Thanks to my Fodor's Italy guide and the many posts I read on this site, my husband and I had a wonderful two weeks in Montaione, Italy. We stayed at a farmhouse which had been remodeled into five apartments--Pie di Costa. From this central location, we took day trips to Florence, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Castelfiorentino, Certaldo Alto, and of course the charming small town of Montaione. The scenery from the hillside at Pie di costa was everything one imagines about Tuscany, beautiful in all directions. Pie di Costa is a family owned and operated farm with its own vineyard and olive groves. Filippo Bracci and his mother are friendly and helpful hosts, and you receive a complimentary bottle of their chianti upon arrival. The wine and the olive oil are available for puchase at very reasonable prices. When we tired of touring the medieval villages, we stayed at Pie di Costa and enjoyed the pool, the view, and in the evening, the beautiful Tuscan sunset. Fodorites, thanks again for all you packing advice as well as the train and bus information.

Hmmm....seems like the board has been inundated recently by first-time posters who are eager to tell us about the wonderful Tuscan farmhouse/apartment/agriturismo/whatever they discovered. Maybe PJ could tell us more about his/her trip so he/she wouldn't be suspected of posting a thinly veiled advertisement for said establishment.

Betsy, Betsy--Such a cynic!! I could have bored everyone with the minute details of how two 67 year olds managed to tour Tuscany and Rome using only taxis, trains, buses, and our own two feet. Or how surprised we were that we preferred Italy to the Greek Isles which we visited following our two weeks in Italy. While I am not in the advertising business, I do recommend Pie di Costa for its central location, beautiful surroundings, and the reasonable prices charged. PJ

PJ, thanks for your wonderful description of your stay in Tuscany. I'm going in October to CHianti and FLorence(and also Amalfi & C.T. and Rome)so I appreciate your post.

Katerbug...where are you staying in CT?

It is rather interesting that the only post I could find from PJCoffman is the thread here. Hmmm, an advertisement I believe.

Well, if PJCoffman hasn't been scared off yet, perhaps he/she could tell us about the decision to go to Montaione (as opposed to another small Tuscan town) and how the farmhouse accommodations were found. Was Montaione really that convenient to public transportation? I'd also like to know the rates and if there is a website.

My curiosity got the better of me and I googled "pie di costa" and found a website. "piedicosta.com". It was quite nice and appealing. Could be nice. Who knows?
By the way, my first impression of the posting was that it was an advertisement. I still think it is.

Jean, I found Pie di Costa on the Slow Travel website. The person who recommended it had spent 2 or 3 weeks there. The main drawback to using public transportation was the very steep hill from Pie di Costa to the bus stop in Montaione. We walked up a couple of times, but opted for the taxi from the train station in Castelfiorentino to take us to the train.(18 Euro plus tip) Upon return from day trips, we took the bus from the train station to Montaione and walked back down the hill. Figuring out how to get to San Gimignano was the most difficult, but ended up taking the train to Poggibonsi and from there took the bus to San Gimignano. Another drawback could be the lack of AC. We were there in early May so that was not a problem.PJ

Oh, will you <b> PLEASE </b> get off the &quot;it's an advertisement&quot; bit, folks...either that or start getting onto people like GAC and PalQ for their &quot;advertisements&quot; or give it a rest.

Intrepid1:

GAC's posts are most certainly NOT advertisements, unless you think he is being paid by Trenitalia... He provides extremely helpful information that makes it easier for people to deal with transportation in Italy.

And I don't recall any advertisements by PalQ.

PJCoffman, thanks for the reply. I'd still love to know the rate you paid (if you don't mind saying). I think I'd prefer a town in a better situation viz-a-viz public trans, but we always like to hear about new spots. Thanks.