- What is the best location for an agriturismo-we'd like to drive from San Gimi to Montepulciano to Pienza to Cortona and all the good stuff in between! Then, we'd like to be close to a train station for trips into Florence.
- The agriturismo would be home base, and it would be nice if they had cooking lessons with a group cooked meal for the guests. But we don't need planned activities EVERY day. There are so many posts on the Graffiti wall, but we wonder if there is a specific Tuscan area you like over others and why?? Carla
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
We stayed in the Chianti area as it's somewhat equal distance to Siena, Florence, San Giminiano. We stayed outside of Tavernelle val di Pesa. You can take a bus from there to get to Florence or Siena. Barberino val d'Elsa is a very pretty town in the area we liked. Prettier than Tavernelle, but for grocery shopping it's better to drive to the coop in Tavernelle.
We really loved the location and would recommend it anytime again. However, we never went further south than Siena from there. If you want to do more trips to the south it may be better to pick a homebase closer to Siena.
Our criteria for the agriturismo were different though than yours. We needed an appartment for 6 with 3 separate bedrooms. And a pool was a must-have. No cooking classes but a wood burning oven outside to make our own pizza was a definite plus. And it couldn't be much more than 100 Euro/night for ALL 6 of us ...
Try www.tuscanynet.com they have a very good search function where you can narrow down your choices to the preferred area and activities (cooking classes!). We booked through www.interchalet.com which worked well for us.
Posted by
Fredericksburg, VA, USA
409 posts
We've stayed at Cretaiole twice and think it meets most of your criteria. It is centrally located just outside Pienza. We have visited all of the places you've mentioned from Cretaiole, plus many more. Isabella can give you good directions to the train stations and offer a wealth of insight. Yes, Cretaiole has a long list of included / Planned activities, but it's sort of a la carte...you can do take part in whatever you like. Included is a last night pici-making class / feast that is the highlight of the stay. If you want to truly experience Tuscany and the beautiful Val D'Orcia, I'd seriously consider Cretaiole.