Travel tips: Where's the best place to rent a villa in Italy?

FOR MY 60TH BIRTHDAY MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND I WANT TO RENT AN ITALIAN VILLA, MINIMUM FIVE BEDROOMS, FOR 10 DAYS. BEEN TO ITALY SEVERAL TIMES BUT WHERE TO STAY, AND WHICH WEBSITES? J. LOWERSON, WESTMEADOWS, VIC

Tuscany is a safe choice. Sensational scenery, delightful villages, great local food and wine, history by the bucket and an abundance of villas that would fit your requirements. However, my personal choice would be the Italian Lakes, and there are plenty of dishy aristocratic villas overlooking Lake Como. The lake itself has plenty to keep you amused, and the lake ferries are an ideal way to get around but exploring more widely on the region's narrow, winding roads is problematic even in September. Yet another possibility is the mountainous Dolomites region north of Venice, a German-inflected part of Italy that likes to pretend it's still part of Austria. This would be worth considering if there are keen walkers in your group, and the scenery is astonishing, otherwise I'd go for the lakes. HomeAway has plenty of suitable villas, palazzi and schlosser – homeaway.com/ – and you can check reviews from guests who have paid and stayed.

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