Teach your kids to be strong swimmers. If your chosen villa has its own pool (as most do) your children will probably want to spend the majority of their time in the water. By the end of the fortnight, they will be swimming like fish, thus leaving your winter Sunday mornings free to wallow in the papers rather than wallow in the local council baths.
No fighting for the sun beds. With your own rented villa, you don't need to set your alarm for 6am to get the best position on the terrace, you already have the best position. In fact, you have all the positions!
Eat out where and when you like. No need to feel constrained by hotel meal times. Stroll down to the local village and dine at the restaurant of your choice. The maitre de will be delighted to see you � which cannot always be said for exhausted hotel staff.
Eat �at home' when you like. Many villas have barbeque areas for al fresco dining. This is very definitely male territory so give Dad full responsibility and territorial rights while the meal is being prepared. Limit his drinking throughout the culinary process and you might even be pleasantly surprised at the results.
No need to talk to Dave and Deirdre from Dagenham. Nothing wrong with Dagenham, of course, but there are times when you don't necessarily want to hold incessant polite conversation with people who want to be your best friends purely on the basis that they have the sun beds next to yours'.
Choose between lively nightlife and sunset-lit tranquillity. In a villa, you will not feel obliged to join in with nightly frivolities if you would prefer not to. (I'm talking about musical entertainment here). You have the choice of whether to head for the nearest nightspot and let your hair down, or sit on your terrace and watch the sun go down over a chilled bottle of the finest the local vineyard has to offer.
Bring a friend! If you have rented a villa, you can invite friends to come and join you for a few days. With the bargain flights available to many destinations at present, this becomes an excellent option for your lucky chosen pals. Depending on your relationship with them, you can charge them per night or simply allow them to treat you to meals out for the duration of their stay. A word of warning here; don't go mad and invite in-laws or other members of your family with their kids. Never forget that this is supposed to be your holiday!
Enjoy your children. Some of the �Kids Clubs' provided by the larger hotels can be a bonus if you want to spend time away from your youngsters. But come on! A summer holiday should be a time for the family to enjoy together. Watch them run, jump, skip and dive and they will appreciate you being there. And in any case, do you really want your children to return wide-eyed after a day spent with Dave and Deirdre's boy and inform you in graphic detail how babies are made?
Book direct with the owners. They will provide you with inside information about the best local beaches, places to eat, shops, golf courses, etc. They will also provide you with everything you need to know about the villa itself.
Relax! Without doubt the reason most people prefer villa holidays is the freedom it gives you to lie back in your own space and enjoy total relaxation for the duration of your stay. Do exactly what you want when you want. It's like an extension of family life but with none of the worries and time constraints that can make life back home hard work from time to time! Choose a villa and location to suit your family and I guarantee you won't regret it.
------
Mark Mitchell. Author and Villa Rental website owner.
http://www.villasunderthesun.com
