Trying to pick the right villa in Tuscany for your family’s vacation is not an easy task. The internet is full of pictures and descriptions, but as we all know the pictures are staged, and the descriptions are written to entice you to come rent the villa and tend to omit anything that might deter you from renting the estate. How do you tell? Of course getting on an airplane and flying to Tuscany and…
If you’re headed to Tuscany this autumn, go ahead and pat yourself in the back. In addition to less crowds, cooler weather and fun seasonal events – visiting during this time of year means you have access to something Italians (and well anyone really) cherish more than anything. Truffles and Porcini mushrooms, the ‘gold standard’ of local cuisine during this period, together with Alba in Piedmont, Tuscany is also quite famous for excellent truffles. One…
For those looking to truly wind down in the heart of Tuscany, we suggest choosing a location that is strategic to local towns you would like to visit, in addition to fabulous places where you can wind down because a vacation doesn’t feel like one if you are constantly on-the-go. Luckily, for those looking for something private yet accessible, we have two villas available for rent in the province of Siena (19 kilometers from the…
With low-cost flights making a jaunt over to Florence a very realistic possibility, people are taking advantage of this more than ever. Planning fun weekend trips from all over Europe is becoming cheaper, and offers a variety in travel that before people could only dream about. Breakfast in London, dinner in Prague. In less than two hours from locations like Paris, Berlin or London — you can step foot onto Italian soil and be sipping…
We all lead busy lives which often means not enough time to focus on the things that really matter, mainly our relationships with family and friends. While someone’s idea of a holiday in Italy might mean hitting up every hot-spot mentioned in Rick Steves, aimed at checking it off a dream bucket-list. We suggest otherwise. The things is, you have the rest of your life to hurry to the next big thing, ideally, coming to Italy should…
Although it is a relatively small city of fifty-two thousand people Siena is a cultural behemoth and rightfully has earned its place as a Unesco World Heritage Site. This picturesque hill town has played a huge role in western civilization. Originally settled by the Etruscans, Siena rose to prominence when the Lombards conquered the city and built the Via Francigena, linking Rome with what is now France in the sixth century. The city became…
If a Hollywood set designer was asked to create the Tuscany of our dreams, chances are good that they would erect a model of the medieval town of Gaiole in Chianti, the small vineyard dominated village nestled fifteen kilometers north of the provincial capital of Siena and only forty kilometers southeast of Florence. In 1215, Gaiole became the central market town for the small villages of Radda, Castellina in Chianti and the nearby castles of…
Getting to Tuscany by air is quite easy. Pisa and Florence have international airports, but many of our TuscanDream luxury villas are less than a two hour drive from Rome’s Fiumicino airport, Bologna and Genoa. It depends where your villa or hotel is located and where you are flying from to determine which airport is best to fly into for your Italian vacation. If you are staying in a TuscanDream villa in Lucca, you could…
Cortona is a picturesque medieval walled city set high on the slopes of Mount St. Egidio and overlooking the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno. Known to many as the setting for the movie Under The Tuscan Sun, Cortona is a vibrant town well worth exploring for its historical importance, fantastic shopping, breathtaking views and its fabulous cuisine! TuscanDream offers several phenomenal villas in Cortona, including the sensational ten bedroom air conditioned Villa Laura that was…
Our passion is to discovery new “gems” to add to the TuscanDream portfolio. Recently we added 2 new villas, Serratone & Vigna, a bit off the beaten tracks, located in the Maremma area, only 30 minutes from the beaches of Castiglione della Pescaia. Maremma is one of the less well known area of Tuscany and for this reason it has still a lot to offer. Siena and Bolgheri are only 45 minutes away. Click here to…
The very first time I walked into the palatial Villa Borgo Bernardini in Lucca, I was absolutely awestruck. As someones whose ‘job’ (in reality it’s more like a pleasure than a job!) is to find new villas I have the privilege of seeing magnificent villas and castles on a daily basis – but with Borgo Bernardini it was love at first sight. As I wandered through the lavish villa, through the spectacular kitchen, the amazing…