I was trying to find a vacation rental villa in Italy. I have looked
on a few site such as www.tuscany-villas.com and www.italy-villas.com
but how do I know if I can trust these type of rentals?  There are so
many beautiful villas. How can I know if the villa I choose will be
available when I arrive?

You should book with a reputable agent who knows the villa companies. 
The villas will require either a deposit or prepayment in order to
guarantee your reservation.  I am knowledgeable about villas, if you
need my help.

Hi: There is a list of appartments, condos and houses for rent in
Italy at http://www.iTravelVideo.com Never had complaints so far.

<a href="http://www.vacationrentalsbyweb.com">Vacation Rentals by
Web</a> has many properties listed in Italy.  They only have very
good, and reputable properties on their site.  You can browse any of
their properties for free, and there is no commissions or fees to
either party.  Go there and see which one you'd like to stay at.  The
main page is http://www.vacationrentalsbyweb.com

rentprez@vacationrentalsbyweb.com

If you're going to the South of Italy, you can stop in San Giovanni
Rotondo, which is a great place to visit and is in the mountains, near
the beach, and near the forest.  I booked a room with
http://www.lamadonnina.biz once (Affittacamere La Madonnina) and it
was great.  I really enjoyed my visit there.  The people were really
kind and I'm sure they could provide all the information you need.

Doing villas is the ONLY way to travel Italy. The main thing to watch
for is the language barrier, and the deposits. Depending on where you
woul dlike to stay, you would be best served to stay near the larger
cities. Many of the outlying townships can be difficult to secure a
dinner at a restaurant because of the idosyncracies of the region you
are in. My wife and I have traveled to Italy and stayed in castles,
villas, and wine estates, and the prices was fantastic, and the food
was to die for. Driving is easy, and the roads are very well marked.
Just expect to pay close to $5.50 per gallon for gas. Use the car to
get fro mregion to region, and use the trains to get into the bigger
cities where parking and driving is a nightmare.

One of the best programs is the agritourism program in Italy. This is
a program by which wine estates with their towering villas and
expansive accomodations can rent to tourists in an effort by the govt.
to allow more people to become familiar with Italy's Agricultural
products. But the owner can not make more than 30% of their total
income from tourist-related activities, so this forces the price
really low and makes a great bargain. The regions best known for this
type of setup are the Monferrato (between Turin and Milan and the base
from which Asti Spumante wines are made), Liguria (alont the coast
from Portofino area to almost Livorno) many parts of Sicily, Tuscany,
and the East coast of Italy.

If you would like some assistance in making the connections, we really
have a lot of experience in Italy, and would be glad to help.