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Tuscany: do we chose west or south of Florence for villa rental?

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For those of you who have traveled to Tuscany and experienced different parts of it--

We are looking for a villa for the first week in July. We have narrowed it down to four: two are to the west of Florence (one near Lucca and one closer in, near Empoli) and two are in the Chianti region. We will be one married couple, one single mom, and one grandmother, along with four kids ages 8 to 12. We love food and wine, and while we want the kids to have fun, we also want to enjoy what Tuscany has to offer, as the trip is part of the grandmother's celebration of a milestone birthday. I can imagine that we would enjoy touring a winery if one is accessible, but it's not something we will be doing daily. We will take a day trip or two to Florence, but besides that, we don't have any must-sees in terms of smaller towns, and will happily explore whatever towns are more accessible to the villa we end up with.

Any advice on which of the two areas to choose?

Posted by
2214 posts

If you want to explore Tuscany, I suggest looking at Empoli or the two in Chianti. I also suggest finding a winery that does a food and wine tasting at lunch. That would give your 8 and 12 year olds something to do. It will also be a better experience to pair the wine with the appropriate meal.

How mobile is the grandmother? I think the kids would enjoy both San Gimignano and Volterra, but both are fairly hilly. We are grandparents in our late '60's and had no problems, but we are in good health.

Posted by
34 posts

My mom just turned 70 and has two replacement knees. She's not in the best shape but she's not in terrible shape either. I'm thinking of putting her on a training regimen before we go! I think that handling one of the hilly towns will work if we schedule a low-impact day for the day after.

Thanks for your advice!

Posted by
2214 posts

My mom just turned 70 and has two replacement knees.

The nice thing about hill towns like Volterra and Sam Gimignano is that they have plenty of little restaurants with outdoor seating. Your mom could sit and enjoy watching the locals while enjoying a coffee or a glass of wine while the rest of the group is out exploring. There are also plenty of places in Florence to take a break and just soak up the atmosphere.

She can pace herself as needed, but on the last three trips we've made to Europe, we've averaged walking 9-10 miles a day.

Posted by
28450 posts

Sometimes it's worth it to get a taxi from the bus station or train station to the top of the town and slowly wander downhill. My mother traveled with me frequently until about age 75, but she had a significant breathing problem. When we came to a noticeable downhill slope, she often sat on a bench and people-watched while I continued exploring. She knew if she walked downhill, she'd have to walk back up.

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