Yes, there are many villa rental companies out there. Some of the best are actually companies from the UK. The British are very big on "holiday homes" and "self-catering" vacations, and there are scores of good British rental agencies. Also, as you noted, Dianne, many of the owners of these homes and villas are Europeans who live elsewhere and own the property as a vacation home, renting it out when they're not there. You found Danish books in the bookcase. In our rentals, we've found clues that owners or previous guests were German, Swedish and British.

I mentioned Interhome specifically only because I have first-hand experience with the company. But a Google search on "villa rentals," "vacation rentals," "self-catering" or terms like that will yield a multitude of agencies. One way to begin to gauge whether an outfit is a good one is to ask a series of questions in a series of emails. If you receive thoughtful, patient, thorough and quick responses, that's a good sign. If you don't, look elsewhere.

We're actually thinking of a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy for next April school vacation, and I'm going to start searching soon for a rental in the Positano-Sorrento area. The hunt is half the fun!