So, Italy, then.

[Alderman Barnes]

The missus and I are thinking about our summer holidays this year, and she has intimated that she'd like to go to Italy, or more precisely Tuscany.

For some reason, Italian geography is a total blind spot for me. I know nothing about Tuscany, except that it's supposed to be very nice and I quite fancy the idea of sampling the local food and wine. I even had to look where it was on the map, and I didn't realise it was by the sea.

Have any of you got any suggestions about where to go and what to do? We're thinking about driving down, and we'll have our four-year-old daughter with us.

The one thing I'm worried about is that it will be very expensive. Is that true?

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

Jeez, where to start?

City or country?
Hotel or self-catering?
One base or several?
How long?

A possible drawback of Tuscany is that it is absolutely crawling with the kind of Brits that set SR and PG's teeth on edge. There are fewer of these people (but still some) in Umbria or the Marche, which may also be a bit cheaper.

BTW, this book is a very good place to start if you considering Tuscany.

[Ek weet nie]

So, Italy, then.

If city is your preference, you might consider doing a couple of cities. The train system is great to my Irish eyes. We did Venice, Florence and Rome in ten days which was slightly rushed but we had a fantastic time.

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

The train system will seem antediluvian to Alderman's Berlin-based eyes, but it isn't that bad if one limits oneself to travelling between significant cities.

For hill towns, wineries, "agriturismi", and the like, however, one really needs a car (or be willing to bike or walk significant distances).

[Ek weet nie]

So, Italy, then.

In my excitement to post about Italy I missed "Tuscany" and the fact that it was the dual citizen posting.

[Alderman Barnes]

So, Italy, then.

Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I was a bit short of detail there.

Country, but mainly not too far from the sea: Mrs. Barnes wants to spend at least some time lying on a beach. That was my first worry because I didn't realise there were any beaches there.

Self-catering, or hotel with breakfast at a push.

One base, preferably. Travelling around the region sightseeing and taking in the culture would be nice, but it's not really practical with a four-year-old in tow. It needs to be something more leisurely.

A fortnight, I should think.

The fact that it's crawling with That Kind Of Brit was one of my worries. Not that I can't put up with them or avoid them, but because they might make it a bit pricey.

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

Does she know what Italian beaches are like? Is she familiar with umbrella culture?

[ad hoc]

So, Italy, then.

Elba

It's fantastic

[Alderman Barnes]

So, Italy, then.

ursus arctos wrote:

Does she know what Italian beaches are like? Is she familiar with umbrella culture?

Come to think of it, I think she might have been to Italy once when she was a kid, but I certainly don't. It sounds intriguing and slightly worrying. Do tell.

[Edit: aha - I see]

The Marche looks interesting, by the way.

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

Not surprisingly, ad hoc and I are on a similar wavelength. If you want to do beaches in Tuscany and avoid the excesses of places like the above where one has to rent an umbrella and lounge chair by the day and deal with people sitting within 50 centimetres of you while not spending a massive amount of money, then Elba and the other islands in the archipelago are your best bet (and Elba is certainly the best base).

Unfortunately, I haven't been there in 20 years, so my information is crap. this article from the Independent covers some basics.

And here are some possibilities in the Marche

[Alderman Barnes]

So, Italy, then.

Brilliant, chaps - thanks for the help!

[Anton Gramscescu]

So, Italy, then.

I've never been - why is Elba so great? Why is it better than, say, Sardinia?

[ad hoc]

So, Italy, then.

I'm not sure that it is better, but it's in Tuscany. Also, it feels more like an island with little out of the way coves and what have you, whereas Sardinia is so big that it feels more than an island, if you see what i mean. Plus it's only a short hop from the mainland so if you did want to do a day trip to Siena or Lucca or somewhere you could easily do so.

[Anton Gramscescu]

So, Italy, then.

That sounds nice. Where does one catch the ferry?

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

Piombino, which is on the railway line between Rome and Livorno/Pisa/Genova.

Some pieces on Elba from Italy's best travel magazine (in Italian, of course).

[JtS]

So, Italy, then.

I think Caliban may have written a book on Tuscany (or something like that)

[hobbes]

So, Italy, then.

My mate's getting hitched here in September:-

http://www.ilcastagno.net

P and I are staying next door here:-

www.tenutaquadrifoglio.it

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

Repubblica just happened to publish a rather incredible slide show of Tuscan "umbrella culture" this morning.

Just in case AB needs any further convincing that Elba is the way to go.

[Otto Katz]

So, Italy, then.

I just don't understand Italian umbrella culture.

[JtS]

So, Italy, then.

Italian Umbrella Ultra

[Alderman Barnes]

So, Italy, then.

Good lord - that looks even worse than Strandkörbe.

So, Elba, then. Where are the best parts the island to stay, and what type of accommodation should I go for?

A hotel's far too expensive, by the look of it. Self-catering apartments don't look too bad, but I've noticed there are a lot of farmhouses on the website. Are they any good?

If we do go to Italy, I'll try not to post on OTF braying about a delightful little vineyard we discovered or use the word Azzurri.

[ursus arctos]

So, Italy, then.

I think ad hoc is your man here, as my first hand info is way out of date. A few general observations:

1) if you are thinking of making more than one or two day trips to the mainland, it makes sense to try to be closer to the ferry landing;

2) "agritourismi" are quite the range in Italy at the moment and are generally quite nice, but I would try to find out as much as possible about the place before boooking, as the range of accomodations and services varies considerably;

3) the tourist office is likely to be a good place to start; they are generally quite helpful and used to dealing with foreigners.

[anton pulisov]

So, Italy, then.

The north end of Lago di Garda, where vertical slopes descend directly into the lake. Warm, breezy days, thunderstorms in the late afternoon and clear evenings. Every day, like clockwork.

[Alderman Barnes]

So, Italy, then.

Just bumping this up to say thanks for the advice, particularly to Ad Hoc and Ursus. We ended up having a fortnight in an affordable hotel on Elba and really enjoyed it, apart from a couple of Camp Granada moments in the first few days. Cheers, OTF.

[hobbes]

So, Italy, then.

I too got back the other day from a week near San Gimignano. Weather was shit for a couple of the days, but the food! The wine! The food again!
I'd lost 10lbs before I went. Good thing too, I put 4 back on in a week.