Have done the tourist scene: Rome, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, (includig Milan-Venice coming fall), now looking to see the real Italy. Want to rent a house/villa in Tuscany, in the Greve or Rhadda area for 2 weeks in fall (September) but not this year. Please advise on what books, agencies and so on would be best for this endeavor. Inside info: I am 44 and Hubby is a young 66, no children included in this venture.
I have some time to plan, will look forward to all suggstions.
Take care, Lisa S

Your best source for that kind of information is

www.slowtrav.com

There are reviews of rental agencies as well as reviews of individual apartments in houses and villas. Renting a complete house or villa for two people would be very difficult and/or very expensive.

Check out Untours (www.untours.com) for a great way to start out in this. I've always enjoyed my trips with them and their profits go toward developing businesses in developing countries.

Keep in mind that this region of Italy ("Chianti-shire&quot has been a hybrid of Italian agriculture, and the leisurely second homes for Britons and other "non-Italian" expatriates for 50-100 years or more.

I am not actually trying to talk you out of looking in Chianti, and truth be told, I have never set foot in Radda nor Greve.

This is just a comment on your finding the "real Italy". Truth is the real Italy does live amidst tourism, from heel to toe... to knee? like hardly any other country in the world.

You can find a lot less touristic infrastructure in other provinces... and more of this'n'that and less of that'n'this in a lot of places...

Best wishes,

Rex

Here's a house for two people in Umbria:

http://www.summersleases.com/battistacci.cfm

Very well put,Rex.People seem to think that there are parts of Italy-or the cities_ that are all tourists (like a theme park) and certain secret places that have no tourists.

Talk to www.rentvillas.com (based in Ventura, CA). The owner is Suzanne Pidduck, knows Italy inside out, speaks the language, knows how to reconcile American clients with Italian adventures, has a fantastic portfolio of properties...simply the best!

Thanks for the compliment, md...

And I'll throw an endorsement for rentvillas.com also.