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Villas-and-Vines
214-558-7748
800-929-1078
where you'll experience a simpler yet
more luxurious way to travel
Each custom designed European tour is specially designed with authentic excursions for travelers who prefer not to travel with a big tour group. Villas-and-Vines offers a different approach compared to mass-produced tour operators. The finest private villas, boutique and luxury hotels are personally selected for your comfort and their premium location. After years of traveling in Europe, we've met some of the most interesting people in the regions creating unique and memorable vacations for our guests. We'll introduce you to places easily missed by the hurried tourist. In addition to visiting great places; you'll live and feel it. Spoiling you while making your vacation spectacular is what it's all about!
Anne Connally, Founder
Villas-and-Vines
Authentic Experiences
At Villas-and-Vines Travel, we are passionate about creating exceptional travel experiences. We've walked the cobblestone streets, dined in the piazzas, enjoyed countless sunsets in the vineyards, prayed in St. Peter's Basilica, and sailed the Italian Riviera. We'll share the hidden gems rarely mentioned and introduce you to local artisans and shop owners you would not have discovered by yourself. We want each of our guests to experience their vacation with our same passion for travel. We design our tours to help the discerning, time-pressed traveler get the most from a vacation without spending weeks or months searching the internet.
Luxury Small Group Travel
Small Groups
12 to 24 Guests
Small groups allow freedom and flexibility so you are able to enjoy a more personal and real travel experience. Guests are able choose to do as much or as little as they want. We aren't the typical tour group, you won't be following a tour guide waving an umbrella in the air. It's like traveling with a group of good friends.
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Private Villas, Luxury
and Boutique Hotels
Let's face it, being on vacation can be tiring. That’s why we've personally selected each of our villas, luxury or boutique hotels based on location, luxury, and comfort so you can relax with plenty of room to move about. All accommodations include private baths complete with amenities.
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Getting Around
No large buses!
The type of transportation we use depends on the location; private drivers are hired to chauffer us around in larger areas and in smaller villages we will share premium vehicles in the beautiful countryside. Rest assured we will never herd our guests around in large motorcoaches. The benefits of not riding buses: more leg room, better photo opportunities, more time seeing the sights rather than sitting on a bus waiting.
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Custom Trip Planning
Whether you want to trace your family’s heritage in Southern Italy, have a wine-tasting tour in Bordeaux, visit the beautiful private gardens in Tuscany, or plan a pilgrimage tour for your church, Villas-and-Vines is here to help. Anne would love to plan the perfect trip for your group. She will help design your own tour, building on an existing itinerary or help create your own tour from scratch. She can even coordinate your visit around a special event or add new excursions that are just for your group–it's your perfect dream vacation, designed by you.
With just 12 travelers or more, you can customize any of our handcrafted itineraries and make it all your own. In addition to the benefits of all Villas-and-Vines tours such as 24/7 support, transportation service once you arrive at the airport of your destination, hand-picked luxury properties, we offer personalized experiences and your own dedicated host to show you around. Pick your date and keep your trip exclusive to your travelers - we'll make it easy every step of the way. On tour, your dedicated host and local guides will bring the trip to life. Continue Reading . . .
Thinking about organizing a custom trip? It is not too early to start planning today. The best villas tend to book up 12 to 18 months in advance.
Call or Email Anne and have her design the trip you've been dreaming!
I'm Ready . . .
Let's Make It Happen!
Phone
214-558-7748
Email
[email protected]
What We Offer
Flexible Itineraries
Your vacation is special and it should be just like you've always dreamed it would be. We offer a mix of planned sightseeing and free time plus opportunities to personalize your experience. We highlight little-known places, visit historical sites, suggest great local restaurants and wineries, and allow time to admire the work of local artisans. However, it is your vacation and you are free to do as much or as little of the pre-planned excursions as you choose.
Food and Wine
We love food and feel it is just as important to have authentic food as it is to have unique experiences when traveling. Food is personal and we offer a combination of preplanned meals and other meals on your own. Each tour details which meals are included. Of course, your hosts are always available to recommend some local favorites. Have a food allergy or restricted diet? No worries! Let us know before the trip and we'll make sure you have options.
Concierge
We are happy to customize and provide pre and post add-ons to your vacation. Requests to make your vacation more memorable are a pleasure for us to handle. From having your favorite wine at the restaurant prior to your arrival to making a romantic dinner reservation or arranging for a private Scavi tour at St. Peter's Basilica. Want to rent a Ferrari or a convertible for a few days. We can make it happen! The possibilities are endless.
More About Our Style
Philosophy and Mission
Our philosophy is a simple: to offer you the vacation experience you've dreamed of. We believe the way to achieve this is to match one of our personally designed tours or custom designed trips with your interests, tastes and budget. We will achieve this by offering superior customer service before, during and after the trip.
Our mission is to provide unique properties to our guests in a way that is meaningful in small groups through our experience and passion for Europe. To work with and support local people who have a love and passion for providing outstanding services and accommodations for our guests.
Our mission is to provide unique properties to our guests in a way that is meaningful in small groups through our experience and passion for Europe. To work with and support local people who have a love and passion for providing outstanding services and accommodations for our guests.
Why Choose Us?
Expert Hosts
- Your hosts reside in Texas when they aren't on tour and know the comforts our guests expect when traveling abroad
- English speaking tour guides are native to the country visited
- We've been traveling to Europe for over 30 years and know great places
- We spend hours and hours researching for the best itineries and places to visit so we don't waste your time
- Just show up and we'll take care of you
- No reason to feel lost in a foreign country, we are there with you
- We handle the details from before, during and after your trip
Value and Service
- Our repeat guests know if they were to do everything we do on our trips, on their own, they would spend much more without having the convenience of having the trip planned out logistically
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Our small-group approach to travel is ideal because we provide a tailored experience, and the economics of the trip works quite well for 12 - 24 travelers
Start Planning Your Next Vacation Today!
Just say YES! After that we will take care of the details. Prior to the trip, Anne and Dennis are available to answer any questions you may have: airline tickets, currency exchange, packing assistance, villa services, food sensitivites, logistics, etc. In addition to having Anne and Dennis as your full-time hosts throughout the trip, we have a local concierge on site who brings local expertise. You will be met at the airport by Anne or Dennis and from there you will be in good hands throughout your trip.
Our Customers Love Us
OUTSTANDING EXPERIENCE
Gayle and Harrell, 2nd Time Traveler
FIRST CLASS FROM START TO FINISH
Kathryn and Jerry, 5 Time Traveler
STRESS-FREE ADVENTURE
Anita and John, 2 Time Traveler
Our trip to Italy organized by Anne was an outstanding experience. The luxurious villa accommodations, food and transportation were excellent! Anne is so organized and so familiar with the country that everyday was a wonderful adventure and completely stress-free. We are looking forward to another one of her trips.
There's been so much that my husband and I have both loved about our trips with Anne and Dennis that it might be hard to keep it to a couple of sentences. We have traveled to Italy with the Connally's five times since 2010. Every trip has been first class from beginning to end, including our accommodations, meals, wine tours, and shopping trips.
Traveling can be stressful, but the experience with Anne and Dennis is so relaxing and stress free. Delightful adventures with insights like locals!
TOP NOTCH
Teri and Gilbert, 2 Time Traveler
INVALUABLE LOCAL EXPERIENCE
Cheryl and Tom, 1st Time Traveler
FOOD, WINE & CULTURE
Lynn and Tom, 2 Time Traveler
Trips to Italy with Anne and Dennis are our favorites: They are a magical combination of freedom (do what you want, when you want) and companionship, (group outings, meals, chill-out times and lots of laughter).
Anne & Dennis know so much about the area: the history, the best views, the best restaurants and wineries (and usually the owners), the best travel method, (on foot or in a car), the "must see" locations, that it ensures every minute will be well-spent exploring the beautiful Italian countryside.
Anne's extensive research, coordination and first class taste guarantees a luxurious, carefree home-away-from-home. The villas were so exceptional, we didn't want to leave. The groups she puts together result in life-long friendships long after our travel. Our group of nice, friendly people shared a love of authentic surroundings, wonderful food & wine, fun adventures and top notch vacations!
Anne & Dennis know so much about the area: the history, the best views, the best restaurants and wineries (and usually the owners), the best travel method, (on foot or in a car), the "must see" locations, that it ensures every minute will be well-spent exploring the beautiful Italian countryside.
Anne's extensive research, coordination and first class taste guarantees a luxurious, carefree home-away-from-home. The villas were so exceptional, we didn't want to leave. The groups she puts together result in life-long friendships long after our travel. Our group of nice, friendly people shared a love of authentic surroundings, wonderful food & wine, fun adventures and top notch vacations!
We have traveled extensively, and we have never experienced the local wine and food culture experience as intimately as when we travel with Anne. Every time we take a Villas and Vines tour, we know we learn to enjoy the "foodie" side of ourselves all over again.
After many years of talking about going back to Italy we joined Anne Connally's group for a fabulous time in Tuscany! We stayed for a week in a beautiful Villa near Greve and had a wonderful time with a wonderful group. We were able to see many out of the way places that Anne knows about and enjoyed cooking classes, village tours, excellent food and wine, winery tours, quaint villages, shopping, beautiful gardens and fabulous scenery. It was first class from start to finish. Anne gave us an invaluable local experience that we could not gave duplicated on our own. We made lasting memories with couples that started out as strangers and ended as friends. I highly recommend Anne's Villa's and Vines!
Best of the Blog
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Love to Cook Italian?Here is a complete Tuscan dinner you can make at home with family and friends. The recipes are from my travels in Italy. To make it easier to prepare in the states, I have converted the amounts from metric to US standards.
