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Agiturismo or Bed and Breakfast in Tuscany

My husband and I are traveling to Italy in May 2020. It will be our first trip to Italy, and our trip is three an a half weeks. We will be in Florence for four nights to see museums etc but then are renting a car and spending five nights out of the city to explore the tuscan countryside and towns. Our hope is to find a agiturismo or bed and breakfast type accomodation in a central location to serve as a home base while we explore the area. Hoping to find someplace not far from a town, but not in the town. Hoping to spend under $250 a night but want someplace very relaxing and special. This trip has been a dream for over thirty years of marriage. My husband would like a pool and I think it makes sense to have a restaurant. Other things on the wish list would be air conditioning, queen or king bed, and parking. From the research i've done, great hosts are also very important.
We would like to wine taste, and really love the the views of olive orchards and vineyards. I have done a lot of looking on line but never having been to the area, and the immense amount of accomodations that seem to fit our wants, have made it difficult to narrow down. I'm hoping to get some experienced guidance.
Thank you so much fro you help and guidance

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Posted by
375 posts

How odd, my recommendation was deleted. We stayed at Agriturismo Poggiacole in San Gimignano. The host was very accommodating and the grounds very beautiful. We had a view of the town. We were with another couple and we stayed in a two bedroom apartment. They also have several rooms you can stay in. There is a pool. We did day trips to Voltera, Lucca and a winery. The price was very reasonable.

Posted by
261 posts

This summer my wife and I stayed at nine places over 3 weeks in Italy, and enjoyed this small agriturismo the best.
Note that it doesn't have a pool, and didn't need air conditioning (though we stayed in Aug).
Outstanding hosts: Gianni introduced us to the best wine-tasting experience we had, and made us reservations for it.

It is a one-family only agriturismo, especially spacious for a couple. 10 minute drive from Pienza, next to Montepulciano. Review posted on the forum here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy-reviews/near-montepulciano-outstanding-lodging-agriturismo-i-roseti

Posted by
15441 posts

I don’t have specific accommodations to recommend, others will chime in on that. However I can give you some internet resources to find an agriturismo that you like.
www.agriturismo.it
www.agriturismo.net
www.agriturismo.com
www.agriturismi.it
A more complete list of agriturismi websites is below.
http://www.freeonline.org/migliori/migliori-siti-per-la-ricerca-di-Agriturismi.html

Also one recommendation. Many of those farmhouses are at a considerable distance from major highways and require long drives through minor curvy provincial highways where the top speed is 25mph. If your intention is to use it as a base for day trips, rather than just staying at the facility to enjoy the grounds and the atmosphere, it is important that you choose the location carefully so that you can reach your intended destinations in a reasonable amount of time. Once you find the farmhouse you like, plot it on Google Maps, then, using a Google Maps Directions feature, try to see how long it would take to drive to the places you want to visit, including nearby ones. The strategy is to stay within a reasonable distance from the freeways that connect Florence to Siena, or Siena to Bettolle. In any case make sure you are close enough to an important highway so that you don’t spend an hour just to get to the closest town.

Posted by
1626 posts

Highly recommend Relais Ortaglia right outside of Montelpulciano. Phil and Sandy are great hosts and can help with your plans, such as wine tasting, pizza making, hot air ballon rides, and the list goes on.
They gave a pool, and are surrounded by wineyards. Sounds perfect for you.

This couple moved from Florida to live their dream if owning a B&B in Tuscany. And they are listed in the newest RS Italy guide.

Posted by
5697 posts

Wr stayed in guesthouse Borgo Casato (now called Agriturismo Podere Casato) in Castelnuovo Berardegna, near Siena, in 2017 and loved the surroundings, the pool and the restaurant.