturesque town of Saint Emilion the wines of Saint-Emilion have been well recognized and respected for centuries. A celebration honouring the harvest of these very special grapes takes place in the middle of the month with open air festivities.

This month is a great time to check out the many vineyards around the country and go wine tasting or join in the local Vendange. The Vendange is great fun even though a bit strenuous the superb open air lunch and lively chatter dispels all that plus its fascinating to see how the grapes get to your bottle of wine.

We still have some availability at our villas in the wine regions of France. Why not call us now to discuss your French villa holiday in September. If you would like to speak to a specialist regarding our villas or where best to visit, do visit us online to view our French villas with pools.

Gill Woolsgrove, Area Manager South West France

A last gasp to Umbria?

Amongst one of several late availability/special priced villas in our programme for 2009, is Villa La Colomba, a luxury villa in Umbria.

Sleeping 12 persons, located just outside Todi with stunning views across beautiful Umbrian countryside this villa is ideally poised for the latest of late getaways. Available from 8-15 August at £3000 for the week (was £5600). The property is a restored cottage, divided between a main villa and an additional small cottage in the grounds. There is a grocers, bakery and bar within a mile, whilst Todi and Orvieto as well as a host of magical Umbrian towns are within easy day trip range.

Our staff are ready to book you into this villa if you want to make that late escape!
The forecast in Umbria for next Saturday is 32 degrees, warm sunshine!
Tel 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or email at info@qualityvillas.com

The rain returns...

As I post the latest missive to the blog, the rain continues to come down and flashbacks to the last two wash out summers are a sobering reflection of bbqs that remain in the shed, unused garden furniture and bored children!

Fortunately Quality Villas still have a number of unsold villa weeks, not many however, but we are still placing clients at this moment, including some very short notice departures. France and Italy naturally benefit from better weather here than in the UK, Tuscany for example at the time of writing (23 July at 2.30 pm) was bathing in 34 degree heat, the south of France at 32 degrees! The outlook for the following 7 days are also similar...

If you are still interested in a late escape to the sun, our staff are on hand to discuss with you any requirements you may have.
We have a wide range of family friendly villas across both programmes and in many cases reduced rates. We look forward to hearing from you!
Tel 01442 870055 or email on info@qualityvillas.com

Our latest special offer...

Luxury in Italy...

Tenuta D'Oro, a magnificent property sitting midway between Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio hosts 10 persons on a large private wine estate. The owners have just revealed a very special offer for the remaining unsold weeks of 2009.

The usual rental for the villa during July and August would be £13,660 with daily breakfast included.
However from 18 July - 29 September 2009, the house is offered for £11,900 per week with chef services included for lunch and dinner also.
Grocery items to be prepared and cooked for lunch and dinner are at additional cost, the chef services however are included.

The house itself is set against a verdant green background of olive groves and vines, near Orvieto in Umbria. For more details on this luxury Italian villa , please click here.

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.

Summer villa rentals with Quality Villas

As the Spring moves upon us, with a little sun and the flowers coming into bloom, so we can start to dream about summer.
A dream of course is always helped when there is some reality to the story, for example if you dream of lazing by a glistening blue pool, warmed by a hot sun and with cooling drink in hand, it certainly helps if you have somewhere to go to experience this!


Our French villa of the week is Bourg Barn, click here to see this villa in France . Located near Moissac in the rural south west, this is an excellent value property, from £1160 per week in high season.



Our most demanded Tuscany villa rental is La Riserva, a stunning restored farmhouse, dating from the 16th century. Currently there are some remaining weeks left in July, starting from £2680 per week. To see the complete portfolio of all our villas in Italy please click for more details.

Our Tuscany holiday villas have good late availability, though we are expecting bookings to run right up until the date of departure!



If you do not see the villas you are seeking in the above selection, please call us on 0044 (0)1442 870055 and one of our friendly sales team will be happy to offer more suggestions. Our staff visit the properties often and can advise on the smallest details.

When travelling with the family...

Being specialists in the family market, we are aware that a large percentage of our clients that travel with us each year often do so with children of a variety of ages, indeed some bookings have several generations of family that travel, meaning grandparents are as likely to be soaking up the rays and beautiful views from one of our featured villas as are excitable toddlers!

For this reason, we have invited a professional in the family travel market (Anne Coates) who is founder of the website http://www.parentingwithouttears.com/ to offer her top 5 tips for a successful holiday with children this year:

Always pack a first aid kit including plasters, antiseptic wipes, anti-histamine cream for bites and stings, oral rehydration therapy to replace essential body salts in cases of diarrhoea, and insect repellent.


Take plenty of sun protection – creams should be at least factor 15 but remember sun hats/caps and loose clothing with long sleeves to protect children’s delicate skin.

For journeys/days out – a day pack for each child containing their favourite toy, wrap up a new activity/book/toy as a surprise, mp3 player for older children. Include a notebook and pencils for school-age children so they can write about or sketch anything that interests them.

Baby monitor – these are great when you are away from home for children and toddlers as well as babies. If they get up after going to bed they may be disorientated in their holiday accommodation.

Take old towels for the beach/pool – at the end of the holiday you can use them on the last day (if your departure is after you have to leave your accommodation) then leave them for anyone else to use. That way you’ll have extra space in your luggage for any souvenirs!

Anne Coates is the founder/host of http://www.parentingwithouttears.com/



Quality Villas offer family friendly villas in France and family friendly villas in Italy for all tastes and budgets.
Please contact us to discuss your booking requirements on 01442 870055 or info@qualityvillas.com

Always adding new villas...

As the summer gets ever closer, many of the most popular villas in France and Italy start to get booked up. We are very aware of this at Quality Villas, so beavering away quietly behind the scenes are our overseas area managers and Sally (who writes up the end product in the UK), all of whom continue to work together to add new villas to our portfolio.

In this way, with new houses constantly coming online, we are able to offer new availability to interested clients as well as a constantly changing variety of villas. If the exact villa type (location, size...) doesn't appear on our website, its always worth contacting us. We can usually offer something that is a close match, or there may be something waiting to go online, in which case the complete availability of the house is yours!

Sally (pictured) offers her latest selection of 'new' villas to go online below:

Villa Panoramique - sleeps 8, villa St Tropez, France

Les Martinets - sleeps 8, villa near La Garde Freinet, France

Villa Gracieuse - sleeps 10, villa near Villefranche Sur Mer, France

Les Calanques - sleeps 8, villa near Bandol, France

Casa Villaggio - sleeps 8, villa north of Florence, Italy

The view from the Cote d'Azur

This weeks focus is the Cote d'Azur and our area manager Muriel Haveron, who welcomes our clients each season and keeps a careful eye on the properties we feature. Our premiere offering of Cote d'Azur villas is visible on our website, with new properties being regularly added.

Muriel had the following comments to make on her region:


What there is to do:

"Personally, I love swimming especially out of season when its quieter (May, June and September time). I also really enjoy going for a walk and discovering new places to visit, going to a nice restaurant and in winter going skiing. It is wonderful to live in the Côte d'Azur because we are very close to the sea and the mountains, so very quickly you can do different activities and in a short distance be close to the countryside, and to be near larger towns like Nice, Antibes or Cannes."

Muriels favourite food:

"If I had to select one dish I would take a speciality from Nice "Les petits farcies." It is a selection of vegetables : zucchini, tomatoes, onions, pepper and eggplant which is stuffed with meat and herbs; it is delicious."


Muriels favourite villa on the Cote d'Azur :
"...they are all wonderful,but if I have to choose I would have to give you two villas. I would say L'Aube Bleue because of the situation, the garden, the furniture inside the sea view, but because I love old houses, which have soul, I will say as well Villa le Vieux Moulin.

Clients interested in renting a villa on the Cote d'Azur that wish to speak to Muriel directly for an insider knowledge of the local area as well as the villas and what they offer, can do so via our UK office.

Car Hire, Ferry travel and overnight hotels

For some time, we have been pleased to suggest Classic Breakaway, a locally based company for any client requests for car hire, overnight hotels and ferry crossings.

Ray Goodwin, the Managing Director of Classic Breakaway is always ready to offer personal and preferential treatment to Quality Villas clients that contact him for these services.

If you are looking for car hire, overnight hotels in Europe or ferry crossings at good rates, we suggest to clients to visit Rays website, http://www.classicbreakaway.com/ or to call him on 0870 220 3535 for a personal consultation on what is the best way to travel for you.

2009 is a year of enjoying necessities such as a holiday but still watching the pennies - Classic Breakaway are frequently able to offer low industry rates, particularly on car hire.

A view from our area manager Gill Woolsgrove in South West France

Early summer in the Tarn et Garonne

Spring has arrived in the Tarn et Garonne with daffodils, sunshine and warmer days. This agricultural region with lush countryside and rolling hills is so delightful, that’s why I live here! The quieter way of life, old farming communities and medieval fortified villages is always a delight to those who come here. New to this region are fabulous night markets with music and food stalls. Sample local duck washed down with a hearty bottle of local wine! We still have quite a bit availability for our houses in this region especially in June which is a beautiful month whereby its still fairly quiet before the hurly burly of July & August. Why not book Maison Touffailles a beautiful French country house with comfortable furnishings, lovely terrace for outside dining and all set in spacious and secluded grounds. This area is really my idea of heaven!

Gill Woolsgrove manages our luxury villa programme in the South West of France, including Biarritz and the Dordogne. With a wealth of experience in the rental market as well as a bubbly, friendly personality, ensures our guests a warm welcome year after year.

The Italian way

This week has been one of our busiest yet; given the economic conditions that are still being fed to us daily by a doomhungry media, is also surely going against the grain!



Our villas in Italy however have not been renting so fast. Strangely and in sharp contrast to recent years, there is more availability than usual.
The situation has to be put down on the whole to less visitors from the USA to villas in Tuscany - certainly this is the consensus emerging from our Italian owners.

There is then of course opportunity for our regular UK clients to enjoy the pick of what remains available...often at a good rate. Many owners are now starting to discount their properties and prices are frequently lower than last years.


If you are looking for a holiday in Umbria this year, our featured villa 'Vigna Sagrantino' is certainly worth a look. Near the wine producing town of Montefalco and with unique covered pool (shielding swimmers from the suns rays), is also excellent value. Click for more details.

Bordeaux for a glass or so...

One of the great pleasures of holidaying in France is enjoying the wonderful cuisine and wine on offer, all that differs from region to region.
From heady reds to light whites, wine is something that is generally treated as an art form in French viticultural circles, there is usually a different blend for every palate and any one particular dish is normally deserving of one particular type of wine to so enhance it.

For those of our clients heading to villas in Bordeaux area this year, especially between 26-29 June, they are in for a treat at the annual 'Bordeaux Wine Festival'. Some 350,000 culture vultures are expected to descend on the city to enjoy parades, wine tastings, vineyard tours, wine barrel races and plenty of good food and drink. There are opportunities to learn about wine tasting before the event comes to an end with a huge riverside firework display.

Quality Villas have luxury villas in the region, including La Vielle Ferme, from £2335 per week, sleeping 6 with private infinity pool. For more details of this charming French villa click here.

February news...

With the arrival of snow, wind and general coldness, there has followed thankfully a flurry of bookings that have sustained us through the weather (and literally battling through it each day to get to the office!) that mean 2009 is set to be an excellent season, despite a 'blip' at the end of 2008 when we were all shell shocked at the daily news!

Picture: Island of Elba

Of particular note are our selection of villas in the south west of France - these have really dominated business, more so than any other region. This green region that includes the Dordogne, the area around Toulouse and Biarritz has shown through of late: excellent value properties, spacious flat lawns, private pools and typical French culture, cuisine and countryside on display. Our south of France villas - meaning the Cote d'Azur and St Tropez of course remain our main fare.

Owners continue to discount rates, our special offers page for France is here - our special offers for Italy villas are here. Click for general information on France and Italy

Special offers from Quality Villas

Things have been moving very fast here at Quality Villas in the last week or two - with the publication of our special offers via our newsletters (if you would like to sign up for your copy, please do so by clicking here for Quality villas offers).

In any event - we are happily placing our clients in their favourite villas, therefore guaranteeing their place in the sun later this year!

We have noticed however, from speaking to a few of our clients, they are waiting a bit to see what happens (referring to the current economic climate). Something to bear in mind is that the issues facing the UK are not the same in other countries around the world; this means there is as much a rush on as ever to get the best weeks reserved in the best villas before someone else does!

We are adding more special offers week by week as our owners speak to us, meaning prices are keen. If you would like to see the updated special offers, please click here for France villa offers and here for Italy villa offers - we look forward to hearing from you.

The January Sales!

Following what has been an 'interesting' period before Christmas and a fair amount of uncertainty in the travel world generally, we are pleased to say that things appear to have settled down and returned to some normality!

We are very pleased to welcome back our usual clients who are reserving their villas for the coming year as well as many new clients who will soon be relishing their first experience of a Quality Villas holiday.

We at Quality Villas are aware of the precarious situation of the Euro against the pound, for this reason we have been carrying out a reprice of our rates and seeking reductions from our owners. We are pleased to announce that in the majority of cases, owners have been lowering their prices, so that there are some very good offers available. In many cases, the prices are cheaper than last year!

We would suggest calling our staff who will be able to offer (as always) first hand and first class advice on which villa holiday will suit you and your party as well as the best rates. There has never been a better time to get good value. Our special offers pages (which are constantly being refreshed and updated) can be found by clicking here for France villa offers and here for Italy villas offers. The best offers should be live by the weekend of 10 Jan 09 and constantly refreshed from then on.

Our French villa and Italian villa portfolios are visible online (displaying availability and pricing, as well as a wide selection of images) or email/call us and we will send you a selection of villa recommendations. If you are seeking a break to escape to some winter sun, our Morocco villas are an inviting prospect as are our Mauritius villas.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Tel 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or email us at info@qualityvillas.com