Getting a Jump on Summer in Southern Italy

Hunkering down for the summer in Southern Italy is a cyclical thing. No sooner do the Christmas and New Years holidays come to an end, then people are already thinking about what to do and where to go during the summer months. And although 80 percent of Italians plan their vacations during the month of August, YOU – my friend – can plan differently by visiting during June and July, and September, and in the process save substantially on travel and accommodations.

Vacationing in Italy can cover a variety of interests. Most tourists do the typical Rome-Milan-Venice sightseeing tour in 10 days or less and keep running and gunning non-stop. OBut how about trying something different? Rent a house for a week or a month and dedicate yourself to improving your tan and catching up on your reading.

Some of the best deals to be found are to be in the South – between the Puglia region and Reggio Calabria – and there are helpful sites on the internet that can put you right in the thick of things. I would suggest a Google search under “Villaggio turistico for XXX” and plug in the area of interest. If you have children, the benefits of being in a villaggio are many. The tourist village provides a gated community with a pool and entertainment (disco, games, etc) in the evening, plus points of contact for plenty of other activities. Here are two well known sites to get you started.

– For all of Italy: www.My Italianvacation.com. A good resource for the entire country. And they have a satellite office in Seattle of all places. Phone (toll free) 1-888-465-1460
or send them a question at: info@myItalianVacation.com

– For Southern Italy and Reggio Calabria: www.eleaclub.it. In English with a wide variety of locations to choose from in one of the most economical regions in the South.
(Ph. +39 0974.972107 Fax +39 0974.9726660 e-mail: info@eleaclub.it)

Now, do a search for “villaggio turistico for Puglia” and another for “villaggio turistico for Sicily” and see what you come up with. Another good resource is Internaitonal Living.com and Escape from America.com. Check ’em out!

Typically, the least expensive month to rent is during June. School is still in session through the 15th of the month, and for the most part, the beaches have yet to fill up. With a little digging you can find a semi-attached or independent villa for about 900 – 1000 euro for the entire month.

The rates go up in July to about 1500 – 1800 euro per month, and in the month of August, (which by the way is when virtually every Italian and their brother go on vacation) rental rates can easily jump up to 3000-3500 euro for the month. These rates aren’t written in stone. I base this only on what I have found for myself and continue to see in my travels. Which brings me to another challenge:

Initially, the problem most travelers run into is that they don’t speak Italian, and unfortunately because of that you cut yourself off from at least 60% of the rental deals available. Also, unless you’re already in Italy or Europe you just don’t have access to all the action that local realtors do. The result: you have to trust your local travel agency to find the best deals for you, and hope for the best.

Earlier, I mentioned the term “cycles”. Well, in September the low season kicks off and rental prices drop considerably. I realize it’s a stretch to think that anyone might come for an entire month or more instead of a typical vacation of a week or so, but my point is, a long vacation can be yours without it costing an arm and a leg. The month of May is actually a good time to start because Hotels are filling up and last minute vacancies exist.

You’ll save substantially if you’re already living Europe, but rinternational flights have never been lower than they are right now.

Imagine yourself lying on a beach in Southern Italy….it’s not as far-fetched as it it may seem!