Italy has always been a favourite for foreign visitors, and there is a strong tradition of renting holiday houses and villas in areas like Tuscany and Umbria.

Cities like Florence, Venice and Rome are enchanting, and the countyside, history and traditions of Italy are wonderful.

Lonely Planet Guide to Italy

Beautiful images of Italy

Rent your own house abroad

There are many great opportunities for renting a house abroad, and it's just like having your own `Place in the Sun' without all the hassle of dealing with lawyers, builders, banks, estate agents, etc. It's also considerably cheaper, even to rent a luxury spot in the most prestigious of locations. Also, year after year you can visit different places and countries.

However, although you may well have great holidays, one thing is for sure... there are no financial benefits in the long term. Capital gains and rental income are of quite likely if buying your house abroad (wisely!).

Another frequently recommended method fo moving abroad is to rent somewhere first for a few months while you settle in. You then have lots of time to find that dream house - and make sure you like the area and lifestyle. If you don't like it then you will have spent considerably less money than buying a duff house in a duff area, and having to sell it straight away.