Happy New Year from Tuscany!

To our friends old and new from Jim and Fiona at Rent a Villa in Tuscany. We wish you all a happy, peaceful 2003 and hope to see many of you in Tuscany this summer. In the middle of a cold, wet British winter, when you feel the need why not close your eyes, imagine sitting beside your pool watching the sunset over the Tuscan hills with a glass of Chianti in hand! You can almost feel that sun!

To “DISCOVER TUSCANY!” the www.rent-a-villa-in-tuscany.com Newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading it and find the information and advice useful when planning your holiday in Tuscany. We have lots of great ideas for the content but if have any ideas, comments or suggestions, please feel free to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you, just email us. Maybe there is something you need to know before you arrive or a great tip you’d like to pass on after your holiday, (when you get home don’t forget to sign our guest book on the site to tell us about your holiday).

FREE WINE!!!

To celebrate this first Issue of “Discover Tuscany!” and because I’m feeling generous (I’m Scottish it doesn’t happen often!) the FIRST 12 BOOKINGS we receive quoting the special code below will find 6 FREE BOTTLES OF WINE in their villa when they arrive. Most people book holidays in Tuscany in the first few months of the year, so, book early to get the villa you want, the best deals on flights and of course the FREE WINE! Just quote this special code when you book –

Ref - N/Letter1-Freeboozeoffer

Did you know that they don’t have coloured toilet rolls in Italy! Only white! (not sure why that one came into my head!) ‘scuse me, back in a moment!

If you’ve looked at our site recently you’ll have seen that FANTASTIC NEW VILLAS AND APARTMENTS are being added almost daily. For those of you looking for something REALLY SPECIAL check out “the Ferragamo Estate” in the “properties” section of our web site. The estate is owned by the world famous “SALVATORE FERRAGAMO” fashion family (MARYLYN MONROE wore their shoes!). They have various sizes of exclusive villas with pools and restored apartments in a fairytale hilltop village, which has stunning views over the Tuscan countryside. The estate has a wide range of facilities including horse riding, mountain biking and even hot air ballooning. The village also has a restaurant (you can even ask one of their chefs come to your villa and cook dinner for you!). Prices on “The Ferragamo Estate” start from only € 25 (euros) per person per night in high season. To go to the page now

Don’t hold your hand out in a shop or bar for the change! People here put the change on a little tray.

Planning on GETTING MARRIED this year? Imagine tying the knot in the gardens of an exclusive Tuscan villa surrounded by your friends and family (who can all have a holiday as well!), feasting on a specially prepared Tuscan banquet and toasting your wedding day with fine Tuscan wines. Check out the “Weddings In Tuscany” section of our web site. We have a choice of three perfect settings for your big day, catering for weddings from 40 to 100 guests. All have honeymoon suites and various villas and apartments with pools for your guests. If you’d like your wedding day to be a totally unique occasion, please get in touch.

To view our "Weddings in Tuscany" section.

Tuscany is easily reached from the UK. If price is not your main concern both British Airways and Alitalia are worth checking out. However, a recent interesting development has been the spread of low cost airline routes into Italy. (more info on flights from other parts of the world coming soon). We’ll be keeping you posted on the best deals around each month but if you want to have a look on the net yourself check out –

www.ryanair.com - The no frills Irish airline, fly out of Stansted with connecting flights to other parts of the UK including Glasgow Prestwick. Book online to save even more. Lots of special offers (we’ll keep you informed!) No numbered seats, no tickets, no free food BUT it’s cheap and punctual. Fly into Pisa, Bologna-Forli, Rome, Brescia, Pescara, Ancona, Milan-Bergamo, Venice-Treviso, Turin. Current prices start from £5 one way. (Stansted/Forli). Note – the online prices do NOT include taxes etc (still a good deal but remember this when comparing the prices with Easyjet etc) Also do good prices on holiday insurance.

www.go-fly.com - Was a major player but has recently been taken over by easy jet. Link now connects to Easy Jet.

www.easyjet.com Now one of the biggest low cost airlines after the take over of GO. Flies out of Stansted, Luton and Gatwick with connections to other parts of the UK. Flies into Milan, Bologna, Rome, Venice & Naples. Current prices from £15 one way. Note – the online prices INCLUDE taxes.

www.flyglobespan.com - A new low cost airline flying direct from Scotland (Prestwick) to Rome. Offer at the moment of free train tickets from any station in Scotland to and from Prestwick between April and Sept 2003. Fly on Mon & Fri. Depart 7am arrive 11am Return 11-40am arrive 2pm. Prices from £19 one way + taxes.

www.british-airways.com - London – Rome. Current prices from £75 one way inc taxes

www.alitalia.it - Select “Regno Unito” in the drop down box for site in English. Flights to Florence, Bologna, Pisa, Rome from Heathrow & Gatwick.

The nearest airports are –

Florence - nearest but no low cost airlines fly here. Sits on the main A1 motorway about 40 mins. by car.

Pisa – good train links to Florence or about 2½ hours by car on dual carriageway then the main A1 motorway.

Bologna – sits on the main A1 motorway about 2 hours by car.

Bologna Forli – smaller airport, about 3 hours by car, dual carriageway then local roads.

Rome – About 3 hours by car or fast “inter city” train service to Arezzo and Montevarchi.

Not as close but if you get a good deal –

Treviso, Bergamo, Venice or Brescia.

Worth noting that flying on Saturdays is usually more expensive. (All villas are rented from Saturday to Saturday). To take advantage of the best flight prices a number of our guests have flown on Thursday or Friday and spent a day or two in Rome (all recommend doing Rome first rather than at the end of the holiday, the biz first then the relaxing part after). Another advantage is that there is a super fast “Inter City” train link from Rome to Arezzo or Montevarchi (takes abt 2 ½ hours), which saves driving in Rome or on the motorway. You can then pick up your hire car locally (see our site for more details) This also saves on a few days car hire!

Each Issue we’ll give you info on any good deals we hear about.

Word of mouth is always the best publicity. If you like our web site don’t keep it to yourself! Tell all your friends. If they book, tell them to mention your name (we’ll find a way to say thanks!)

Coming up in future issues - Info on local events, Tuscan food and wine, gardening /cookery courses, weather, designer label factory outlets, the lingo, maps and guidebooks, arriving from the USA and Canada, and lots more………………

Ciao, a presto

Jim

PS. We’re working on a great new FREE E-BOOK idea at the moment, more info soon.

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