Frequently Asked Questions about Italy
We have included information on a number of topics regarding your Italian holiday. This information is sub divided into sections covering General Information about Villa Holidays, Villas in Italy and General Information about Italy.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT VILLA HOLIDAYS
Click on the subject headings below to find the Information that you require.
| CHILDREN | COOKS | FOOD HAMPERS |
| HEALTH REQUIREMENTS | MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY | PASSPORTS |
| PHOTOGRAPHS | PRICES | SECURITY DEPOSITS |
| TENANCY TIMES |
Children – the majority of our Owners warmly welcome children.
Prices for cot and high chair hire are detailed on the villa information sheets. As some cots may not conform to British safety standards, we strongly advise if you have any concerns to bring your own travel cot. Cot linen is not provided unless detailed.
Most of our villas have hazardous features, be they uneven steps, open staircases, balconies, terraces, ponds, swimming pools, terraced gardens, many of which are unique features and add to their individual character and charm. Children must be supervised at all times.
Babysitting can often be arranged, please check with us at the time of booking.
Cooks – varying levels of cook service are usually available at most of our larger properties.
In general cooks will usually prepare one meal a day or prepare and leave a meal. Please enquire about the cook service available at the villa you have selected and we will give you an indication of costs.
Please note that these cooks do not necessarily speak English so communicating your requirements with the aid of a phrase book should be regarded as part of the holiday experience.
At some of our best properties, it is usually possible to book the services of a professional cook who will shop, advise and buy wines for your party etc. In some instances, especially where their services are in high demand, a non-refundable deposit may be required to secure the services of this professional cook service for your party.
Food Hampers – can be provided at a number of our Italian villas and you will find details on the villa pages of this site.
Health – at the time of publication, no inoculations were required for anyone travelling from the UK to any of the destinations that we feature in Italy. The Department of Health booklet T5 along with a Form E111, a copy of which will be sent with your confirmation invoice, gives general information for travellers within the European Community.
Maximum Occupancy – only people who are named on our confirmation invoice are allowed to occupy the villa.
Should the Villa Manager or Owner become aware of additional people occupying the villa beyond the number indicated on the villa information sheet, or if the rental paid is in accordance with a special under occupancy price, the party leader will be asked to pay a supplement for each week additional guests stay in the villa, plus any other rental which may be due. Furthermore, the additional guests or the party as a whole may be asked to vacate the villa and no refund of the rental will apply. In such circumstances, the burden of proof that the villa is not being over occupied is with the party leader, not the Villa Manager or Owner.
Passports and Visas – it is your responsibility to be in possession of a 10 year passport and any necessary visas.
Passport application forms are available from main post offices and regional passport offices (allow at least one month for processing). We have details of an emergency passport service should you need to obtain a passport at short notice. All children who are not already included on a valid 10 year passport now need to hold their own passport. It is no longer possible to add children to existing British Passports. This includes newborn babies and all children up to the age of 16. Children aged 16 and over must continue to hold their own passport. Children who are already included on an existing passport may continue to travel with the passport holder until:
a) The child reaches the age of 16 or
b) The Passport on which the child is included expires or
c) The Passport on which the child is included is submitted for amendment.
Photographs – we cannot be held liable for any items of furniture or chattels which appear in the photographs used on our villa information sheets, which may have changed or been removed by the Owner from the villa.
This also applies to any aspect of the villa environment, which may have changed since the details were published. If the changes are deemed to be material and likely to affect your holiday enjoyment, we will advise you at the time of booking.
Prices – all rental prices shown on this site include pool and garden maintenance, utilities (unless indicated), weekly linen change, maid service and car hire as detailed. Any form of heating (including pool heating), air-conditioning and telephone/fax usage will be charged locally unless it is indicated as included in the weekly rental charges.
Security Deposits – a security deposit is required to be held by us against any unpaid local accounts or damage, which may be incurred. These deposits range from Euro 150 - Euro 1500. Precise amounts and payment procedures are detailed on the property pages of this web site.
Your Security Deposit can be paid in the following ways:
a) By Credit Card – We ask you to sign the credit card authorisation, on our booking form, which will allow us to deduct any charges that are due from your credit card.
b) By Cheque – The security deposit is payable when you pay your final balance by cheque.
c) Paid Locally – The security deposit is payable on arrival in Euro. The Security Deposit will be refunded by the Owner, or Villa Manager at the end of your holiday.
Release of Security Deposits – we will return the security deposit, if paid by cheque, to you within 21 days of your return unless we are requested to make deductions by the Owner or Villa Manager.
If you have pledged the Security Deposit by credit card authorisation, this will be cancelled as soon as we have received the advice that no charges are due.
Please settle all accounts for extra services/damage locally to save on the administration charge of £25 per claim that we make. Please note that we cannot intervene in disputes with regards to claims on Security Deposits as we are bound by contractual terms to collect them as instructed by the Owners. In the event of a dispute, however, we will retain the disputed amount for a period of no longer than one month to allow you to negotiate with the claimant.
Tenancy Times – tenancies cannot commence before 1600 in Italy on the arrival day and villas must be vacated by 1000 on the day of departure.
YOUR VILLA IN ITALY
Click on the subject headings below to find the information that you require.
| ACCESS TO VILLAS | ACCOMMODATION DESCRIPTION | AIR-CONDITIONING |
| CLEANING | ELECTRICITY | HEATING |
| LINEN | PETS | SATELLITE TELEVISION |
| STAFF | SWIMMING POOLS | TELEPHONES |
| TENNIS COURTS | WASHING MACHINES |
Access to villas – many rural properties are accessed by unsurfaced roads. They can be steep and/or uneven in parts, especially after heavy rain. They are unsuitable for low slung ‘sports’ type or heavily loaded cars. No car hire insurance covers damage to the undercarriage of cars.
Accommodation Description – unless stated, our individual accommodation descriptions begin with the ground floor:
Bedrooms – no two bedrooms are equal in terms of furnishings, size or views. Bed sizes and mattresses vary and will not necessarily be up to your own standards at home. It is quite usual for double beds to be made up of two single bases, using double linen.
Kitchen – possibly in an open-plan style adjoining the living room with oven, hob, sink and fridge. In accordance with local custom, you may find kettles or toasters are not always provided.
Kitchenette – with 2, 3 or 4 rings on the hob, a small oven where indicated, possibly placed on the worksurface, and a fridge. For simple cooking only!
Living room with dining area – with both sitting and dining areas although dining in the summer months is usually outside.
Dining room – with dining table and sufficient seating for the maximum occupancy of the villa.
Bathroom – with bathtub (usually with hand shower attachment), washbasin, WC, and sometimes a bidet and separate shower cubicle.
Shower room – with shower head, washbasin, and WC. In accordance with local custom, you may find that there is no shower tray or curtain.
Cloakroom – with WC and washbasin.
Mezzanine area – a gallery area found in either a sitting room or bedroom, usually used for an extra single bed and accessed by a staircase or ladder which may be open on one side. Only suitable for older children/adults able to negotiate these stairs safely. With very limited hanging or storage space.
Staircases – where indicated some staircases may be unprotected (i.e. they have no rail or wall on one side). These are only suitable for those who can safely negotiate them i.e. an older child or adult. Some staircases with walls either side have no hand rails. Please be vigilant and ensure that children are supervised at all times.
Studio – one open-plan room with a combined living/sleeping kitchen area.
Extra Beds – are only available where mentioned in the villa property descriptions, and an appropriate charge will be made.
They are usually in a sitting room (with no hanging/shelf facilities) and consist of a sofa, which converts into a divan. If we are asked to supply an extra bed, this is a simple type that folds up, often with a foam mattress, more suitable for a young person.
Gardens – whilst some of our owners are very enthusiastic gardeners and have lovely lawned gardens and mature borders with shrubs and roses, you will find that some gardens are more natural than at home.
Often water restrictions may mean that our Owners are unable to irrigate their gardens and plants and extreme temperatures make it very difficult to keep gardens looking immaculate at all times.
Gardens will have been planted according to the local climatic conditions and some of our Owners favour a more natural look for their gardens. Gardens are not always fenced and therefore young children must be supervised.
Air-Conditioning – our villa property pages indicate whether this facility is included in your rental price or payable locally.
Cleaning – maid service is included in your rental as indicated on the appropriate villa property pages. The maid’s duties include general cleaning, linen changes once a week, bed-making. Cooking, washing-up and personal laundry are not included. Additional maid service to include these duties can often be arranged if you wish to pay extra (locally) and advise us at the time of booking.
Electricity – is included in the basic rental cost of your villa, but not for items like air-conditioning, pool heating or heating the villa.
In some of our Italian villas a limit is placed on the amount of electricity that is included in the rental, with usage over and above this being payable locally. Details can be found on the villa pages of this site.
Heating – a supplement is payable locally for any heating that is required and must be paid on departure from the villa.
Sometimes a meter reading can be obtained, but usually the Villa Manager or Owner will give an estimate based on average usage. If you are travelling in early or late season, please check costs with us before confirming your booking as they can be very high.
Please note we are not able to intervene in disputes with Owners over heating costs. At most villas, Owners can also arrange to provide firewood (payable locally).
Linen – a change of bed linen and kitchen/bathroom towels is provided every 7 days at all of our properties. If you require a more frequent change of linen this can be arranged at most villas for an additional charge. Please check with us. Some properties provide pool towels and this is indicated on the villa information sheets.
Pets – no visiting pets are allowed in any of our Italian properties.
Satellite Television – where we advise that a property has satellite television we are unable to guarantee the number of English speaking channels that will be available and in some cases they may be very limited. We cannot guarantee access to other channels.
Staff – in addition to the maid service included in your rental the Owner or Villa Manager will employ someone to service the swimming pool and to look after the garden.
It is not always possible to do so on the changeover day, so during your stay you may well be visited by the pool maintenance contractor or the gardener. Usually their visits are unannounced and may be early in the morning, so please do not be surprised if you see someone attending to the pool early in the day.
Swimming Pools – freshwater and not heated unless otherwise indicated.
Sizes and depths of private pools (or shared pools when applicable) are indicated on the property pages of this web site.
Pools are usually open from mid may - end of May to end of September. If you are travelling very early or late in the season, please check that the pool will be open.
If the pool at your chosen villa has optional heating, the costs involved will be at an additional charge.
Telephones – villas with landline telephones are indicated on the property pages of the web site. If you require the use of the telephone, please make sure that you mark your booking form accordingly. We recommend that, if possible, you take a mobile telephone with you and/or an International charge card.
Tennis Courts – if a villa has a private tennis court, this is detailed in the villa description. We recommend you take your own racquets and balls.
Washing Machines – washing machines are detailed on the individual villa pages. Some villa Owners request that only the maid uses this facility and this will be indicated on the villa information sheet. Some maids will do personal laundry/ironing for an additional charge paid locally.
YOUR HOLIDAY IN ITALY
We have included information on a number of topics concerning your Italian villa holiday.
Click on the subject headings below to find the information that you require.
| ANIMALS | LOCAL MANAGEMENT | MEDICAL CARE |
| NOISE | SPORTS FACILITIES | HOTEL FACILITIES |
| RESORT FACILITIES |
Animals – a number of our properties are set in glorious rural locations and as such you may come across insects, small animals and stray cats. We ask all clients not to feed these cats so that they do not become attached to the properties. However, we cannot guarantee this will not happen during the course of the season without our knowledge. If any of your party have concerns or allergies, please discuss this with us.
Local management – most of our villas are looked after by professionals who work very hard ‘behind the scenes’ with us to ensure that you have as enjoyable a holiday as possible. They are regularly in touch with the Owner of your villa to ensure that all is running smoothly. Contact numbers for your Owner/Villa Manager will be provided with your travel documentation.
Medical Care – if this is an important criteria when booking your holiday, please ask our consultants for more details.
Noise – many people travel abroad expecting their holiday location to be a tranquil oasis of calm.
A number of our very rural villas can almost provide these Utopian conditions, but even in the countryside you will find noise associated with everyday life – tractors, the harvesting of grapes and olives.
If you are staying in a resort, a general hubbub will be present and in Mediterranean countries, the local people live their lives to a different timetable. In both rural and resort locations, barking dogs can be a problem about which there is little we can do. Music can often be a problem even though in theory, there are laws to control it.
Building and road works can often occur in the vicinity of a villa and whenever possible we will advise you if we receive prior notification that any work is taking, or about to take place. Regrettably there is little or nothing that we can do to stop work that has commenced, although the Owners and local managers will use whatever local influence they have to minimise the inconvenience.
Sports – an enjoyable range of sporting activities can be enjoyed from our villas and you will find details in the villa pages of the sports available in the vicinity of your chosen villa. If you are looking to participate in sports like riding or mountain biking please ensure that your travel insurance covers your proposed activities.
It is important that you satisfy yourself that local establishments have the required insurance for the facilities that they offer. All sporting and leisure facilities are undertaken at your own risk.
Hotel facilities – At hotels in coastal, lake or in rural locations, particularly in early or late season, some hotel facilities may not be available i.e. restaurant, swimming pool due to lack of demand or for maintenance etc. If we are advised of any such work, or the non-availability of facilities, we will inform you. The management will always minimise any inconvenience. The mention of facilities in a description does not imply that the use of these facilities is complimentary (unless stated).
Resort facilities– At some of our lake and coastal resorts, the range of resort facilities available in the vicinity of our properties (i.e. restaurants, shops, diving centres, sailing schools, boat hire) may be reduced in early/late season. If these are important to you, please check with us at the time of booking. Such situations may be dictated by local circumstances, unsuitable weather conditions or the necessity for maintenance etc.
 |