Summer in the South of France Cannes Fireworks

One of the most spectacular of the annual summer events here in the South of France is the Festival of Pyrotechnic Art of Cannes - otherwise known as the Cannes Firework Festival.

This annual event brings together teams from around the world who compete to put on the biggest and most impressive display of fireworks, all set to music. The fireworks are set off from special pontoons moored offshore and the site of the amazing displays over the water is one of the must see events if you are spending your summer here.

The event runs on various evenings throughout July and August and the best way to watch the fireworks is from one of the beachfront restaurants. Enjoy a delicious dinner and then site back with perhaps a little 'digestif' and prepare to be amazed.

Renting a Cannes villa is a great way to enjoy not only the Firework festival but also the many other summer events held each year in the South of France.

Villa du Festival - Cannes Villa to Rent 

Home Away Holiday Rentals Beware!

We are all well used to scam e-mails, however when they appear to come from a trusted source such as Home Away Holiday Rentals then you may well be duped into handing over critical personal information.

Just received in our South of France villa rental offices is the following message which seems plausible...but stop! It's a nasty scam, designed to trick you into sending the most sensitive of personal information.

Our advice is if you are in anyway unsure of the e-mail you receive, contact the company they are supposed to have been sent from and verify everything. No company should ever ask for this kind of information to be shared with them in a general mass e-mail.

We love the internet but be aware and keep safe!

________________________________________________________
Dear HomeAway User,

Thank you for choosing HomeAway!

As part of our standard quality control procedures, your account has been selected for further review. Due to security reasons, we cannot keep your listing live until we receive additional information.We need to receive the following documentation from you within 10 working days

If you are the owner of the property, we ask that you please provide us with the following information:

1. A copy of your photo ID (both sides of your driver's license or passport)
2. A copy of a deed of sale and title deed
3. An original gas, telephone or other utility bill for the rental property dated within the last 3 months

If you manage or represent this property on behalf of the owner, we ask that you please provide us with the following information:

   * A copy of the lease agreement you have signed with the owner or written letter from the property owner authorizing you to rent the property
   * A copy of the property owner’s valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport)

Please make sure that all information is clear and legible. Proof of ownership and or authorization to rent, along with photo ID
Included as an attachment to a reply or directly to this email:  Contact@Office-HomeAway.eu

Why is HomeAway  reviewing my account?
This additional step is essential to ensure a quality experience for our holidaymakers, thus benefiting you and all of our other members. We collect the proof of id & ownership in order to verify the legitimacy of the advert.

How long will this review take?
Upon receipt of the requested documents, if they are in compliance with our request, it will take up to 7 working days. You will receive an email confirmation once your review is completed 

If I don’t provide these documents?
We understand you may have privacy concerns about sharing this information. However, it is important for you to know that HomeAway collects the proof of ID and ownership as part of our security process. Our responsibility is to provide holidaymakers with a safe and secure environment in which to search for holiday accommodation. The steps that we take are designed to enhance our holidaymakers’ experiences, which in turn benefits all of our members.

How do you protect my personal information once you have it?
Please rest assured that this request is purely for administrative and security purposes and the information is not passed onto any third parties. The documents are used to verify owner legitimacy prior to publishing an advert, and are then removed from our system and stored on our highly secure servers. Our company takes data protection very seriously and we can certify that all the necessary measures are taken to preserve your privacy.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reply to this email; we're happy to help!

Kind regards,

Steve Johnstone
Trust and Security Specialist
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Legal Information HomeAway SARL:

Address: Rue de Lyon 105, 1203 Genève, Switzerland
Company registration number: CHE-116.158.222
EU VAT Number: EU826015249
Swiss VAT Number: CHE-116.158.222 TVA
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Cote d'Azur Villas Partner with Blue Square

Fallen in love with the South of France? Enjoyed your holiday so much you don’t want to go home? Then we are delighted to announce our partnership with Blue Square Property, the international agency dedicated to helping you find your perfect home here on the French Riviera.

Many of our guests visit the South of France, enjoy a wonderful holiday here and decide that they would like to own property in the region. For return on investment, then buying a villa in the region and renting on a seasonal basis can make excellent financial sense.

Blue Square have offices throughout the Cote d’Azur and their international team speak many most European languages. They offer an exceptional range of apartments and villas together with professional financial and legal advice for international clients buying property in France.

Clients of Blue Square are also able to take advantage of our villa rental services, for either seasonal or long term rental clients and of course our property management services if they do not live in the region.
This important strategic partnership offers clients of Cote d’Azur Villas and of Blue Square a full rental, sales and management service throughout the French Riviera.

Stay Safe when you Visit the South of France

The South of France is glitz and glamour all the way and unfortunately that makes it a target for some less scrupulous visitors. When you're on holiday it easy to forget that our beautiful region can be the place of petty theft and crime, but with just a few sensible precautions then we know that you will have a wonderful holiday.

1. Driving - Don't leave valuables on display in the car, lock them in the boot when you're parked. Cameras, iPads and more.

2. Keep your car doors locked - Many modern cars now automatically lock the doors when you are driving. This is a sensible precaution here on the French Riviera as opportunist thieves have been known simply to open the back door of a car stopped at a traffic light, reach into the car and take whatever is to hand.

3. Dining Out - When you're eating out in restaurants, then ladies do not leave handbags unattended. Keep them in sight at all times.

4. Passports and Currency - Where possible we recommend that you leave large amounts of currency and passports safely at your South of France rental villa. Many of our villas have safes where you can store valuables for the duration of your stay.

5. Alarms and Gates - When you are in your rental villa then close gates and set the alarm, especially at night and of course when you are out of the villa.

Just small, sensible precautions will ensure that you have a wonderful holiday here in one of our rental villas in the South of France.

Cannes Welcomes the Lions to the South of France

Today is the opening of the Cannes Lions - Festival of Creativity and Cannes is full of creative advertising executives, all hoping that their campaign is 'The One' and that they will take away one of the coveted trophies.

The coveted Cannes Lions Award

Cannes Lions is one of the most important corporate events in the Cannes calendar and will see over 12,000 delegates from more than 94 countries converging on Cannes from 15th - 21st June. The jury of 312 members will judge almost 36,000 entries over the 7 days and there will be eventually be over 1,100 winners. Cannes will also welcome more than 550 members of the press and over 300 young creative competitors. Big numbers!

Accommodation during the Cannes Lions festival is sought after and the key villas and apartments are booked many months, if not years in advance. The trick is to be within walking distance of the Palais des Festivals where all the major events take place. And the team at Cote d'Azur Villas are delighted to offer a great selection of villas which are close to La Croisette and also idea for clients wishing to combine accommodation and an event during Lions.

Villa du Festival - Cannes

UK TV in France Partners with Cote d'Azur Villas

There has been much discussion recently about the loss of terrestrial UK TV here in France. Traditionally, many English speaking ex-pats who are resident here on the French Riviera and in Provence have enjoyed UK TV using mainly satellite systems. Well, that was until they moved the satellite and the footprint of the service changed. It has meant that we have all needed bigger and bigger satellite dishes and, depending on where you are in the region many people are still not enjoying a reliable service.

At Cote d'Azur Villas we are delihted to say that we have found a simple and affordable solution for our villa owners and of course for our clients visiting the region this summer who want to enjoy a certain football tournament taking place in Brazil.

We have partnered with UKTV France to offer a UK TV solution that is delivered via the internet - no satellite dish, no VPN just a 'plug and play option' that includes all the free to view channels and many paid for services. The only pre-requisite is a reliable internet connection with a minimum of 1.5MB download speed.

We've tested the system extensively in both the office and in our homes and it's frankly great! Easy to install, no fuss and works like magic. You even have a 14 day catch up service.

UKTV France supply the box, the wi-fi connectors and will even come and install the box if needed.

Prices start from 139.99€ for the box and subscriptions from 14.99€ per month.

• Start and stop your subscription when you want to - there's no contract
• Portable - Plug and play wherever you have a wifi connection in France
• Full paid packages available including SKY Sports and SKY Movies

Contact us today to order your system contact@cdvillas.com

Summer Jazz in the South of France

Each summer the Cote d'Azur comes alive to the sounds of Jazz with not one but two international Jazz Festivals held in Nice and Juan les Pins. 

Nice Jazz Festival takes place from the 8 - 12th July in the heart of Nice at the Place Massena and at the Theatre de Verdure. This annul event has taken place since 1948 and always attracts some of the most celebrated international jazz musicians. This year the programme includes Kris Bowers and Keziah Jones but with 2 venues alive with music each night there is sure to be something for all tastes.

Jazz a Juan begins on the 11th July and runs until the 20th and is slightly younger than the Nice event having begun in 1960. the concerts take place with the Mediterranean as the back drop and this year will welcome international artists such as Jamie Cullum, Joss Stone and Stevie Wonder.

Tickets for both events are highly sought after and our advice is to book early via the events websites.