Vacation villas on the loose...

I want to have a vacation getaway but I can't figure out how to get through it. Vacation rentals, as many would suggest, give variety of options on how to have your vacation hustle free. I wonder if it will include all accomodations like transportations, plane tickets, etc. And the most difficult part, where to have my vacation. Plenty of choices but I want to have the best in terms of experience, the vacation villa itself, the accomodations, the transportations, and the fun.

From Kingston to Tuscany and back

Meaghan Cussen just wanted to travel a little bit when she decided to take a six-month job teaching English as a second language in Ireland. But when a handsome Italian man walked into the classroom, her “working vacation” changed her life forever.

Whether by fate or chance, Cussen met Antonio Urbani, a lawyer from Pisa, when he, also on vacation, decided to take an English language class. Within months, Cussen had moved to Italy to be with him and found a job teaching English. The two married a few years later and moved to Florence, the regional capital of Tuscany.

Now, with connections in two countries (make it three if you count the fact that Cussen has an Irish passport), Cussen, 33, and Urbani, 41, are sending a little bit of Tuscany back to Massachusetts. The couple has started an online business selling some of Tuscany’s best olive oils in America. The business is called Oliva Toscana, (Tuscan olives), and their goal is to bring their families, their careers and their cultures together.

“We started the business a few years ago,” Cussen said during a phone call from Italy. “We wanted to find something we could do together that would connect my family in the United States and my husband’s family here.”

After graduating from Sacred Heart in 1994 and College of the Holy Cross in 1998, Cussen worked in Boston for a few years and dreamed of traveling to Ireland, where her grandmother grew up.

“I never dreamed of living in Italy,” she said.

Olive trees grow in groves everywhere in Tuscany, Cussen said, and some of the finest Italian olive oils are produced in the region, which is located on the west coast of central Italy, north of Rome. Italians are very territorial when it comes to products.

“Every little town has its specialty,” Cussen said. “If you want the best Pecorino cheese, you go to this tiny, tiny town in the south of Tuscany. In going to the market with the family in the morning, anything my in-laws buy they ask where it comes from, and if it’s not from Italy they usually don’t buy it. I’m so happy when I come home and my parents are talking about the farmer’s markets that are open now. Everyone should enjoy their food.”

Every region in Italy has its particular style of olive oil, and Cussen and her Tuscan-native husband prefer Tuscany’s olive oils above any others produced in Italy. When Cussen and Urbani visited her parents in Kingston, they realized that their favorite olive oil, the type they use with every dinner, was not available in Southeastern Massachusetts, which is surprising seeing the number of Italian-Americans and the number of good Italian restaurants in the region, Cussen said.

“We noticed that the olive oil we really love is not available in the U.S.,” Cussen said. “There are lots of available brands produced in southern Italy, but not our favorite. We decided to import it and share it with the people we know.”

Thus the business was born.

Like wine, olive oils from different regions taste different, but Cussen said unlike wine, where flavors can be too subtle for the average person to taste differences, the different tastes of olive oil is obvious.

“You don’t need to know about olive oils to taste the difference,” Cussen said. “Sometimes we do taste tests back at home (in Kingston). And most of friends and family aren’t really into gourmet food, and they’ll say they won’t be able to tell the difference, but they do. You can always taste the difference between the average every-day extra virgin from the supermarket and this.”

Tuscan olive oil has a really strong taste, Cussen explained. “The scent is generally fruity, and the taste has strong tones of almonds, and you really get a sense of the land and the vegetables grown here. It also has a peppery finish that you feel on the back of your throat, but it’s not hot.”

Oliva Toscana imports a few different styles of olive oil that all meet Italian standards for extra virgin olive oil, which are much stricter than U.S. standards. The standards depend on the acidity level in the oil, which alters the flavors. Cussen’s favorite oil that she sells, Casale Toscan, is very low in acidity. The slim bottle is stamped with a number, which can tell the consumer exactly where in Tuscany that olive oil comes from. A 250-milliliter bottle costs $30.

Another extra virgin olive oil comes in a Chianti-style bottle, for $20. Their best-selling bottle costs $38 and mixes Tuscan olive oil with sweet balsamic vinegar from Modena, where the best balsamic vinegar is produced, Cussen said. “That’s our best selling product, the bottle is very pretty.”


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This is one lovely story born in Tuscany, Italy. Tuscany certainly is a very romantic place to be in. Having a vacation villa in Tuscany makes you feel very lucky. The place is such so nice for vacation.

Vacation Planning Trends for Italy’s Top Destinations by Vacation Rentals and Lodging Directory

Hotels Versus Vacation Rentals Comparison Shopping and Vacation Planning Trends for Leisure Travelers Visiting Italy’s Top Destinations including Rome, Venice, Tuscany and Florence.

Rentalo.com, a leading lodging and vacation rental web site, recently conducted a trend analysis on its database of 7,853 opted-in travelers searching for hotels, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals in Italy’s top vacation spots from July 2008 to January 2010. The lodging directory is making these findings available to the travel industry in order to provide better understanding of consumer’s level of interest in comparison shopping and vacation planning dynamics. The study data below confirms Rentalo’s successful business strategy to facilitate comparison shopping and vacation planning for vacation and trip planners.



Italy’s Top Agriturismo Destination: Tuscany
Sixty-seven percent of the vacation planners showed interest in comparison shopping among Tuscany vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, inns, and vacation hotels. 21 percent were also interested in receiving offers from vacation homes, inns, resorts, and hotels from other cities in Tuscany such as Anghiari, Arcidosso, Arezzo, Artimino, Asciano, Aulla, Bagni di Lucca, Bagno a Ripoli, Barberino di Mugello, Barga, Bibbona, Bientina, Bivigliano, Borgo San Lorenzo, Campi Bisenzio, Capalbio, Carrara, Casciana Terme, and Cascina.


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With the nice views in Tuscany, you can fall in love with Italy instantly. Definitely, as a traveler, it is still my priority to check my wallet. Good thing these very nice vacation rental offers are such a treat.

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Book Now for Luxury Summer Villas in Europe and Caribbean.

Spectacular properties are still available for guests seeking the ultimate 2010 summer holiday. Now, it's time to reserve as there are great early booking offers already available for 2010 villa rentals in prime locations.

In-the-know travelers are starting to book luxury villas for their 2010 summer vacations. One-stop luxury travel resource Paradizo.com has partnered with the top rental agencies offering the very best villa rentals around the world, from beachfront villas with access to a tropical beach to magnificent villas with a pool in the living room.

According to many industry insiders, the vacation rental market is on the rise. Lodging industry expert Glenn Haussman recently reported on the "explosive growth" of vacation rentals in recent years.

Spectacular properties are still available for guests seeking the ultimate 2010 summer holiday. Now, it's time to reserve as some of the most desirable villas are already fully booked. "The popular summer months are booking fast for 2010, with 25% of properties already booked-up for next summer. So those dreaming of spending their next holiday in a beautiful 400-year-old 'finca' or living the life of Riley in a newly-built, stylish mansion, need to book early!" said Paradizo's partner Mallorca Farmhouses.

Group bookings are on the rise for holiday homes large enough to share a fantastic vacation with family and friends. Many of even the most lavish vacation rental properties offer prices that, when divided among a group of 10 or 12, can cost less than or equal to a traditional hotel room. More often than not, luxury villa rentals also come with 5-star services like a private chef, concierge or guest manager. If you require additional services, the Paradizo Team can help you find the highest quality service providers, personal chefs, helicopter and jet charters or limousine services.

Reflecting the current economic setting, many luxury travel professionals commented on new bargains, noting that travelers are looking for ways to save money. It's expected that value for price will be the top priority in 2010.

"There are great early booking offers already available for 2010 villa rentals in prime locations," said Ollivier Jacq, Paradizo's founder. Many luxury villa brokers are offering early-bird "Stay for 7, Pay for 5" packages that include special extras.

Where are trendy travelers headed? Industry experts foresee Europe enjoying a rebound for the jet set crowd. It's a safe bet for the more conservative traveler but also offers new hotspots like Sardinia and Croatia. There's also renewed interest in old favorites like Ibiza, Provence, Tuscany and Mykonos in Europe and Turks & Caicos, Bahamas and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

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For sure, these offers are traveler-friendly offers because of the existing global recession we have. Despite of these difficult times, it is still a passion to go on vacation with our loveones. I'm not so sure but I guess vacation rental options will be a sure hit. As for me, I'm going to Tuscany, Italy. I love the vacation villas there, very nice place and very peaceful.

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Italy vacation is best idea in this time of the year.

Here in the Philippines, it's getting hotter everyday. El Nino is on its way to maturity. It might be nice to look for places best for a summer getaway. Tuscany in Italy might be the best idea. After taking side trips seeing the Pope in Rome, a nice vacation awaits in Tuscany. It has the most beautiful vacation hotels, villas, vacation condos, at a price not so high. Vacation rentals had been the best way to enjoy the most beautiful vacation getaway.

VACATION RENTALS POPULAR FOR SPRING BREAK GETAWAYS

More than 65 percent of travelers who looked into the availability of vacation rentals in the past say they plan to stay in one between March and May; Florida beaches still popular for spring travel, but New York City ranks in top five Spring Break getaways.

Despite tough economy, nearly one in five travelers surveyed plan to increase their travel budget this year, while 68 percent say it will remain the same as last year.

The cold winter and record snowfall impacting several areas of the country has many travelers planning warm-weather getaways this spring, and many will be staying in a vacation home, according to HomeAway, Inc. – the world’s leading online vacation rental marketplace – which today released its quarterly “HomeAway Vacation Rental Marketplace Report.”

In fact, more than 65 percent of travelers who looked into the availability of vacation rentals in the past plan to stay in a property sometime between March and May. While most (66 percent) will use a vacation rental for a family vacation, approximately one in three travelers surveyed (30 percent) say they plan to stay in a vacation home for a getaway with friends.

“Vacation rentals are becoming a much more mainstream lodging option for travelers,” said Brian Sharples, founder and chief executive officer of HomeAway®. “Where people once used to think of motels and hotels as their only option when traveling, they’re now finding that vacation homes provide much more value because they can accommodate more people and they come with full kitchens and other amenities like private pools and barbecue grills.”

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Part of the top getaway vacation villas is in Tuscany, Italy. Very nice place, very cool, peaceful, and surrounded with nature. Very nice idea for relaxation with loveones.

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Couples Love Luxury Vacation Villas for Valentine's Day in 2010

Some people show their affection with boxes of chocolates, others with flowers. This year, more people are celebrating Valentine's Day in style by traveling with their significant others to luxury villa rentals in the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii.

Valentine's Day remains a popular excuse to rent vacation villas in 2010, according to luxury villa rental specialist Luxury Retreats (www.luxuryretreats.com). The holiday devoted to love is helped by the fact that it usually coincides with President's Week in the United States and some Spring Break weeks.

Luxury vacation rentals are preferred by many couples because they are very private - offering pools and hot tubs that the renters don't have to share. With lots of space and amenities, couples can stay in as much as they want and just relax, adding excursions where they choose.
"It's not just Valentine's Day. About 10 percent of all of our bookings annually are made by couples traveling without kids, and without any other family members or friends," said Luxury Retreats Sales Manager Jon Chiniborch. "That's actually quite high considering that most luxury vacation villas are in the 3 to 4 bedroom range."

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Well, even if not during a Valentine's day, vacation getaways are surely the best outdoor activities. Vacation villas are surely a better option among vacation rentals. Top destinations: Europe, Hawaii, Carribean, and Oriental Asia. In Europe, Tuscany in Italy has got so many vacation activities to offer. I can't even wait to have my turn in going there.

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