Villa in Corfu - what to take ?

[Fortnum]

Posted for traffic In just under two weeks DP and I alaong with 2DC have rented a villa in Northern Corfu for a week. We have not rented a villa previously and was wondering which essentials do you take with you ? I was thinking Coffee and extra towels ! But DP is making a list and getting worked up. We would be interested in your experiences. TYIA

Just pack as you would do if going to a hotel (clothes/cosies/shoes etc) and then do a supermarket shop when you get there, for food & drink. Easy peasy. I presume you've hired a car.

A villa rental should have plenty of towels. Does it have a washing machine? If so you can pack light.

I usually take small a jar of instant coffee, tea bags and marmite and do a shop at the local supermarket for the rest.

Exactly what husky said (oh and take meeeee! )

Depends what you like - I take Yorkshire tea, coffee, cocoa pops for the kids! Butter ( because Turkish butter tastes like yogurt!) beans ( a standby if the kids haven't eaten well while out) liquid soap, scourers and dishcloths , kitchen/bathroom cleaning wipes. So you've got the stuff you need on first days while you orientate to shops etc!
Anything else we buy there - and yet all the local stuff sometimes it's a bit of guess work and we've made some funny mistakes - like thinking salted yogurt drink was fresh milk
Ask about towels - sometimes they will be provided even beach towels saves taking valuable suitcase space up!

Find out what is included - particularly bulky things like towels that you really don't want to have take all the way to Corfu unless you need to.

We often rent a villa or apartment and we take very little, but if you have a brand of tea you particularly like - take that with you as you may not be able to find it in the Greek supermarket. I also take sweetener and sachets of instant porridge as I'm wheat-free and often can't find anything suitable for breakfast, but if you eat bread, honey, normal cereal, etc I wouldn't bother. If either of your DC is on a particular formula milk you might want to take that, as European brands are different, but basically I'd just take clothes, toilettries and beachwear. You're going to Europe - most other stuff will be available in the shops.

We take some breakfast / grain bars maybe flapjacks and we do pack coffee so we're not dashing out of the door. I always add on the welcome pack with basics in. But generally we'll track down a supermarket between the airport and villa if arriving in the day.

Ask about mosquito nets!

Might not be necessary, but we really missed having them on Paxi (next island down) in july.... and impossible to buy there, though Corfu is a lot larger.

A copy of My Family And Other Animals :)

Sounds amazing-have fun!

Plenty of suncream!

We went to a villa in Northern corfu last year and took nothing. Stopped on journey from airport to villa and picked up everything we needed!

I take dishwasher tablets and washing powder tablets but other than that you can stock up in a local supermarket.
And Calpol sachets.

Check what is provided first of all. I usually take some basics as its so annoying to have to buy and then leave absolutely everything. So some dishwasher tabs, washing tabs, salt and pepper, marmite, teabags. My own mug for morning tea. And one decent sharp kitchen knife.

If you have space in your luggage go for the extra stuff, it simply avoids spending loads in tourist supermarkets.

Just essentials. Matches. DVDs washing tabs if there is a dishwasher / washing machine
The villa should have a list of appliances

I take teabags and coffee and some snacks for kids. Usually would take food unless landing at a difficult time

A big shoe to kill all the cockroaches

Our usual list is:
Small sharp serrated knife which will do crusty bread or fruit
Tin opener
couple of dishcloths
tea towel
marmite (fussy DS)
Teabags (fussy me)
Anti Mosquito plug in
beach towels
torch for when the electric goes off cos it always does.

Not been on nice holiday abroad for years (sob) but I always took a torch-walks back to villa from town after dinner may be poorly lit, also power cuts were fairly common in Greece.

Any decent villa will have bath towels, which will probably be changed halfway through the week if you have maid service (depends who you booked the villa through ). So you only need swim towels. I take my own coffee & tea but buy pretty much everything else otherwise it really adds onto the weight in the suitcase. Also take dishwasher tablets, couple of handwash bottles, pegs (there's usually a clothes airer but often not enough pegs), plus sandwich bags or clips to keep any unused food fresh and away from creepies! You should find all the cutlery and kitchen implements you need there.

Before you go, do a Google search of the nearest supermarket (if you haven't already) so you know where it is.

I love villa holidays. So relaxing without the rabble of a hotel!

Oh, and definitely a torch as orangedaisy said. We'd have been stuffed without one a few years back when we were in a villa at the top of a steep heavily wooded climb!

Oh, and definitely a torch as orangedaisy said. We'd have been stuffed without one a few years back when we were in a villa at the top of a steep heavily wooded climb!

Sounds like a lovely holiday? I'd second the sharp knife and a tin opener - and I always take a couple of tupperware too (put suncream etc in them on the way out so they're not wasted space in your suitcase). Big ones v useful for storing bread in, otherwise it will go stale in a day in the heat. Small ones for putting leftovers in the fridge or for putting chopped up fruit or vegetables etc in as a snack for the beach!

Sometimes squash can be hard to get hold of so I take a few of the little Squashd bottles. I would only take towels if there was room after packing everything else.
If there's a dishwasher I might take a few d/w tablets rather than buy a whole load out there, I've been stung where they aren't provided before. If there's a washing machine I might take a couple of sachets for that for emergencies, I wouldn't plan to do washing on holiday!

Just take what you would take to a hotel. You can buy everything else there. Sometimes we take a few dishwasher tablets as it saves buying a big pack, but other than that, I wouldn't worry too much. You can always bring things home, or leave them for the next guests if you have to buy bigger packs of things than you can use.

I usually take tea, coffee, few tablets of laundry detergent (if there's a washing machine), same for dishwasher (if there is one) and a packet of surface wipes.

All the villas have had towels for bathrooms, cleaning stuff, etc and usually have some basics like salt and pepper.

Corfu has good supermarkets

Hi thanks for the replies ! Some good ideas - it hadnt occured to take a torch ! Its booked through James villa and has a maid service so i think the ammenities will be ok its a 9.8/10 rating - not that means anything ! Cant wait now ! Im hoping the pool will be warm enough ! Thoughts its forecast to be 30 degrees when we arrive ! Thanks everyone