Q: What's better than a week's respite in a European villa?

A: Escaping for two or three weeks . . . to two or three villas in two or three countries!

Rather than make the difficult choice between Italy, Ireland, England, and France for their vacations last summer, at least three Hideaways families opted to "villa-hop" through all of them.

Each family created an extended, custom vacation centered around one- or two-week stays at villas, plus in-transit stays at city hotels, mini-vacations away from their villas, and car rentals/leases (see related article, European purchase/repurchase plans: Alternatives to renting a car). They explored European cities and the countryside in groups that ranged from four to 13, coming home each night to unwind in the comfort of fully equipped homes off the beaten tourist paths.

Winter 1997