Istria Among the 30 Best European Regions for a Villa Holiday
The only Croatian region on the list ranks high at 13th place with an impressive average guest rating of 9.3, though prices are still higher than in some competing destinations.
The only Croatian region on the list ranks high at 13th place with an impressive average guest rating of 9.3, though prices are still higher than in some competing destinations.
The accommodation platform Holidu has released an index of the best European regions for villa holidays, and Istria has secured its place among the 30 selected destinations. The ranking, published on August 12, 2026, evaluates the price-quality ratio by combining average guest ratings with the median price per night, rather than focusing solely on one or the other.
Only regions with at least 100 villas and a minimum of a thousand verified guest reviews were considered. Topping the list is France's Provence, which offers the best value for money. Guests rated the villas there with an average score of 8.9 (on a scale of 0 to 10), and the median price per night is 151 euros. According to the platform's calculation, staying in Provence is four times cheaper than on Italy's Amalfi Coast, where the median nightly rate reaches 655 euros.
The second spot also goes to a French region-Dordogne, with an average rating of 9.0 and a median price of 199 euros. Third is Italy's Calabria (rating 9.2, price 221 euros), followed by Corsica in fourth place (rating 9.1, price 234 euros). Rounding out the top five is Spain's Costa Blanca, known for destinations like Alicante and Benidorm, with a rating of 8.5 and a price of 224 euros.
Croatia is represented on the list solely by Istria, which secured a solid 13th place. Although the median nightly rate for a villa in Istria of 345 euros is higher than in the leading French regions, guests are extremely satisfied with the quality-the average rating stands at a high 9.3. With this score, Istria is tied with Greece's Peloponnese and Rhodes.
Interestingly, some Greek islands received even better ratings than Istria-Crete, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Naxos, and Paros-but their median prices are generally higher as well. Only Crete has the same median nightly rate as Istria.
The top 10 also includes Spain's Tenerife and Lanzarote, Greece's Peloponnese, Italy's Sicily, and Portugal's Madeira. On the other hand, some exclusive destinations failed to make it into the top 30 precisely because of high prices, despite excellent guest reviews. Besides the aforementioned Amalfi Coast, these include Italy's Lake Como and Spain's Ibiza.
When it comes to traveling with multiple generations or in large groups, renting a villa often makes more sense than traditional hotel accommodation. Although Greece, Spain, and Italy are traditionally mentioned as the main favorites for summer vacations, the data shows that it's worth considering French regions as well as Croatia's own Istria, which has proven to be a quality destination for this type of holiday.
