Peter Parsons asked:


Tip 1: Consider a different destination:

If you’re looking for an affordable holiday villa but simply can’t afford a destination like Spain or Italy, then perhaps you should think about visiting France instead.

As an affordable holiday destination France is much cheaper than Spain or Italy to get to, with lots of budget travel options including cheap flights, discount ferries, Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel. France is literally on England’s doorstep so not only is it a cheap travel option, it’s easy to get to. Once you’re in France the network of reliable train routes will take you where you need to go quickly and affordably, or if you’ve got your car you can easily drive to your location at your leisure.

France is large enough to provide plenty of different themes and settings for your holiday, whether you want to chill out by the pool, enjoy family fun on the beach, or explore historic and cultural sights. Plus there’s a huge range of affordable self catering accommodation available in France, including villas with pools, country cottages, and beachside gites.

Regions in the south and south west of France can reach temperatures that we associate with its Italian and Spanish neighbours, and as it is packed with gorgeous villas nestling in acres of beautiful countryside, it’s definitely a cheaper option that won’t inconvenience you.

Tip 2: Consider a holiday during a less popular season:

If you’re looking for a French villa holiday on a budget, one way to get the most from your money is to look outside the school holiday dates when villa rental rates are generally lower. If your travel plans aren’t dictated by the school holidays, then look to take your summer holiday at the end of June or beginning of July, or in the second to last week in September, when temperatures are slightly cooler but still warm enough to take advantage of the pool.

Why not book your French villa holiday in the late spring? Whilst the climate may not be hot enough to enjoy a dip in the pool at this time of year, BBQ’s and Al Fresco meals can still be comfortably enjoyed on the terrace.

Not only will the pool and the beach be less packed, you’ll find it much easier to book time off work if you don’t have to compete for the date with your colleagues!

Tip 3: Do your research before you go:

While a French villa holiday is often associated with the south of France, there are also plenty of beautiful villas to rent in North, West and central France, where rental prices are usually lower. These areas of France also welcome the sun out of season and record high temperatures in the summertime. By doing a bit of research before your trip you can find a low cost villa that is just as good as a villa in a more obvious destination, yet is quieter and cheaper! What’s not to like about that?

And remember, just before you book, check for any holiday rental special offers from villa owners. There are always great deals available with discounts and promotions for early booking, late availability and off peak bookings.

If you can leave your choice of villa until just before you travel, you can pick up a great deal amongst late availability holiday villas. There are always rentals available at the last minute due to cancellations or new villas being made available. If you know beforehand which areas you’d like to go to, then it takes the risk out of making the most of the last minute deal.



Rosemaria

Jules asked:


We are going to rent a villa/house, one of the beautiful white ones with blue doors…anyways, which island should we stay at? And what is there to do? We want to relax, eat good foods, shop, visit the ocean, etc…anyone know anything about Greece, where to stay, what to try, etc?

Maitilde

Basher asked:


I’ve been looking at where to go in Thailand in July but am confused. Phuket seems to be the place but is in the rain season and can get awful wet that time of year. I was told Pattaya for the weather but some of the reviews rates it as pretty seedy in places. The prices and quality of holiday Villas is much better in Pattaya but am going with my wife and 16 yr old Daughter.

Help me out…I seem to get more confused the more I look into it!! I’m open for different areas, the only thing I have so far is the flights to Bangkok in July…open to suggestions.

Kit

Phillip T asked:


Looking for a family friendly, inexpensive holiday destination in the pacific islands. Family, self catered apartment/villa would be great. Thinking of Vanuatu or New Caledonia, but would consider others. Not looking for expensive restaurants or nightlife. Looking for good beaches close by with swimming/snorkeling and perhaps a little shopping. Kids are 8 and 6 years old.

Erlene

Jonathan M asked:


I’m hoping to have a family white Christmas in Canada (from Australia). I’ve been looking about but cannot seem to find exactly what I need..

What I’m after is a nice villa/cabin to stay in (for 6 people). We’d like to have hot springs nearby (part of the resort/accommodation complex), as well as skiing, and snow mobiles. Ideally, the location wouldn’t be too close to a major city (we’re there to relax, not shop).

Anyone know the area, or able to suggest a nice place to stay?

The vacation is for two weeks, and I’d like the place to be around 3.5 to 4.5 stars (maybe 5 if the price is reasonable).

Mariann

Sachin Kumar Airan asked:


If you are thinking about booking a luxury holiday villa, or dreaming about how nice it would be to escape to a luxury holiday villa in Spain you do not have continue dreaming if you follow the guidelines in the rest of this article.  This is due to the fact that many people mistakenly believe that a luxury holiday villa is out of their price range when in actuality it may be possible to book such a vacation without spending a lot of your holiday budget.

The trick to booking a luxury holiday villa that makes sense with your budget is to book at the appropriate time with an open mind and time frame.  This is because sometimes when you focus your search too much you miss out on luxury holiday villa accommodations that are available nearby at a great savings.  For example, if you are willing to simply book a villa that is five km away from your destination instead of directly in the location that you plan to visit you can oftentimes reduce the price of your accommodations by half which would pay for a rental car and still result in a vast savings.

Also, if you plan to book you holiday villa accommodations one to two months before you leave for your holiday instead of at the last moment or six months before you leave you will also find that prices drop substantially.  This is because last minute rooms often cost more since renters know that you no longer have a choice, and rooms that are booked too far in advance are only available at full price since the company does not have to discount rates yet to attract stays.  Thus finding the perfect medium between the two by booking a month or two in advance results in a luxury holiday villa that you can afford.

Another trick of the trade to getting a good rate on a luxury holiday villa is using a secondary booking site online versus using the official website of the villa that you have in mind.  Most official websites will not offer you deals since they assume that if you have taken the time to check out their villas then they have already hooked you.  On the other hand, secondary query sites have to offer deals in order to peak your interest which means that their rates for the same rooms are considerably lower.  

Oftentimes, secondary websites also have exclusive deals with the luxury holiday villa owners allowing them to rent the rooms at a lower cost since they buy up the rights to rent the rooms in bulk.  This is why it is well worth it to search around and see what websites are offering the villa rooms that you want before simply booking at the villa website or over the phone with the company.   If you follow these tips you will find that you can save anywhere from 25-50% of the total cost of your accommodations.



Amos

Jade T asked:


In august this year
preferably a villa on the beach somewhere hot
But not hurrendously expensive under £1000 a week
and not a 10 hour flight (sister hates flying long haul)

thankyou

Augusto

Chaco asked:


Hi! I would like to know what RapidKL bus number I should look out for if I want to go from Kelana Jaya Stesen to Subang Jaya, particularly Holiday Villa?

Im originally from Cyberjaya but ill take KJ Stesen as a transit point. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Emogene

Philip Howard asked:


Going to Florida can be, for most, a holiday of a lifetime quite literally as families choose “The right time to take the Kids” and will only ever go once.

Imagine if your holiday of a lifetime turned into a complete disaster just because you didn’t do some simple planning that the ‘Kids’ could easily do for you?

You may choose to stay in a hotel for ease of planning although the cost of a package deal can use up some of your spending money. Planning your own trip is more fun for all the family and staying in ‘your own villa’, in most cases, works out less expensive and offers you more freedom and relaxation. And it really isn’t as daunting as it may first seem.

There are a number of ‘Hints and Tips’ that you can use to ensure you get what you want when you go to Florida and stay in a beautiful Floridian Home.

Follow these simple instructions and you will enjoy your well earned break in the Sunshine State.

1. Rule number one, get all the family involved in the choice of home you stay in. There are 1000’s to choose from and if only one or two of you make the choice, and it doesn’t suit the rest of your family on arrival, guess who gets the blame? You do! Let the ‘Kids’ search on web sites and be specific with what you are looking for, with all villas available for rent there are so many variations of amenities. So start by making a list of what you ALL want for example:- Private pool (not shared), near to a food store (walking distance for all), more than one Television, Free Internet access, Free telephone calls (local and International), short drive from main attractions (so you can pop back for a mid-day swim) and the list goes on.

Two important tips; Look for villas with a ‘Virtual Tour’ so you can see what the villa is really like as photographs can sometimes be deceiving. Also choose one with an on line guest book so you can read what others have had to say about the home, don’t just take the owners word on how nice the home is.

2. OK, now you have found a place to stay check the availability; most advertisers have an up-to-date calendar of availability on their sites. DON’T BOOK IT YET, send a provisional enquiry and ask that the owner holds on to your booking until you get your flights confirmed. Most airlines advertise prices around 11 months in advance so shop early and don’t think the longer you wait the cheaper it will become. In most cases the first price offered is normally the best, unless you are only one person traveling then you may get a last minute deal. But do shop around.

3. Once you have booked your flights re-contact the villa owner and ‘use’ them for advice. When all said and done if they want your business they should help you all they can. So ensure they work in your favor, ask about car hire, restaurants to visit (although not everyone has the same taste), best place for theme park tickets and any other burning questions you may have. A good home owner will know the area and should be able to supply you with a list of ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ to ensure you make the most of your stay and the villa you are renting. Also you should be able to contact the villa owners Management Company in cases of emergency 24 hours a day, ask before you book what the policy is on this.

Finally, ask about cancellation there are many reasons for you having to cancel make sure you are aware of them before you even make a deposit or you could lose all your cash.

I trust this helps you plan, enjoy and re-visit the Sunshine State of Florida, and that you have a holiday of a lifetime.



Vino

Lewis S asked:


Me and my family are hoping to visit California this August, but aren’t very well organised and haven’t booked anything yet..! So we are struggling to find an apartment/home/villa etc…for two weeks in August.

Preferably we would like the home to be in either San Francisco or Los Angeles. We have visited these cities before and absolutely love them.

The problem we are having is that many of these homes which you find through agencies are now booked up, so if anyone has any ideas of where people may advertise holiday homes more privately (and so are more likely to be available) that would be fantastic! Although any good agencies on the net advertising these homes would also be really useful.

Thanks a lot!

Lewis

Katja