Archive for 'Travel Tips'

If there is one mistake that is repeated more often each year than any other it’s waiting to long to book a villa for a large group. Large villas are always the first properties to be booked in the season. There are many reasons for this but the primary factor is coordinating the travel schedules of some many people and booking airlines tickets.

When should you book? As soon as you know the number of people traveling and have decided on a travel date (remember villa bookings run from Saturday to Saturday). In most cases, the rates and availability come online in Aug/Sept of the prior year, so, for example, you can book for the 2008 season now. If you need to book two years in advance please let us know and we can suggest some properties that allow bookings that far in advance.

If you need access to the internet while traveling in Tuscany and the villa you're renting doesn't offer internet access there is no reason to panic. With over 400 Wi-Fi points throughout Tuscany, getting online is not as big a problem as it once was. With more and more hotspots coming online each month, finding an internet connection will become easier as time goes on.

For those of you unfamiliar with hotspots, a hotspot is a location with a wireless internet connection that is open to the public. Sometimes it's free and in some cases it is fee-based. Connection to the network is made through your wireless adapter in your laptop or other hardware. There are a good number of sources online that can educate you about the wi-fi industry. A simple Google search for 'what is wi-fi' will yield abundant results.

Many villa owners will grant a discount for last-minute travel. Discounts of 10-20% off the normal price are usual.

Last-minute travel is defined differently from owner to owner but generally speaking if you will be arriving within 30 days of the time you book that is considered last-minute. Some owners are more restrictive with their policy and only grant discounts if the villa is booked with 2-weeks of arrival.

Basically there are two types of villa rentals either Private or Multi-Unit. The choice you make for your family or group could be what makes or breaks your trip. Lets first define the two types of villas. We define a private villa as an independent structure with no shared facilities. (Although in some cases there could be a caretaker or owner that lives on the premises as well.) A multi-unit villa has multiple living spaces inside the structure of the villa. Typically these units are like apartments and include kitchen, dining room, living room, bedrooms, bathrooms and a small dedicated outdoor space for each unit. The majority of the outdoor space and facilities, such as the pool, are shared among all the guests.

The most common request we receive is for a private villa with pool that is close to a town with shops and restaurants. While this may sound like the ideal villa and for many it is, but for a lot of groups and families, considering a multi-unit villa would be a better option. Why a multi-unit villa? There are many reasons including price, privacy (yes privacy!), companionship and choice.

Driving in Tucany is hazardous to your health! Although most people believe this is the case, in reality drivers in Tuscany (and Italy in general) follow the road rules and are very patient with foreign drivers… NOT!!

When driving in Tuscany the important rules to remember are:

• The guy behind you is not tail-gating you because he hates you.. it’s just the way they drive. Either learn to ignore it or don’t drive in Italy. In most cases, he is there waiting to pass you and the next chance. Italians are famous for passing on roads most Americans would never dream of passing another car. When he starts to pass you just slow up a little and let him by.