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 Lavanda Pergo, Cortona

Casa Lavanda, recently restored with the usual Tuscan flair, is set in the small hamlet of Pergo which is just a short drive from the beautiful medieaval town of Cortona.

The independent villa is positioned in its own gardens at the end of a small track on a hillside and entrance into the property is via some gates with parking to one side of the house. Grapevines run along the back garden border reminding you constantly that you are in one of the best wine-producing areas in Italy – always a reassuring thought! From the front of the house there are two entrances. The first leads to the lounge area and the second leads directly into the well equipped kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine, fridge/freezer, hob and oven. The lounge is linked to the kitchen by an arch and is simply furnished with comfort and style in mind.

A spacious double bedroom with pretty views over the vines is found on the ground floor complete with shower room.

A staircase off the lounge leads up to a further double room with an ensuite shower room.

For slightly larger parties, there is also a basement reached by an inside staircase, again leading off the lounge. This large room has a double bed plus a good sized dining area but no windows and would be a great area for teenagers or a couple but not for small children as there are no handrails on the staircase.

To the rear of the property on the hillside is a pretty garden with olive trees dotted around the inviting swimming pool. The spacious gardens allow you to relax and just enjoy the warm Tuscan air, taking a dip whenever you need to cool down. A dining area complete with umbrella is to the side of the villa and a built-in barbeque allows you to try some tasty Florentine steaks cooked as intended accompanied by a glass of full bodied local red wine under the stars – it could well be possible that your days will be spent here enjoying the peace and quiet with a good book.

Day trips to Arezzo, Siena and Florence will be on many guests agenda but Villa Pergo is excellently located to explore the gems of Umbria (Perugia, Assisi and Gubbio being a few) and even the marvellous smaller villages of Montepulciano, Lucignano and of course Cortona itself.

New in Puglia for 2012

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

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