Accommodations in Tuscany

Places to stay in Tuscany

One of the pleasures of a vacation in Tuscany is the wide selection of comfortable accommodations that are available. Holiday lodgings range from Tuscan villas, through farmhouses (case coloniche), vacation apartments to rooms and B&Bs. If these accommodations are located on a working farm, usually a vineyard or olive oil producer, they are known a agriturismi (singular: agriturismo). If you wish to stay on a working Tuscan farm, be sure to check that property being advertised as an agriturismo really is that - many farmhouse apartments that are no longer part of a winery or other farm are loosely referred to as agriturismi.

True Tuscan villas are normally rented on a weekly basis, Saturday to Saturday. Although a few Tuscan farmhouse and apartment owners still rent by the week only, this practice is now limited mainly to agencies. If you book OWNER DIRECT you should be able to rent your accommodation for as few as three days. However, longer stays in one place are recommended because of the valuable vacation time lost checking in and checking out, packing, finding your accommodation etc. Tuscany is not especially large and a home base in the Chianti area, for example, allows reasonable daily excursions to almost every corner of Tuscany.

Tuscan villas to rent

A Tuscan "villa", strictly speaking, is a very large aristocratic house of distinctive design, built to accommodate as many as 20 or 30 people. These are occasionally available as vacation rentals, usually by the week, Saturday to Saturday. Villas are normally not available during the winter because of the prohibitively high cost of heating them. Click this link for our genuine Tuscan vacation villas.

Villa Hotels in Tuscany

In addition to private vacation villa rentals, Tuscany boasts a number of boutique Tuscan villa hotels which are basically Tuscan villas that have been converted for use as a hotel without changing the architectural features excessively. They usually have their own restaurant, period furnishings and always a swimming pool. Click this link for our boutique hotels in Tuscany.

Tuscan farmhouse vacation rentals

A Tuscan farmhouse is a casa colonica (plural case coloniche) in Italian. These houses are architecturally not villas. They were and are the homes of farming families, and hence are a form of "vernacular" architecture characterised by the ad hoc additions that make them frequently so charming. However, they are often advertised as "villas" or "vacation villas" apparently because in some English-speaking countries, any stand-alone house is referred to as a villa. It is therefore important to read the description of your potential vacation rental to avoid any misplaced expectations regarding room size, ceiling heights etc. Click this link for our Tuscan farmhouse vacation rentals.

Holiday apartments in Tuscany

Vacation apartments are probably the most commonly available form of holiday accommodation in Tuscany. Vacation apartments are readily available in towns and villages as well as in the country where they are often located in farmhouses that have been divided up or in what were formerly farm buildings such as olive oil presses, stables and barns. Sometimes the swimming pool is shared with other guests but each apartment should have its own well-equipped kitchen or kitchenette. Often, each apartment, if there is more than one, has its own individual outdoor sitting area.  Click this link for our Tuscan vacation apartments.

Agriturismi in Tuscany

Agriturismi (farm stays), can be whole farmhouses, apartments or rooms, but when correctly described as an agriturismo they will be situated on a farm that owns land and actively produces agricultural products. In Tuscany, this usually means the property grows grapes and/or olives. Staying at an agriturismo usually provides excellent opportunities to learn about wine making and, in late October, olive oil extraction. Click this link for our Tuscan agriturismi.

B&B (Bed and Breakfast) in Tuscany

Vacation rooms and Bed & Breakfast accommodations are readily available throughout Tuscany, both in the towns and villages, and in the country. Town and country both have their advantages. If you lodge in a town and also many villages, you will have access to restaurants within easy walking distance of your accommodation, thereby obviating any issues regarding wine and driving. Groceries and other supplies will clearly be more rapidly accessible in town than in the country. On the other hand, country B&Bs are more likely to have a swimming pool and panoramic views, and possibly greater tranquility. Click this link for our Tuscan Bed and Breakfast accommodation.