daenen

12 of us from MT USA are planning to rent a house in Tuscany in the summer of 2012. When I go on line looking for houses, the information offered is overwhelming as so many are available. What area in Tuscany is the best to stay when we are looking for proximity to the sea, rural setting and the beauty Tuscany is know for?

Austin

I've just started planning a trip to Italy and am also trying to figure out how to spend 3 days in Tuscany. Just remember, Tuscany is a large area, which includes the city of Florence and many, many smaller towns (Siena, Lucca, San Giamano, etc) . I'm learning that you have to rent a car to really appreciate the region. How long will you be in the area? One week? One Month? Have you read any books or been to any websites? try www.agriturismo.net www.agirturismo.it

bobthenavigator

Yes, Tuscany is large and you must decide if you want to see the classic settings of rural Tuscany or the sea. The former is best seen in the Val d' Orcia area, but that is 2 hours from the sea. To find rental reviews by region go to slowtrav.com for the best info. Look in south Tuscany or the area around Siena.

kybourbon

Much of the Tuscany you see on postcards is Val d'Orcia or Chianti, neither are on the sea. Get a villa with a pool.

Mimar

Yes, lots of valuable information in SlowTravel about traveling in Italy and especially about renting self-catering accommodations. Traveling with a large group presents special problems. Here's a discussion of the issues: www.slowtrav.com/europe/es_large_groups.htm

When you need to house so many people, the villa is likely to be out in the countryside, accessible only by car. From my experience, it's better to rent multiple cars (minimally 1 per 4 people) than one big people mover. The latter is too big to drive into small towns. And it's really difficult to get 12 people to all agree on going to one place at one specific day and time.

But that's just one of many issues.

InFlorence

The Maremma is a great area and you will have the sea close by. I think the southern coast of Tuscany is overlooked and really has a lot to offer. Massa Marittima is a totally charming town and you can probably find a villa between there and the sea.

Try starting a search here:

http://www.tuscanyrentdirect.com/vil...d-seaside.html

Also Versilia more in the north has great beaches, and if you want some hiking, mountains, etc. that is close too - there is a lot more to Tuscany than the postcards of the Val d'Orcia!

clayman

Are you a party of adults or are there some children? Length of your stay? What do think your group most wants out of the experience? Many places will have pools and there are hundreds of choices and house sizes.

vrbo.com has gobs of selections in all regions and all prices and there are many other rental web sites. I can supply several if you're interested.

Don't be overwelmed, you're starting plenty early for planning and you'll have time to get great reviews on places you want to check our. One warning...the planning will be come an addiction !!