We are planning on renting a villa in Tuscany to experience a week of 'life in Italy' in Sept this year. Our budget is in the range of 5000-6000 Euros. Tuscany is a big region so I need advice on the best places for this experience. We are looking for an authentic villa. I just don't know how to go about identifying such a villa. Please help!!

It would help if we also knew how many people. Many private villas are 6 to 10 bedrooms. Or if there are only two of you, many are part of small "complexes". For 6000 euro a week, you can certainly do something nice. Isn't the Parker Company one of the premier ones?

By the way, did you do the villa rental in August of 2003???

No, didn't do the rental in 2003, had to change that to a trip to Rome and Venice. Its 2 of us and a baby. We are hoping to cook some but not all meals. Do any of the villas provide a cook?

kdd: They will provide about anything you want, cooks, housekeepers, food items of your choice, wines and spirits, etc. An arrival day prepared dinner is a good idea when your tired and jet-lagged. The rentals are usually Saturday to Saturday, so consider Sunday morning breakfast items as a request.
Tuscany Now at tuscanynow.com is another good one. They served us well and have hundreds of villas in all sizes, shapes, locations and prices. They are out of London. Good luck.