Possible to do Tuscany well on a budget?
 

Hello all! We are trying to plan a honeymoon for next May - May 13ish. We really want to go to Tuscany, but don't have a lot of cash. We like to stay in apartments, and do some of our own cooking with local food from markets. We would like to eat out at great restaurants two or three times, do a few picnics, see some great sights, and soak up local but not touristy charm. Any suggestions on how to do this on a modest budget? <BR> <BR>Thanks for your help! <BR> <BR>:) Jenn

Jenn, <BR>Please get in touch with me if you would like info on a great castello (old castle) in Tuscany. We have stayed there and loved it and are going back this summer. In May is would be really romantic (no kids around). Its completely reasonable and just amazing. The apartments all have small kitchens and also have meals served 3 times a week in the garden outside. There are also some really good restaurants nearby, an all within 25 minutes of Florence. <BR> <BR>Liz <BR>

We went to Italy on our honeymoon and it is definitely easy on a budget! We did no prebooking, went off season and took the fodors guide to Italy. Every small town we arrived at, we just hunted around for the cheapest accomodations, of which ther are plenty available. For lunches and breakfasts we just bought picnics. We avoided the big cities and tourist attractions and just stayed in small towns. email me if you need any suggestions.

Dear Jenn, <BR>We did Tuscany on a budget for our anniversary, in a most romantic place we rented from a US-based rental company called www.rentvillas.com. They helped us a lot in advising us on where to stay and what to do. We ended up renting a beautiful, hidden old villa near Siena for 600$ a week, with pool and goldious views. The italian owners were very nice with us, they gave us a lot of tips on the local shops and restaurants and even greeted us with a bottle of their own wine. I would suggest that you contact Rentvillas' owner Suzanne Pidduck, she knows Tuscany very well, was very kind and patient with us and helped us plan a memorable trip. She has a lot of properties for rent in Tuscany and we found that she was nicer and had better prices than the other companies we contacted. The website is www.rentvillas.com and the phone number is 800-726 6702.

Hi Laura <BR> <BR>I went to the Rentvillas website and it looks great. Which property did you rent?