We are planning a trip to Italy summer of 2012 with our 6 & 8 y.o. Would love to stay in a "self-catered" apt. or villa within walking distance to a village/city, but also with train access for day trips. I'm considering the Tuscany area. Any suggestions? Thanks!

You could stay in Florence for instance.

WHat time of year, will you need a pool?

I think staying outside a city but within walking distance will be a problem. You etiher need to stay IN a town in an apartment - and use public transit three or stay in an agriturismo in the countryside and rent a car.

Two kids that age are not going to want to walk a couple of miles in summer het (Tuscany is hot - 90s and humid in the summer) from a villa to a town. Or stand by the side of the road and wait for a bus that may run 3 times a day.

With 2 kids that age I would go for an agriturismo with a nice pool and that serves dinner - and rent a car to visit other towns on some days.

ditto nyt

We are a late 30's couple with two kids(5 and 1) and we stayed 7 nights in villa il castellaccio 4...all units have outdoor dining, washer/dryer, great indoor kitchens, etc. There is a pool, beautifully maintained grounds....it is a beautiful property overlooking olive and grape vineyards. It is situated
btween Greve and Figlione; Figlione has grocery stores and train station which will get you to Florence and other locals.
We had a car (we previously spent five days in
Rome)and from our very comfortable villa took convenient day trips throughout Tuscany: Siena, San Gimigiano, Verona, Castellaci, Florence (by Train), Greve, etc. www.villailcastellaccio.com the owner is very nice and accomodating. Let me know if you have additional questions.

One more thing, we were at the Tuscan villa 6/4-6/11 and the pool water was a bit too cold for our Texan blood....I'd guess it was about 78 degrees. just fyi

travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Italy/italy.htm

sleepinitaly.com nice apartments

betterbidding.com bid priceline for nice hotels

Careful with apartments many scammers many stairs usually

Pictures frequently photoshopped.

Always pay with CC never wire money an insuremytrip.com

In Tuscany great vineyards etc around www.lucca.info

Not as crowded as Florence.

Happy Hunting!

quovadis does not quite have it right. There are many apartments that have lots of stairs, but if you read the web sites carefully you can tell which ones they are. And more and more have elevators. The ones with lots of stairs are primarily in cities.

And "many" scammers is not quite right. We have rented many apartments in Italy and never had anyone try to cheat us. We have also wired a deposit, which is a common way of doing business there, although we try not to because it is very inconvenient and costs you in fees. sleepinityaly.com is one place where you can be confident of getting a decent deal.

It is true that the water in pools in Italy is cold, because 99% of them are not heated. Energy costs are very high in Italy.

When looking at apartments, look carefully at the photos. How much room is there in the bedrooms? Is there a closet or armoire to put your clothes in? What does the bathroom look like? Lots of the showers in Italy are very small, FYI. Some are in tubs and don't have a shower curtain because they generally turn off the water while washing and then just rinse off with the shower. How much space is there in the kitchenette? How much room is there in the living room? Read the description to find out what floor it is on (the first floor in Europe is what we call the second floor in the US) and whether there is an elevator. If you are going in the summer, is there air conditioning? In all the rooms or only the bedrooms? Is there a washing machine? Most places don't have dryers because of those energy costs but do have a folding rack that holds an amazing amount of laundry, and if you have an outdoor space it will dry rapidly. If there is an outdoor space, is it next to your unit or a communal one further away?

Well, enough of that. After all is said and done, you will have a wonderful time.

An apartment in a small town is doable, as is an agriturismo.

There are a lot of available apartments around Italy. One of them even have different branches in key places in the city. The apartments are really perfect for family on vacation.

Umbria is much better served by train to many places of interest. Consider either the periphery of Perugia or Spoleto.

In Tuscany, Lucca is very kid-friendly streetscape (almost no cars, but flat) with excellent train connections to other Tuscan locales, large and small. Arezzo is similar, but Arezzo lacks the really terrific option of renting bikes and doing some bike riding along Lucca's amazing walls. There are many villas located in the hills above both Arezzo and Lucca. Some will have bus connections to the train stations and the center of town, but you would probably also need to fill in with taxis if you stay out later than 7pm. You might find it just as appealing to stay inside Lucca's walls and hang out in its piazze at night.

Another possibility is the small hamlets and the hills just above Cortona, where it is possible to walk to town or take buses. Although the train there can connect you to points of real interest nearby, the station itself is at some distance from the town, so doing day trips gets more complicated. Most people there would want a car.

Another option is to find a place in Liguria, along the sea. There is a coastal train line, and the summer weather is milder. It is possible to find some villas and self-catering within walking distances of train stations, but you need to dig around a bit. Most rentals are done by Italians to other Italians through Italian rental agencies. Also, you will find less variety along the Ligurian coast in terms of day trips than you would from Lucca or Arezzo.

Another possibility is Sorrento, which has lots of transportation connections, train and ferry, to great sights of interest in Pompeii and Napoli, or Capri and the Amalfi, but which is mobbed in summer.

Last but not least, you might try looking for a self-catering apartment on a farm (agriturismo) that also has a restaurant on-site or serves meals to its guests. That way, you won't be the one shopping, cooking and cleaning up for every meal. Some agriturismi have the added advantage of farm animals, which your children might enjoy.

I also think what qwovadis posted is a crock. I've called him out as a troll before and urged others to ignore the bizarre posts, but there seems to be no stopping him.

You might find this link useful if you don't know much about Umbria

http://www.bellaumbria.net/home_eng.htm