Farm house Victoria, Czech Republic, Vysočina

This farm house is a place to rent for a family or even a larger group of people in the beautiful, remote countryside of Vysočina (the Highlands) in the Czech Republic. It was recommended to us by the Stupka family who now live close by in Velka Lhota. If you drive from Prague, it might take about 2 and half hours to get there but it is worth it. The farm house is located directly in the small village of Sumrakov, which is close to Telč, Dačice, Jindřichův Hradec...and not far from Austria. The farm house is a typical Czech historical chalupa but it was completely and very tastefully redone. There are two apartments in the cottage which can be rented out separately or together. The one we stayed in sleeps 4-5 people, it is one room with kitchen area, shower and WC. The other apartment is bigger and has separate bedrooms. In the winter it is heated with wood in big stoves - you heat for yourself, which is fun. The owners are a nice family with three girls who live in the cottage next door, so you have the whole property to yourself.

Portugal, Quinta do Rio near Silves

This recommendation for a place in the crowded south of Portugal is strictly speaking not word of mouth, since it is mentioned in Lonely Planet and thats how we found it. If you head to Algarve without a previous reservation like we did last summer, you might end up spending hours searching for a place on the crowded, developed and not always so pretty Algarve Coast. Instead, we started driving inland towards the historical town of Silves. The house Quinta do Rio is another 5.5 km out of Silves but once you get there, you are in a peacefull countryside, amidst orange groves with horses walking between the trees. The owners are extremely nice, make breakfast for the guests every morning and gave us a lot it tips about places to eat and best beaches. The owner is actually Italian. The drive to the beaches takes less than half an hour. Praia San Roco and Praia Marinha are spectacular!

Apartment in Berlin

My friend Boris (our kids are in the same class) is in charge of running and organizing a short-term rental apartment in downtown Berlin. It's a very nice 2 room apartment at Eislebener Str. 7, 10789 Berlin. There is a bedroom with a large double bed, cupboards and writing table complete with computer and internet access. The living room has 2 fold-out couches that will sleep up to 4 as well. The balcony looks across at a fine art-deco hotel. The kitchen is equipped with microwave, coffee-machine, toaster and all necessary kitchen aids. All S and U-Bahn lines cross on these corners around the Zoo station, as do many bus lines. And for all that it's on a very neatly hidden back street that is very quiet and idyllic. In 5 minutes you are at the Gedächtnis Kirche or KDW, but there's a grocery store and a bakery around the corner as well. Our prices are 75€ for 2, 90€ for 3, 105€ for 4 and 120€ for up to 6 / night. The email contact is: centralluxuryberlin@yahoo.ca. Or you can call my friend Boris who is in charge at 0049 30 3640 92 92.

Overnight stop from Prague to Zagreb and other things

We've been motoring quite a lot from Prague to Zagreb in the last year or so and with a small child we did it in 2 stages. We first stopped in Graz, then somewhere else, and, from a tip, we finally settled on a hotel in Windischgarsten which is about exactly half-way between P and Z on the A9 going down to Graz. The hotel itself (http://www.sporthotel-fuerst.at/index2.htm) is (in no particular order) a) extremely comfortable and cosy, b) has amazing views (each room with balcony), c) is run by a very cool, relaxed and friendly couple, d) has a well stocked bar, and e) has great breakfasts with home made salamis, omelettes made from the freshest most eggy tasting eggs - or, if you are more inclined to healthy stuff there is muesli, fruit etc. there are a couple of ski resorts within striking distance (regular bus from Windischgarsten) and is obviously great for walking/outdoors stuff. The hotel also has a garden with a tennis court, and a very small swimming pool. Oh, I almost forgot, they have a sauna too. The whole experience is very relaxing and highly recommended. The only downside we found is the food in the town (the hotel does not serve food apart from breakfast so you have to forage) which is ok, but not great - certainly no ethnic stuff around. But if you are used to Germanic/Czecho food, it will be perfectly acceptable. On the nutrition front there is a really really really good schnapps shop on the main square - my tip is the one made from vogelbeer - took some time to find out what these things were in English - rowanberries.
-- Howard

Italy, Buonconvento (near Siena), San Nazario, Casa Rasa

We went to this beautiful Casa Rasa farmhouse in 2002 (amazing I still remember this...). The house is on a hilltop with panoramic views. It was recommended by word of mouth to Marketa R. and our whole group consisted of 4 adults and 5 kiddies, all staying in the spacious apartment on the first floor, which has a 10m long loggia with open arches, kitchen/living room and four bedrooms, two with private bath or shower rooms and two that share a study and bath/shoer room reached down a short staircase. The fourth bedroom has direct access to the loggia. The rooms are tall and birght, with beamed ceiling and beautiful floors laid in travertine and terracotta. Nearby is the medieval town of Buonconvento and the Benedictine monastery Monte Oliveto Maggiore. We took trips to Siena, Florence and many smaller towns nearby. Beautifull Tuscany!!! At the time we were there, there was also a small pool near the house. The owners live in the apartement downstairs. We had such a great time there - for me it was one of the best vacations ever.

Greece, Island Lefkada, Agios Nikitas

Lefkada is one of the Ionian islands connected to the mainland by bridge so you can get there by car. We went to a village called Agios Nikitas twice. The first time we stayed in the village directly which we do not recommend (too loud and busy). Second time, we discovered the Myrto Apartements located high above the village on the hill. You can drive up there by car and there is also a path from the village if you want to hike. The place is totally peacefull and has a beautifull view. There are apartments with kitchen and balcony (air conditioned), parents have bedroom, kids sleep in the main room. The whole building has about 10 apartments total and when we went there it was not crowded at all, in fact we were the only ones using the pool. The reason why we liked Agios Nikitas is a beach called Milos, a beatifull uncrowded stretch of pebble beach 1,5 km long without access (either water taxi or climb accross a mountain). The hike to the beach is not easy (you literally climb down on rocks) but it is totally worth is. Our kids did it age 2 and 4.

Germany, Spa Hotel zur Bleiche, Spreewald

The Hotel zur Bleiche in Burg in Spreewald is quite fancy and expensive and we went there for just two days but it was worth it. It is located in Spreewald in Eastern Germany, about 100 km from Berlin along highway A13. It is a large hotel with restaurants and a great spa with many areas, indoor and outdoor pools, you can book massages ...
phone +49 (0) 35603 / 620.
email info@hotel-zur-bleiche.com

France, Mas de Sudre, near Gaillac

MasDeSudre,
originally uploaded by JohanaG.

Mas de Sudre is a house we rented in summer 2007. There is a main house with BaB where the owners (a British couple) live and right opposite is the house for rent. The whole place is on the top of a hill about 5 km outside of Gaillac, a small town near Albi in Midi-Pyrenees. Both houses are surrounded by a large garden (very beautiful) and there is a nice long pool (13m) and a tennis court. The accommodation possibilities range from 6 up to 10 people. The kitchen has a fire place and everything is well equipped. The owners are really nice.

Austria, Neustift in Stubaital: Skiing with Kids

Ladestatthof, Neustif in Stubaital,
originally uploaded by JohanaG.

Stubaital is a valley about 13 km from Innsbruck in Tirol, Austria, with the beautiful Stubai Glacier at its end. We have been going to a place called Ladestatthof in a village called Neustift in Stubaital. You can rent rooms or appartments with own kitchen. Prices in 2008 were about 80/100 EUR per appartement for 4 people a day. What we like about it is their "wellness area" (sauna, steam bath, etc. free of charge) and their two playrooms for kiddies which are right next to the wellness area. Another nice thing: kids under 10 get ski passes for the glacier for free. Every morning you have to drive to get to the parking lot under the glacier (about 20 min).