It’s nearly time for the biggest sporting celebration in the world, the Qatar World Cup. It’s anyone’s guess as to how England will do, but at least we can be sure of one month and one day of quality football. There are, of course, as many different ways to watch those ninety glorious minutes as there are groans over penalties. From the hallowed sofa to the closest hotels to Anfield Stadium, most of the country is going to be glued to screens over the next four weeks – so why not make sure you’re watching the beautiful game in some beautiful surroundings?
At Oliver’s Travels, we’ve got a great selection of large holiday homes and luxury self catering villas that are a perfect place to kick back and watch 2014’s summer of sport in style. All of our suggestions include either a big-screen TV or full-on cinema system to make sure you don’t miss a second of the action, and of course, they all come with a garden for either a spot of post-match analysis over a beer or a bit of a kickaround, should you fancy giving Ronaldo a run for his money.
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Huntsman Lake House – Cotswolds – Oliver’s Travels
This striking glass cube home sleeps 8 guests in total luxury on the edge of Huntsman Lake. An architectural masterpiece, this home is totally contemporary throughout and includes a jacuzzi and sauna area in Japanese zen styling. This magnificent 850-acre estate boasts several large freshwater lakes, meadows and woodland, a haven for wildlife, in the Gloucestershire countryside, perfect for totally unwinding.
Carrington House – Norfolk – Large Holiday Homes – Oliver’s Travels
You might think heading to an 18th century manor house isn’t exactly the most rock ‘n’ roll way to enjoy the World Cup with a few mates, but that’s probably because you haven’t seen Carrington House yet. This is one seriously sharp and sexy holiday rental, with three reception rooms and nine bedrooms decorated so lavishly you’ll feel like you’re one of the Premiership’s top players. In the cellar, you’ll find the six foot cinema screen along with a DJ system so you can blare out some singalong football classics (so long as it’s not Gazza singing Fog On The Tyne).
As well as being right on the coast of Cornwall (it’s only 30 metres away from the beach), the Pebbleline House has its very own TV den complete with 42” Plasma TV screen and table football so you can recreate some classic match moments with flappy little plastic men instead of Becks and Rooney. And if you and a few of the lads are planning on going away together, there’s an 18 hole coastal golf course nearby so you can show off your swing too.
But it isn’t just party to houses to rent in the UK that are on offer at Oliver’s Travels. For a true footballing holiday, why not take your passion for the game to slightly more continental climes? The Tobacco Barn, situated in the beautiful region of Dordogne, is a spacious barn conversion that sleeps 10. Naturally there’s a big TV, and you can even get UK coverage of all the matches (just in case you’re worried about missing Alan Hansen’s piercing insights). There’s also a large lawn and grounds and, perhaps best of all, an 11x5m pool that comes complete with a nearby bbq.
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10 Best Villas in Ibiza
The fabled ‘White Island’ is a place of many faces. On the one hand, Ibiza is renowned as a prime clubbing destination with a vibrant nightlife that’s a magnet for partygoers. But there’s more to the island than exclusive clubs and dancing ’til dawn! Further inland, you’ll find there’s a much more laid-back atmosphere among […]
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Every September, Venice – a city already accustomed to grand entrances – becomes the stage for cinema’s most anticipated arrivals. First held in 1932, the Venice International Film Festival is the oldest in the world. Its 83rd edition runs from 2–12 September 2026 on the Lido, the long barrier island separating the Venetian Lagoon from […]
10 European City Breaks and Where to Stay
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In the turquoise Ionian, just off the coast of Albania, lies Greece’s greenest island. Stand at the north-west of the peninsula at Paleokastritsa, and you will see the whole landscape open before you. Lush, green hills rise from every angle, their cypress trees fringing the rocky bay out into endless azure, the old monastery above […]
Solar Eclipse 2026: Best Places to Watch in Spain & Where to Stay
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Edinburgh Festival Fringe & International Festival 2026: What to See and Where to Stay
Every August, artists and visitors from around the world flock to the Scottish capital for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For a few weeks, the city gives over its lecture halls, churches, music venues, theatres and pub basements, turning them into stages for one of the year’s most interesting arts events. […]
7 Days in… Mallorca
The largest of the Balearic Islands has long worn its paradisiacal reputation with confidence. Along Mallorca’s south coast, there is white sand and calm, turquoise water. In the north, olive terraces and ochre villages climb towards the ridges of the Tramuntana, the mountain range that runs along the island’s north-west coast. Between them, pine-covered hillsides […]
The Odyssey: Where to Visit in Greece
In Book XII of the Odyssey, Odysseus’ men bind him to the mast of the ship, beeswax in their ears, as he listens to the song of the Sirens. No man, they say, has heard the tune and lived to tell the tale. But this is Odysseus; he has already outwitted the Cyclops Polyphemus, survived […]
England’s Most Beautiful Towns for a UK Escape
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