Extravigator - Villas + Apartments

B&B/Villa/farmhouse experience in Tuscany w/out roughing it out

Sarah-Leigh — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:08:59 -0400

Hello Wanderlust,
Do contact me on info@akvillas.com and have a look at www.akvillas.com. Belvedere, in Tuscany, might tick the right boxes. It's very authentic but not what you'd describe as spartan. It's set within a working vineyard in the heart of Chianti. You don't have to be uncomfortable to experience something authentic. La Vernaccia is also set in a great location - close to San Gimignano in Chianti and within easy reach of Siena. If you want to contact us through the above link and mention you heard of us through Extravagator then I'll remember you!
Best wishes,
Sarah-Leigh

B&B/Villa/farmhouse experience in Tuscany w/out roughing it out

Wanderlust — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:47:36 -0400

We are travelling with our 12 yr old daughter through Italy. Everyone talks abt trying a farmhouse/b&b/villa experience. Now I know tht the word Spartan definitely originated here! The conditions border scary. And no a/c? I want my daughter to experience this and interact with a

local family but I don't know if we can hack it. I've spent two wks online looking for something updated/nice but there's nothing in the Siena/ San Gimignano area. Any ideas/experiences you care to share?

Shld we suck it up for a few nights because the experience outweighs everything else.

Someone suggested this organic farmhouse property called Fattoria Poggio Alloro tht raise their own cattle, produce their own wine, honey, olive oil, saffron, etc.. Nice family tht runs it. Nice on paper but rooms are SPARTAN! Can't imagine wht the bathrms look like.

Luxury rentals

Sarah-Leigh — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:35:16 -0500

Hi Brianna,
We very recently re-launched the Abercrombie & Kent Villas site. It's got lots of photos for each villa as well as a Fact Sheet for each which includes further photographs and a floor plans It's at www.akvillas.com. Would welcome your feedback.
Best wishes and happy 2010!
Sarah-Leigh

Honeymoon in La Reunion

Finuala — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:10:47 -0500

Good afternoon all!

I am planning our honeymoon and I was thinking about flying to the french island of La Reunion. I sepak French and it seems to be paradise there. The problem is that I don't want to spend a week in a resort, I'd like to visit the island and explore the ranges a bit. So, the best option is certainely to rent something so we can schedule our holidays the way we want. I don't want to be kicked out at 10am by the cleaner!!lol

I don't know what to do. Has anyone ever booked a villa for their honeymoon?

Your feedback on that will be appreciated!

Luxury rentals

Nanoose — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:51:33 -0500

Rioja, Chicago. Not a big winter destination.

Luxury rentals

rioja — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:09:45 -0500

and where do you live Nanoose?
:)

Luxury rentals

Nanoose — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:36:41 -0500

What I do that is a bit of fun is I have a spare apartment that is completely furnished. I leave it for visiting friends and family but when it's vacant, I often go on Craigslist and swap. It's no risk for me, it's not my house (like none of my personal belongings) and I have had some great experiences. We have swapped with a guy who had a beautiful estate outside of Rome, another time we swapped with a couple who lived right on Waikki beach, another time we stayed right in the heart of Montmarte. You do have to be relatively flexible with both time and destination--it depends on who is willing to come to your home city. So, go on out and buy yourself a spare apartment--and swap out your vacations.

Luxury rentals

Brianna — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:14 -0500

Occasionally I prefer to stay in rented villa or house when I go on vacation, instead of hotels. I'm wondering what sites other people go through to find luxury houses or villas? I like these sites, for exotic locations:

http://www.dreamexoticrentals.com/

http://www.justluxuryvillas.com/

For Europe I usually like the options of this site:

http://www.casamundo.co.uk/

I'd love to hear some other suggestions for future vacations

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

leian — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:27:14 -0400

It's also worth checking out vrbo.com, where people rent their apartments/villas directly. You may have to sift through a lot of undesirable stuff, depending on what you'd like to pay and what amenities you want, but there are some good rentals on there and they're easily sorted by price point, etc.

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

Poojita — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:58:40 -0400

You should visit www.privatetradewinds.com for luxury apartments in Rome and Paris.

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

Trabzon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:01:01 -0400

For apartments in Rome, there is http://www.undertheromansun.com/ which has a very nice selection of apartments at reasonable rates.

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

pagode — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:30:24 -0400

I spent 10 nights in a Paris vacation apartment called Balthazar. I rented it through Paris Luxe Apartments, http://www.parisluxeapt.com
I have have to admit I was extremely pleased with not only the apartment but the greeter that welcomed me into the apartment.

Thailand off the beaten track

jane — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:14:56 -0400

We spent a week at a villa called Green Gecko in the Northeast of Thailand, before heading up to Vientiane in Laos and on to Luang Prabang.

We've rented skiing chalets before in Europe, and a beachside villa near Sanur in Bali, but this was completely different. The property was set on private grounds consisting of sugar cane plantations, woodlands and gardens, amongst a sea of emerald rice paddies. It was effectively a stunning, traditionally Thai villa in the middle of nowhere, which was fascinating - we got to see and experience what is the real Thailand, rather than a house or hotel in a tourist resort.

The difference was made by the local family who picked us up at the airport to take us to the villa. They lived in a village a few kilometres away, and prepared all our meals throughout our stay (deliciously zingy and fresh Thai fare), showed us how to cook some of the dishes, accompanied us to local areas of interest - and even did our laundry and the washing up! So we effectively had our own pool villa but also the service one might get at a resort, with the added plus of getting to know the locals.

I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to get off the beaten path, or to those looking to just relax and chill out away from it all (although those looking for a wild nightlife or luxury shopping malls would be advised to look elsewhere!)

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

cibo — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:00:20 -0500

For Paris, take a look at http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/
They have a beautiful selection. Even if you aren't interested in renting, it's fun to look. Typically you are in charge of keeping things neat and tidy on your own, and they'll send in a maid once a week. Though, you can hire maid service by the hour at any time if you prefer. Overall, you will get wonderful value and the chance to live like a native for a few days. But, of course you don't get the services that you do in a hotel. You would do best by having your own concierge service that you can call should you need some assistance with booking tickets and reservations. And make sure you know the area well enough in advance so you can find good food around the corner in the morning if you don't feel like eating in.

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

Lisa Corcoran — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:03:59 -0500

Have a look at http://www.thevillabook.com which has an excellent selection of luxury villas and city apartments throughout Europe.

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

Nanoose — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:56:28 -0500

I can't name any agency as I have a spare furnished apartment that I actually "swap" with for a European apartment, but I know a number of people that look for apartments on craigslist to let when visiting Europe. Many agencies advertise on there with photo's of their apartments that look quite nice. Most of the agencies that post give their website where you can look for higher end apartments in the location of your choice.

Advice for Renting Apartments in Europe

Patricia — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:38:31 -0500

Now that the dollar is so weak, a friend of mine told me that if I really want to get some wonderful accommodations during trips to Western Europe, without spending as much money as one would in a top-rated hotel, renting apartments is often a better option. So does anyone know which are the best companies or organizations to rent through when traveling to Europe if you prefer to only stay at very comfortable and beautiful apartments? Also, I'd be interested to know what kind of services or amenities one can expect when you rent. I appreciate any advice that anyone has to share.

Villa in Istria, Croatia

dd67 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:46:07 -0500

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable week in Croatia's Istria region last May. We rented a 5-bedroom villa through Style Holidays, a UK based operator. However, you can also book directly through Villas Forum, which provides all of the local support. Their team is excellent. Roberto, our primary contact, provided some extremely helpful suggestions on sightseeing, restaurants and hidden gems. He also booked our tickets on a catamaran for a day trip to Venice and organized a dinner at the villa with an excellent chef.

Here is a photo of Villa Jacoma:

Villa on the Amalfi Coast with a View

mundych — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:07:52 -0500

We rented a villa in Praiano, just south of the Hotel San Pietro, through rentvillas.com. We watched the sun rise over the Mediterranean each morning from bed. We had a roof-deck and a terrace where we drank wine and ate fresh Italian food under a large olive tree - all overlooking the water. There is easy bus service into Positano and down to Amalfi and Ravello - or cabs are very easy to get. There was a little grocery store at the foot of our hill and, when we left at the end of the week, they all gave us hugs. Many, many steps! Wonderful experience.

Villa on the Amalfi Coast with a View

cibo — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:28:57 -0500

Not being able to speak Italian doesn't make it impossible, but you may find that some of the people who take care of the villas, or live nearby, or even taxi or bus drivers do not speak english.

I wouldn't be overly concerned, but it would help considerably if you were able to speak "a little" Italian so that you can get by. If you can, make an effort to learn important phrases such as for directions, and asking for things. And be sure to bring that Italian-English pocket dictionary. It will definitely help you out.

Villa on the Amalfi Coast with a View

snapper — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:52:33 -0500

I would like to get some advice for renting a villa on the Amalfi Coast for a few weeks in June. I don't speak Italian so I am a little hesitant about doing it. So, I want to know if it can be done without too much trouble.

Recommendations or tips for getting good value for a villa ( with a terrific view! ) would be very helpful from anyone who has rented one in the past. I look forward to your suggestions.

Thanks!