michjv

Hi, i'm currently renting an apartment in Nice near villefranche and am trying to decide where we should go next. I'm travelling with my mum and 2 young children (my youngest is only 2 months). We prefer to stay in apartments. We found an apartment in Nice quite easily through Nice Pebbles. Can anyone recommend a similar company in Italy, maybe in the Italian riviera/ Puglia or Tuscany. We are either going to drive down the coast or fly down to Puglia and rent a car there. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. We have another 4 weeks in Europe and have made no plans.

Thanks,
M

annhig

hi michjv,

there are some interesting threads on Puglia on this forum though I'm not sure that many people have stayed in apartments there. certainly flying there and renting a car would be no problem; if you rented in France and drove over into Italy, you would have to return the car to france to avoid the high drop-off fees that you would attract if you try to return it in Italy.

however you could catch the train over into Italy and pick up the car over the border somewhere.

Where you choose to go really is up to you - what are you wanting to do now? do you still want some beaches nearby to give your children sea and sand? or a change?

michjv

Hi, yes I have to drop off my car in Nice next week. I can either do what you suggest and rent a car over the border or fly directly to Puglia. I was thinking of renting a house in Tuscany as well as going to Puglia. My mother is from Puglia so we may stay with relatives there, or possibly stay in a hotel in Brindisi for a few days. If I don't have a beach nearby I would like something with a pool.

annhig

hi michjv,

given that the weather should be warming up, I think that I would go to Puglia now, then fly up to Rome and drive up to the south Tuscan coast to the west of Grossetto. I was there about a month ago, and the beaches and sights around the main town of Orbetello are stunning - long sandy beaches, castles and roman ruins, and almost nobody there. you can do day trips into the south of tuscany [Siena is about 100kms away] but there are loads of other places nearby like Pitigliano and Viterbo which are closer.

the food was terrific too.

charnees

For apartments, look at vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner) and sleepinitaly.com. We have had good results with both places. I am concerned that you will have problems finding apartments at this late date. But I wish you luck.

michjv

Hi Annhig, I have never heard of Grosetto but it sounds amazing. It is definitely heating up in Europe. Nice is very hot already.
Charnees, you might be right about the apartment situation. I rang Nice Pebbles today and managed to get their last apartment, and only because it was a new one they hadn't yet put up on their website. We were very lucky!

annhig

michjv - i had never heard of the area either. i was looking for a language school in tuscany, came across one in Orbetello, and i was bowled over by the area. so much to see and do and so few people there seeing and doing it.

it's absolute winning point is/are the beaches - it's set in a lagoon so you have a choice of beaches, according to the prevailing wind.

i don't know about apartments there though.

michjv

Thanks Annhig, I'm going to start looking for an apartment in Tuscany this week.

annhig

hi michjv,

i've just had a look on google and there are certainly apartments available in the area i've been raving about. what is your budget?

michjv

Thanks Annhig, I would like to keep it under 240 euros a night if possible. What website have you found them on?

annhig

I went to google and this was the first entry i found for "apartments in orbetello"

http://www.homelidays.co.uk/EN-Holid...etello_r13.asp

not many of them are in the town itself; they are mostly near the beaches which may suit you better. I didn't get any further than this website as all I was doing was to check that some were available; there may be others on other sites.

good luck!