Italian Breaks Ltd. and myvillabreaks.com , PO Box 3294, Coulsdon, CR5 9FS, Surrey, United Kingdom, act as agent for your accommodation provider.
The contract is between the property manager/owner (from here on PO) in the chosen country and the traveller.
Italian Breaks, myvillabreaks.com are Trading Names for Italian Breaks Ltd.
Co. Reg. No. 06761098 Registered in England, Registered office: Ryefield Unit 139 Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, England, CR0 0XZ.
Check availability on our website
www.myvillabreaks.com
And enter credit card details on our secure page.
On our websites we have 2 types of properties:
Please call us +44(0)20 8666 0407 to check availability and price. If you wish to proceed, we will confirm your booking as soon as payment has been received.
(a) To confirm a Booking you will need to pay a non refundable deposit, which may vary according to the villa booked, from 10% to 50%. In paying the deposit you are confirming you have read and approved our Terms & Conditions. For bookings made within 60 days of departure, the full payment is due immediately. On giving us your Credit Card details, whether over the telephone or on line, you have confirmed the booking and any subsequent cancellation, regardless of the reason, will incur in Cancellation Charges as set out in paragraph 6.
(b) Your booking is considered definite and a contract will exist between you and the PO once you have given Italian Breaks Ltd. your payment details. Credit Card Payments should be made directly by you on our secure web pages. If this is not possible, you may be able to pay using a different method; please contact our office for details. Following receipt of the deposit, a Confirmation Invoice will be sent to you. This will advise that payment of balance will be due 60 days prior to your departure date. If the balance of the price of your holiday is not paid in time, we reserve the right to cancel your holiday, retain your deposit and apply the Cancellation Charge set out in Paragraph 6.
(c) Should we receive any variation on the price from the PO, we reserve the right to modify the prices published prior to the time that you book your holiday. Any change in price will be advised to you before you book the holiday.
(d) In order to comply with local legislation (fiscal as well as public security-related), POs are required by the local authorities to collect some basic personal details from their guests (please read our privacy policy here), even for short-term stays. We therefore kindly ask you to provide the following information (at least for the group lead) before reaching your destination.
e) Some PO will require you to fill in and sign an additional Booking Form, which we would send to you after your booking.
On receipt of your booking payment, for properties offering a Concierge Service we will be contacting you in order to assist you with all your travel arrangements.
The APA ( Advance Provisioning Allowance) when the services are required by you is intended to cover the operating expenses of the Villa rental such as food, drinks, ,transfers, Yacht Charter, Massage and Beauty Treatments or any other services provided during your holiday. These funds will have to be given to the PO or Concierge Service Representative. Whilst an up-to-date summary of accounts can be requested at any time during your rental, a full set of accounts will normally be submitted by the Concierge Representative or PO at the end of your stay. If, during your stay, the expenditure exceeds the sum already paid, additional cash funds will be required at once. All the outstanding bills should be settled in cash the day before your departure, any remaining credit will be reimbursed to you in full within 3 working days, by the same method you used to pay the APA.
We accept, on behalf of the PO, the following methods of payment:
(a) by Credit Card Visa/Mastercard/American Express or any Debit Card in Pound Sterling or Euros.
(b) by Bank Transfer, in Pound Sterling or Euros. Bank details will be given to you upon request; for Bank Transfers in both Pound Sterling and Euro, we need to receive full amount, all Bank Charges must be covered by you.
(a) The PO and Italian Breaks Ltd. as their agent, reserve the right to increase the prices published before you book. We will advise you of any price increase when you initially enquire about the availability of accommodation.
(b) The price you pay for your holiday covers the cost of your accommodation only. A refundable security deposit, to cover possible breakages, must be paid to the key holder on arrival in cash. You will be denied access to the property if the deposit is not paid. This deposit will be returned to you at the end of your stay less any deductions. For some properties the deposit will be returned one week after your departure. In addition any costs such as gas, water, electricity, linen etc, if applicable, will need to be paid locally on arrival.
(c) Arrival time varies from property to property. Before booking flights, especially if early / late flights, Sundays or on an Italian Bank Holiday, you are advised to check with our office whether access is possible at the accommodation of your choice. Some PO will accept you on payment of a supplement; some others may deny access outside their stated arrival times.
(d) Prices are set in Sterling and Euro , all other currencies exchange rates are for indication only and will be confirmed at the time of booking and/or making a payment.
On arrival you must show the key holder all passports/ID documents. You will also need to give the key holder copies of the passports/ID to be passed on to the Local Authority and pay all local charges and deposit; failure to do so will result in you being denied access to the property.
a) The Property will be checked by the PO before and after the rental period. You shall be liable for any damages or losses caused to the property and its contents. By making the booking you are confirming you have adequate travel insurance and you are confirming also that your travel insurance policy covers you for accidental damage to the property and its contents.
b) You shall be liable for all costs related to the loss of any keys provided to you on the first day of the Rental Period.
c) The Security Deposit, to cover possible breakages, must be paid to the key holder on arrival. For some properties (mainly those included in our Luxury Collection) you will be asked to provide credit card details prior to your arrival or the deposit will need to be paid directly to the PO via Bank Transfer. You may also be asked to fill in and sign a separate form to authorise the PO.
You will be denied access to the property if the deposit is not paid. This deposit will be returned to you at the end of your stay less any deductions if applicable. For some properties the deposit will be returned to you within 15 days after your return.
Please observe the check-in time and check-out time listed per each property, should this not be specified the general check in time is 16:00 and check-out time is 10:00 ( cleaning team will start at 9am).We will try to accommodate requests for early check-in and late check-out times , but they cannot be guaranteed.
You must sign the check-in/check-out letter at the start and at the end of your stay, where all consumption of utilities will be noted together with the PO. Should you not complying to this you would agree on the readings taken by the PO.
You (or any member of your party) may cancel your holiday at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the person signing the booking form and is communicated to us in writing. Cancellation will take effect the day such notification is received by us. As this incurs administrative costs, we will retain your deposit and, in addition, may apply cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below:
Days Before Departure | Cancellation Charge (shown as a % of the holiday price) |
up to 60 days | deposit only |
from 59 days | 100% of holiday cost |
Once your holiday has commenced, no refund or part refund or unused portion of your holiday will be repaid in the event of cancellation by you. If the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of your Insurance Policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges from your insurance company.
You may not pass on your booking onto a third party. The person who makes the booking and thus agrees to these Terms & Conditions must be present at the property during the rental period. If there is a problem with this a request must be made to Italian Breaks LTD (or to the sister company My Villa Breaks ) ahead of the check in date. If this change is accepted the new name given for the booking will be bound to these Terms & Conditions.
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU HAVE FULL TRAVEL INSURANCE TO COVER YOUR HOLIDAY.
By accepting our Booking Conditions you are confirming to us that your insurance cover is adequate and in force at the time of travelling with Italian Breaks Ltd.
If, after our Confirmation Invoice has been issued, you wish to change any part of your holiday arrangements – including number of people, or wish to change departure date, we will do our utmost to make the changes, provided that notification is received in writing at our offices from the person who signed the Booking Form, at least 10 weeks before departure. All booking changes incur an amendment/administration fee of £50.
Please note that all changes to the number of people will incur the administration fee, even if the total number of people does not exceed the basic maximum occupancy of the property. Eg. Property X in high season has a basic price for up to 8 people. If you originally booked the property for 6 people and now wish to add a 7th and/or 8th person, then the £50 administration fee will be due to us, even if there is no supplement for the 7th and/or 8th person. If you originally booked the property for 8 people and now wish to add a 9th and/or 10th person, then the £50 administration fee will be due to us as well as the supplement for the 9th and/or 10th person.
Please note that changes are not always possible as properties belong to single, independent owners / property manager. In most cases the Italian property owner requires a non-refundable deposit so any deposit made cannot be transferred to a property owned by a different person.
No guests or staff (such as chef, cleaning personnel, etc.) outside of the confirmed booking numbers or property staff vetted by the owner is allowed on the property during the booked holiday period.
Occasionally the PO may make changes to your holiday property (eg. advertised facilities at accommodation or a change of accommodation), which they reserve the right to do at any time. We will advise you at the earliest possible date of any changes. Should you not be happy with the changed description, we will do our utmost to arrange accommodation of a similar rating, in a similar location through another supplier. Should you not be able to accept our replacement offers, we will arrange with the supplier for a full refund of all monies paid to Italian Breaks Ltd.
The PO through Italian Breaks Ltd. as their agent, reserves the right in any circumstances to cancel your holiday, in which case the PO, through Italian Breaks Ltd. as their agent, will offer a refund in full of all monies paid through Italian Breaks Ltd. Failure on your part to pay the final balance will result in your holiday being cancelled.
Italian Breaks Ltd. do not arrange or provide flights but is happy to recommend agents who can match flights to the accommodation you have booked. As you have arranged your own flights independently from us, your flight provider will be responsible for your tickets and any delay or liability.
We act as the booking agent for the PO of the accommodation where you will stay and accordingly your accommodation is provided by them and they will be liable under Italian law for any claims you may have for death, injury or illness arising from their negligence in the provision of the accommodation to you.
If you are experiencing any difficulties while staying at the house you need to:
For Italy: info@italianbreaks.com
For other Countries: info@myvillabreaks.com
Telephone: +44 (0)208 666 0407 (office hours)
+4407896757212 (out of hours mobile)
Text: +4407896757212 (out of hours mobile)
Our office hours are 9am to 5:30 pm Monday – Friday.
NO COMPLAINTS WILL BE CONSIDERED UNLESS THIS PROCEDURE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED.
Please see our website and other literature concerning this but at the date of publication:
(a) EC passport holders do not require a visa to Italy/France and Greece. For non-EC passport holders you should enquire with the relevant Embassy
(b) There are no compulsory health requirements for travel to Italy/France/Greece.
All property descriptions and details of facilities and amenities are correct at the time of publication. However PO may change these facilities and amenities may become unavailable. When we are advised of this, we will let you know if there is sufficient time to do so before your departure. We recommend you refer also to and check our websites
www.myvillabreaks.com
for up to date descriptions and photographs. Please note that web pages can be regularly updated.
THE WORD VILLA as used in all descriptions is: ‘a Detached or Semi-Detached rented holiday home abroad’ as per the Oxford Dictionary. It does not relate to the style or quality of furnishings and services. We can have Basic Villas, Large or Tiny Villas. A Villa can be economical or luxurious, new, old with standard or elaborate furnishings.
Please bear in mind that the majority of our properties are furnished and decorated according to the taste of the PO and therefore, as you can see from our descriptions and photographs on the websites, they can vary greatly in style, decor and standard. All properties are adequately equipped. All kitchens have a fridge and hob but electrical appliances may not be of the same standard as in your own home. Kettles, toasters, and hairdryers are not usually provided. Beds in the various countries are very different in that they can often be shorter and the base for the mattress can vary a great deal according to local taste. In cases where larger properties offer a discounted rate for under-occupancy, some rooms may be made unavailable. Please enquire at the time of booking. Holiday homes are not always designed with the safety of young children in mind. Usually, there is no cause for concern if the children are adequately supervised. Should you require additional information, please enquire at the time of booking.
In stating the name of the town/area, next to the name of our properties in the heading of our brochure and website we have followed the criteria of choosing the nearest better known town/area. This is because most of the villages and rural areas are unknown to foreigners and very often do not appear on maps. Eg: PROPERTY X – CORTONA is in Bagnolo, 14 km from Cortona. This applies also to the location map on our website. In naming our properties we use fantasy names to avoid having more than one: eg Villa Delle Palme or similar.
Blankets and pillows will be provided for the number of occupants. Linen, when provided, may occasionally have to be collected from reception or it may be left in the property in individual packs. A welcome pack is not provided as standard, this can be booked, as an extra, if required. Guests are usually expected to provide their own cleaning materials.
Arrival time varies from property to property. Before booking flights, especially if early / late flights, Sundays or on a local Bank Holiday, you are advised to check with our office whether access is possible at the accommodation of your choice. Some PO will accept you on payment of a supplement; some others may deny access outside their stated arrival times.
The number of persons occupying must not exceed the number indicated in our confirmation. Pets are not allowed unless agreed in writing in advance. Inappropriate or bad behaviour may result in you being excluded from the accommodation in which case no refunds will be given, or alternative accommodation arranged. You are directly responsible to the PO and to Italian Breaks Ltd. as the PO’s agent, for any damage /breakage caused by you or any member of your party, while staying at the property. Italian Breaks Ltd. reserves the right to pursue any damage claim through the English Courts on behalf of the PO.
We reserve the right to levy an administration fee if you require us to arrange extra services eg: chef, special events, baby sitting, recovery of lost property etc. This may be a fixed amount, starting from £30, or a % of the cost of the service.
If you suffer with allergies, please speak to us before booking. Although PO will do their best to keep pets or animals from entering the property, we cannot guarantee it.
(a) A number of roads leading up to our properties may be white roads, i.e. do not have asphalt. Spring storms can quickly reduce the quality of a road. PO repair them as quickly as possible, however PO are not responsible for any damages which may occur to vehicles. By law for example in most areas of Tuscany and Umbria, only non-asphalted roads are allowed for access to villas (environmental reasons).
(b) When a property is above sea level, roads may have hairpin bends and a certain amount of uphill and downhill driving is required.
(c) Especially for the Amalfi Coast, or hillside villages in Provence or the French Cornish we generally recommend you hire small cars as driving and manoeuvring through narrow streets can be challenging.
Water shortages sometimes occur owing to long, dry periods and we ask you to be as sparing as possible. Although the water is drinkable, we advise visitors to drink bottled water. If too many electrical appliances are used at once, some properties will have limitators which can cut off the supply. Should this occur, guests are asked to reset the main switch which is usually located outside the property. Guests must ensure they are aware of the positioning of the metre (please ask the key holder). N.B. the voltage for electrical appliances in the various countries may vary from 220 and 240.
Electricity on consumption: the meter is read at the beginning and the end of your stay and you are advised of the cost per unit.
Please note that electricity in Europe is expensive; the average cost per week is between €50 – €100, with smaller properties without air conditioning possibly less and full air conditioned larger villas paying more. Please bear in mind that you can check how much you are using on a daily basis as the meter is accessible. We recommend that you turn off outdoor and indoor lighting when not in use. To keep charges down, use electricity wisely.
Insects are attracted to light at night time. We advise visitors to bring necessary ointments against mosquito bites etc. Some specific areas, like the Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, are affected by ants; particular care has to be taken by visitors not to leave any traces of food on tables and floors. The PO do take care themselves to try and keep the ants and insects at bay but sometimes that is not possible, in which case insecticides will be provided if necessary. Please note also that properties in the countryside may experience the occasional country mouse entering the property and in the hottest months, especially in the Southern regions, cockroaches may gain access to the property as well. Again, all care is taken by the PO but sometimes it is unavoidable. Please be vigilant and be aware of not leaving anything that could encourage attracting unwanted guests in the house.
The PO and Italian Breaks Ltd. Ltd as their agent cannot be held responsible for something that is endemic and cannot be eradicated.
Swimming pools are not open all year round. If your rental is outside the period 30 May to 30 September, then please do check with us if the pool is open. Where we have indicated “pool in construction” please check with us completion dates and pool sizes. In Italy there is a restricted time that pools can be open for use. This applies mainly to some apartments with shared pool. When using shared pools please be aware of local regulations. You need to be respectful of other people and be aware that nudity is prohibited. Please note that swimming pools in Italy and Greece are not required to be fenced off or alarmed.
As a tenant, you may have access to a swimming pool, neither the owner nor the agent accept any liability in case of accidents in or around the swimming pool and holiday makers use these facilities at their own risk. We remind you that access to the swimming pools are for guests noted in the booking only and you may not invite external visitors to use the swimming pool.
Some swimming pools may be equipped with a safety alarm, we ask you to please respect this equipment and to also take note of any instructions given to you concerning the pool. We recommend supervision of all children at all times and those who cannot swim should wear armbands at all times when playing in or around the swimming pool. Please do not bring bottles, glass or any sharp items in or around the pool nor should guests encourage dangerous games in or around the pool. By agreeing to these terms and conditions you agree to comply with any safety and maintenance instructions given to you at the property.
When an internet key or Wi-Fi is provided:
(a) The PO and his agent cannot be responsible for the quality of reception and/or speed; the bandwidth provided may be limited and additional charges may be levied by the PO for extra bandwidth.
(b) As there are many types of internet keys and computers, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure of the correct installation of the device. The PO and Italian Breaks Ltd. as their agent, will not accept any liability for any lack of service.
(c) Where Wifi is available any illegal downloading is strictly prohibited and any prosecutions by regulatory bodies of the visiting country will be at your expense. Should illegal downloading be detected the Wifi facility will be removed.
July and especially August are the main European holiday periods. The weeks prior and following the 15th of August are celebrated with local festivities, fireworks, bonfires, parties etc. Guests wanting peace and tranquillity must be aware of the above. Properties described as quiet may not be as peaceful during this period.
Since most of our properties are situated in a rural setting and surrounded by cultivated fields, farm-machinery will be used from time to time.
You may hear local dogs and roosters often waking up to the morning sunlight. When properties are in towns or near to towns this means also that some road noise is to be expected, including church bells or clock towers.
Maintenance of neighbouring gardens, houses and fields may cause some disturbance. If informed, we will try to minimise the inconvenience as much as possible but sometimes this is outside the PO’s control and therefore, Italian Breaks Ltd. as the PO’s agent cannot be held responsible.
As a rule, if not otherwise specified in the description, one set of bed linen and bathroom towels are provided on arrival for weekly stays. One additional set will be given if staying two weeks (or three if staying three weeks, etc.). In some properties, even the first set of linen is on request and payable extra. When this is the case, the cost will be specified in the local charges. If additional sets are requested by you during your stay, an extra charge will be levied by the P.O. and will be payable in cash on the spot.
The security deposit is paid directly to the key holder/PO on arrival. In some instances Italian Breaks Ltd will collect the Security Deposit on behalf of the PO prior to the arrival at the property and return it after the PO has been able to check the house. Guests are responsible directly to the PO or the key holder for any damage that they may cause while at the property itself. Any damage has to be reported immediately to the PO/ key holder and to Italian Breaks Ltd.in the UK com via email
For Italy: info@italianbreaks.com
For other Countries: info@myvillabreaks.com
or +44 (0)208 666 0407 while still at the property. Should a dispute arise it will need to be dealt with and resolved directly with the key holder/PO while at the property. Italian Breaks Ltd. is not liable and will not accept any responsibility if the above procedure is not adhered to.
Local authorities have the possibility of introducing a tourist tax. This tax is never included in our prices. If and when it is applied, it must be paid by you directly to the key holder. For more information, please refer to the official website of the town hall in the province you wish to visit. This tax will be due and payable by you even if it has been introduced after you booked your holiday.
When booking Car Hire via the Italian Breaks Ltd. website, the booking is made directly with Cartrawler. Italian Breaks Ltd. acts as Agent for Cartrawler.
For bookings taken for the following year, please note that the PO reserves the right to increase the price. Should the price increase, you will have the right to cancel the booking with no loss of deposit.
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the P.O. of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and threat thereof), civil strife, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside our or the P.O. concerned’s control.
We advise checking your government’s official travel advice before booking and before you start your holiday, such as the FCO for the United Kingdom: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office
This contract is made on the terms of these Booking Conditions, which are governed by English law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. All disputes arising out or in connection with this Booking, when relating to the competence of the PO, shall be settled by the Courts of the place where the Property is situated. This contract is valid from January 1st 2021 onward.
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