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Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to get that villa in Tuscany booked! Travel and Leisure has a helpful list of questions to ask your travel agent or rental agency when confirming your dream villa. A few that I would add: 1. Does the property have air conditioning? (A must in summer in Italy). 2. How far is the nearest train station/major town? 3. Are amenities (such as housekeeping and chef services) available and negotiable?

Another new designer hotel has popped in Italy-this time in Milan, not far from the fashion district. The new Maison Moschino has just opened in a renovated 19th century neoclassical train station. Moschino's creative team was inspired by dreams and fairy tales to style fantasy-like rooms that start at 280 Euros. To read more about the hotel (and Milan Fashion Week) check out Contessa Nally's blog .

Lake Garda, straddling the Italian states of the Veneto and Lombardia, has been a destination for pleasure-seekers for centuries. Close to the poet Catullus ' hometown of Verona , even the ancient Romans were enamored of this beautiful mountain lake. Today you can visit this romantic lago and stay at the Villa del Sogno , a grand 19th century palazzo on its shores. The hotel has faithfully preserved all the period details and its swimming pool has a gorgeous view of the water. The best part? Rates start at under 250 Euros in the high season-a pretty good deal for this region-but if you can, you should spring for a suite. Well worth it!

Nestled in the Bay of Naples between Capo Miseno and Ischia is the tiny island of Procida . Perfect for day trips, this picturesque island was host to scenes in the movie Il Postino . Sailors and fishermen call this island home and the seafood is a reason to linger over lunch or stay for dinner. There aren't very many hotels on the island, certainly not any grand ones, but if you are looking for a quiet getaway, La Casa sul Mare is perfect. Each simply furnished room has a terrace overlooking the sea and breakfast is included. Rates are just 168 Euros in the high season!

The Pantheon is my favorite building in Rome and Piazza della Rotonda is the quintessence of the Eternal City. Albergo del Senato is located directly on the Piazza and from its rooms you will think you can actually reach out and touch the great dome of the Pantheon. This 3-star hotel occupies a 19th century palazzo that has been redesigned utilizing all the modern amenities while keeping its antique details. The hotel provides a beautiful breakfast (double rooms start at under 200 Euros in the high season) and has a breathtaking rooftop terrace bar from which you can contemplate the beauty of the Pantheon high above the crowds. Book a superior suite for a truly elegant Italian experience.

Just down the "street" from St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs is the Londra Palace Hotel . With views across the lagoon, this hotel's location is incomparable. And now its interior has been painstakingly restored to reflect the grand history and beauty of Venice. The hotel's rooms are furnished with authentic antiques and its restaurants are light-filled and pleasant. The water-taxi stops right in front of the hotel so you will be able to see all of Venice from your doorstep. Be sure to ask for a room with a view!

Massimo Ferragamo has restored an ancient Tuscan estate in the heart of Brunello wine-making country. Castiglion del Bosco is a group of private villas for sale, all decorated with the finest materials. If purchasing an Italian villa is a little too rich for your blood, there are 26 suites and guestrooms available for short-term stays in the old estate owner's villa, called Il Borgo , along with a cooking school, restaurants and a spa (opening in 2010). Your own private Italy-in high style.

The Hotel Caruso Belvedere in Ravello (my favorite town on the Amalfi Coast) is so spectacular, Budget Travel has written a whole article about it. Well, part of an article, anyway. Read all about this infinity pool with the most incredible view of the Mediterranean at budgettravel.com .

Not far from Caltagirone , just off the road that leads from Siracusa to Agrigento , is the Norman-era Castello Falconara . The castello and its grounds are now host to the 5-star Falconara Resort. The resort lies on a promontory in the Mediterranean and is redesigned in a stunning marriage of classical and modern elegance. Every amenity is available, from spa facilities, pool and tennis to a children's playground and canoe rental. The restaurant and the rooms are stunning, with panoramic views of the castello and the sea. If you are headed to southeastern Sicily, the location of this resort in Butera is ideal, for it is centrally located among the great sites of Piazza Armerina , Agrigento and Siracusa.

Travel and Leisure highlights Tuscan villas this month-and how to enjoy them on a budget. T and L has five villas where doubles cost less than $300 a night. Locanda del Glicine in Campagnatico offers an inn in the village and a farmhouse ( Pieve Vecchia , pictured) in the countryside. Choosing which one is the hardest part! Villa Bordoni in the Chianti region is owned by the very same proprieters of Trattoria Baldovino in Florence and there is a cooking school on-site. Villa il Poggiale in Val di Pesa is an historic estate with wood-beamed ceilings decorated in superb Renaissance style. There is also a small private two-bedroom cottage on the estate available for 300 Euros, complete with kitchen. Villa le Luci in Castagneto Carducci not far from the Tyrrhenian Sea has six bedrooms and one suite, all finished in luxuriously spare style. Villa Poggiano near Montepulciano (one of my favorite regions!) has a gorgeous pool, light and airy rooms, and a breakfast to die for. PS: The ...

An award-winning boutique hotel close to the Colosseum , Capo d'Africa is a an easy home base for the tourist who wants all the comforts of space, efficiency and modernity. Breakfast is included in the price (rooms start at under 200 Euros if you book in advance) and every Wednesday they offer live jazz. Located in a 19th century palazzo, this thoroughly updated hotel is perfect for visits to the Roman Forum and Nero's Golden House .

Reasonable hotels in Italy abound. Nice hotels in Italy are also numerous. But finding a reasonably priced nice hotel in Italy is pretty rare, especially when you are in Florence . The Hotel Albani is one of those uncommon finds-an elegantly decorated, spacious hotel with excellent service at a great price. It's located just steps from Florence's open-air market and Piazza Santa Maria Novella. It even has its own courtyards and gardens for strolling and relaxing. The proprietors are very accommodating and the European breakfast is fantastic. And if walking all day in Florence isn't enough, there's also a fitness room. Doubles start at 110 Euros in April, a real bargain for Florence. Via Fiume, 12.

This month's Travel and Leisure magazine is full of information about several Italian cities, including Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence, Amalfi and even a few out of the way spots. Find out about American Ballet Theatre's newest star, Robert Bolle, and his favorite spots in his hometown, Milan. Travel and Leisure's Italy expert, Valerie Waterhouse, shares some secrets about Venice . Affordable and stylish hotels in Rome and Florence are featured, and an authentic family restaurant in San Cesareo , near Rome, is recommended.

New York Times blogger Matt Gross (a.k.a the Frugal Traveler ) recently visited Italy with his wife and newborn baby girl. On the agenda were Venice and Milan . His posts last week were filled with all kinds of tips on visiting Venice with an infant and finding comfortable and stylish accommodations on a budget in Milan. If you are at all hesitant to take Junior on his first trip to Italy-don't worry! It can be done, even in winter, and you can still have a ton of fun. Remember, Italians love babies.

Just outside Siracusa , on the banks of the Anapo River, is an old masseria , or farming estate, that has been converted into a unique and stylish hotel. Surrounded by fields of flowers and fruit-bearing trees, the Caol Ishka Hotel is modern and rustic all at once. You'll appreciate the infinity pool after a day touring Siracusa's archaeological preserve (just a 15 minute drive away) and if you are feeling adventurous, take a canoe trip down the Anapo to its mouth in the Bay of Siracusa. From there you will have a gorgeous view of Ortygia , the ancient and Baroque part of Siracusa. Prices start at 190 Euros in the high season-not bad for a luxurious, peaceful escape.

Le Sirenuse (The Sirens) is indisputably one of the best hotels in Positano . But not only is it unique, luxurious and quintessentially Italian, but it is also right across the street from its own boutique, Emporio Le Sirenuse . The shop is run by Carla Sersale, the daughter-in-law of Antonio Sersale, the hotel's owner. Here you can find everything in exquisite taste: ballet flats by Porselli , Laura Urbinati swimwear, Faraone Mennella jewelry, Venetian glassware and bohemian textiles by Lisa Corti. The shop is Suzy Gershman's ( Born to Shop Italy ) favorite store in all of Italy. Diverti te! 30 Via Colombo.

If you really want to get it away from it all, try the Capofaro Malvasia and Resort in Salina , one of the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily. For those of you who can't get far enough away from the crowds, this might just be the place you've been searching for. Set amid 13 acres of vineyards, the resort is rustically modern, whitewashed and surrounded by the blue sea and views of the neighboring volcanic islands. The resort makes its own Malvasia , a regional sweet white wine. Salina was one of the settings for the 1994 Oscar-winning movie Il Postino and is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the Aeolian islands. Rates at the Capofaro start at 170 Euros and include breakfast.

Budget Travel has a great list of villas and farms that have been turned into hotels. Each property starts at below 150 Euros and promises to offer an authentic and unique Sicilian experience. The Villa Letizia in Palermo is right on the waterfront and near one of the city's most charming quarters. The Hotel Gutkowski in Siracusa's historic Ortygia district (pictured) offers sea views and a real regional Sicilian breakfast. The Villa Nettuno in Taormina is situated in a lush garden overhanging a seaside cliff. For more "Secret Hotels" read the article on BudgetTravel.com .

The Hotel Orientale in Palermo is housed in a 17th century palace once belonging to Prince Alessandro Filangieri II. Now the baroque residence is crumbling a bit, but it still maintains its elegant atmosphere. With simply furnished bedrooms, the place is truly a budget hotel, with rates starting at around $90 a night. However, its location in the historic center and its frescoed ceilings will convince you that you are royalty too. Well, former royalty at least.

Yes, Christmas is over, but it's always the season for a festive meal. L'Espresso's food blog, Cucina , has a great holiday menu for vegetarians . Stefano Mazzone, the chef at Quisi (at the Grand Hotel Quisisana on Capri), has prepared a special menu using regional ingredients and traditions. All the courses would be appropriate at any time of year (except the Neapolitan cake, Struffoli, which should really only be enjoyed at Christmas). The menu begins with a vegetable and cheese bruschetta, moves on to a simple onion pasta, and for the main course Eggplant Parmigiana. Try Google's Translator for the recipes in English. The Italians celebrate Christmas until January 6th, so feel free to serve the Struffoli until then!