My sister and I are traveling to Italy from England for one week in April. We'd like to stay in the Tuscany area primarily. We plan to rent a car. We would like to stay in B&B's or possibly rent an apartment as a base. We need suggestions for places to stay and places to visit.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11362 posts
That's a big question Alison. It depends on what you like to do. Hike? Wine tours? Etruscan ruins? Churches and museums? Long scenic drives? It is hard to pin down "where" in Tuscany because so much is compelling and desirable. I suggest you read a good guidebook (Rick Steves comes to mind for some reason) and note the places that appeal to you the most. With a week you could perhaps stay in two locations, one in northern Tuscany and one in southern. Once you have a town or towns selected, people on this helpline can answer more specific questions for you.
Posted by
OP
Spokane, WA, USA
7 posts
Thank you for your response. We would like to visit some cities, for sure, but also some villages in the countryside. We love art, music, some wine tasting, walks, bike riding, some site-seeing but not too much! Where should we consider staying in the south and north of Tuscany?
Posted by
Decorah, Iowa, USA
345 posts
Last fall, we stayed at an apartment in rural Tuscany. You can get information at www.rondiniblu.it. It is also in VRBO but I can't remember the number. If you go to all the sections on the website, you can see a picture of Stefano Guidi at the bottom of one of the pages. There are four apartments available in his complex. Stefano, his two sons and his mother live in one large house. Stefano's sister and Nicola, his nephew, have another house and apartments available. I can't remember the website for Nicola's property. If Stefano's apartments are busy, ask for the website for Nicola. Even though everyone is related, they operate their businesses separately. Our apartment (Focolare) was for really for two people. It had a small bathroom, nice sized bedroom with armoire and a large kitchen/dining/living room area. You will need a car and a good map. The villa is near Poppiano and Montespertoli. There is a grocery store (the Co-op) and a very clean self-service laundromat in Montespertoli. There is a deli section at the grocery store. We bought items for breakfasts and dinners at the villa. You can drive to Empoli and take the train to Florence. That is the best way to go into Florence since you can't drive into Florence proper. Rentals are from Saturday to Saturday but shorter time periods can be arranged if there are no other guests for the dates you want. You can drive to Empoli and take the train to Florence. That is the best way to go into the city since you can't drive into the central city area. From the villa, there are easy drives to Volterra and other hill towns. Pisa and Lucca were a little over an hour from the house. If you contact Stefano, please tell him that Bev from Iowa recommended his or Nicola's apartments. Enjoy!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Have you bought the RS Florence/Tuscany book yet? It's designed exactly for people in your situation and would be an excellent resource all in one place.
Posted by
Wichita
831 posts