Villa Rental Scammers Beware!

This season we have seen so many guests arriving in our villas who have been the victims of villa rental scams here in the South of France and Provence. They find, what they think, is a perfectly respectable website, they e-mail and in many cases speak with the 'owner' of the property. They confirm the rental, pay the full rental amount up front and then.....nothing. The website disappears, the e-mails bounce and the telephone numbers are no longer in service.

So how can you protect yourself against individuals and in some cases groups of people who are set to ruin your family holiday? Cote d'Azur Villas has been in existence on the French Riviera and in Provence for more than 11 years, the majority of our bookings are transacted via our seure website but the difference is that our offices are here in the South of France, our teams are based here and we will be here with you from helping you to choose your villa righ up until you say goodbye at the end of a wonderful holiday.

Our years of experience in the South of France villa rental market means that we are better placed that almost all other agents to offer our help and advice on how to avoid an upsetting and expensive issue when booking your holiday.

1. Use a Verified Rental Website - The 'big boy's of the rental market are Home Away and Holiday Lettings, they in turn have smaller, national sites such as Abritel in France.

2. Length of Time of Advert - Even on these larger sites verify how long the property has been advertised, they will all tell you and will give you a clear indication of a istory of successful retals.

3. Price - If it seems to good to be true then it usually is. If you are looking at a wonderful 6 bedroom St Tropez Villa in the middle of July and it's a 10th of the price of anything else you've seen then think very carefully why....

4. Domaine Names - If you are not using one of the major rental websites then check out who is the owner of the domaine name - that's the website name, so for us it's www.CotedazurVillaRentals.com. Use one of the key registration sites such as Who Is and you will be able to see who owns the domaine and how long they have owned it. If they've been in business for only a few weeks then you should be concerned.

5. Tesimonials - All websites, including ours have testimonals from previous clients, all satisfied customers and all of whom will be very happy to talk to you about their experience. Any agency will be happy to put you in contact with previous clients and a word of mouth recommendation is worth a million web-site listings.

So our advice is to take care, use the key rental websites and talk to your agency very carefully....individuals who pop up with beautiful villas to rent a silly prices are really to good to be true. 

We look forward to welcoming you to the South of France.....

Book South of France Villa Rentals Early for 2016

It's July, it's hot, the beaches are well used and yes! We are already taking bookings for summer 2016.

5 Reasons to Book your South of France Villa Rental early

1. Choice - If you want the best choice of villas then you need to book early for those key summer dates

2. Rates - Many of our villa owners will hold their rates for early bird bookings

3. Size - If you are looking for a larger villa for a group of family or friends then these are the villas that book first

4. Location - It's always about location so if you have that amazing sea view or a stroll to the village firmly on your holiday schedule then early booking is a must.

5. Spread the cost - Book now and pay only a 30% deposit, the remainder will not be due until 8 weeks before you arrive.

Call the team at Cote d'Azur Villas today and have the pick of the villas for your 2016 holiday.

Canicule Hot in the South of France this Summer.

Summer in the South of France and it's hot, hot, hot. In France we call this heatwave a 'Canicule' which is when the day time temperatures are above 30 degrees and it stays above 20 degrees at night.

If you're on holiday in one of our South of France villas to rent then here are our top 5 tips for staying cool this summer

1. Drink Water - Wine and cocktails are great but they can dehydrate you so keep the water levels topped up at all times and make sure the younger and older members of your party are doing the same

2. Mid Day Sun - Mad dogs and Englishmen are renowned for being out in the midday sun. Stay out of the midday heat - retire to a cool and dark room inside, if you have air-con then this is really the time to use it and if not then all the shopping centres and cinemas are air-conditioned, go out and enjoy the cool

3. Keep it Closed - During the day keep all your doors, shutters and windows closed to avoid letting in the heat. Then, as the sun goes down and the air is cooler open the house and let in the refreshing breeze.

4. Pool Time - If you're spending a day around the pool then dip in and out as much as you can and sit in your damp swimwear all day, cool and relaxing.

5. Sun protection - Hats, cream, t-shirts and more....we all love the sun but covering up is the best way to enjoy your holiday.

The team at Cote d'Azur Villas wish you a wonderful holiday in the South of France this year.

Cannes Villa Soubran South of France

New to the portfolio and available for summer in the South of France is Villa Soubran. In the hills above Cannes, the villa has 5 bedrooms and sleeps up to 10 guests. Built to take full advantage of the sublime sea views.

Available for summer in the South of France, Cannes holiday rentals with the team at Cote d'Azur Villas. 

Lou d'Olives South of France Villa

Last 2 summer weeks available! This magnificent estate in the hills above Cannes has only 2 summer weeks left available, 18 - 25 July and 22 - 29 August. Reduced to just 11,000 Euros / week.

Lou d'Olives, an exceptional property has 7 bedrooms and sleeps 14 guests, there is a magnificent pool area and panoramic sea and countryside views.

5 Top Tips for your Wedding in the South of France

The South of France is now firmly on the list of locations for that perfect destination wedding and the team at Cote d'Azur Villas have a hand-picked selection of villas that are perfect for your very special day. But the prospect of organising your wedding in a foreign language and many miles away from your home can be daunting. Here are our Top 5 Tips for that perfect wedding in the South of France

1. Book Your Villa Early - The most popular of venues book 12 months in advance.

Les Pirettes - the Perfect Wedding Villa

2. Choose Your Caterer Carefully - Look carefully at references and experience and make very sure that they can work with your ideas and your budget

Photo courtesty of the team at Adams & Adams Innovative Catering & Event Management

3. Date - July & August are very hot....think May and towards the end of September for the most beautiful blue skies and ambient temperatures

Bastide de Castelleras - Valbonne

4. Rain - Yes, we have that in the South of France, make a contingency plan for bad weather and our betting is that you won't have to use it

Stretch Tents - Great for shade or that odd shower of rain

5. Wedding Planner - If you are not a list queen or have any kind of event planning experience then our very best tip is to work with a locally based wedding planner - use their contacts, their expertise and simply sit back and enjoy the day.

Congratulations! Here's to your perfect wedding day in the South of France

Vue de St Paul - Prestige Contemporary Villa in the South of France

new to the portfolio, this exeptional contemporary villa, Vue de St Paul is now available for summer 2015 rentals.

6 Bedrooms, sleeps 12 - the ideal South of France Summer Rental.

Exceptional outside space and pool

Relax in this have of peace and tranqulity

Enjoy spectacular views over St Paul de Vence. 

Outside living and dining

Contemporary Kitchen

Vast living areas

Master bedroom with fireplace

Home Gym

Games Room

Indoor Pool

Indoor Spa