ruth

We are planning a 2 week trip with 2 families (or more) in June of year 2001. <BR> <BR>Looking for villas/apts/farmhouses in both locations that are centrally located on edge of towns so we can walk into town for dinner/shopping. We will have rental cars to explore the region. <BR> <BR>One week in each region. <BR> <BR>Interested in art, food, wine, culture and local color. <BR> <BR>Kids range in age from 9-14. (next year) <BR> <BR>Someone recommended St. Paul de Vence in the Provence area and another recommended Greve in Italy. <BR> <BR>We are trying to avoid crowds in JUNE&gt; <BR> <BR>Which towns in each country? <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>ANY suggestions appreciated! <BR> <BR>Ruth

greg

You will find plenty of people in most of the places that you would like to see - they want to see them as well. June should not be too bad though - july and august are the real peak times. You might like to check outthis site: http://www.ozramp.net.au/~gyeaman <BR>Greg

greg

I forgot to mention that the site www.beyond.fr is an excellent source for provence

Celeste Benoit

Reply: 2 years ago we stayed in a restored farmhouse owned by a family from Washington,DC. It is in a village named Le Gardiol near Joucas, which is a few kilometers from Gordes. It was a large home (we were 3 couples) but it also included an inground swimming pool. A beautiful, quiet area, but also close to many sight-seeing hot spots. We found the house on a web site called www.frenchconnections.co. It includes inside and outside pictures of all the properties available and then you contact the owners directly. We rented two different houses in different regions of France and both were beyond our expectations and very reasonably priced when compared to staying in hotels. Good luck and enjoy you trip.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Ruth, That is not a simple question. <BR>You should define the number of people, <BR>the bed to bath ratio, price range, <BR>and self catering or not. There are about 1200 rental properties in Tuscany <BR>and perhaps 300 in Provence. Your criteria will limit that number, and then location becomes key. Where do you <BR>fly out? Most rentals start on Sat. only. I assume you will drive that distance in one day, but it will be about an 8 hour drive. Lots to think about. I have most of the resouces to <BR>screen the options but you will need to <BR>tell me more. Contact me directly if you <BR>want definitive help.

Nancy

We rented a house just north of Bedoin last Sept with another couple, through Provences West, Ltd. (www.provencewest.com). Everything about the experience was grand - the cost, location, helpful hints from Linda Posson who manages manhy property rentals in the area. I highly recommend contacting her.

elizabeth

We stayed within walking distance of Cortona in Tuscany and really enjoyed it. Rented via the following web site: http://www.awts.com/tuscany/ref001/ref001.htm - Rupert and Donatella manage a couple of dozen houses in the area and were very helpful and both speak English. <BR> <BR>If you're interested in farmhouses here are some websites for agriturismos: <BR> <BR>www.lainet.com/initaly/agri/agri2.htm <BR> www.toscana.agriturismo.net/ <BR> www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/pages/Italy_tu.htm <BR> www.agriturismo.net <BR>

Fred C

We stayed at the Villa Vignamaggio in Greve last August. August is a tough month, as you would expect, lots of people and very hot. Vignamaggio is quite beautiful and Greve is really mid-way between Florence and Sienna. Good luck!

candy

vignamaggio is a great place, birthplace of original mona lisa and the setting of kenneth branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing." it's 2 miles outside greve, pool surrounded by olive fields, light cooking facilities in rooms. it's a winery, with tours of ancient wine cellar. tel 055/854661, fax 055/8544468, email [email protected], www.vignamaggio.com (all info from 2 years ago). If you're willing to forgo the walking into town thing, i can highly recommend Castello di Volpaia's two cottages set amid vineyards at the edge of a tiny medieval hilltown now mostly converted into a well-disguised winery. the cottages each have lots of living space, big kitchens, and their own gardens and pools. the little town doesn't have much in it beyond an ESSENTIAL! tour of the winery and a wine tasting, but it is a nice escape from more hectic chianti areas. the town of Radda in Chianti is a short drive away. contact info (also 2yrs old): tel villas international 800/221-2260 or 415/499-9490, www.villasintl.com.

jeff

we stayed in the hills south of Mercatale: http://www.italiareservations.com/ <BR> <BR>Too far from town to walk, but a flexible array of houses (3) to accomodate most any need or size of your party---excellent location for Tuscany/Umbria. <BR> <BR>Check it out! and enjoy