Agriturismo in Tuscany?

Alison: The farms in Tuscany are relatively small--20 to 50 acres. Many are growing just olives and wine grapes. Virtually every farm south of Florence has apartments and rooms as a secondary source of income. I'm talking hundreds and hundreds of places to stay. The agriturismo we stayed in last April between Certaldo and San Gimignano had a 2 bedroom apartment with kitchen. We went thru Booking.com, and were well satisfied for 70 Euros. A rental car is mandatory to see the different hill towns. Negotiating the roads is easy, and there's not too much traffic in April. There are not as many restaurants out in the countryside as you'd think. We cooked in the apartment most nights--Italian food, of course. We were also surprised to find relatively few English speaking people outside the tourists areas in the towns--not that it mattered. Poggibonsi had a couple of great large supermarkets to shop in.
Just pick an agriturismo, and you'll be satisfied if the pictures and recommendations look good. You can also look them up on TripAdvisor town by town.

Hi Alison, Have you decided what part of Tuscany you'd like to stay in? My family and I traveled through Tuscany last summer and stayed at two different agriturismos one near Lucca and the other near Siena (both about 20 mins. outside of the city). We found them through my sister-in-law who lives near Milan and called friends to ask for recommendations. Both were amazing spots on hilltops with views for miles and lovely and authentic accommodations. Each had a swimming pool also. Here's where we stayed near Lucca: http://www.colleverde.it/ And in Buonconvento, near Siena (this agriturismo doesn't have its own website, but I found it on a rental site: http://www.cretesenesi.com/en/villa-poderuccio-p-1_osp_1_1158.html Even the Italians in our group were blown away by how beautiful both places were! So were our teenagers! You will need a want a car to get around these towns. The roads are quite narrow and windy (especially near Colle Verde!), but if you follow the rules of the road and watch the corners you'll be fine. Lucca and Siena were both wonderful cities (quite different from each other) with a unique charm and fascinating histories. The area near Lucca is quite lush and green with the sea influence while Buonconvento is more agricultural with fields stretching for miles. I hope you enjoy your trip! This was our third trip to Italy and by far the most memorable.

Thank you so much for reply! Glad to hear that it was a great experience. I'll look into the two you recommended. Thanks again!

Right after New Year's we stayed at the Verrazzano Winery for 2 nights. www.verrazzano.com. Would recommend it to everyone for a fantastic agriturismo experience. Just outside of Greve in Chianti.

The Buranco agriturismo in Monterosso is lovely. they have three cottages and serve a nice breakfast outside on the terrace. you do not need a car at all in the Cinque Terre area. I have stayed there twice and both of my sons have also stayed there. Very warm & friendly people, fantastic location!

June is right, Cinque Terre is wonderful as well, and no car is needed. You can hike and take the train between towns. The area is welcoming to tourists, especially after the floods in Oct. 2011. If you want to go, just check first to see if all the hiking areas are open again. It is a very special and unique spot, worth visiting if you can.