Luxury Villas in Italy

Overview

Travel Gems

Travel Planning
Our Travel Consultants can advise on, arrange and pre-book many things to enhance your holiday. This includes everything from spa reservations and dinner reservations, to a range of special experiences available in our featured resorts that you may not know about.

Wine
If you’re staying at the Masseria San Domenico in October you may find yourself joining in the annual festival of 'Inycon, Menfi and its Wine' the perfect occasion to taste some of the best Sicilian Wines.

Dining
If you wish to dine out from Hotel Splendido do try the Ristorante Puny, a quaint little restaurant set up on the stone square, it opens onto the harbour and all the activities therein, and is charmingly referred to as Portofino’s living room. Do try the home-made pasta, or Ligurian seafood specialities. The atmosphere makes this restaurant the perfect place to enjoy an elegant dinner or a romantic evening for two in Portofino. 

 

Climate

Italy experiences a variety of climate systems; the inland northern areas (Milan, Turin and Bologna) have a humid subtropical climate while the coastal areas of Liguria and the peninsula south of Florence generally fit the Mediterranean climate profile - cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Northern Italy has hot summers and cold winters, although the temperature rarely drops below freezing during the daytime, while southern Italy enjoys mild winters and long, dry, hot summers. The mountainous areas such as the Alps and Apennines have long, cold winters with short, cool summers.

A great destination to visit year round Italy is particularly ideal if you're thinking of a city break.  It’s at its most popular between April and June when the weather is at its warmest and most reliable. July and August are extremely busy as this when the Italians traditionally take their holidays, so you'll find the fashionable places crowded and prices slightly higher during these months. Milder weather can be enjoyed from late September through October.

Visitors will benefit from wearing lightweight clothing during the summer (except in the mountains) with light-to-medium weight clothing in the winter for southern areas, but warmer clothes elsewhere. Alpine wear is recommended for those visiting the mountain resorts in winter.

Flight Information

Flight Information
British Airways from London Gatwick to Genoa, Verona, Naples, Bari and Catania (Sicily); from London Heathrow to Milan and from London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Venice, Pisa and Rome. Sardatur from London Heathrow to Olbia and Calgari using a British Airways chartered aircraft. easyjet from London Gatwick to Palermo and Catania. UK regional departures and charter flights are also available.

Flight Time
Flights to all of the destinations mentioned, from London, take between 2 and 3 hours, approximately.

Documentation

Travelling With Children or Without an Adult

Children travelling without both parents should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. Please contact the relevant Embassy for the county you are travelling to for further information.

Visa and Advance Passenger Information

All passengers must ensure they have a valid, acceptable passport, any required visa and any other documentation for both the final destination and any stop-off points en route. Please make sure that Advance Passenger Information is submitted in advance to travel for all destinations. Failure to hold correct documentation or submitting incorrect details with Advance Passenger Information or Visa applications may result in refusal of carriage or entry into a country. Please check with the relevant Embassy regarding visa requirements well in advance of your travel date. Charges may apply for some visas.

Health

Health facilities, hygiene and disease risks vary worldwide and you should take health advice about your specific needs from your general practitioner or a specialist clinic as early as possible before travel. Those planning to become pregnant should discuss their travel plans with their healthcare provider to assess their risk of infection with Zika. For information about Zika, other mosquito-borne diseases (such as Dengue fever and Chikungunya), Lyme Disease (caused by tick bites), and to receive advice on mosquito bite avoidance measures, please visit Insect and tick bite avoidance. In addition, we highly recommend that you seek specialist advice from your doctor and, where recommended, obtain vaccinations or tablets for protection against, for example: Malaria, Hepatitis A, Polio and Typhoid. In some cases, treatments for Malaria should begin well in advance of travel. Travellers may also be required to show Yellow Fever Certificates on arrival in certain destinations i.e, some African countries. Please note that you are strongly advised against scuba-diving for 24 hours before travelling by air. We would also like to draw your attention to the risk of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) and recommend that you consult with your doctor before travelling. Visit the FCDO website and select your destination country for the very latest travel advice: Foreign Travel Advice. Additional sources of information include: Public Health England, The National Travel Health And Network Centre, Foreign And Commonwealth Office and your General Practitioner or a specialised clinic.