LIE BACK AND THINK OF RAINY ENGLAND (James Villas)

Member Name: binnie

Product:	James Villas
Date:	26/02/02 (1552 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: gets you away from dismal England, something to look forward to, makes me smile

Disadvantages: want to own one, want to go every week

Oh, it's that time of year again, when most of us sit day dreaming thinking of faraway places. Well to be honest, I daydream all the time.
I actually work for a travel company who specialise in boating holiday in the UK, but whilst I appreciate they like this type of thing, my choice is somewhere much warmer.

A few years ago, I sent off for some information on James Villas, I'd seen them advertised in a magazine called private Villas.
The info arrived a few days later, and all I can remember thinking is, wow aren't they expensive!.
They didn't have a brochure then, it was just a few pictures on glossy card. They did look inviting but with my wage, I just had to carry on daydreaming.
Then two weeks ago, I went to my mum and dads and there on the floor of their lounge was a brochure with James Villas written on it.
I picked it up and saw that they certainly had expanded. There wasn't just Lanzarote and Tenerife like years ago, but now Costa Blanca, Menorca, Majorca, Portugal and even Florida.
I flicked through, then decided to go straight to the prices, which come in a seperate leaflet.
I was thinking of me and my husband having a two week holiday in October, and was wondering about Costa Blanca as it's still warm then.
My jaw dropped, was I seeing things?. I could book a two bedroom. two bathroom villa with private pool for £279 per week. These were not the sort of prices I had expected.
Only earlier that week I had been looking on the internet for a villa, but even though I thought some were cheap at £350 per week, nothing could beat this.

Later that night, I logged onto their website and quickly ordered a brochure. My mum received theirs within three days. After a week nothing had arrived, so I rang them. They said they had run out of brochures but would send one out asap. By then I was eager to get something booked, my inner voice kept nagging at me to get it done quickly. Once I get som
ething on my mind, I have to sort it.
I got so impatient that i paid my parents another visit and asked kindly if I could borrow their brochure.
Sunday morning (last weekend), I was on the phone at 10am, this is the time they open on a sunday. But I was put in a queue for ten minutes, I daren't hang up as something told me I might struggle getting through all day.
I had already choosen 6 villas, priced from £319, to £279 for a week.
After getting through, I tried my first five villas only to be told they were already booked, I went onto my sixth choice when she said those magic words, "yes that ones available". Boy was I relieved, I was beginning to feel downhearted.

She asked for my parties details, which didn't take long as it's just me and David, then she asked me if we wanted flights from them. They will search for the best flights for you, not just bunging you on any old flight. If you don't book flights with them, then they can put an extra 15% onto your villa, which defeats the object.
The flight will take me to Alicante and cost me £159 with Air 2000, which I thought was reasonable.
Then we make our own way to Javea, which is about a one and a half hours drive from the airport.
She didn't talk me into travel insurance either, as I told her I work for a travel company who give me free insurance. They can also provide car hire if you like.
The deposit was £75 per person, which I paid on my Egg card, then I would get some cash back.It was all booked within ten minutes, very painless.
Within three days I had received confirmation through the post stating how much I had paid and when the balance is due, which is two full months before you go.

*Here are some of the Places*

The Algarve, departing on a saturday or Thursday.
The villas here are in the towns of Vilamoura, Vale de garrao, loule, St Barbara de Nexe, Estoi, Olhos d' Agua, Praia da Oura, Albufeira, Porche
s.

Costa Blanca departing on a Saturday. The towns featured are Javea, Moraira, Albir, Altea Hills, Calpe, and Denia.

Costa del Sol departing on a saturday.
The towns are Nerja, frigiliana, Maro, Torrox and Vinuela.

mallorca departing on a saturday. The towns here are Puerto Pollensa, Pollensa, Port d' Alcudia, C'an Picafort, Campanet, Sa Pobla and Cala Santanyi.

Other places are , Menorca, Lanzarote, tenerife, Fuerteventura, Cyprus, Gozo and Florida.
The ones in Gozo are like mini castles, absolutely fantastic.

INFO ON JAMES VILLAS

They are an Independent tour operator, so no middle man.
ATOL & ABTA bonded.
They have been around since 1984 are now advertising on TV, magazines and the internet.
The staff have personal knowledge of all the villas, what a job that must be having to inspect them, wish I could swap. They have a database on every villa for those extra queries on the villas. I tested one out and asked how big the pool was.

WEBSITE

www.jamesvillas.co.uk
This is ok, but it lacks something. It needs a virtual tour of the villas. It only showed the same pictures as the brochure. Some other websites I have seen on villas actually show in the bedrooms, kitchen etc. That would make it more interesting for me.
You can book online 24 hours a day, but apparently when you submit your booking form, they are meant to ring you to confirm the booking, I thought what's the point in that, I might as well just ring up myself.
I feel I've booked my holiday once I've talked to a human being. I didn't fancy submitting the form and having to wait another day for the email or phone call to arrive. Told you I'm impatient. At the moment theres a free competition to win a villa holiday on the webiste and yes I did enter it.

Well even though October seems ages off, it will soon come round so I've got some serious saving up to do.


And yes, I did get my copy of the brochure eventually. I was tempted to book another one for next year.

TIPS

Go out of season for the best buys.
October, March, April and May are the cheapest months except for tenerife and Lanzarote where they seem expensive all year round, but remember that's because there's only two of us going.

Book well in advance, I struggled even for October, I was down to my 6th choice.

Get a group of you together, you could hire a massive villa for £100 each.

If you want to see where I'm going, hee hee, look at the website and click on Costa Blanca, then Sol de este 37, oh aren't I a show off?

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