Everyone has the dream Tuscan vacation in mind when
they set off for Italy. And what better way to fulfill
that dream than to rent a little villa in the countryside,
and see how small-town Italy really is. Tuscany
villas are spread throughout the region, warm and inviting.
No matter which area you are staying in, finding Tuscany
villa rentals is no harder than opening a guidebook or
checking out local listings.
The one place you may have a little trouble with is
Florence, as most of the city
is dedicated to hotels, hostels and more urban accommodations.
You won’t find too many villas in Tuscany here,
unless you step outside the city for a bit. Just
a short bike ride away is Villa Betania, which has its
own gardens high atop a hill overlooking the main city.
In fact, the city is a straight shot downhill, so the
Villa Betania is a luxurious way to stay near the benefits
of Florence while having a space all your own. Stone
vaults and medieval bastions welcome you to the Villa
Montartino, and the Villa San Michele is a converted monastery,
both with easy access to Florence.
If you want to check out the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the best deals on villas in Tuscany is found just outside the city: the Villa Kinzica. Though it was built almost 200 years ago, it has a very modern looking interior and the value is hard to beat. Decked out with its original frescos and with a great view of the nearby Piazza, Villa Kinzica is a great place to use as a base of operations for exploring the area.
But most people head out further into the sweeping hills of the countryside when looking for Tuscany villas. The town of Lucca has many Tuscany villa rental options, like the spacious Villa la Principessa – it’s the former home of the Duke of Lucca, after all. The very definition of bucolic, you can see how royalty used to live, in 13th century glory, just beneath the gorgeous hills the surround the town.
The major tourist cities nearby Siena are where you’ll find a lot of the villas in Tuscany. Siena itself has many, including the Piccola Siena, which adds to its medieval flavor with terraced gardens overlooking Siena’s rustic city center. Just outside the city you’ll find Tuscany villas in oak groves and tranquil gardens, usually with restaurants adjacent to the hotel grounds. The Villa Scacciapensieri is a good example, where you can look out on the Chianti hills while sipping some of Tuscany’s finest wines.
Other cities with a great deal of Tuscany villa rentals are San Gimignano, Castellina, Sinalunga and Volterra. No matter where you go, you’ll be sure to surround yourself with all the beauty and serenity that brings millions to Tuscany each year.
