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Scott
Naples, Italy
swpyne@mbox.cybernet.it

�����ԹϺ��� Adviser: Hole up in your own Italian villa or Irish cottage for a week and not only will you lose the hassles of hotel check-ins, overpriced room service, and–best of all–other Pieta-seeking tourists, you’ll likely save yourself some dough in the process. Most rental agencies I found are based here in the U.S., but that doesn’t
mean they’re not expertly plugged in to the European market.

If you’ve got your sights set on the Tuscan hills, try At Home Abroad. A one-week stay in a 200-year-old restored farmhouse outside Siena, with two bedrooms and two baths, will cost you $1,500-$1,650 per week during the summer high season ($25 registration fee; call 212-421-9165). Why so pricey? Two words: vacationing Brits. Not to worry, though: Villas International offers
one-bedroom Tuscan homes starting at $750; call 800-221-2260. Or consider a villa in Umbria or a village house near Florence, available through both of the above agencies.

Over on the British Isles, check in with Castles, Cottages & Flats (800-742-6030) and Country Cottages (800-674-8883) for listings of seaside bungalows in Scotland, thatched cottages in Ireland, or stone farmhouses in the English Lake District. Weekly two-bedroom rental rates range from $550-$925, depending on season and location.

If you’re looking to improve your high-school French and eat some brie while touring Provençal or Brittany, call The French Experience (212-986-1115) or Interhome (800-882-6864). A two-bedroom gite, the holiday home of France, ranges from charming stone cottage to plain-vanilla stucco. Book early for best prices and selection. Good
advice anywhere, since Europeans tend to plan well in advance. Note also that shoulder season (May to early June and mid-September to October) can be 20 to 30 percent less expensive. For additional details, consult in the Destinations section of �����ԹϺ���‘s March 1996 issue.