accommodation in Tuskany (Chianti) for a couple with a baby

gzegzola

New member
hi there,

We are spending around two weeks in Tuscany in May with a 5 month old baby, driving a car.
We would appreciate any advice on the itinerary and the accommodation.

Our itinerary:
day 1 - arrive in Pisa, drive to Florence
I) days 2-4 - 3 days in Florence
II) days 5-12 - several days to visit Chianti, san Gimignano, Siena, Cortona, Arezzo, Val D'Orcia...
III) days 13-15 - 3 days Lucca, Pisa
day 16 - flight from Pisa

Any recommendations for the town/ village and for a particular accommodation to stay during our phase II (one or two locations?), given that
- we have a car,
- but during - say - 3 days we would like to stay and relax without any driving and sightseeing...
Therefore we would welcome recommendation for an accommodation(s):
- baby-friendly,
- with a balcony/ terrace/ garden to sit in the evening when the baby is sleeping,
- with day facilities to relax, play with the baby, read a book (a small bar or resto, possibly a swimming pool if operational in May),
- in a nice area for a short walks...

Any advice where to stay in Florence (a hotel with a parking) in the centre to walk down-town?
Any advice where to stay near or in Lucca?

Cheers,

M.
 
accommodation in Tuskany (Chianti) for a couple with a baby [reply]

Good morning gzegzola,
welcome to DT forum.

During your “phase II”, if you just want to relax and to not drive I would recommend to base yourselves in Siena.
Siena is the biggest town of that part of Tuscany you plan to explore but it has a sleepy and relaxing mood you may find in a small town (perfect if you want to chill out). Maybe it can be a more suitable place for a 3 day stop, especially if you need supplies for your baby. And you won’t get bored because Siena is an open air museum thanks to its wonderful palazzos and monuments.

Otherwise, If you just want to relax and don’t care about staying in town, you may want to choose a farmhouse, I would say once again near Siena as it will be easier to drive on and reach other towns after you leave.

As for a nice place to stay during your phase II and once in Lucca, I suggest you to visit our website regarding accommodation in Tuscany.

As to Florence you can have a look to FlorenceAccommodation.com.

Kind regards

Fabrizio
 
During your “phase II”, if you just want to relax and to not drive I would recommend to base yourselves in Siena.
Siena is the biggest town of that part of Tuscany you plan to explore but it has a sleepy and relaxing mood you may find in a small town (perfect if you want to chill out). Maybe it can be a more suitable place for a 3 day stop, especially if you need supplies for your baby. And you won’t get bored because Siena is an open air museum thanks to its wonderful palazzos and monuments.
 
recommend farmhouse for phase II

For your phase two, I would highly recommend you spend the week at an agriturismo, a Tuscan farmhouse usually divided up into apartments where you will have garden around the apartment and pool as well as full kitchen. You can take your day trips mixed in with days staying at the farmhouse and relaxing. The kitchen helps you in planning a few days in and is also very useful when traveling with small children.

I also second the idea of staying in the area around Siena, either to the north or south. Take a look at these farmhouses in Castellina in Chianti and in Greve to the north of Siena or at these ones near Buonconvento to the south of Siena.

Near Castellina, Romitorio di Serelle and Il Cellese both offer apartments in restored farm estates.

In Greve, the Fattoria Viticcio is also a winery and is very central to seeing Chianti and Siena.

In the Crete Senesi between Siena and the Valdorcia: Podere Cunina and San Giovanni in Poggio - both have stupendous surroundings.

Further to the north but still very central: Cabbiavoli near Castelfiorentino and Tenuta Quadrifoglio near Gambassi Terme.

In Florence, I'd highly recommend the Palagetto B&B - it is right on the boulevard that circles the historical part of Florence so it makes it easy to reach with your car and they actually provide parking given you reserve it at the time of booking (they have limited space). At the same time, you are walking distance or a short bus ride into the center to Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo (although buses no longer pass by the cathedral, there are stops just about 3 blocks away).

As for Lucca, you should look at the properties on this page: Accommodation in Lucca. We're you planning to stay in the town or nearby in the countryside? If within the town, with a car you'll likely have to stay outside of the walls or look specifically for those that offer parking - I see that Hotel Ilaria, the B&B La Torre and Da Elisa all offer parking while being within the walls. Take a look and let us know if you want additional suggestions!

Hope you're enjoying planning your vacation, let us know if we can provide any additional tips or ideas. :)
 
Thanks a lot for advices. Finally the "phase II" will be around Siena, indeed. The suggested farmhouses look very promising, now I need to check how promising their availability is! Cheers!!!
 
The good thing is that Tuscany's central area isn't that big so you can start in Siena and expand your search pretty widely until you find something that you like and has availability.... let us know if you need more suggestions and any you might have already contacted that do not work out so we don't keep recommending the same ;)
 
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