Essential Italy

We know car choice is important for the enjoyment of your holiday, our supplier – Maggiore Car Rental – will guarantee the following:

• highly competitive prices
• no major tour operator is working with them, therefore we are quite sure that queuing will be kept to a minimum, even in high season
• all cars have air conditioning
• a full and comprehensive back-up system

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We do not book flights, we leave it to you to choose the best departure point and flight times to suit your party. We have compiled a list of airlines flying to those regions in which we offer accommodation.

Flights are from the UK, if you are travelling from elsewhere, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we will recommend an airline flying from your departure point. If you are unsure which airport in Italy is closest to your accommodation, please call us on 01223 460100 or email

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Casa Sissi Gratteri

Go on - be romantic and have a super time staying in the heart of a medieval village in the hills above Cefalu. Fully immersed in this great location you have no choice but to live life like an Italian – small shops are on your doorstep brimming with local produce, bustling cafes await to serve you a cappuccino, caffè or Campari depending on the time of day and you will be more than happy to sing an operatic aria or two as you sit in your Jacuzzi and contemplate just how good life is – as they say in Italy “Che bella la vita!!”

Casa Sissi is composed of 3 storeys – on the first floor you will find the double bedroom, on the second floor is the fully equipped kitchen (gas hob, oven, fridge/freezer, iron& board), complete with dining area and a large bathroom sculpted out of the rock with inviting Jacuzzi bath (yes, room for 2!). Going up to the third floor you will find a comfortable lounge and furnished terrace that looks out over the village. From here you can keep an eye on the local life all around you and also look across to the splendid countryside that surrounds this jewel which is part of the Parco Naturalistico delle Madonie (great walking territory for the nature lovers).

The house is furnished in local style with simple but effective furnishings and fittings ensuring that you have everything you need to make your stay comfortable and most enjoyable. Should you yearn for the coastline then the well-known town of Cefalu is only 15kms away where you will find a great beach and all seaside amenities. A golf course is also only 15kms away (Le Madonie Golf – 18 holes) and Palermo with all its glorious culture is just over one hours’ drive away along the coast – an easy day trip especially as you will be happy in the knowledge that you will be returning from the city to your little haven of peace!

With both daily and weekly rates available, we think that Casa Sissi is going to be very popular with the romantics amongst you.

New in Puglia for 2012

Helen & Sarah have just returned from a very fruitful trip to Puglia...

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