Rental recommendations, Florence + Tuscany?
 

We are in Italy March 12-30. One week is reserved for Rome but we'll have one week for a Tuscan rental and 4 nights in Florence.

Or vice versa: 4 nights country (with car), a week in Florence.

Basically, looking for recommendations for charming, not over-the-top accommodation for a fairly discerning middle aged couple:

1. I know southern Tuscany but not the north, apart from Florence.

2. It's March and it can be windy and cold -- so remote hilltop villages may not be a great idea.

3. We stayed in Montepulciano last year. It's my ideal set up: restaurants you can walk to; lots to see locally; good staging ground for daytrips. Is there a counterpart in the north of Tuscany?

4. In Florence, we'd prefer an apartment (with washer) but a B&B would be good too.

5. I prefer the Oltrarno but I'm not religious about it.

so: Where did you stay that you would recommend -- and why?

Even a suggestion for which Tuscan town to use as a base, without a specific recommendation for accommodation, would be helpful.

I have done a search here but so many threads are about warm-weather rentals and a March visit is a whole other thing...Thanks for your advice.

I think at that time of year you would do much better to take the entire week in Florence, and use it as a base to see Pisa, Lucca and Siena, and then San Gimignano if you get a reliably clear, dry day.

For your four days, I'm going to suggest you base yourselves in Ferrara or Bologna and see Ravenna, and Parma as well--and you can give you your car if you feel like it.

In fact you could do most of this trip without a car. Perhaps just a 2-3 day rental at some point.

That's an intriguing suggestion. It all must be coordinated with 1. our morning departure from Florence/ Peretola and 2. a visit to a distant friend, however.

Here's one scenario:

The four days in the country or smaller cities first, with a car (I could use the car when we need to go to a suburb of Milan, to see my friend)

Drop the car in Rome (pay one-way drop off charge of about 45 E)

Rome for a week, then train to Florence

Florence for a week, with day trips to Pisa and Bologna

Bus to Peretola on the morning of the 30th.

Sorry, I can't follow your time frame. Could you spell it out.

The trip is March 12-30.

When do you need to be near Milan, and where is it?

Is there a time you need to be in Rome?

Why Peretola? And for how long?

sorry, I just realized Peretola is the airport.

hi tedgale,

I really really like zeppole's idea for a March stay. an agritorismo or similar could get awfully wet in march.

there are rave reviews of Ravenna and Bologna on this forum.

an apartment in florence for a week would give you time to really explore at your leisure - we had one for 6 days, and still had loads we hadn't done.

and if it's nice, you can do your day-trips.

REgards, ann

hi ted,

i would also recommend staying in florence. especially if you love being able to walk to fantastic restaurants and have lots to see locally.

we rented an apartment in florence last summer and were extremely happy with the apartment, the location, and the rental agency. (our previous 2 visit had been in hotels)

the agency was "sleeping in italy". they have several apartments, but we rented the conti apt because we wanted 2 bedrooms. everything about arrival went smoothly and according to plan. they were also great about making reservations for us ahead of time for restaurants and museums.

the apartment was roomy, clean, had a washer but no dryer -- that could be a problem in march, as we had a nice, private window and stand to hang our laundry to dry. (i felt like a real italian!) the beds were also great (always important to us). it was half a block from the baptistry on a street with all kinds of shops and cafes.

the best was the price -- 152 euros per night during high season (for 2 bedrooms and kitchen) with no minimum night stay.

truly, we loved our experience there. let me know if you have further questions. and have a great trip!

i've always wanted to visit Florence when it's not 100 degrees... we always find ourselves there in the summer, but it may be our favorite city anywhere!

dina

Zeppole: I was suggesting something like this:

1. Arrive March 12
2. Nights of March 12-18 inclusive: rental of Florence apartment
Day trips as you suggest
3. March 19 train to Rome
4. Nights of March 19-25 inclusive: rental of Rome apartment
5. March 26 rent car in Rome
6. Nights of March 26, 27, 28, 29 somewhere in Tuscany or Umbria or Emilia-Romagna
7. Drop car at Florence airport March 30 and fly home

Oh I should explain: I could take 1 day from our Florence trip to go to Milan by train, leaving my spouse in Florence.

OR we could use the car and drive (Yes, I know it's far but I HAVE to make this trip) to the Milan suburbs (Sesto S. Giovanni) to see my friend.

My friend describes Sesto S. Giovanni as "Lo Stalingrado italiano" so I am not expecting to enjoy the scenery much.

But we haven't seen each other for 30 years and he is a special person.

The things we do for friendship!!

Ok, I got the general idea now.

When I think of Northern towns that aren't hilltowns -- and I think you are right to want to avoid them in March -- I end up with places like Lucca, Pistoia or maybe Montecatini Terme -- all of which are on the train line accessible to Firenze, and all of which tend to share the style of Firenze. Which is why I suggested you go to Firenze and day trip to these places by train and then go someplace other than Tuscany for your other free days.

The kind of small town Tuscany of the north is the Chianti region, plus San Gimignano, and the problem is there that the season really doesn't start until the beginning of April. You'd have to pick your rental pretty carefully to be sure of getting heat, and it would be pretty dead.

I'm not sure Umbria is better weather wise, but you are better positioned there to enjoy day trips with a car. Leaving Rome and picking up a car in Orvieto to take you to Spoleto, or Spello as a base, would put you in a good position to see Assisi and even Perugia. But then you'd be far from Milano.

If you based in Bologna or Ferrara if you prefer a smaller town, you'd be in a good position to go to Milano by train plus visit a lot of quite unusual places, much different from Tuscany -- Ravenna, in particular, but also Parma and Modena. And of course you'd have fabulous food (and you'll get that in Milan, even in stalingrado, so I would go even for less of a friend!)

Another great thing about both Bologna and Ferrara is that they have miles and miles of porticoes. So if it rains, it's not so bad.

The overall point is that in most places, rentals are summer rentals, but in Firenze they are year round rentals, plus one never runs out of things to do there.

ttt

Hi ,I suggest an little accommodation near Florence .Returned for a second stay. Accommodations were clean, comfortable and enjoyable. Great location to take day trips from. Close to Noce, Tavarnelle, Firenze, Monteriggioni, S. Gimignano and Siena. Many many wineries to visit, all close by.
Most important is the Villa, we stayed in the Mimosa - the view is fantastic. But the owners are fantastic, they make you feel at home. Brunella and family are very special - they are very friendly and helpful. Brunella does the cooking and I must say it is out of this world. She makes all kinds of different food - it is great. If you have a special meal you would like she goes out of her way to accommodate you. Last year we brought customers, this year my daughter and her husband joined us. They could not believe what they experienced - they did not expect to feel at home away from home. It is hard to explain it, you must experience it for yourself. I RECOMMEND IT TO ALL who wants to do a little of sight seeing and a little relaxation. The evening go fast as Brunella and her family are great company to be with.

the web site www.accommodation-tuscany.it

gosh, what a surprise, this turns out to have been "lelita's first post".

annhig: You're right of course -- this is probably an advertisement.

I actually checked the website and the apartments look quite nice -- very much the sort of place I'm looking for and they have a low-season "special offer".

BUT the location is exactly what zeppole warned against: They are in the countryside 5 km from Tavernelle, in Chianti.

I stayed in the next village, Barberino Val d'Elsa, in March 2007 and realized how DEADLY it would have been to be in the empty, dreary Chianti countryside at that season. Plus the hills of Chianti make driving a real chore.

Zeppole et alia: I think I need to start a new thread, as our base is shifting north a bit....

It's all related to an invitation to spend our last weekend near Bergamo with my friend at his country house.