Traveling to Italy in early fall with group of ten - 2 teens and 8 adults. One in the group has never been to Italy, the rest have. We'd like a villa near Florence - something with a Tuscan feel (some views, old world charm) but within an easy transfer into Florence. None of us wish to drive...trains are preferred to buses. We'd like a day trip via rail to Rome, some hiking, and would love to do a cooking class at the rental property. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1057 posts
I and some friends have each booked through the agency "Tuscany Now and More" and despite their awkward name, they are great. Really nice exclusive properties, good service. Not rock-bottom pricing but we had great experiences while there and also good comfort on paying in advance. I will use them again. Not linking the site here, but they are easy to find with a web browser.
My main search criterion was to have a villa in a town so we didn't have to drive every single day. There are fewer of them, but they exist. We ended up in San Gemini, Umbria (NOT San Gimignano, Tuscany) in a villa with a tower. Countryside out the back and beautiful medieval town out the front of the property. Most villas are out in the middle of nowhere, so be careful in your choice if you really don't plan to drive. We did have a car but were happy not to use it all the time.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15445 posts
I don’t know what a Tuscan feel means, but my question is: are you looking for a Villa converted into a hotel or a villa for rent for just you and your family?
Posted by
OP
3 posts
I have looked at the Tuscany Now and More site and have found quite a bit of useful information. Your suggestion about staying in Umbria is an idea we'll definitely consider.
My remark about a "Tuscan feel" was simply that I/we are looking for a rental outside the urban areas. Most of us who will be traveling together have had the opportunity to spend some time in Florence and Rome. On a vacation a number of years ago, my husband and I hired a driver to pick us up in Florence and drive us through some of the surrounding countryside and it was so lovely, for this visit, we wanted to stay near, but not in, Florence. I've looked at a number of rental possibilities - there will be 10 of us and we're looking for a home/villa/farmhouse that would accommodate our group - and just our group. One of our adult children was in a serious automobile accident while driving in Italy, so we're not too anxious to do a car rental (though we've managed to drive in the UK without problems!). I know buses are not reliable out in the rural areas, thus I'd love so find something close to an area near train service. We have until early fall to nail this down, so we have time to plan. Our last big multigenerational trip was wonderful, so I want this one to be just as amazing.
Posted by
11367 posts
We had a multi-gestational group and were very pleased with the villa that we rented for a week through Chianti and More in Panzano.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15445 posts
You can search online using a variety of websites.
Basically type www.agriturismo or www.agriturismi followed by the various domains (.com or .it or .net) and you have the most choices in farmhouses.
There are hundreds in Tuscany, but I can’t think of any along transit lines. There might be some close enough to be convenient by taxi but generally they are not well served by transit.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15445 posts
Suki:
Is a multi-gestational group a group of multiple pregnant people?
Posted by
OP
3 posts
You're hilarious, Roberto! 😂