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Save on Vacation Villas in Greece, Italy, France

Deals Make Apartments, Condos, Houses More Affordable Than Hotels

Jan 27, 2009 Grace Lichtenstein

Travelers can find a haven for spring or summer that is also a bargain on a Greek island, the French Riviera or in Tuscany.

Always wanted to live in a villa or home in a legendary part of the Mediterranean? The worldwide economic crisis has made that wish affordable for Americans as property rental organizations and owners drop prices.

Greece

Santorini is among the most popular and scenic Greek islands with balmy temperatures in April. For the first time, April is on sale (excluding the Greek Easter weekend) at Astra, a boutique property with balconies overlooking the sea and a view of a 3600-year-old caldera. Guests who stay for three nights get a fourth night free – a 25 percent savings off the regular rates. This package, called “Savor Spring at Astra,” starts at about $987 (double occupancy) and includes a traditional Greek breakfast.

Astra’s 28 spacious suites and rooms have what the property literature describes as “simple elegance.” It includes 16 domed-ceiling apartments and 12 luxurious suites that include kitchenettes – eight with private plunge pools or outdoor Jacuzzis. A day spa offers a full range of massages and facials and there is a restaurant. For more info go to "Astra" online.

Italy

Spring and summer are both prime time for the villas offered in Tuscany, Umbria, and other gorgeous areas of Italy by the well-known Parker Company. For a limited time, visitors who book specially marked weeks at over 40 different properties throughout Italy get to enjoy two nights free when renting an entire week at the regular season price. The villas include everything from apartments on the Italian Riviera to a farmhouse for 20 in Tuscany.

Example: visitors who book Aretino, a two story townhouse inside the walls of the medieval Tuscan town of Arezzo discover how it feels to live as if they were starring in a movie, with shopkeepers, artisans, bakers and neighbors as their supporting cast. It sleeps 4 people and costs $1800 a week in peak season, but you get 2/7ths of that price off because of the “weekends are free promotion. See Parker Villas online for more information.

France

Here are more movie-set types of villas now available for rent by owners in Cap d’Antibes. A newly renovated apartment in this quiet spot between Cannes and Nice is available surrounded by beautiful gardens. Steps away is the sea, the beach and marina. This spacious apartment has 3 large bedrooms with two marble bathrooms, terrace access, and kitchen.

Five people can share the rental cost of $3,231 - $4,524 per week for this apartment, less than a hotel in the vicinity would cost with far more flexibility. For more on the Cote d’Azur in France, see HomeAway's France rental site.

The copyright of the article Save on Vacation Villas in Greece, Italy, France in Senior Travel is owned by Grace Lichtenstein. Permission to republish Save on Vacation Villas in Greece, Italy, France in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Florence, Italy Villa