Tuscany’s Thermal Springs If you think that Tuscany is limited to sprawling landscapes and charming hill-top towns, think again. Besides an extensive coastline, there is much to experience in this vast region that we so deeply adore. Tuscany is home to some of the most unique and picturesque thermal springs. These Tuscan thermal springs also happen to offer a range of benefits for the skin and body. Our team members love organizing a day to…
One of the best ways to see Tuscany is by car. Here are our top tips for renting a car and driving in Tuscany. To rent a car, you will need to present a valid driver’s license from your home country and a credit card. When renting a car, debit cards are not usually accepted. International driver’s permits are needed in Italy to be able to rent and operate a vehicle legally. International Driver’s Permit…
Secret Gardens in Florence Imagine being immersed in the center of Florence, in the largest privately owned garden in Europe, situated within city boundaries. One of the secret gardens in Florence that you can find it between Via del Campuccio, Via de ‘Serragli and the stretch of wall that runs along the Viale Francesco Petrarca. Rife with masonic symbology with an esoteric feel, the neo-gothic tower with a stone-spiral staircase is the most visible symbol of this hidden…
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…
Those who have traveled to Florence in the past ten years might be accustomed to a style that is very reminiscent to Tuscany. Marble-topped tables, rustic atmosphere and a written menu, featuring delights that are heavily vegetable, except for the odd ‘bistecca alla fiorentina‘ or two. Lately the city has undergone a bit of a contemporary revolution, the traditions still remain but a younger, passionate wave of owners has broken the barriers to add their…
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…
Tuscany has always been a shopper’s paradise – and now with the United States dollar having gained over 10 percent against the Euro it’s even better! Whether you’re looking for designer goods, ceramics, shoes and other leather goods, antiques or jewelry, we’ve got bargains galore! The Luxury Outlet “The Mall” is located 30 minutes southeast of Florence on the Via Europa 8, Leccio Regello (Florence) features a host of designer goods at about thirty percent…
Twenty minutes northeast of Siena, and less than an hour south of Florence, is Tuscany’s lush and fertile Valdambra region. Bordering the southern tip of Chianti, Val d’Ambra is the home of phenomenal restaurants, storybook castles, award winning vineyards and some of TuscanDream’s most popular air conditioned Tuscan villas. The unspoiled Valdambra countryside is punctuated by a collection of little towns and hamlets, including Montebenichi, Levane, Rapale, Capannole, Duddova, Ambra, Sogna, and its principal city,…
Villa Maurizio, one of our most popular Tuscany rental villas, located in the heart of Montepulciano’s Super Tuscan wine country, is discounting its remaining 2014 weeks by 15 percent! This six bedroom air conditioned villa is now renting for less than 5,000 Euros per week during high season! With spectacular views from Montepulciano all the way to Cortona, this stellar villa sleeps 15 people and is perfect for family holidays and gatherings of friends. To…
TuscanDream has an amazing deal!!! All remaining weeks from May 31st – September 1st at our two favourite luxury villas in Lucca, the 12 bedroom air conditioned Villa Borgo Bernardini and the eleven bedroom air conditioned Villa Controni are now 15% off their listed price. This offer extends to March 31st! Unparalleled luxury can be yours at an even more affordable price. Perfect for family vacations, weddings or just a group of friends who want…
We here at TuscanDream are excited to offer an amazing Spring holiday and culinary experience, as we invite you to join us in Lucca for our Gourmet Cooking School and Wine Experience under the guidance of acclaimed chef Valentino and sommelier Larissa. Valentino, known to many as the former chef at the revered Lo Scompiglio in Lucca and noted Sommelier Larisa will teach you the art of Tuscan cuisine and wine in an exclusive hands…
TuscanDream is proud to represent the majestic 16th Century air conditioned Villa il Palagio, owned by rock and roll legend Sting and his movie producer wife Trudie Styler, one of the most gorgeous estates not just in Tuscany but in all of Italy. Located in the rolling hills of Chianti outside the town of Figline Valdarno, this lush staffed vineyard estate is a 900 acre vacation destination unto itself! The villa is impeccably, yet comfortably…
Our Tuscan cuisine is world famous – and one of the joys of renting a villa from TuscanDream is the fact that we can bring a fabulous bilingual chef to your villa to not only prepare a sensational feast, but also to give you and your guests a Tuscan cooking lesson. But if you can’t run off to Tuscany today we thought we’d give you a little taste of Tuscany to whet your appetite! One…
The best lunch I ever had! The pleasure to eat at the gorgeous Villa Daniela in Lucca, Tuscany. Today may have been a rainy day in Tuscany but it was a phenomenal day. Today I had to do the hard part of my job and visit our amazing villas!