With the sad demise of Globespan in the headlines, we wish to clarify the status of bookings made with Palmer and Parker Villa Holidays.
In some holiday protection schemes passengers are not protected against financial failure of their tour operator if they have not bought a whole package. What that means in practice is that if you have bought a single item (eg flights or accommodation) from a supplier, but not a package holiday, then you are often not covered against your tour operator going out of business.
Palmer & Parker is a fully-bonded member of ABTA and bonded for all activities: that means you are covered against our financial failure by our ABTA bonding regardless of whether you buy a whole package holiday from us or just a single item, such as accommodation.
Of course this is all theoretical: we have been in business since 1971 and are not finding trading as difficult as others in the travel industry.
2009 was a surprising year. At the beginning of the season nobody knew what to expect. It shaped up all right, but the established way of dealing and old habits changed. Here are the lessons to be learnt for 2010, for owners and for holidaymakers.
Continue reading The villa rental market: looking back at 2009 and what it tells you about 2010.
Beautiful, modern villa, fully furnished to a high standard and with air conditioning in all rooms. Very close to Firefly - together the two villas will accommodate up to 16 people and there is plenty of room at both. Villa details are here. See all Algarve holiday rentals here
First in our series of the most beautiful holiday homes in various places is a look at some of the best houses available in the USA. We haven’t seen these houses yet, but we like the look of them: here are ten of the most stunning holiday homes from across the United States where luxury is more than a word. Continue reading Ten Most Beautiful Holiday Homes Across the United States
Celebrities, newborns, the deceased, and everybody in between have one thing in common—the tendency to leave behind peculiar things after a holiday. Of course, certain items appear more frequently than others: cell phones, ipods, pyjamas and sex toys are frequently forgotten in the shuffle to check out. Here are some of the weirdest things left behind in rented villas and hotels: Continue reading Top 5 Weird Things Left Behind in Holiday Villas and Hotels
View accross the pool of 47 Lago
Just added to our website, highlights of this fantastic villa in Quinta do Lago are 6 bedrooms with very good en suite bathrooms and a very very large garden, landscaped and lawned. Special rates apply for groups of 10 or 8. Very large inside with nice modern and clean feel, nice big pool and very large garden leading onto the golf course. More details of 47 Lago -
Find out more about Quinta do Lago, and villas in the Algarve
Every August the South of France has a reputation for filling up as the rest of France arrives. But that reputation, while occasionally justified, is overdone. With a little homework, even in August and at this late stage it is still possible to find your own place in a villa with a pool in the sun far from the crowds. Think peace and calm and slow living.
Continue reading Villas in France: an introduction
Fortunately you haven’t left it too late! Here are some of the best villas we know in the Algarve with two weeks availability in the summer school holidays.
Continue reading Villas still available in the Algarve for the school summer holidays
What changes during a recession in the holiday market? In previous recessions people gave up their holiday as an unaffordable luxury. This time round people see things differently: of course, a six week cruise in the Seychelles might downsize to a week or two in France, but this time round the holiday is indispensible. (Also see this). But the inexorable collapse of Sterling against the Euro makes things a bit more uncertain for UK holiday makers with many preferring to wait and see what happens to exchange rates: after all, what’s the point in going to the Eurozone for a holiday if you can’t afford dinner? Some tips on how to turn the economic uncertainty to your advantage. Continue reading Booking a villa holiday during a recession
Two charming new houses in Tuscany:
Villa Il Conte is literally 20km from Florence: on a clear day you can see Brunelleschi’s Dome from the garden. Restaurants and shops are an easy walk. It is a modern and comfortable house but with a real history:it was a hunting lodge of the Medici family and the neighbouring park was the hunting ground. Now it is a beautifully restored villa with a nice pool set 
in a large garden cypress and olive trees. Location is important in Tuscany: this house has it as well as everything else.
Villa Le Noci is close to San Gimignano in Chianti, set in 24 acres of beautiful grounds with sensational views from all of the bedrooms.