This category collects reviews of rental properties, agencies and areas largely in Europe which can be booked seperately when you are putting together your own vacation packages. Each article provides the full review and you can then click on the link in each article to proceed to the originating site for further infomation and more revies(where available) for each vacation rental.
Rating: 5/5. This charming holiday apartment is perfect for a couple or even 4 people. The apartment is located in Costa del Sol, and the area is called Benalmadena. We liked its great terrace with views to the huge garden with all kinds of plants and palm trees. Our kids were swimming all day long in the big pool.
From the apartment there’s no traffic Read the rest of this entry »
Rating: 4/5. We rented this apartment in Paris in late summer 2007. The apartment is very nice and stayed very cool inside, without air conditioning. The bedrooms were very quiet at night.
The kitchen is probably the nicest room – well outfitted and comfortable to cook in. The dining room is also very nice. The master bedroom is great, but the other two bedrooms were just OK. There was no armoire or drawers in one of the bedrooms which happened to be mine, so I had to keep all my stuff spilling out of my suitcase and in an armoire in the hallway. The beds were comfortable though and we all slept well. Read the rest of this entry »
Rating: 4/5. We had a very nice apartment at Vista Alhambra. We did not get the one we had booked – it was supposed to be larger – but we did not mind too much. Everything was new, it had a very comfortable feeling, and was in a great area. The only bad thing was the kitchen was not really set up for any major cooking, and this has probably been rectified by now. We would definitely stay there again.
Rating: 3/5. Hinton Lodge is a very cute cottage on the outskirts of a small village (Great Hinton, good pub, no shops) in rural Wiltshire. The cottage is on a farm, but is a good distance from the farm house and feels private. It is right beside the road, but this is a quiet country lane.
The furnishings are nice and comfortable. Comfortable master bedroom, small second bedroom with two singles. Small but well equipped kitchen. Lovely private outdoor area with table and chairs plus the Lodge has high speed internet access. Read the rest of this entry »
Rating: 5/5. I loved this spacious village house at top of Menerbes. Even if the house hadn’t been wonderful, the views out over the Grand Luberon mountains and the vineyards blazing with fall colors would have made it worthwhile.
The entry is a little startling the first time. Because the house is on the side of a hill, a small door into what looks like a windowless hut opens up into a high-ceilinged, light-filled entry with views out over the valley.
The main floor contains a large living room, dining room, small but efficient kitchen and a master suite with bath, bedroom and a large dressing room. We were continually drawn to the windows, and to the small terrace, to look out over the view.
Downstairs there’s another bedroom and bath, as well as a big laundry room complete with ironing board and iron.
Rating: 5/5. This gorgeous apartment in Kensington may be my favorite vacation rental ever. It’s beautiful inside and out, and extremely comfortable. I loved the colors, the big windows, and the art collection displayed on the living room wall.
The apartment is small, but seems spacious because of the huge windows in the living area. The kitchen was extremely well equipped and the furnishings were much nicer than we usually find in rentals. I think I could live happily in this apartment.
I also loved the location, close to High Street in Kensington yet with a secluded feeling.
Rating: 3/5. This two bedroom apartment with a large terrace was, much to my surprise, right ON the main shopping street in Sarlat, something I didn’t realize from studying the website. The terrace was beautiful, and watching the street one story below on market day was fabulous.
The apartment itself was just OK, furnished with a little more yellow vinyl than I really cared for, and the living room is really just a yellow vinyl sofa in the kitchen. It was quiet, though, and the view from the terrace made everything worthwhile.
Parking did not come with the apartment, and the parking spots we found were several blocks away. It wasn’t a problem for us, but might be for others.
Rating: 4/5. Pear Tree Cottage is a very homey, comfortable cottage tucked away from traffic just steps from High Street in Chipping Campden.
While there was absolutely nothing fancy about this cottage, it was very comfortable and reminded me somehow of visiting my aunts’ homes when I was little. Two bedrooms and a bath were upstairs. Downstairs there was a cozy lounge, a sunroom, dining room and reasonable kitchen. I loved the small, slightly neglected walled garden.
The very best thing about this cottage is how close it is to High Street. Since we only prepared breakfast at home, it was nice to be a five-minute walk from several choices for dinner.
Rating: 4/5. A historic Grade 2 detached Georgian house in a superb location in Warkworth, quietly and conveniently situated on the river bank. Warkworth is a lovely village, set in a bend of the River Coquet overlooked by a castle. It seems to be a perfect location for this area as not only is the village delightful, and the people friendly, but it a an easy walk to a fabulous beach and very easy travelling to many places of interest.
The village itself has a lot to offer in the way of restaurants and interesting shops and 10 minutes away is the fascinating town of Alnwick with it’s famous second hand book shop “Barter Books” and the castle and modern gardens. Read the rest of this entry »
Rating: 4/5. We spent two weeks in Bella Vista in June 2000. This is a lovely independent house on the edge of a small village, Celle sul Rigo, in southern Tuscany.
The house is simply furnished, but very comfortable. Living room, dining room and a small kitchen downstairs. Two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Large yard with a swimming pool and incredible views, from Monte Cetona to Monte Amiata (looking north to central Tuscany). There is a nice terrace with a roof, so you can site outside on sunny days. Read the rest of this entry »