keys asked:


with my baby who will be 14 weeks by the holiday in 3 weeks time….i dont want to forget anything,, and some good tips or advice would be welcomed,,,we are going to Spain and staying in a friends villa for 2 weeks……..
advise on sterilising bottles,,, slings or buggy, sleeping the sun etc

Afzal

Andrew Gibson asked:


Madeira is one of the most popular family holiday destinations in Europe for families staying in self catering apartments and holiday villas. It’s year round warm climate, beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters make it the ideal sun holiday destination.

The island of Madeira is one of the many islands among the coastlines of Europe that are politically and culturally integrated with the continental mainland. The Tourism industry in Madeira is booming and extremely active, it has a 20% contribution to the Gross Domestic Produce. Many visitors are highly amazed about the treasures that these islands hold. Whether you choose to stay in a self catering holiday home in one of the towns or a luxury villa with a swimming pool close to the sea front, nobody will ever get bored on a holiday to Madeira. There are some amazing locations to be visited while spending your family vacation on the island of Madeira.

In the midst, is the old town in the Largo Almirante Reis that is located just opposite the Monte Cable car station, the Madeira Story Station takes the visitors on a journey back into the past. The Story Station is an interactive place that displays the whole past of Madeira Island to visitors. It deals with all the historic events right form the birth of the island about 14 million years ago to Napoleon and Churchill. The Story centre is open daily excluding Christmas. The Story centre is open from 10am to 6pm. The tour can be completed in less than two hours. Near to here are many holiday homes which are available for rent direct from the holiday home owners.

Another amazing historic location that is not to be missed is the Porto Santo. The Porto Santo is the oldest settlement in Madeira. It was discovered back in 1418. The island is virtually barren and has a limited amount of vegetation. The island was discovered by Joao Gonclaves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teistao. Famous explorer Christopher Columbus got married on this very island to Donna Filipa, the daughter of first donee of the island, Bartholomeu Perestrelo.

Being an attractive and popular location for tourism, you must not miss some of the amazing hotels on this island. The most desired hotel by the tourists is the Quinta das vistas Palace Gardens Hotel. It is one of the most expensive and the best five star hotels out of all of the hotels. It has some of the most beautiful views that the Island of Madeira has to offer. The Reid’s Palace Hotel is again one of the most beautiful, comfortable and elegant hotel that is found in Madeira. The hotel is situated at a height and enjoys a splendid view the ocean.

Madeira is a great place to spend your vacation and has some of the best holiday homes in Europe. There are luxurious holiday villas, holiday cottages and self catering apartments all available to rent, you can then use these as a base to explore the sites of Madeira. Another major attraction of Madeira is the number of churches that it has built on it. The region boasts of 16 old churches. Another must see while staying in a holiday home in Madeira is the Se Cathedral, it is extremely popular with the locals, the church has a peculiar architecture. It is heavily influenced by South European Gothic and also Moorish and Manueline styles of building.



Arnie

Aalan Jones asked:


Our trip to Florence was long awaited. We took time to plan our holiday carefully and after much research we finally came across http://www.villasinflorence.com/ they had a nice selection of large villas and were also very, very helpful in helping us make the right decision. Nothing was too much for them and they were also happy to answer my endless questions. I just wanted to ensure that everything would be perfect.

We finally went for a Florence villa rental called villa Paradiso right in the heart of the Chianti area between Florence and Siena.

The property was in a fantastic location and was very charming, as were the owners who were most helpful. Although our holiday was in some ways quite hectic as we wanted to see as much as possible in a short time span, we found that this particular choice of rental allowed us to be able to relax in a most wonderful setting, very reinvigorating, and yet was so conveniently placed, close to the wonderful city of Florence.

We never tired of Florence and so we found that we ventured very little away from this magnificent place, just to sit in the square having a coffee was sheer pleasure. We saw absolutely everything in Florence, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio (went here everyday) the buildings, the museums, the markets.

The village nearby called Radda in Chianti was absolutely enchanting. A mediaeval hamlet perched on a hill and surrounded by vineyards.

We particularly enjoyed the Italian food and one evening we had a chef come in and cater for us at the villa; it was a great experience and he even made a special cake for us as we were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, a very nice thought and much appreciated. Eating out in Florence, was on the whole quite cheap and the food was excellent. We used to laugh and say: “they must have their granny in the kitchen doing the cooking”, it all tasted so genuine and home made. After such culinary experience we decided that at least a one day cookery class was a must, so that we could take home our knowledge of the Italian cuisine and maybe cook ourselves a plate of home made Italian pasta on some rainy evening.

We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and although we are under no illusion that we will create perfect pasta and will probably have to nip down to the supermarket for our “pasta fresca”, we would not have missed it for anything.

This was our first visit to Italy and was a truly memorable one. There villa was perfect and the location was perfect, close to the town, but far enough away to feel peaceful. The perfect place for us all, we only wish we could have stayed longer! . We will most definitely be back.



Cherri

Carolina Casini asked:


Scenic rolling hills and valleys characterize the region of Chianti lying strategically between Florence and Siena. Chianti is naturally delineated by an array of vineyards, olive groves and woods and interspersed with ancient parish churches, farmhouses and villages. The Tuscan town is quite popular for its wines globally. Of particular interest is the Chianti Classico, which is an admixture of white and red grapes. An extensive holiday tour of the region most especially the Tuscany villa would reveal a whole lot of interesting and captivating sceneries. Navigation through the region could be by bicycle or even by foot around the entire area. One could avail the opportunity of staying in one of the Chianti Tuscany villas, thus having a thorough insight into its cultural values. Whether it’s a walking, biking or driving tour, a vacation at Chianti provides an excellent way to discover most of the interesting places in the tourist-friendly region.

The region is a superb option for shopping. It plays host to quality goods most especially leather goods. Those interested in these leather goods would find Greve a hotspot for LGB Italia manufactured fine leather goods. A long vacation at any of the luxury Chianti Villas offers good opportunities for shopping in Tuscany. Italian designers would find Florence a wonderful place to purchase Italian-designed goods. Interestingly lying between two Arezzo and Florence are two retail outlets having a strong traditionalist approach of passing down artisan skills. Dining out during vacation entails a whole lot of Italian cuisines which includes including grilled beef steak, braised boar or rabbit and soup made with extra virgin olive oil. Noteworthy is the Chianti Classico, wine which contributed to the Tuscan region’s popularity in terms of its unique foods and wines. Best of all, they are offered at very cheap and affordable rates.

At the heart of the region forming a triangular shape are three villages namely Greve, Radda and Castellina. Chianti’s the biggest wine fair which normally takes place in September is held at Greve. A typical person on vacation is presented with many chances of buying from its export market coupled with wine shops in every village. Noted for its Knightly nature and black cockerel symbols on its bottles is Rada. A jaunt around Chianti Villa would mean taking ample opportunity of moving round the ancient town of Colle di Val d’Elsa which is Italy’s largest producer of fine glass and crystal. One can also during an excursion to Badia Lake or at Monte San Michele National Park avail oneself of the natural relaxation there. A whole sparking treat of natural relaxation awaits one there at Chianti. To make informed decisions about Chianti Tuscany villas, you might have to have a look at what the web has to offer. An exotic option of Chianti villa holidays awaits you. The hospitality packages are replete with choice of Chianti Tuscany villas coupled with the possibility of booking cheap flights to Tuscany.

Greve in Chianti is the market town of the Chianti Classico wine zone of Tuscany which consists of a large part of the hilly territory between Florence and Sienna. Chianti provides opportunities for a unique style of vacation where you can find a relaxing place to stay in one of the many beautifully restored farmhouses of the area and yet still be within easy reach of the art cities such as Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa. The rooms, apartments, farm houses and villas of Chianti offered as holiday rentals in the hills around Greve in Chianti are characterized by terracotta tiled floors and beamed ceilings, and are usually furnished in country style with authentic antiques or very good copies. Bathroom facilities are clean and modern, and a swimming pool is frequently available. Often an entire self-catering apartment with pool will cost you less than modest hotel accommodation for the same number of people in a city. Furthermore, there are numerous excellent restaurants both in the Chianti villages and in the Tuscany countryside itself.

Ask any holidaymaker and what readily comes to ones mind is the Olives, wine, house rentals, cypress trees, landscapes, holidays in Chianti. Residing in the Chianti zone somewhat brings about so many possibilities, part of which is agri-tourism. Compared to hotels or pensioners, agri-tourism accommodation here is usually less expensive. It makes provision for facilities for needed to prepare one’s meals. A wide range of traveling companies offers holiday homes in Tuscany as revealed in Chianti Villas and Florence apartments. Preference for selected accommodation in Chianti revolves around picking apartments amongst well known historical centers in Chianti, Castellina, Impruneta, and San Casciano. These also cover residences in other notable places such as villas and residences in the Tuscan countryside. Holidaying at countryside residences provides a whole new feeling different from what obtains at staying a city hotel. This makes it beautiful option for students and professionals in need of apartment either in Chianti or Florence for limited period of time.



Camino

Charismatic_guru asked:


If anyone has visited Maldives for a holiday, please guide me with some good resorts especially water villas(personel experiences please). What are the rates in off season - October? How is the service? Whether we get good food for vegetarians? Will October rains spoil my holiday in anyways?

What are the tourist attractions? Water sports are possible in this (October) season? Would like to know if I need to take along any diving gears or shoes? Can I get the equipments on rent?
Thank you for your quick response, but I have already explored all these sites and they confuse you more as they all have beautiful pictures, and looks can be decieving. I want personal experiences and reviews. I am basically looking for relaxation at a beach.

Youssef

purplehaze asked:


I’m planning on going on an extended holiday to Florida for 12 weeks, does anyone know anygood places for cheap accomidation? Or does anyone have a villa, app etc they’d be willing to rent for that long?

Thanks

Najib

marty m asked:


When you go on Holiday, would you rather stay in a hotel or Villa??

Manuela

Roger Munns asked:


Even if villa holidays are an unfamiliar term to you, you may at least be familiar with the concept. The idea became mainstream in the 2006 movie “The Holiday,” however; self-catered travelling has actually been around in one form or another for decades.

Thanks in large part to the Internet’s ability to considerably shrink geographical distances and make communication and the trading of services faster and easier, self-catered vacations have seen a tremendous surge in popularity in the last decade. Travellers who choose this style of travel bypass the tradition of making vacation arrangements through a travel agent, who would normally perform services like booking a hotel, reserving a sight-seeing package, etc.

Instead, travellers book accommodation directly from a private owner who will put vacationers up in a villa or apartment. As often than not, vacationers find their contacts through an Internet listing.

So why is the self-catered holiday the new ticket to a great vacation? The trend continues to catch fire with travellers worldwide for a number of reasons, including:

* Flexibility: Dealing directly with a private owner often means travellers get a better pick of travel dates. It’s also easier to negotiate deals when it comes to length of stay, inclusiveness of a package and other things that wouldn’t be possible with a hotel stay. It’s also a great way to accommodate large families or groups of travelers without having to separate groups.

* Privacy: Choosing self-catered accommodation means not having to worry about nosy neighbors in close proximity or the sound of the ice machine down the hall at 2:00 am. Your villa or apartment is yours and yours alone. You also get a much more “homey” feeling than you might with a hotel room.

* Freedom: There’s no need to worry about meal schedules because you’re cooking for yourself, or you can simply choose a local restaurant at your own convenient time.

* Cost efficiency: This is one of the biggest reasons that travellers choose self-catering villa holidays. Dealing with a private owner almost always means you get a better rate than you would in a hotel. Places such as Majorca, where many of the best hotels are close to the coast, travellers will pay a prime rate for beachfront property. However, if you go inland to a self-catered private home or condominium, you’re much more likely to find a better rate; without having to sacrifice quality.

Chances are, you’ll still be only minutes from major amenities, shopping and sightseeing destinations. Since your accommodation includes an equipped kitchen, you have the option of saving money by cooking at least some of your own meals during your stay. Even if you choose to eat out, you’ll probably be paying less for meals than you would at a hotel restaurant or with room service.

Sometimes you can negotiate a better rate with a private owner, especially if you plan to stay for an extended period of time (a week or more). Plus, you get an entire residence for the duration of your stay rather than just one or two rooms and a restroom.

And don’t think that your choices are limited just because you’re choosing a non-traditional hotel vacation. There are self-catered accommodations all over the world with added features like a swimming pool, home gym, games room, entertainment centre and many extras. Whatever kind of vacation you want, you’re sure to find an apartment or villa that suit your desires.

Just what kind of impact self-catered holidays are having on the hotel and hospitality industry is difficult to determine. The hotel industry in Spain continues to grow, despite the rising number of travellers who are choosing self-catered accommodation.

However, since the number of vacationers who have opted out of hotel stays for their holidays has also grown over the last several years, it may be a safe assumption that the tourism industry in Spain as a whole is growing. In fact, it’s quite possible that the number of recreational travellers in Spain is on the rise because vacationers have so many options when it comes to accommodation and more people can now afford to travel than ever before.

Whatever the case, it appears that self-catered villa holidays will continue to be a desirable and affordable way to travel and the tourism industry will be benefited, rather than hurt, by this trend.



Gwendolen

boaty08 asked:


I want to take my boyfriend away for a week next summer, preferably to Spain. We’re both 18 so cannot drive abroad, so the accommodation would need to be close-ish to the airport (no more than 30 mins drive - taxi if necessary!). We’d like either a villa with private pool or an apartment with a jacuzzi - I know it’s a lot to ask but it is his birthday present and I’d like to make it really special! Anyone know of somewhere we can go? Ideally Spain but will go for any European country. Thanks!

Yavar

yummymummy1000000 asked:


I live in Scotland and am desperately trying to find a holiday in the sun for the easter break (two wks preferably). Trouble is, I am finding it so difficult to find anywhere without having to take two rooms in a hotel (thus creating v. high price) and self catering seems to be very very squashed, ie. beds in the lounge as well as 1 bedroom. I have looked at villas but am aware that we wouldn’t have so much opportunity to socialise with other families - can be rather cut off - would rather share pool with others for the children’s enjoyment. Children’s club would also be a bonus. The price for holidays seem to be going through the roof.Has anyone been anywhere that was great for three little ones without having to go bankrupt to get there? The sun is important in this, so am thinking canaries/N. Africa/Cyprus - in April, these places should be perfect temp - unless you have other ideas I haven’t thought of yet??

Moniek