My wife and I would like to rent a villa in one the towns in Tuscany or Umbria. We do not plan on renting a car, so our lodging should be near a train or bus line. It would be nice to find a place with which we could venture out and explore. I know that some of you will suggest renting a car. However, I really do not want to do that unless it is absolutely necessary.
Oh, We plan on going to Italy this June or July.
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Steve
Steven.
I believe Rick lists a few Villas and Agriturismo's in his Guidebooks, but you may want to speak to a Travel Agent in your area, as I'm sure they will have lots of information (probably some brochures also). Some properties I've seen have been some distance from towns so a car is important, but there have been a few where the owner (or staff) will pick clients up at the nearest rail station. However, if only the rides to and from the station are provided, that makes it a bit difficult to "venture out and explore".
For some examples of Villa rentals, have a look at This Website.
When renting a Villa, be very clear on the rental terms and what these include. In some cases there may be extra charges added at the conclusion for "cleaning services" or whatever.
Good luck!
Postscript to my last post: Casa Nova is a farm and they are surrounded by their own vineyards. It was quite picturesque.
Steven- I am not sure if this will meet the definition of a villa, but we rented a very nice 2 bedroom apartment in Greve-In-Chianti last September that we loved. The place was called Casa Nova and it was within walking distance of Greve. Greve is a medium size town with shops, restaurants, a grocery store and a wonderful Saturday market. From there, you can catch a bus north to Florence or South to Siena (it takes about an hour to get to either city) Of course, the bus goes through some other villages in Tuscany on the way that you could explore.) The TI in town can also arrange some tours (wine tasting, castle exploring, etc.) where transportation is included. In addition, when you arrive in Florence, the bus station is right next to the train station and you could use public transportation to get to many other near by areas. Our apartment was in the hills of Chianti nestled in among the grape vines. It was quite large (my husband estimates over 1000 square feet). It had a full kitchen and an nice picnic table to enjoy outdoor meals. Breakfast was not included, but the owner provided us with coffee, juice, jam, tea, etc. We absolutely loved our time there. We took several nice walks up through the vineyards for some jaw dropping views. You might look at this web site for more information about Greve http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/ and this site for more infomation on Casa Nova http://www.casanova-laripintura.it/en/casanova.htm The first web site lists many acomnodations in the area, but be careful that you choose one with in walking distance of Greve. Also, we were there in September and having a pool or air conditioning might be important to you. I'm not sure our apartment had air conditioning and we did not have a pool.
When I hear "villa" I picture out in the country, where you would definitely need a car. Perhaps what you're really wanting is an apartment in a town? If so, check out VRBO.
Thanks for your responses! Thanks Michael! Villa is the wrong type of place for my needs. Vernon, thanks for the website link. Connie, the link to those place in Greve in Chianti look wonderful. Thanks so much.
I suppose I am looking for an apartment type of place (and not a villa) within a walking distance from one of the Tuscan that can be reached easily via the train or bus lines.
A couple of years ago, I had a very nice stay at a B&B in Cortona called Le Gelosie www.legelosie.com. The owner also has apartments in town. Given the quality of the B&B, I imagine that the apartments would be quite nice. The town of Cortona is easy to reach by public transportation. From the train station in Camucia, you take a bus up the hill (about 15 minutes) to Cortona. It had a lot of tourists during the day, but was really delightful at night after all the daytrippers had left.
Last July we stayed in the heart of Greve for a week. Could not have been a better experience. One minute walk to cappucino, shops, buses, restaurants and vino! Had lovely accomodations booked thru www.tuscany-villas.com for reasonable rates. Lovely vineyard backyard with pool. Everything you could ask for and more. Do think about staying there. It is about halfway between Florence and Sienna and there is a great deal to see/do right in the vicinity.
In 2007 we stayed in a one bedroom apartment in Spello.
We alway use public transport in Europe. Much less stress than driving
