Mark russell asked:
It is possible to find holiday villas to stay in, in many European countries. Holiday villas can be either leased for a certain period of time, or outrightly bought from their past owners. Some countries that are home to nice holiday villas are Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus and Portugal. People build holiday villas in these countries, particularly in their coastal regions, because the weather is favorable for taking holidays and the holiday villas allow easy access to the water, so tenants or owners of holiday villas can participate in water sports in comfort.
If you are planning to rent one of the many holiday villas available in Europe for you and your family, it would be wise to bear in mind certain things you should arrange for:
1.Access to steady sources of electricity, water and gas in the holiday villa – If the current or former owner has vacated the holiday villa, he might have had the electricity, water and gas turned off. So ask the real estate agent arranging for your stay about this.
2.Bed linen and towels – Ask the agent as well if the owner of your holiday villa will permit use of his clean bed linen and towels, or if you have to purchase or bring your own along with you. Many people overlook this because they assume their rented holiday villa functions like a hotel where clean bed linen and towels come with the room.
3.Laundry and housekeeping services – Again, visitors to holiday villas may assume that the rent for their holiday villa automatically includes laundry and housekeeping services. You may have to arrange for laundry and housekeeping services before you arrive, or ask around at other tenants of surrounding holiday villas if they can recommend providers of such services.
4.Taxes – Since people who rent holiday villas in one country often come from other countries, they might forget that there could be taxes charged on their stay in the host country. The real estate agent can help you figure out what taxes apply to your stay.
5.Airconditioning – There are holiday villas in Europe that do not offer airconditioning because the owners expect you to savor the refreshing breeze from the nearby ocean. If you prefer a holiday villa that has airconditioning, you might have to ask for this from the agent.
6.Extra furniture and bedding – If you have children or are expecting guests, it may be necessary to ask for extra furniture such as a high chair and crib for your toddler, or perhaps folding cot beds with bedsheets and pillows so you can accommodate visitors in your holiday villa.
7.Payments – If you are going to rent a holiday villa, ask the agent how you will be paying for your stay. The owner might ask for a deposit and then installment payments during the term of your stay. One common feature of lease agreements for holiday villas is the returnable breakage deposit.
8.Duration of your stay – Find out when the agreement stipulates you should consider your stay at the holiday villa to have started. For example, if the agreement says it starts at 8 am local time on the Monday of that week, and you arrive at noon, then maybe you can ask for a discount or reduction of the charges for your stay. Of course, you should also be aware when the lease agreement says you should have departed from the holiday villa, to avoid charges for overstaying.
These are just some of the things you should bear in mind when arranging for holiday villas to stay in.
John Sallieri asked:
With a 2,400% surge in traffic and an average of 1,000 visitors per day, Portugal Villa Renters this week announced that its advertising and PR campaign in partnership with EssenceMedia has produced some startling results. Compete.com, the analytics provider compared Portugal Villa Renters with their competitors and found that Portugal Villa Renters had established itself as the largest villa rental site by far.
Registrations Increase
Sign ups are on the increase as well. Having started as a free webiste, a company spokesman stated that they have had to start charging €49 - €59 per annum due to increased hosting costs and partnership commitments.
The site has all of its listings on the LA Times travel section as well as AOL Travel, two of the most visited travel sites.
The site now has 370 registered properties.
TV Travel Guide Launched
The company launched an online video and TV travel guide which will showcase Portugal and the countless destinations on offer. The TV guide also has the listings in the area hyperlinked so that potential visitors can compare lodging options which range from studio apartments to grand villas. The TV site is a first for Portugal and it will be interesting to see when they launch the much anticipated second version which will allow villa owners to offer virtual tours.
Affordable Advertising
Portugal Villa Renters is also the first to offer unlimited picture uploads at no extra cost. They are running a promotion at the moment at €49 which will cover your advertising for 14 months. The price also includes free listings on the partner sites listed above.
With over 1,000 visitors per day it is also the most cost effective form of advertising. Featured Property listings can be bought for €99, but some of them have received over 4,000 visits in less than a month. One advertiser has even posted a message “Fully Booked for Summer 2009″ to deter enquiries.
Technology
The company cancelled the tradition of posting long and complicated reference numbers and instead installed an option that enables potential renters to save their options for up to 60 days. This easy to use functionality has seen enquiries and conversions increase.
Other technological firsts include a personal statistics counter for advertisers and the TV travel guide.
More Information
For more information, please visit http://www.portugalvillarenters.com
John Sallieri asked:
The vacation rental website PortugalVillaRenters.com has announced this week that bookings for many of its villas have beat expectations and a few have ceased taking reservations for the summer months this year. Enquiries have come from holidaymakers from far flung corners of the world including Singapore and Canada.
The web site allows apartment and villa owners to advertise free of charge by providing a description, photos and map location. The site’s technology enables users to search for properties in a number of ways, one of which includes a Google-like search function instead of the traditional reference numbers used on most vacation rental web sites.
Portugal Villa Renters was also the first vacation rental web site to announce the introduction of a free user driven video platform that will allow advertisers to showcase their properties, but also place Portugal in a favourable position for holidaymakers that would not otherwise consider Portugal as a holiday destination.
Although the recession has severely dented the tourism industry, many are turning to villa and apartment rental as a cheaper alternative, especially for larger families and group holidays. An average villa with three bedrooms and a pool will fetch around €1,000 per week in the summer months, although many advertised on the site are receiving bookings for four times that amount on the luxury end of the market.
Whether it is a village townhouse or a rural quinta, PortugalVillaRenters.com has categorised all types of vacation rental properties and is already receiving over one thousand visitors per day. If you are interested in advertising your property free of charge, please visit PortugalVillaRenters.com
Paul asked:
Many holiday villas in Portugal are situated in the Algarve region, where they are neatly decorated with whitewashed render and topped with orange coloured pan-tiled roofs.
The Algarve coast is very popular with northern European visitors looking for the warmth of the sun in a quieter location than its bordering neighbour, Spain.The Mediterranean climate here ensures that Portugal is blessed with almost 230 days of sunshine each year, plus very little rain. Most tourists who visit Portugal will head for the coast.
With clean sandy beaches, quaint fishing villages and manicured golf courses, it’s easy to see why the Algarve is often the No1 attraction. Lisbon is the cosmopolitan capital, situated on the River Tagus, with Oporto being the centre for exporting locally grown Port wine. Nearby is the pretty coastal resort of Cascais.
Holiday apartments in Portugal can be booked close to glorious beaches that are ideal for family beach-holidays and offering alternative attractions for the children nearby. The resorts of Tavira, Figueira, Silves, and Vale de Parra are also popular holiday areas that cater well for groups and families of all ages. Albufeira and Vilamoura, arguably two of the Algarve coast’s most well known resorts, are both an easy drive from Faro Airport, and benefit from superb beaches and plenty of fun facilities for all.
There are many magnificent golf courses that will really test the serious player. The mild climate permits play all year round and, boasting around 70 courses it’s why Portugal has quite naturally become a golfer’s paradise. Portugal is also spoilt with many gorgeous villas having their own private swimming pool, ideal to return to after a game on the fairways.
For further information about self-catering holiday apartments or villas in Portugal, visit www.holidayrentalcentre.co.uk or contact the writer.
Anoop Kumar asked:
From the very start back in 1970, when the place was conceived, the master plan for Quinta do Lago was for the resort to become one of the most exclusive in Europe. This is why a Quinta do Lago villa is perhaps the ultimate luxury when you consider a holiday in this part of the Algarve.
Considering that this vast area is actually a nature reserve, it is remarkable how such a residential development can sit so comfortably alongside this delicate ecosystem. The supervised master plan has strict zoning regulations which limit high density and high rise buildings. The process for building a Quinta do Lago villa is a very often a compromise for the structure to meet the restrictions of the planning requirements whilst at the same time satisfying the owner’s wishes.
The resort is over 8oo acres and now consists of over 2000 properties. Over 700 of which are individual villas on large plots fronting either golf fairways, lakes or even the Atlantic Ocean. At Select Resorts we are fortunate to have also been selling properties on resort over the last 20 years. This gives us a thorough knowledge of the resort and more importantly we can deal directly with individual owners for our rental properties.
If you are looking for that special Quinta do Lago villa for your holiday in 2009, you can go to Select Resorts website and see some examples of what is on offer. All the properties have been visited and vetted so the staff can discuss any specific requirements that clients may have.
Helen Rudd asked:
Over the years there has been a decline in people holidaying the ‘old fashioned way’ with a tour operator, where everything is in one price. These days people are opting for private rentals of their holiday accommodation, which gives them freedom to stay in a property of their choice that ticks all their boxes for the perfect holiday.
Portugal is now one of the top destinations in Europe, with more and more people choosing to have a wonderful holiday here. Let me give you a few reasons why :-
1) The Choice of Properties
Portugal is very diverse in it’s regions. From beach holidays to skiing in the mountains, it has it all. The choice of properties within Portugal is almost as diverse from private villas in the Golden Triangle or mountainside apartments near the ski resorts. This is what makes Portugal one of the most popular destinations in Western Europe.
2) Great Weather
Portugal gets over 3000 hours of sunshine every year, making it a good all year round destination. Add to that the beautiful, golden, blue flag beaches or the fantastic mountain scenery and you have a winning holiday destination with something to suit everyone.
3) Fantastic History and Sight Seeing
Portugal has such a wide and diverse history, being ruled by the Moors, Romans and the Spanish in it’s time. Down in the Algarve you can still see the Moors influences, in not just the architecture, but it’s language as well. The capital Lisbon is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with lots to do including one of the biggest sea life centres in Europe.
With all this to see and do the only thing left for you to do is pick your accommodation for your holiday in Portugal.
For more information on Portugal Holiday Accommodation then just go to http://www.portugalholidayaccommodation.com
They offer a wide choice for vacation rentals in Portugal.
John Davies asked:
You will find many holiday rentals companies on the internet, but at Apartment and Villa Rentals you can find a personal touch that could make you feel assured that by advertising your holiday home with us we will work as hard as you will to gain those vital rentals.
We will not sit back and wait for potential clients to find the website, we will actively build and promote the site so that we find your potential clients.
http://www.apartmentandvillarentals.com is consistently striving to grow as a property rental company. Even though the companies existence has been short we have already through effective marketing seen great signs of growth.
Apartment and Villa Rentals has seen many unique visitors to the website and is proud to have directed holiday rental bookings direct to the owner already for this forthcoming summer. Visitor numbers are increasing by the day so now is the time for you to add your property to our website.
The website has many apartments, villas and cottages for holiday rental in many hot holiday locations around the world. Clients can find holiday accommodation in Spain, Portugal, France, Cyprus, Hawaii, New York and many other great holiday destinations worldwide. Whether it is a sea view, mountain view, lake view or a penthouse apartment with huge terraces then you can be sure to find it at www.apartmentandvillarentals.com.
Due to the success of the website, Apartment and Villa Rentals is proud to announce that we have now began a relationship with Holiday Autos.
Holiday Autos, the world’s leading leisure car rental company providing low cost car rental in over 4,000 locations worldwide through quality providers. Prices start from just £8 per day and they monitor competitor prices daily to ensure lowest prices in ALL European “low cost” flight destinations and the USA.
Andrew Brough asked:
Everyone dreams of staying in a villa. But few know how easy it really is to be able to stay in a villa, especially holiday rental villas. When someone thinks of “villas” they think of luxury, of peace, quiet, tranquility. All these things come to mind when you say that magic word. They think of luxurious settings, open spaces, and a quality accommodation. All these things are true of holiday rental villas. You can stay in a villa on your next holiday. You can have open spaces, peace, quiet and tranquility. It is as easy as finding the right holiday rental property. Many people think it is time consuming and a hassle to find and rent quality accommodations like villas. But in truth, finding rentals is just as easy as making a hotel reservation. Everything is handled either over the phone or online just like any other type of reservation. The added plus is that when you are done making your reservation, you will have made accommodations for a much nicer place to stay than a motel.
Rental villas can be found in all parts of the world, from Spain, Italy, and Portugal. The villa you choose to stay in may have a pool or be on the beach, or perhaps it will have a mountain view. These villa rentals are someone’s home, and as such will have all the amenities that you would associate with being in your own home. You will find comfortable chairs, soft mattresses, as well as kitchen table and chairs, plates as well as silverware. Once you’ve decided to go on vacation, the next decision should be where you would like to stay. I don’t know anyone who would prefer to stay in a hotel or motel versus one of the holiday rental villas. In fact it just takes one stay in a rental and you will never go back to the routine of a hotel or motel, unless you have to. A rental villa it lets you feel as if you are actually a part of the town or country that you are visiting. You can’t get that feeling cooped up in your hotel room.
Choosing the right holiday villa is a simple process. Because most rentals are advertised online it makes it a very easy process to research where you want to stay. Most important, of course is checking that the online company is reliable. They are usually just a go between for you and the villa owner. There will be pictures on the website for you to view all the aspects of the accommodations. There will be outside views of the house and area around it. There will be pictures of the rooms inside, as well as information on the villa. Side information that is useful would be things like: is there a dishwasher, do you get washer/dryer access, is the property self catered, are bicycles available for your use. Once you have decided on where you’d like stay, the arrangements are usually transmitted through the internet. If you’re ever in doubt, all companies are only a phone call away. And once you’re done, you will have a reservation to a holiday rental villa and probably one your best holiday vacations ever.
Mariangeles Claros asked:
Passing Easter time and online holiday bookings start getting busy as this is a very useful tool for those who desire a warm holiday next summer. North European vacationers point to sunny places like Spain, Greece and Portugal for instance for the deserved holiday time in good company.
The most important thing here is booking on time, that means if you are interested in making a particular home the base for a perfect holiday, you just have to be quick and book in advanced so that you make sure you and your family or friends will enjoy the fantastic villa, apartment, or whatever kind of house you have decided to be, as there are many types, it just depends whether you want a nice villa in Spain looking to the sea or a charming country house with chimney facing the high mountains. A holiday home will cost you a fee per week and NOT per person, and the facilities are many. Taking into account that this kind of rentals takes place directly from the owner, there is no commission, and moreover, you will have a personalized treatment from the owner - “the best local guide you could ever have”.
So, already planned destination? Southern Europe countries sound like sun shine, warm temperatures, long beaches, clear clean waters and healthy Mediterranean food. By renting a holiday home you will enjoy the tranquility and relax of being on your own, perhaps a villa with pool and delicious barbeques at night in a peaceful terrace, seems more attractive than crowded pools and bars at the hotel, plenty of tourists and noise.
Get ready for a holiday in Spain or any other country in the world and be sure to book soon and get the ideal holiday home for a special time!
