Villa holidays 2024: Best and worst overseas rental providers

Airbnb and Booking.com might be the biggest booking sites, but they don't provide the best villa holidays or self-catering accommodation. 

When we asked nearly 3,000 holidaymakers to rate their experiences of self-catering rentals abroad, from the booking process to the quality of the accommodation, it was Jet2Villas and Brittany Ferries that came out top. 

It’s probably no coincidence that both sell package holidays, so your flights or ferry crossings are also taken care of, and your holiday is protected by law if anything goes wrong.

Booking sites, on the other hand, often act as little more than intermediaries between you and the person who is renting out the property. That means there is less, if any, vetting of accommodation – and fewer protections in case of a problem.

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Best and worst self-catering holiday accommodation providers

You can compare customer scores and prices in the table below. For extra peace of mind, both the companies awarded Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status have given us a guarantee that they will not apply surcharges – so the prices won’t go up after you book.

Best villa holidays provider: Jet2Villas 

• Which? Recommended Provider
• 82% customer score
• Package bookings only

Given that it’s part of Jet2Holidays – a Which? Recommended Provider – it’s no surprise that Jet2Villas came out on top as the best villa holiday provider.

It offers villas in dozens of Mediterranean and Canary Island resorts. Customers were impressed by the range – from no-frills properties with a shared pool to stylish mansions with hot tub and gym. All its package holidays include flights and car hire. 

Several customers praised the friendly and helpful staff. One told us: ‘From the booking process through to the flights and accommodation, it was a well-oiled machine.’

Verdict: Whether you’re on a tight budget or looking to splash out, Jet2Villas covers all the popular European beach destinations and delivers the personal touch.

Book a Jet2Villas holiday

Best self-catering holiday provider for France (packages): Brittany Ferries

• Which? Recommended Provider
• 81% customer score
• Package holidays only (includes ferry crossing)

The ferry company’s holiday rentals are all near its ports of call on the Atlantic coast in France and in northern Spain. Choose from rustic cottages and apartments in family-friendly complexes, with your return ferry included as part of the package – you get a cabin on an overnight crossing to Santander or Bilbao.

Although you can browse the properties on its website, you can’t check availability or book online at the moment, but that was the only niggle. One customer said: ‘The team on the phone are excellent and the choice of accommodation was very good.’

Verdict: For a self-drive holiday with all the protections of a package holiday, look no further than Brittany Ferries.

Discover villas and French cottages with Brittany Ferries

Best for holiday lettings in France (accommodation-only): Gîtes de France

• 81% Customer score
• Accommodation only (no transport included)

This French organisation lists tens of thousands of properties across France, from alpine chalets to chic seaside villas (along with B&Bs and campsites). Each is vetted and given a rating out of épis (ears of wheat) for amenities and comfort. A customer told us: ‘Reliable descriptions and classifications give confidence in what you’re getting.’

Most properties can be booked online. The terms and conditions are in French, but you can request an English copy from the Paris call centre. Each region has a local booking office that can help with queries but, as one guest put it, ‘It’s easier to get superb service if you speak French’. 

Verdict: The cheapest provider in our survey, Gîtes de France can help you explore the hidden corners of France.

Book a holiday rental with Gîtes de France 

James Villas closures

James Villas stopped taking bookings as of October 30 2023 - so we have removed the company from our results table.

If you have an existing booking with the brand and you return on or before November 30, your holiday will go ahead as planned. However, customers with bookings after this date will be contacted and should be given the option of a full refund.

How we researched self-catering holiday providers

In March 2023, we asked 2,776 Which? Connect panel members and the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and staying in self-catering accommodation abroad in the past two years. We only reported on companies where we received at least 30 responses. 

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