Italy has some of the most fascinating cities in the world, Rome, Venice, Florence, Sienna the list goes on and on. They are all worth visiting and they house some of the best art museums you could wish to see as well as numerous top class shops. If you tire of all that you can just sit back in a café and admire the people and their marvellous dress sense.

But its probably the tranquil local village life, trying a bit of Italian, long meals in restaurants and time relaxing by the pool which best epitomises a good Italian villa holiday.

In Italy many of the villas are restored properties which reflect the local architecture, this is most evident in the stone houses of Tuscany.

Italy travel

Traveling to Italy is relatively easy and economical. There are International airports in Pisa (PSA), Rome Ciampino (CIO), Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Palermo (PMO) which are well serviced with direct flights nearly all year round through low cost operators such as Ryanair and Easyjet. Don't forget to pre-book airport parking well in advance for the best savings. There are good motorways (tolls) which mean you can self drive to most parts of mainland Italy although you will require stop over hotels. 

Flying times to Italian villas in Tuscany

Flights from London to Pisa take around 2 and a half hours.

Flying times to Italian villas in Lazio

Flights from London to Rome take around 2 and a half hours.

Flying times to Italian villas in Sicily

Flight from London to Palermo take around 3 hours.

Italy weather

The climate in Italy is one of the big attractions as it is usually warm and sunny from May to September and further south in Sicily you can add April and October. Temperatures can get quite hot in the peak holiday periods of July and August.

Italy time

Italy is in the Central European Time Zone which falls under Central European Standard Time (CET) which runs an hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Consequently Italy is one hour in advance of the UK.

Italy food and drink

It is no great surprise that italian food has become international, its so good and family friendly. Go almost anywhere in the world and you can eat Italian. Pizzas are the obvious national dish but there is much more and great variation across the regions, specialties such as Parma ham and Balsamic vinegar in northern Italy, to buffalo mozzarella in Lazio and swordfish in Sicily. Wines in the north include Chianti and Barolo, in the south you have Frascati to name just a few.

Eating out in Italy

Eating out in restaurants in Italy can be very good value and if your not careful you can run up a large bill as its all so tempting. With lots of tasty starter dishes, gorgeous pastas in sources such as truffle then superb fish and meat dishes, not to mention the wines. It's hard to beat a meal out in Italy. 

Italy holiday books to read

E.M. forster - A room with a view is a great place to start another classic is Thomas Mann - Death in Venice. The quality of read might be dubious but the interest content of Dan Browns book Angels and Demons is worth the effort. For background Luigi Barzini The Italians and Speak the culture: Italy. Tim Parks - Italian Neighbours, A Season in Verona and An Italian Education give insight into living the dream in Italy.

What to expect when you rent a villa in Italy

Nearly all of our villas in Italy have linen and towels included. They are all in good locations without any undue disturbance. Many are old stone farmhouses and manors which have been renovated. The quality tends to be higher than average for Europe. You will usually be required to leave a security deposit.

Our principal Italian agent is both a good friend and a great professional who ensures that the villas are exactly as they should be and that the owners offer their full support and help to our clients. We have long experience of renting these villas and there are always a few new well selected gems to look forward to every year.

There is an excellent range in Tuscany, mainly outside the hotspot areas which we consider to busy and expensive. Our Italian villas are within easy striking distance of the principal sights amidst wonderful countryside. Coastal Tuscany offers a lovely combination of sea and scenery as do  the Lazio and Le Marche regions.

Use our experts, we have over 20 years experience of Italy villas.