France – voted 2nd most popular holiday destination in 2011

Second to Spain, France was the second most popular destination this year for holidays. Hopefully, next year it will be voted No. 1 and judging by the enquiries we are receiving for villas in France then 2012 might be top of the list! 2011 has been an excellent year for Quality Villas and coupled with our 25th anniversary in the luxury villa holiday market we are really pleased!

I have lived in France for 17 years and while food has almost doubled in price, eating out is still very cheap and public transport is efficient and cheap too!! Not only this but it is a relaxed and beautiful country whereby the French have a philosophy – you work to live and not live to work. The sheer fact of the lifestyle, beauty and most of all an unhurried way of life is exactly why it’s the number one place for those who have moved here permanently.

The choice is diverse and a place and villa for everyone. Choose to stay in one of our family villas or farmhouses in France from Brittany to the Cote d’ Azur.

The classic image of Brittany's coastline is that of massive Atlantic breakers bursting over defiant granite rocks, Brittany's coastline actually offers a wide range of seashores, from small sandy or pebbly coves to sand dunes and broad sandy beaches; it also offers a wealth of inlets and harbours, making this region the most popular in France with sailing enthusiasts. The south-facing coast of the Morbihan benefits from a particularly mild climate.

The Dordogne with its 101 chateaux steeped in history to the lush green countryside and famous Dordogne River. Hire a kayak and pack a picnic for a glorious day out before having dinner in one of many fine restaurants or Auberges that are plentiful in this area. We have many superb villas in this area plus new villas that will surely please. View our family farmhouses in the Dordogne and South West to sample other delights in this region.

Provence is a region of contrasts and colours. This delightful region of the French Midi (the South) is associated with warm breezes, a mild climate, and rolling hillsides covered in the gray washes of olive trees and lavender. The lavender fields are truly amazing to see with not only their beauty but the heady perfume that is in the air. View our villa rentals in Provence for your next holiday.

People in the hundreds of thousands flock to the Côte d'Azur or French Riviera for its sun and dazzling blue waters. This coastline is a constant hub of activity and excitement. The Riviera attracts an international group and jet-setters here to see and to be seen. If you want glamour and maybe spot a famous face or two then this is the place to be. So, to be one of the “in set” visit our website www.qualityvillas.com for your Cote d’Azur family villa rental now.

If you would to talk to one of our experienced staff about your luxury villa in France contact our office on 01442 870055 or visit our website www.qualityvillas.com

Gill Woolsgrove
Area Manager
France & Morocco

The giant holiday rush to France has begun!!

Last weekend saw the biggest exodus from UK to France – the start of the UK summer holidays!! As parents pack the suitcases and children are getting their swim suits out of storage we at Quality Villas are getting ready for a busy time! Our luxury villas in France all have private pools so you can be assured not only of a super house but a sparkling blue pool all to yourself!!

Before you leave its always worthwhile having a couple of essentials packed with your holiday documents and those are guide books and a simple translation booklet. Whilst we know that all you want to do is lay by the pool in your family villa in France there are some amazing sights to be seen in France and are worth a look so take your guide book and language book and explore!!

Guide Book
Do your self a favour and purchase at least two and pay attention to buy the most current editions. Rough Guides or Lonely Planet Guides are well known for their independent view and they are a great choice. These are in-depth guides printed in small letters on a thin paper to pack as much information as possible and still keep the volume small enough to fit into your luggage. Do study your guides before you leave, so that you can better plan your trip. You will know exactly where to go and what can be seen there during your French villa holiday.
Language

You may have heard of the French being proud of their language and although they learn English at school, they hesitate to use it. However, you would be surprised by the change in their attitude if you just try a few words or simple phrases. You are a guest in their country so it makes more sense to make the first step. You’ll be amazed to see how far a little French will go. It will literally open doors to their culture. If they see that you try with some help of mimics and hand signs you will get your message across, that’s for sure. Try simple words and then go onto small phrases. A good idea is to learn restaurant menus and foods – most important if you think you are ordering beef and you get horse instead!!

For the past few weeks at Quality Villas our phones have not stopped ringing as we have some amazing last minute reductions for your holiday villa in France. There is something for everyone from a family farmhouse in South West France to a coastal villa in Cote d’Azur.

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.

New arrival for Quality Villas!

Our latest addition in Provence is the aptly named 'La Petite Amelie'. Sleeping 5, this is a cute cottage near Caromb, with a private plunge pool, village location, wifi connection and lovely walled garden. Terracotta and stone floors, beamed ceilings and pale neutral colours add to a charming Provencal ambience.
Outdoor eating facilities and a bbq mean long summer evenings soaking up classic Provencal atmosphere in abundance!
To see more, visit this page for more details of this cottage in Provence.

Quality Villas - 2011 is our 25th year of business, still independent, still family owned. Call us to discuss your villa requirements: 0044 (0) 1442 870055.

New villa in Italy

Quality Villas continues to acquire new villas!

Latest addition is in Italy - please take a look at: http://www.qualityvillas.com/tuscany/molin-nuovo/villa-anfora

Villa Anfora sleeps 12 near Arezzo.

Prices range from £3405 per week in low season to £4245 per week in high season. There is a private pool, beautiful countryside views and maid service included.

A Jewel in Oualidia – the St Tropez of Morocco

Villa Yasmina is a delightful small house covered in flowers and exotic climbing plants and perfect for 4 people plus superb value! Built in typical Moroccan style and painted with bright colours and furnishings according to the traditional Berber taste. The large covered terrace facing the charming walled courtyard is a perfect spot for your evening aperitif or lazy breakfast. Stunning views of the sea and the lagoon both during the day and at sunset are truly memorable.
This villa is part of a domain comprising other similar properties, 3 large swimming pools, a poolside bar and a restaurant. Unlike other houses on the same development, Villa Yasmina lies at the bottom of a hill at very short walking distance from the sandy beach of Oualidia, renowned for its fabulous seafood and lively Monday market. This is an old Atlantic fishing village which has retained its original charm and benefits from a mild temperate climate all year round.
http://www.qualityvillas.com/oualidia/oualidia/villa-yasmina

Travel Guides with Quality Villas

We are frequently asked for additional information on the regions and countries of the villas that we feature. Obviously on each villa page, a certain amount of text can be included before it becomes unreadable, or unmanageable at least!
For this reason, we have created some specific regional information pages, currently in their infancy, but which will be added to over time. On it we will include links to sites of interest, attractions, arrival airports and the like.
If you would like to know more, please click through here : regional France information. Of course we welcome feedback, if you would like to make any comments, please email us or leave feedback on the blog, to this post.

Thank you for reading!

Client feedback...

We recently had one of our favourite return clients drop us a note as they made their latest villa request. Its always good to hear positive feedback, even better to welcome back clients each year - surely we must be doing something right!


"...it seems hard to believe that this will be our 8th year of summer holidays in France with Quality Villas....We've loved every villa we have stayed in and yet we have never returned to one we've already been to! This summer will be our 20th and 21st villas!" CM, 29.3.11


The lovely CM (quoted above) will be enjoying more Quality Villa luxury this summer, 20 and 21 coming up...

Magic sounds fill up the Valleys near Lucca!

If during your Tuscan summer holiday you happen to drive through the Garfagnana region, north of Lucca, and decide to take a stroll in Barga, you might find yourself caught up in the middle of a multitude of colourful musicians joyfully flooding the narrow streets of this peaceful hilltop town with their jazz and soul sound. In fact, it is during the Jazz festival week that Barga comes alive: its many piazzas and surrounding valleys fill up with the notes of internationally acclaimed artists who come here from all over the world to compete against each other. An entire week of entertainment free of charge: what a treat!
Quality Villas offer a wide range of holiday villas with pool in the province of Lucca, so why not visit our website for ideas: www.qualityvillas.com or call: 0044 1442 87 00 55.

Take a dive in the Tuscan crystal clear sea!

Quality Villas is proud to announce the recent addition of Torre del Principe to their rich portfolio of villas in Tuscany. Here the discerning traveller will have the pleasure to discover a different Tuscany: as well as a vast unspoilt landscape of rolling hills cloaked in aromatic Mediterranean shrubs, populated by a rich wildlife, and hot water therapeutic springs, this southernmost part of Tuscany, known as Maremma, offers a spectacular coastline. Dotted with palm trees and marine pines, old fishing villages and protected areas of outstanding natural beauty, miles of sandy beaches, cliffs and rocky coves stretch from Punta Ala to Castiglione della Pescaia, down to Talamone and Mount Argentario, a peninsula thrust in a crystal clear sea just opposite the Isola del Giglio and the small privately owned Giannutri island. A paradise for scuba divers and wealthy yacht owners, Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano offer a wide choice of fish restaurants, fashion shops and nightlife entertainments.

Well, if you have never thought of Tuscany as a seaside holiday destination………..now you will! Click to find out more about this unique property in Maremma.

Contact Quality Villas for your next holiday: tel 01442 870055 or email us: info@qualityvillas.com

New addition in Villefranche

Quality Villas have a new addition in the much coveted area of Villefranche on the Cote d'Azur, Villa Coral - click here for this Cote d'Azur villa rental

Sleeping 10, this property boasts a private heated pool, sea views, is partially air conditioned and is just 300 metres from shops and places to eat.

Built in a classical style, the property also has lovely gardens spread over some 2800 metres square.

Prices are from £8180-£8680 per week for the complete property.

The Sarkozy challenge

Today we are famous in the Tarn et Garonne, especially the commune where I live.

President Sarkozy is visiting! You might well ask “why does he want to come to this sleepy rural backwater”. Well, he is here at the invitation from one of my local farmers and you can image the buzz of excitement, gendarmes and security guards everywhere – we will be the talk of the commune for years to come! We haven’t had this much excitement since my village put the Christmas decorations up!!
Talking of excitement we have a wonderful new chateau near to my commune which is rather special, if I say so myself. This 18th century holiday chateau sits in an elevated position with wonderful views of the rolling Quercy Blanc countryside. The chateau is built of traditional local white stone and retains all the original features superbly combined with the warmth and homely comfort of the interior, a rare quality for this type of properties.
The beautiful grounds have lavender walks, forest trails, climbing roses, mature trees, topiary and surrounded by magnificent 360 degrees views. Swim in the large salt water pool or visit the stables where the resident horse lives, play boules or dine al fresco on the open terrace enjoying the peaceful and relaxing surrounding countryside.
To enhance the quality of your holiday you can reserve the chateau staff to provide you with all meals and residential services at a very reasonable cost.
Such a shame President Sarkozy cannot book a French villa holiday here....
Gill Woolsgrove
Area Manager
SW France & Morocco

A new arrival on the Cote D'Azur

Quality Villas can unveil our latest addition on the Cote d'Azur, villa Les Palmes du Cap. With stunning sea views, why not click and see this villa on the French Riviera

The property sleeps 10, is a ten minute walk from the beach at Plage de la Garoupe, has air conditioned bedrooms and a heated infinity swimming pool. 100 square metres of lush Mediterranean gardens surround this elegant property, which we are sure will prove popular with our clients. If you would like to speak to someone who has visited the villa or make an enquiry for availability, please do call us on 0044 (0) 1442 870055.

Why France & Italy is a good bet this year!

The latest news from Spain, whilst the middle east continues to simmer away...

"There is heightened media coverage in regard to proposed strike action at Spanish airports as a result a part privatisation plan of state airport operator AENA. Unions have called for 22 days of strike action, which if confirmed are likely to take place between the months of April and August – Easter included."

It isn't that cheap to fly long haul these days either (oil costs)!

It looks like France holds most of the cards this year...

If you would like to speak to one of our team about our French villas please call on 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or visit us online.

Another new villa up and running!

Here at QV, as the season continues, so do we! Our overseas area managers are still busy finding new villas and we in turn in the UK are busy getting them online.

The latest villa to come on line (today in fact) is La Colombine, sleeping 7.

Click here for this villa in the Var

Here is a short extract from the introduction for this villa:
"La Colombine is a traditional stone house full of character and charm, dating back to Napoleon’s times. Exposed wooden beams, open fireplaces and antique style furniture are some of the indoor features of this villa, which give this property a unique charm of bygone days, yet combined with all the modern comforts..."

We hope you find the property of interest. Our staff are ready for any enquiries you may have about this property or any others in our villa programme.

Tel 0044 (0) 1442 870055

A new addition in the Languedoc

Quality Villas are currently expanding their range in the ever popular Languedoc. The latest arrival is La Maison Occitane, sleeping 4, with a plunge pool and enviable views over the marina. The property is part of a new development at Aigues Mortes, a gorgeous walled town to explore. The beach is just 3 miles away also.

Prices start from £835 to £1415 per week. A great spot for watching yachts pass by!

Click to see this cottage in the Languedoc

A nice offer from Provence!

This year has been very busy, in fact so much so, that there have been fewer owners reducing their villa rates (than the last two seasons anyway). As economies around the world are starting to find their feet again, so the holiday makers within are ready to take their luxury holiday villas again...and who can blame them!

We do have one very good offer however, offering clients an opportunity to save over £500 per week in high season. The villa in question, sleeping 10, is the Grand Luberon in Provence.
Click here to see this Provence villa.

We have further special offers also, click here for France and here for Italy.

We look forward to assisting you.

Sometimes you dont get what you pay for...

Here at Quality Villas, we take pride in knowing the houses we represent. Seeing them personally, ensuring their quality and checking them - that they actually exist (!) - is something we would consider a prerequisite of any villa rental company. There are however companies that never see the houses they market but more worryingly, some people deliberately market houses that do NOT even exist.
In the past 24 hrs alone, the following two articles have come online. Its really not a good way to have a villa holiday...

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Saffron-Walden/Four-accused-of-scam.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357684/Villa-Conman-fleeced-holiday-makers-left-stranded-abroad-gets-4-years-jail.html

Safety first - book with a reputable agency that has bonding...better to get what you pay for!

Quality Villas - Luxury villas in France - 0044 (0) 1442 870055

Morocco - an attractive destination for 2011

If you've recently been considering a family holiday in North Africa, your plans have probably been completely scuppered by the recent news from Egypt and Tunisia. However, we think it's worth reminding our potential clients that the Kingdom of Morocco, on the north-eastern tip of the continent, is enjoying "business as usual" and could provide an attractive alternative for people who still want to enjoy all the advantages of a North African break.
The political situation in Morocco is very different to that of other countries in the region. Separated from Tunisia by the vast land of Algeria (the distance between Tunis and Marrakesh is over 1,000 miles as the crow flies), Morocco has a stable constitutional monarchy and loyalty to HM King Mohamed VI is very strong. Serious commentators note that this, along with political and social reforms already implemented and others underway, make it extremely unlikely that Morocco will experience unrest.

With this in mind, and reinforced by our first-hand knowledge of the country, Quality Villas is very happy to offer its hand-picked luxury holiday villas in exciting, beautiful Marrakesh and beachside Aglou Plage, just south of Agadir. Our villas all have pools and are ideal for families. The seaside villa pictured above is Dar Kamar.

If you would like to know more about renting our villas in Morocco (or in France and Italy), please browse our website at www.qualityvillas.com or call us on +44 (0)1442 870055 and speak to one of our friendly staff.

St Tropez breaks the records!

Here at QV headquarters, we are having a fine time with many new clients but also a lot of repeat clients, meaning those that holidayed at one of the villas we feature before coming back for a bit more sun and relaxation!
The regions that are performing best for us are Tuscany, Loire and St Tropez. St Tropez is certainly in vogue from what we can see, with three times more bookings that this time last year. We also are seeing a lot of interest in the Languedoc, with some of our recently added villas taking early rentals.
We are responding to this demand by adding new properties, currently 2-3 new villas are going on per week!

If you are looking for a villa for the summer in either France or Italy, please do drop us a line, or call one of our friendly team!

Please click to view our French villa selection or click for our Tuscany villas.

Latest enews is out!

Our latest enewsletter is now out, did you receive yours?
Its easy to sign up; just visit our homepage and then along the top, select 'newsletter' and receive the latest news, views and villa offers direct from Quality Villas.
Follow this link for the newsletter sign up and our French villas.

January has been a brisk month for us, the south of France as usual being most popular, though we also have some clients sampling our new villas in Morocco (in particular the coastal areas near Agadir).

If you are still planning your villa holiday for 2011 and would like to speak to one our friendly and specialist staff, please call or email!
0044 (0) 1442 870055 or info@qualityvillas.com

Win a case of wine!

Quality Villas, in conjunction with our friends at The Travel Editor (a website which offers hand picked travel reviews from experts in the field) are pleased to be offering a competition to wine a case of wine!

In order to enter the competition to win a case of wine, simply follow this link.
You will be taken to another page and be required to sign up with the Travel Editor to enter.

The Travel Editor can offer the information you need, for example this piece on the Art Trail on the Cote d'Azur which covers the Picasso Museum amongst others.

Quality Villas however can of course offer the finest accommodation you may require to enjoy either France or Italy; our specialist villa consultants are ready for your call.
Tel 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or email info@qualityvillas.com

Playing it safe!

Firstly, a happy and prosperous new year to friends of Quality Villas old and new!

As 2011 begins, we anxiously wait to see what this year throws up. Last year there was the famous Icelandic volcano, election, world cup and more... On a travel front, there were several instances of notable travel companies going to the wall, some without bonding in place. For clients that book with unbonded travel companies there is always the concern your money (which you are asked to pay up front) is at risk.

Booking directly with owners is similarly an issue - see this latest news feed

Of course we at Quality Villas, now in our 25th year of business, believe reputation speaks for itself. However if you choose a villa this year, whether direct with an owner or a company, do take care how and where you send your money. Holidays are eagerly anticipated each year and you want to be sure you will get yours, especially after you have paid for it!