This green and pleasant land…..

A long time ago when I was wealthy and famous (!) I owned a typical Normandy farmhouse with beamed ceilings and beamed frontage. Situated in a tiny commune near Pont L’Eveque where the famous cheese comes from. To me, Normandy spelled out lush landscapes, forests and excellent beaches and still just a few hours from the UK. Perfect for a long weekend!!

Our portfolios of luxury Normandy villas are all accessible to the French ports and each farmhouse or Country manor house is perfect all year round. The summer sees long warm days and the winter toasting yourself in a different kind of heat in front of a blazing fire.

There is so much to see and do in this lovely region from bike rides, walking, horse riding and sightseeing. Honfleur with its pretty boats and quay side houses, Trouville for excellent fish and restaurants and if you fancy something a little more up market then Deauville and its horse racing is a great day out.

Take a poignant, memorable day trip to visit the Normandy battlefields and landing beaches of World War II. You can visit famous wartime sites and the American cemetery, spend time on the historic beaches and gain invaluable insights into the wartime experience of the Allied soldiers and the French citizens they liberated.

Why not consider your Normandy holiday accommodation or elegant Normandy chateau contact us now and speak to one of our experienced staff.

Gill Woolsgrove (area manager)

A new vision!

In order to keep up with the times, we will shortly be launching a new website. This all singing, all dancing site will show a variety of new features, enhancing the user experience for visitors to the site and hopefully being far more informative.

The site will feature area manager reviews, customer feedback (previous clients), higher resolution images (than the current site) and opportunity to search according to more exacting criteria.

The look is far more modern, we hope you will like it!

Coming soon...

In the meanwhile, if you would like to speak to one of our staff about a holiday villa in France for 2011, please call us on 0044 (0) 1442 870055.

Dangerous times for villa renters!

Now where is that villa?!

Once more, we at Quality Villas shook our heads in disbelief at the audacity of the latest con men to damage the villa industry as well as feel extremely sorry for the latest set of families undone.

Click here for the article from the Daily Mail

There are many owner direct websites in existence - all showing authority and a safe way to book. However are the villas genuine that are on the site? Are the owners con men? Well there is no way to find out until you send that huge sum of money and then arrive in resort and find well...the villa is there...or maybe it isnt!

The only sure and tested way is to book with a genuine villa agency, one with bonding and preferably membership of ABTA (e.g. like us!)
We visit all our villas personally and respect our clients, we have integrity as well as 25 years of experience as a villa rental expert. Its something the new boys on the internet cannot match.
If you are thinking of booking a villa without the safety of an agency behind it but direct with an owner, remember the risks.

For late french villa deals ; please call 01442 870055 or visit us online.

Autumn Agadir Adventures

Sunshine throughout the year in our finest selection of villas near Agadir!

Quality Villas expanded into Agadir early last year which is one of Morocco’s most visited Southern cities. Agadir is not your typical city of traditional Morocco, but it is a modern, busy and dynamic town with well maintained beaches and palm-lined boulevards. There is a very western feel about the place with its beachfront bars, promenades and long sandy beaches. We have luxury beachside villas in Aglou Plage and we will soon be adding more villas from a neighbouring domain once our Queen of Morocco (Gill – our Morocco Manager) has visited in September.

With a moderate climate with Mediterranean-like weather throughout the year with warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine, late summer and autumn are the best time to visit, and an ideal time to take advantage of the miles of wonderful beaches and extensive tourist facilities. However, as Agadir boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year then it’s an ideal holiday destination at whatever time of the year for your luxury beach villa holiday.

Spring temperatures see highs of around 17C-19C, with Agadir receiving only a maximum of around 40mm of rain during April and May. Rainfall during the summer months is practically non-existent, and during these dry summer months the sun shines for an average of 10 hours a day, with an abundance of cloudless blue skies. The region sees average temperatures of between 20C and 23C's between June and August, and occasional highs reaching 28C. Southwest trade winds blow along the coastline, serving to keep the temperatures down a little, and together with an average water temperature of 18C, help to create excellent surfing conditions for enthusiasts. Autumn sees temperatures slightly higher than those in the spring, averaging around 19C-21C. The winters tend to be mild, with Agadir still experiencing a minimum of 7 hours of sunshine each month. Perfect for your Agadir beach villa holiday. With weekly prices from £330 per person in a luxury, fully serviced villa on the beach where better to take that Autumn holiday. For more details visit our website www.qualityvillas.com

Villa partner Dream Villa Rentals

Other villa websites in the industry, in theory at least, are competitors for us. However a partnership with website Dream Villa Rentals, means that villas featured on the French and Italian websites of Quality Villas are also featured on their site.

Clients can choose to view villas in either format, although to speak about a Quality Villa, we recommend speaking to one of the Quality Villas team on 01442 870055.

Dream Villa Rentals : Large site offering luxury villa holidays across the globe

An escape to Northern France

August typically is the middle of our travel season, there are more clients in villas featured by us now, than at any other time. For bookings, well, amazingly, they are still coming in for the latest travel we have ever known...
For anyone looking to snap up a last minute offering, a property that is usually fully rented but for some reason this year is still showing some good availability is the Breton Manor House. Sleeping 12, this 15th century manor has been renovated to a high standard and enjoys spacious grounds. It is currently on offer for £5320 per week in August. Click here for this Brittany rental .

We have numerous offers across France and Italy, however here is a selection of some remaining:

Villa near St Tropez (La Galline) was £6380, now £5050 per week, with good August availability.

Villa Prelude - spacious south of France villa - from £8350 per week.

Last week left at Les Lauriers, family villa with pool near Nice , was £4150, now £3075.

For further offers in France, please view our special offers page directly here or call one of our team, alternatively make sure you are signed up to our enewsletters to catch the best offers...Sign up here.

Wherever you choose this year for your summer holidays, we hope it is a good one!

The last gasp...

As we enter the tail end of July, so we reach what is effectively a peak in travel to France and Italy for luxury villas...in short, its very busy here at HQ and we are still taking bookings!
The last minute dash has never been more in show than today. July looks to be the busiest July (ever) in Quality Villas history for bookings as our clients wait until the last moment to reserve their villa. The only slight issue is that many properties are already let, in fact they were booked some months ago, often by our less hesitant European based clientele. The early bird gets the worm, though the bargains can sometimes be at the last minute, but would you really gamble on your family holiday that way and end up somewhere less desirable, just for the sake for a hundred pounds or so?
Although we have some super bargains remaining, if you missed your preferred property in 2010, what not have a think about putting a deposit down on a property for 2011? With the Euro-Sterling rate expected to return to the favour of the Sterling (as it has steadily been of late) a European holiday in 2011 may well be in vogue this time next year...and you could have your spot in the sun guaranteed now!

Our sales team, who know the properties we feature personally, are available to discuss your needs as and when you require.
Tel 0044 (0) 1442 870055 or visit our French villas here.

If you would like to view our Italian villas - please also follow the link.

Shutting the Shutters

Many travellers to continental Europe don't realise that shutters aren't just a quaint way to keep the daylight out of rooms or make the house look pretty, they were invented long before air conditioning to keep the rooms cool. If you stay in a villa in France or Italy with shutters, close them while you are out during the day. You will be surprised how cool the room is while outside it has been in the 30's even in the shade. Many of our luxury villas in France and Italy have air conditioning as standard. Closing the shutters means that you don't have the expenditure of keeping the air conditioning on while you are out.

All our luxury villas have private pools to keep you cool in the heat of the day, but if you sun bathe around the pool please remember to use and re-apply the appropriate level of sun screen for your skin. Don't fall a sleep in the midday sun, it could spoil the rest of your summer.

As the song says "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun," avoid the temptation to visit the tourist sites in the heat of the day and maybe do what the locals do - take a siesta.

We still have some luxury villas with private pools, shutters and air conditioning available in France and Italy. Why not take a look at our website and make an online enquiry or call us to discuss your requirements with one of our reservation staff on 01442 870055.

Holiday Spending Money

You can save a lot of money by doing a little research before you travel and plan what you are going to use for purchases while you are abroad.

Cash is the simplest, but most insecure way of carrying and using money, but it is always worth having some foreign currency and sterling with you. Check your insurance policy to see how much the insurance company will cover in the event of loss. For foreign currency shop around on line and don't leave everything till the last minute. There are some great deals for advance purchase and currency delivery to your home. Never rely on cash as your only option.

Credit and Debit Cards are the simple and convenient way to have a reserve of funds, but they are generally expensive to use drawing cash from an ATM, although they are relatively inexpensive when making purchases. Check the fees charged by your card company before you go. Please also note that most 24 hour petrol automated pumps in France do not accept UK issued credit or debit cards.

Travellers Cheques are one of the most secure options, but they are expensive to purchase and changing sterling cheques usually incurs extra commission or poorer exchange rates. Moreover, especially in Italy there are less and less places that accept them or even banks willing to change them, including some of the most famous names in travellers cheques. One of our customers recently who had changed all their holiday money into sterling travellers cheques, were told once they got to Italy was that these could be changed only in Rome ! Our villa owner very kindly lent them some Euros until they could organise a transfer of funds to a local bank.

Pre-paid Cards are the new travellers cheques Many cards are now offered with free cash withdrawal facilities , no charge for usage and can be delivered to your home or picked up at your departure point. This should always be considered as it does not advertise to potential burglars the fact that you are going to be away from home. You have a personal pin and can top up your card on-line or by phone. Shop around for the best deals.

The Euro is at €1.20 to the £ today and looks like staying there for a while. We still have a number of luxury villas in France and Italy available for selected weeks in July and August. Many of our villa rentals are on special offer so take advantage of the exchange rate and call us on 01442 870055 to speak to one of our reservations team or visit our website to browse our collection of handpicked villa rentals

Who invented Football ?

Well the Brits didn't invent the version called soccer, but through William Webb Ellis we can claim rugby football as a native game - at which currently we would appear to be better ! No it was the Italians who developed a Roman game "harpastum" into the medieval "Calcio Fiorentino" or "Calcio" the name by which soccer is still called in Italy today.

Piazza Santa Croce in Florence (Firenze) is called the cradle of football and Count Giovanni di Bardi drew up the rules in 1580 for a game with 27 on each side. That's probably where another present day Italian called Capello learned his skills.

We we still have a number of luxury villas in Italy to rent this Summer. All our villas have pools and many of our Italian villas are within easy each of the home of football and many other great locations. During World Cup intervals why not cheer yourself up by browsing our site of luxury villas in France and Italy or call us on 01442 870055.

Taking the car

Recent experiences with the delays in air travel caused by the ash cloud from the volcano called ....cool remind me how uncool air travel can be especially on some budget airlines and how convenient and pleasant it can be to take your car to the continent. The weaker Euro make petrol and moreso diesel significantly cheaper than in UK. If you haven't planned your summer holiday yet, why not think about taking the car. Set out on Friday and you can even be on the Cote d'Azur by Saturday evening. Enjoy the famous resorts of Villefranche, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins or Cannes which offer the France for so long sought after by discerning Brits. These gems are complemented by their historic inland neighbours such as Valbonne, Grasse, Vence or Mougins. If you have more time take a week on the way there or back in the Dordogne or Loire Valley. We still have rentals available on the Cote d'Azur, in Provence, the Loire and Dordogne.
The motorway system on the continent makes destinations in Italy comfortably accessible by car with an overnight stop recommended. Our website can show you rentals in Italy still available.
Safe and happy motoring!

The Euro!

The cost of France and Italy grows cheaper by the day...or so it seems. The last time the Euro was worth this amount against the pound was way back in December 2008.

So its official...now you really are getting something for your money when you travel to the Euro zone. The reasons are a multitude, but mainly down to the weakness of Greece and several others with debt, rather than an apparent strength of the pound. With the UK also heavily saddled with debt, the good times might not always last, so nows a good time to take advantage if you are looking to purchase your holiday Euros. At the time of writing, the rate is 1.21... now if only we had have known that a few months ago!

If you are still thinking of a holiday villa for summer 2010, we have late villa deals in France and late villa deals in Italy. A further way to save is to click through and see whats on offer, however availability is of course limited.

Our trained and knowledgable reservation staff are on hand to guide you through the late deals we have: Tel +44 (0) 1442 870055.

St Tropez : focus for 2010

The bedrock of the Riviera in France, the region where the highlife and the high living flock to, to be seen and to be seen in, is of course St Tropez. From tasteful villages like St Maxime, Grimaud, to fun places such as Pampelonne beach, Beauvallon, Club 55 and more, its a vibrant, exciting and joyous destination for a holiday.

In high season, the place literally buzzes with activity, laughter and frivolity. Further along the coast, or indeed inland, one can of course see other exciting places: Cannes, Nice, Montecarlo, or even to Menton and to cross the border into Italy!

So how do you get your piece of the action? We at Quality Villas have one of the most select portfolios of St Tropez villas available in the market. The good news is, we still have some availability for summer 2010, so if you havent yet booked your summer villa vacation, we recommend giving us a call. If St Tropez is a little too lively for you, we can of course offer property from other regions in France, for example the rural south west; a much more placid offering in a green, welcoming location.

The featured villa is Villa Prelude (image above), sleeping 8, it has a private heated pool, air conditioned bedrooms and views across the gulf to St Tropez. Further, it is within walking distance of the beach, golf and tennis. A week in high season summer: was £9280, now £8350. Click here for this French villa near beach .

If you wish to speak to one of our experienced villa consultants to discuss your requirements, please call us on 01442 870055 or email info@qualityvillas.com

Exciting, Mystical and Diverse

...I am talking about Morocco, a country that one of our area managers is in love with. Our very own Queen of Morocco (Gill) has been visiting Agadir to develop our villa programme in Aglou Plage (a beach side resort, south of Agadir).
This fascinating country where the old customs and way of life still exist in rural areas to the newly built up and westernised areas of Agadir offers so much to any traveller who is looking for sun, fascinating cities and long sandy beaches.

There is a very western feel about the place with its beachfront bars, long boulevards and the mild winter climate (January average temperature 20 centrigrade/68 farenheit) which has made it a popular winter sun destination for northern Europeans.

We have three luxury villas at the moment, right on the beach and all in a residential domain that offer quality accommodation with comfort in mind. Our newest recruit is Dar Soumaya, a lovely brightly painted villa and sparkling blue infinity pool right next to the beach!

Contact us now to discuss your autumn and winter sun holiday on 01442 870055 or visit our website of luxury villas in Morocco .

A great Italian offer!

A new villa to our programme for 2010, but one which has been quickly seen as an enticing prospect by many of our clients is Casa dei Pellegrini.

Located near Orvieto, at the crossroads between Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio in Italy, this charming property sleeps 8, has a 12m x 8m swimming pool and enjoys wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. There are cotto floors and chestnut beams - lovingly restored by the owners (the property was derelict until a few years ago!)
There is also a games room at the property, something to keep the family active, or simply why not relax by the pool!

Click here to visit this villa in Italy - or please call to speak to one of our staff about our villa portfolio.

The best news, the last remaining weeks for 2010 have been reduced as follows:

12-19 June 2010 was £2600, now £1865
7-14 August 2010 was £4100, now £2950
18-25 September 2010 was £2660, now £1865

If you would prefer a French holiday villa - please click also to visit the website.