We stayed in a 2 bedroom in Villefrance at the end of March 2007. The weather was perfect and the apartment was just as described. It was quite spacious for two people, had a large balcony with wonderful views of the harbor, was clean and modern. There are bakeries and shops and restaurants within about a 5 minute walk down the hill.

Villefranche itself is interesting, there is a citadel for exploring, a charming harborfront area and is an easy drive to Nice. We also visited Eze, Antibes, Genoa, Cap Ferrat and Monaco on this trip too, all easily done from Villefranche.

Renting through HolidayLettings went fine...no problems there. Our flight arrived in the morning, and we were able to get into the apartment around 8:30 or so in the morning. We were met by the caretaker Maria, who was cordial and helpful.

We did not stay in this vacation rental but went to meet the owner and look at the cottage. It is a beautiful house, set in the grounds of the owner's house, on the edge of the village of Ilmington in the northern Cotswolds, near Chipping Campden.

The house is spacious and beautifully furnished. The kitchen is large and would be a joy to cook in. There is internet access (broadband). The location is good for touring the north Cotswolds.

Link to Sansome House Cottage

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. High speed internet access.

Nearest supermarket is Tesco on the outskirts of Trowbridge (10 min drive). Nearest Waitrose is 30 min away, in Marlborough. The cottage is near Devizes (10 min drive) a good sized town on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Cottage is 30 min from Bath, 20 min from Bradford-on-Avon. The location is a bit out of the way, but is close to many Wiltshire sites.

The cottage gets 4 stars because it is very nice, but the location is perhaps not the best for an American tourist new to this area, so I give that 2 stars - averaging to 3 stars.

This cottage used to be represented by Rural Retreats, a high-end agency, but is now available directly from the owner. We met the owner when we stayed there and he is very nice and helpful.