Agriturismo with train access to Florence
 

We are trying to plan a trip to Italy which would hopefully include an Agriturismo from which we can visit Florence (ideally by train). On the farm we would love to have most of the following: olive trees, a winery, garden and cooking classes. Is there any place that might have these things?

the tool you need is agriturismo.it if you click the British flag you may exclude those not speaking English so do the map/search work in italian and then flip over

This might do you, but it's pricey

http://fattoriadimaiano.com/en/

Probably for most agriturismi you will need to be willing to take a taxi to a train station rather than walk. If cooking classes are a priority for you, look for those first, because it will help narrow down your search.

If you are googling, some key towns with train stations or bus connections that might have what you are looking for nearby are

Arezzo
San Miniato
Buonconvento

and also do a search for "Mugello agriturismo cooking classes". Mugello is an area just north of Florence, with several small towns that have tran stations.

While some agriturismi in Tuscany produce some wine, most wineries do not and most wineries do not have accommodations. However, most agriturismi can help arrange a winery visit.

You are, IMO, fabricating an ideal, but not realistic, scenario. If people who run an agriturismo produce olives, it is unlikely they will also produce wine - 2 totally different crops. Add into that garden and cooking classes and you're really fantisizing.

And most agriturismi are for obvious reasons in the countryside and not easily reachable by public transportation.

Will you have a car?

It would be difficult to find an agriturismo within walking distance of a train station. Imagine some rural spot near where you live, and ask yourself if it's likely that there would be a train station there.

If you start to add other criteria, you end up with almost no possibilities at all.

I'm not sure if you want a place with olive trees and a vineyard on the property, or if it's enough just to have some in the immediate vicinity. The grape harvest is usually in late summer, and the olives are harvested in autumn. Other than those times, it's unlikely that you'll see any agricultural work related to these crops, except for the pruning, which usually takes place in late winter or early spring. Almost any place in rural Tuscany will have both within the eye's view.

Agriturismi now tend to be businesses, and the owners aren't farmers who take in guests in their spare time. The category of agriturismi is shrinking, with many other types of rural property, such as the "country house", taking their place. Some people just put a few bee hives on their property to be able to take advantage of the benefits.

You can also use www.booking.com to find agriturismi and other rural properties. This site has a lot of filters and also unbiased reviews and guest ratings, so it's easy to find properties. For the location, you should put the name of a town that's on the train line between Siena and Florence, or between Orvieto and Florence. To find the names of such towns, look on the Trenitalia web site for a trip between these towns, and then, when you get the list of trains, click on the little "i" in the train column. I would also google the towns to see if they have any charms that would entice you, because you won't be going to Florence every day.

Once you've chosen a town, check the type of property you want on the left. I would check both "farm stays" and "country houses". On the listing that results, you'll be told how far the property is from the town you chose. The names of the properties will help you decide whether it's something that would interest you. The names "podere" and "fattoria" indicate farms, even if the property doesn't have "agriturismo" in the name. However, as I said above, many of these farms will be only marginally agricultural establishments.

<i> If people who run an agriturismo produce olives, it is unlikely they will also produce wine. </i>

In Italy, that's not true. A lot of small farms, maybe most of them, have both. Some of them are just for domestic consumption, but most agriturismi won't be producing these things commercially.

This agriturismo has everything you're looking for. The train station is 12 km away, so you'd need to figure out transportation from there (more info on their website about getting to the farm).
http://fattoriapoggioalloro.com/?lang=en

We stayed one night here and really enjoyed the experience.

Lee Ann

Ignore St Cirq. Shes an idoit who blabs endlessly, pretending an experise she doesn't have, mainly just want to insult Americans who come to Europe.

As for agristurmsi and what the produce, most of them need to focus on what they produce. Yes, a small farm might have both olives and wine - that is what I said in my original post to you. But one will dominate.

On second thought, "idiot" is not the right description of St Cirq. She just thinks everybody "should learn" from her bitter experience as an American who thought France was the end-all-be-all of culture, and so she moved there to escape American "backwardness" -- and finds herself stuck with the reality of France. Maybe enough wine will console her, or block her from examining what a confused idea of Europe she has now and always has had.

But you can find what you want in Italy. You're not asking much. In fact, what you are asking for is not "ideal" but pretty common - Tuscan wine, olvies, cooking classes, countryside lodgings with a public transporation connection to Florence. Hundreds of possibilites. And they are just as rewarding as you imagine. You're not being unrealistic (you would be if you were looking for that kind of earthiness + culture in France).

french, I think you are being a bit unfair, both you and St C offer invaluable input to this forum :-)

OP you'll find mixed agri all over, including donkeys (my favorite). I found an agri just south of Padova which is close to a station (about 1km) you just have to trawl through the map tool on the website I gave you

Wow, Frencharmoire! A difference of opinion could be expressed simply by generously sharing your own knowledge and experience.

Can it be that a certain poster has returned yet again?

Is Florence the only place you want to access? How often do you want to go?

Much of Tuscany is served by bus, not train. Bus schedules are geared towards workers or school children, not tourists, but there are some agriturismo which should get to Florence and back in a day by bus. They might have half your requested amenities, but arrangements with nearby places for the others. You might check the Greve area and find something in close proximity to town. There is a bus to Florence except on Sunday.

>>>Can it be that a certain poster has returned yet again?<<<

Definitely.

Thank you to everyone who gave advice. I've taken it all in and started to do more in-depth research. Since I'm a novice at all this, I appreciate knowledgeable opinions.

Sorry to have been the basis for an online argument.

Funtrip,
Don't be sorry. You were not the cause of the attack. There are many knowledgeable people on this forum, but sometimes it is like the blind men and the Elephant. Each of their experiences have value and together provide a larger picture.