Good place to stay in Tuscany?
Discussion
We are looking for a place to stay in Tuscany in August (and are only booking now due to some practical constraints before).
We typically enjoy authentic places that offer the possibility to have local, home made food (had a couple of excellent experiences with Agriturismo-alike hotels and wineries that offer stays as well). Usually, we spend about half of the time exploring and visiting cities, sites, wineries, ... and half of the time we will presumably just relax and read...
We'll presumably be travelling by car so proximity to airports is not important, if anything, it'd be nice if we'd not be too far off the nice cities such as Florence, Siena, ... (but could be a day trip)
Does anyone have good recommendations?
Thanks!
We typically enjoy authentic places that offer the possibility to have local, home made food (had a couple of excellent experiences with Agriturismo-alike hotels and wineries that offer stays as well). Usually, we spend about half of the time exploring and visiting cities, sites, wineries, ... and half of the time we will presumably just relax and read...
We'll presumably be travelling by car so proximity to airports is not important, if anything, it'd be nice if we'd not be too far off the nice cities such as Florence, Siena, ... (but could be a day trip)
Does anyone have good recommendations?
Thanks!
If you base yourselves in Lucca, a lovely town, you can use the Italian excellent train service to get to Pisa & Florence, even Sienna (but maybe too far so use the car!), or Viareggio on the coast for day on the beach.
You can use Pisa airport too, short trip to get to Lucca.
Four years ago I hired a villa for the family, 7 of us, at Peccioli. Very rural. Can visit Lucca, Florence, Sienna, Voltera etc from there.
We have also based ourselves in Florence and Sienna ( take an organised day trip to Assisi, very good) for a week at a time, both excellent bases.
If you have a car in Italy you need to be very very aware of the many ZTLs...easy to miss and the fines are significant.
R.
You can use Pisa airport too, short trip to get to Lucca.
Four years ago I hired a villa for the family, 7 of us, at Peccioli. Very rural. Can visit Lucca, Florence, Sienna, Voltera etc from there.
We have also based ourselves in Florence and Sienna ( take an organised day trip to Assisi, very good) for a week at a time, both excellent bases.
If you have a car in Italy you need to be very very aware of the many ZTLs...easy to miss and the fines are significant.
R.
Can highly recommend this: https://www.dimoradeldottore.it/
Opened last year (bad timing!) and owned by a friend.
Opened last year (bad timing!) and owned by a friend.
Would echo the comment on watching for the ZTLs in towns - the signs are not easily spotted...
We rented an apartment in 2018 via the website below. I say apartment, it was more like the ground floor of a large farmhouse with the owners on the top two floors. It's no longer listed though but I'd book through them again. Our place was right on the Tuscany/Umbria border and from memory we visited Perugia [1], Sienna, Montepulciano etc. One of our meals out as a local vineyard (https://igirasolidisantandrea.it/)which was suggested and booked through the people who run the website.
https://www.tuscanyumbria.com/
In 2019 we stayed here:
https://www.6stanco.it/
It's actually Emilia-Romagna but we flew in/out of Pisa. Depending how far you want to drive, you could visit Florence and Pistoia. There's a train station about 10 minutes drive from the village and that's a direct service to Bologna, somewhere I think I liked more than Florence. There was a couple of small family-run restaurants in walking distance - good fine, lashings of house wine and pretty cheap. One evening we got the train into Bologna, had tea and got the last train back.
[1] I got stiffed for a ZTL infringement but the town council website was broken for months and then I think they suspended my fine, so I never had to pay!
We rented an apartment in 2018 via the website below. I say apartment, it was more like the ground floor of a large farmhouse with the owners on the top two floors. It's no longer listed though but I'd book through them again. Our place was right on the Tuscany/Umbria border and from memory we visited Perugia [1], Sienna, Montepulciano etc. One of our meals out as a local vineyard (https://igirasolidisantandrea.it/)which was suggested and booked through the people who run the website.
https://www.tuscanyumbria.com/
In 2019 we stayed here:
https://www.6stanco.it/
It's actually Emilia-Romagna but we flew in/out of Pisa. Depending how far you want to drive, you could visit Florence and Pistoia. There's a train station about 10 minutes drive from the village and that's a direct service to Bologna, somewhere I think I liked more than Florence. There was a couple of small family-run restaurants in walking distance - good fine, lashings of house wine and pretty cheap. One evening we got the train into Bologna, had tea and got the last train back.
[1] I got stiffed for a ZTL infringement but the town council website was broken for months and then I think they suspended my fine, so I never had to pay!
The Leaper said:
If you base yourselves in Lucca, a lovely town, you can use the Italian excellent train service to get to Pisa & Florence, even Sienna (but maybe too far so use the car!), or Viareggio on the coast for day on the beach.
You can use Pisa airport too, short trip to get to Lucca.
Four years ago I hired a villa for the family, 7 of us, at Peccioli. Very rural. Can visit Lucca, Florence, Sienna, Voltera etc from there.
We have also based ourselves in Florence and Sienna ( take an organised day trip to Assisi, very good) for a week at a time, both excellent bases.
If you have a car in Italy you need to be very very aware of the many ZTLs...easy to miss and the fines are significant.
R.
Seconded re Lucca, it was a while ago but we had a great time at the Pordore Consani You can use Pisa airport too, short trip to get to Lucca.
Four years ago I hired a villa for the family, 7 of us, at Peccioli. Very rural. Can visit Lucca, Florence, Sienna, Voltera etc from there.
We have also based ourselves in Florence and Sienna ( take an organised day trip to Assisi, very good) for a week at a time, both excellent bases.
If you have a car in Italy you need to be very very aware of the many ZTLs...easy to miss and the fines are significant.
R.
https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p75096
Been to Tuscany many times with the wife, and can highly recommend this place, near Montepulciano. Fairly close to Siena by car, and you can get to Florence from there on the train (wouldn't advise driving in Florence).
https://www.agriturismonobile.it/
Set in stunning countryside, and they do great simple meals in the evenings. The owner has a shuttle bus and drives you up to the town for free (around 3 miles), dropping you at one end, and you can message them to collect you a few hours later at the other end - great for being able to go out and have a few drinks without worrying about taxis / buses / walking.
https://www.agriturismonobile.it/
Set in stunning countryside, and they do great simple meals in the evenings. The owner has a shuttle bus and drives you up to the town for free (around 3 miles), dropping you at one end, and you can message them to collect you a few hours later at the other end - great for being able to go out and have a few drinks without worrying about taxis / buses / walking.
We stayed here in 2015 -
https://www.residenzailcolle.it/?lang=en
Not too far from Florence, small and very friendly. If I have any criticism it's that they (at least then) didn't offer meals in the evening and there aren't many restaurants within walking distance.
I hope you'll be taking one of your classics. We took our Alfa Spider - they'll let you park anywhere with one of those.
The small garage on the square in Impruneta has a very impressive collection of classic Fiat 500's, Lancias and Maseratis.
https://www.residenzailcolle.it/?lang=en
Not too far from Florence, small and very friendly. If I have any criticism it's that they (at least then) didn't offer meals in the evening and there aren't many restaurants within walking distance.
I hope you'll be taking one of your classics. We took our Alfa Spider - they'll let you park anywhere with one of those.
The small garage on the square in Impruneta has a very impressive collection of classic Fiat 500's, Lancias and Maseratis.
We stayed here in 2013 as part of a tour for the Mille Miglia.
https://www.losprocco.it/
Fantastic place, wonderful people but beware - we spoke absolutely no Italian (and had left the phrasebook at home...) and they speak absolutely no English. Everything was done by comical gestures and lots of smiles. Two elderly ladies and a daughter (probably) welcomed us with unbeatable hospitality.
Valentino and his team stay there every year for the MotoGP.
https://www.losprocco.it/
Fantastic place, wonderful people but beware - we spoke absolutely no Italian (and had left the phrasebook at home...) and they speak absolutely no English. Everything was done by comical gestures and lots of smiles. Two elderly ladies and a daughter (probably) welcomed us with unbeatable hospitality.
Valentino and his team stay there every year for the MotoGP.
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