Mietitore
What were the highlights of your holiday? San Gimingmano, Siena, and Florence ... but we did really enjoy Radda. Additionally, we enjoyed both the wine and food of Tuscany.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    It was very nice. Well decorated and complete with all of the necessities for our vacation. The only problem that we had was a lack of extra pillows and the shower. The water pressure was on the weak side and the hot water never got really hot.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? Our rental car breaking down, but we were very happy that the staff was able to help us in our communications with the rental car company.
Do you have any other comments? I will recommend the site to others looking to book accommodation in Tuscany.
Thad Parsons
United Kingdom
October 2009

Bacco
What were the highlights of your holiday? Visits to Siena, San Guillamano (near Poggibonsi), Florence and Pisa
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    It seemed smaller than advertised and therefore felt as though you could not move about freely or enjoy your own space
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? The site seemed more remote than we had envisaged. The advertisement made no mention that there other properties nearby.
Do you have any other comments?
Robin Green
United Kingdom
September 2009
Bacco is part of the Montefiorile hamlet as mentioned in the first line of the website description - "Bacco enjoys a secluded position on the edge of Montefiorile hamlet"

Mietitore
What were the highlights of your holiday? Stunning scenery, Pace and tranquillity.Weather. Local wines Sienna and many of the hiilside towns........................beautiful.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    Clean and tidy accomodation.As per description on web site.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? no
Do you have any other comments? Excellent holiday ideal for rest and relaxation would recommend to friends.
LYNDA SIMONITE
United Kingdom
September 2009

Taglialegna
What were the highlights of your holiday? Too many to count - but during this week, the art tour at Castello di Ama was a highlight for us
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    Very nice, updated (we had just spent a week in a medieval village without a coffee pot or microwave); spacious, clean, great views - very like the photos on the web
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? The fact that there weren't any screens on the doors/windows was a bit unpleasant at times
Do you have any other comments? Enjoyed the stay, the grounds; location was a bit remote but would consider again and recomend for others
Joy Wodziak
United States of America
October 2009

Vinaio
What were the highlights of your holiday? Local vineyard visit, trip to Siena, outlet shopping..(!)
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    Super - clean, great location, exactly as descibed on the website. Only 1 minor drawback - accommodations were close together and very quiet outdoors - almost felt the need to whisper! However that has positives also, tho maybe not ideal for all families etc.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? Insect bites! - totally unrelated to our To Tuscany accommodation!
Do you have any other comments? This is our second time booking with To-Tuscany and both were excellent experiences. The service offered is superb and we will hopefully be booking with you again in the near future and actively reccomend your site to friends and colleagues.
Sinead Cummins
Ireland, Republic of
September 2009

Vinaio
What were the highlights of your holiday? We had two weeks away, one in hotels, one in your accomodation. It was the first time we had done self catering and we loved it, and what a wonderful view.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    loved it. Excellent facilities, did need to go out. Nice pool as well.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? The mosquitoes. We knew there would be some and bought some stuff in the UK to combat them but the wrist bands and sprays did not work at all. The chemist in Sienna was wonderful and after that first day we had no trouble.
Do you have any other comments? Would love to go again sometime
Jane Chatburn
United Kingdom
August 2009

Vinaio
Was waren die Highlights Ihres Urlaubs? Es war sehr ruhig in unserem Appartement. Der Fruhstücksservice war sehr angenehm für uns.
Wie war Ihr Gesamteindruck von der Unterbringung? Das Appartement hat uns gut gefallen und entsprach voll der Bescheibung. Wir haben uns wohl gefühlt.
Gab es unangenehme Überraschungen?
Haben Sie andere Anmerkungen?
Zdenek Gnilka
Germany
September 2009

Scorpione
What were the highlights of your holiday? Chianti valley beautiful; the setting was wonderful. Just driving around & visiting the nearby villages / castles. Florence and Siena fantastic.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    We stayed in Scorpione. Better than expected - website pictures were good but we were pleasantly surprised with the space and the standard of furnishings.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? Florence was further away thatn expected - with reasonalble traffic its still about 90 mins. The weather !
Do you have any other comments? The apartment could really do with an oven or at least a grill or toaster / toasting machine. We didn't plan to eat in much, but cooking (especially breakfast / lunch) would have been a whole lot simpler with these facilities.
Simon Minshull
United Kingdom
September 2009

Bacco
What were the highlights of your holiday? Sitting in the baranda watching the sunset looking at the winery. This is unforgettable.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    Excellent. Beautiful place. Everything was very well set up. Clean, and in working order.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? None.
Do you have any other comments? We will definitely go back.
Santiago Archila
Canada
August 2009

Bacco
Was waren die Highlights Ihres Urlaubs? Nach einem erlebnisreichen Tag unterwegs in Florenz oder auch am Pool bei einem leckeren Abendessen auf der Terrasse sitzend den Ausblick und die Abendsonne genießen.
Wie war Ihr Gesamteindruck von der Unterbringung? Das Haus Bacco war sehr gemütlich und komfortabel eingerichtet. Die Terrasse mit dem herrlichen Ausblick war sehr großzügig und liebevoll am Rand bepflanzt. Insgesamt war die Unterbringung sehr sauber. Die Fenster und Türen konnte man einwandfrei schließen. Die Duschen und Toiletten waren ebenfalls einwandfrei. Kleine Extras wie Wäscheständer oder Staubsauger fehlten auch nicht. Die Einrichtung selbst war in einem sehr guten Zustand.
Gab es unangenehme Überraschungen?
Haben Sie andere Anmerkungen? Wir kommen auf jeden Fall wieder!!! Die ruhige Lage und die liebevoll eingerichteten Häuser mit dem zentral gelegenen Pool war für uns genau das richtige Urlaubsdomizil. Wir hatten nicht weit nach Siena und Florenz und in Radda konnten wir Lebensmittel einkaufen. Es war wirklich ein sehr schöner Aufenthalt. Bis bald!
Doris Kunert
Germany
August 2009

Pesci
What were the highlights of your holiday? peaceful, quiet, great views
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    great - really liked pesci !!!! furniture, air contitioning :) furnishing just perfect (everything you wanted but not cluttered...) - yet, had to ask for shrubbery being cut - otherwise no view of landscape (katia was great)
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? see above - at beginning no view
Do you have any other comments? thanks to katia!!!! and also for asking some guests to keep to pool rules:)
Astrid Resinger
Austria
August 2009

Vinaio
What were the highlights of your holiday? Lots of swimming and visiting the surrounding area.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    The accommodation was comfortable and when talking to staff all were very helpful but of course that was only when they were available. The bedding provided and changed at the end of each week was good quality. The kitchen facilities were good as well as the layout of our unit both externally and internally.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? Television supposed to have a DVD player but none was available. The unit only had one small fan so one room had no air circulation which was most unpleasant due to the hot weather and mosquitoes. Larger power fans would also have helped to drive the mosquitoes away - we were all badly bitten after the two weeks.
Do you have any other comments? It would be nice if at the end of each week even when staying for longer, someone could come in and do a bit of cleaning. I do not know what the extra cost would be to provide an aircon unit during the peak hot weather period - we would have been willing to pay for such a facility if available.
Adrian Erwee
United Kingdom
August 2009

Taglialegna
What were the highlights of your holiday? My whole holiday went like clockwork - for me, that was the biggest joy! The ease of travelling around Chianti was quite surprising - though I did have a satnav! I must have saved so much time not having to navigate from a map. I planned my itinery carefully to include Sienna, Florence and the medieval villages. Everything was stunning and met all my expectations. (Parking for the key sights was easy).
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    Fantastic - just as I imagined and hoped it would be. I did alot of research on the intenet before booking so I knew what I wanted. The views were gorgeous and the grounds very well kept. The location was excellent for travelling in all directions.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? Only how upset I was to leave! I'll be back!
Do you have any other comments? Just to say - thank-you
Angela Jones
United Kingdom
June 2009

Limoni
What were the highlights of your holiday? The wine tasting tour was well organised and a very pleasant break. Also gave achance to meet others on the site.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    The overall site was well maintained, clean and cared for. The villas were nicely mature and strategically positioned not to overlook others. Very good. Access to the internet was very convenient. It would be useful to have access to printer. Ryanair requires preprinted boarding cards now. Several of us searched an internet cafe in one of the towns.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? No unpleasant experiences. WHilst not your responsibility, walking to Leche is mentioned, however the last third of the track could be a challenge for some not too adventurous. Would be helpful to mention this or better to see if the local community, which benefits from the grocery shopping etc., could be encouraged to make a slight adjustment to make the walking through briars less challenging????
Do you have any other comments? Just to say that we have recommended you and the use of your website to others. Thanks again. Dorothy & Jos Evertsen
Jos Evertsen
Ireland, Republic of
June 2009

Pesci
What were the highlights of your holiday? We've just returned from Italy, where we stayed with you for a week between the 6th and 13th June, in your Pesci accomodation. We'd just like to say that we found the whole experience to be excellent, from the lovely villa to the beautiful gardens it sits in. We particularly enjoyed the wine tasting trip on the Wednesday.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    The accomodation was fantastic, and well equipped. Only issue was, whilst the Pesci garden is lovely, there were some quite tall trees/bushes to the left of the terrace, which didn't offer any more privacy, but did cut off a lot of the view as well.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? only the temperature of the pool! But it did warm up towards the end of the week.
Do you have any other comments? With the relative distance to Radda and Lecchi, it may be a good idea to install a vending machine in the information centre, I'm sure enough people would use it for soft drinks/water that it would be worthwhile having it. I know there were several times when we ran out of soft drinks and had to drive into the nearest town to get some more. The wine tasting afternoon seemed to be a huge success, and I thought maybe it could be run on the Monday or Tuesday instead of the Wednesday, purely because it gives all the guests a great chance to meet each other. It might be useful to have some more information about where you are allowed to go within the hamlet. It wasn't until the last day or two that we discovered the pool over by the tennis courts, and even then we weren't sure if we were allowed to use either, as they weren't mentioned anywhere. Lastly, the 'net' for our pool didn't always seem to be there to scoop out all the bugs and leaves that kept falling into the pool, which did make it slightly unpleasant to swim around in.
Neil Branford
United Kingdom
June 2009
The pool and tennis court mentioned are for the use of guests at a neighbouring hamlet - DD

Pesci
What were the highlights of your holiday? The relaxation of Montebouoni, and Pesci. Scenery, walks, swimming, exploring the area of Chianti.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    We loved it! Was ideal for what we wanted. Beautiful scenery and lovely pool. We found Pesci to offer all the comforts we needed. Loved the open, airy feel to the place.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? No
Do you have any other comments? Love to come back sometime! Arrivaderrci
Kenneth Fraser
New Zealand
June 2009

Scorpione
What were the highlights of your holiday? Trips to Siena, driving around enjoying the countryside.
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    Great! Clean, modern, all amenities provided for.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? Yes, in the office there was a notice that there are scorpions! Luckily we did not see them. On the first day one of the workmen closed off the area where the bbq and the wash line are put. That wasn't too clever...We had to undo some of his work in order to get to the washing line! The owner (not the guests who arrived later in the week!) of the neighbouring apartment (we stayed in La Scorpione) used our frontyard to get to his property. That invaded our privacy somewhat.
Do you have any other comments? - In the bathroom of La Scorpione install shelves for putting things (shampoo, soap) on. We had to place ours on the floor. - A bigger television perhaps? Though we did not come all the way to Tuscany to watch telly, due to bad weather we were at times forced to stay in. - Overall; great location, great apartments. Would definately recommend.
Iris Odau
Netherlands
June 2009

Scorpione
What were the highlights of your holiday? The food and the history
what was your overall impression of the accommodation?    The accommodation was excellent. Had everything we needed, awesome view and sufficiently private. Location could not have been better for us. Computer facilities were very useful.
Did you have any unpleasant surprises? No hot water for 14 hrs but it was resolved
Do you have any other comments? In today's society wireless internet is almost standard. They were in the process of installing wireless internet here but it was going to be for a fee. Many people will see this as a negative and will choose somewhere else with free wireless.
Alan Johnson
Canada
May 2009

Mietitore
Was waren die Highlights Ihres Urlaubs? Wanderung um Radda; Hauskater;
Wie war Ihr Gesamteindruck von der Unterbringung? sehr sauber und ordentlich; traumhafte Terassen; Wohn- und Essbereich ein wenig dunkel
Gab es unangenehme Überraschungen? keine
Haben Sie andere Anmerkungen? nein
Verena Bremer
Germany
April 2009

Our accommodation was very good. Lovely terraces with lots of garden
furniture. Comfortable interior with good bathroom and kitchen facilities.
Nice to have shaded parking for our car.
Beautiful- especially the view from Pesci.
We had a lovely holiday! Thank you. Judy and Alan Keech

Quite nice and homey, everything about the room itself was just as represented to us.  The kitchen was quite useful and we loved our balcony (when it was not raining!). Beautiful area.  We enjoyed being so close to so many wineries and especially loved the tour of a nearby farm, Castelnuevo d' Ama.
Edward Greim (accommodation: scorpione)

Absolutely excellent!  The standard of build, the facilities and the location were lovely. The design layout of the units ensured total privacy so that we were never aware or disturbed by our neighbours. The grounds were lovely with lots of different plants which encouraged wildlife and were well looked after.  The views were just spectacular!  Although it was, for we townies, quite remote, the nearest of Lecchi and access to other villages and towns around was excellent.
Sue (Accommodation: Pesci)

The accommodation overall was lovely.It was a good size for a couple, although we noted when we arrived that it would be too small for four people (as it is advertised as being suitable for), particularly as the sofa bed is in a room with no curtains, allowing little privacy and a lot of light through.
The balcony had beautiful views and we found the furniture in the villa all comfortable and clean.The kitchen was surprisingly well equipped and we liked the open plan living area. Added extras such as a CD player, iron and ironing board aswell were all appreciated. The communal tower area which allowed us use of the washing machine and free internet access were big bonus points for us, aswell as other guests because the computers were often
being used.
Whilst we were surrounded by quite a few other properties, quite closely packed in, this didn’t really bother us, we could go for a lot of the day without seeing other guests and when we were in and around our villa it was incredibly quiet.Most people were very friendly there anyway, which created a lovely atmosphere in the hamlet.
Tom Prestwich (Accommodation: Vinaio)

Hi Michela,
Sorry for the delay in responding. Has taken a little while to get organised after the trip.
We loved our stay in Tuscany and in particular at Pesci. It was well equiped, very comfortable and a lovely outlook. Was great having internet access available. We didn’t seem to be able to get the TV working (probably a grey moment) however that didn’t really matter.
Overall we had a great stay and we have some very envious Aussie and English friends so I think you can expect more custom over the next few years.
Linda provide great assistance at this end in helping us to select Pesci and providing links to other sites of interest regarding the area. To-Tuscanys web site is very good.
A couple of general points - we got lost trying to get thru Sienna as we picked up a car at Rome airport and then drove up the coast road before cutting across to Sienna. We ended up coming via Castellina (I think) which worked out ok. We also got a parking fine in Sienna. Thought we had parked legally but we were in a residents only area. Bit of a warning for future guests.
Thanks again to you and the staff for making our stay so enjoyable.
Regards,
Roger & Marg Hilton (Accommodation: Pesci)

Thank you for our stay in Tuscany. The villa was very beautiful. Too bad the weather was a little cooler than expected. Had you been in charge of the weather, it would have been beautiful. The place was spotless and comfortable. The organized wine tour was the best!!!! Thanks again. We hope to return.
Charlie and Fran and Jaime (Accommodation: Pesci)

From Chris and Claire Hall, Western Australia (villa Taglialegna, early May 2006).
As this was our first visit to Italy, we had no idea what to expect in the way of accommodation and the best location from which to visit the various places of interest. From that point of view, we very much appreciated the excellent service provided by Linda Page. She spoke from personal experience, and nothing was too much trouble for her. We met other travellers at Hamlet Montefiorile near Lecchi who said the same thing - so she must be doing something right! She went the extra yard and gave us information about other areas as well, even to the point of providing a suggested itinerary; so heartfelt thanks to Linda.
We were extremely happy with our accommodation, and the early May weather was just like a Perth autumn. The unit Taglialegna was just the right size, and had a nice view across the valley to the hills. The nearest village, Lecchi, had everything we wanted, including well-priced wine - we bought a very acceptable red for 3 euros! - and a quality restaurant.
Tuscany is just like the advertisements - it's impossibly beautiful, with views at every turn. However, having driven many miles around the countryside, we both agreed that the most stunning Tuscan views were to be had along the road from Castellina in Chianti to San Donato - just breathtaking.
For those thinking about taking the plunge: Italy is nowhere near as expensive as people would have you believe. It is possible for a couple anywhere in the country to self-cater on the most magnificent local foods for $Au30/day, including wine. But if you intend to drive, we would suggest a portable GPS navigation system such as a Tom Tom. The main roads are well signposted, but one can get seriously lost on the country roads. The locals were wonderful to us when we were lost, even driving us miles out of their way to our turnoff.
All in all, it was a wonderful month. Thanks to To-Tuscany for a lovely experience.

Overall impression: The accommodation was truely excellent. Presentation was perfect. Very well equipped (although a tray would be good to carry food and drinks to the terrace for dining al-fresco). There was a b-b-q provided but it was so rusty as to be difficult to use without special cleaning materials. We would have liked to see mugs rather than cups (lots of trips to the kitchen). But these are really small points - the building was charming, the bed comfortable the price competitive and we really enjoyed ourselves.
Highlights: As this was the 3rd trip to Tuscany we did not do anything new and never found the time to even get to Florence. Basically we pottered round the villages meeting charming people, eating superb food, looking at beautiful countryside and enjoying fantastic weather. For us there is nothing as relaxing and free as pottering round the Chianti countryside.
Unpleasant surprises: No nothing of note happened. On the first day we saw a 3ft snake crossing the road near the accommodation (which caused my partner to be nervous at walking at night). We also wondered why the Hertz desk was so busy at Pisa when the Sixt desk was completely empty. Getting the car took longer than ever before and I will consider changing company next year.
David (Accommodation: Taglialegna)

Overall impression: It was simply wonderful and more than I could have hoped for!!
Highlights: Our villa was in such a lovely location - tucked away in the quiet hills, but close to every Tuscan site we could wish to visit!
Unpleasant surprises: Only that our bank put a "security caution" on our ATM card...even though I had phoned them before we left the US to explicity let them know we'd be in Italy! This presented a hardship for a day when we were trying to get from Venice to Florence to pick up our rental ca. We were low on cash, and with the time difference, we had to wait 8 hours for the security department of our bank to open! My recommendation to any US traveller in Italy (and especially in the Tuscan countryside) - never carry less that 150 - 200 Euros in cash!
Marla Gerein (Accommodation: Pesci)

Overall impression: Very good! We really enjoyed it, including the kids!
Highlights: Accommodation, weather and breathtaking surroundings.
Unpleasant surprises: No!
Magnus (Accommodation: Taglialegna)

Dear Dympna,
Everything was great and it all ran very skoothly. The computer room was an added bonus which was great so our son could check his e-mails. Which turned out to be important for his forthcoming departure to Bath Uni.
We didin't dislike anything! And the web site was very true to what we found.
The cottage was fantastic for Italian standards, we have stayed in a lot of places and this was the best equiped (apart from a choppin board) cottage we have ever had. It is usually on the primitive side but here all was there and functioning!!!! Thanks for all. We had a great time and visited lots of beautifull places and the highlight was Siena by night!
Regards, Anna (Accommodation: La Stella)

Overall impression: The accomodation was lovely, although we were a little disappointed that the view from the upper terrace was interrupted by ugly bars.
Highlights: Dining in the local restaurants. Management on site was very friendly.
Unpleasant surprises: I didn't bank on the hamlet being so family orientated. There was a familty next to us with 4 very small kids and our day was really dictated by when they got up and if they were in...also, there wasn't much peace around the pool....
I would have like to have been told about this and it did marr our holiday.
Also, although the property was nice i thought it  was old and was surprised it was a purpose built hamlet. this wasn't obvious from the marketing.
Thankyou however, for helping us with our holiday...
regards
Andrea (Accommodation: Mietitore)

Overall impression: We were very happy with the apartment - it was very clean and had everything we needed. I would definitely recommend staying there to friends/family.
Highlights: The wonderful food (and owners) at the restaurant in San Sano.
Wine tasting at Castello Tornano, Le Micchine, Rocca di Castigilione, Castello Nueva di Ama
Unpleasant surprises: The DVD player didn't work, which was a letdown as we'd actually brought DVDs all the way from the States with us.
Julie (Accommodation: Mietitore)

Overall impression: Very comfortable and cozy.  The view was spectacular.  I was only sorry the weather wasn't great for sitting out on the patio.  A light in the kitchen would have helped.   The only issue -- the walls were very thin between units, but not a big problem, although I could see if there were noisy people next door, it could spoil the experience.
Highlights: Montepulciano, Volterra and Siena, although I think one of the best days was hiking through Chianti from Radda to Volpaia.  Exquisite.  This hike was described in the binder left in the villa.  Very good directions.
Unpleasant surprises: Just the thin walls between villas.  The light in the kitchenwould have helped.
Sara (Accommodation: La Stella)

Overall impression: Impressed with everything about Taglialena. Situation, outlook, facilties..
Highlights: Weather and food.
Unpleasant surprises:None.
Thomas (accommodation: Taglialegna)