9620 Tuscany - Holiday Home

Hi I have just returned from a cycling holiday in Tuscany and I have fallen in love with the area. My partner and I are renting a cottage near San Gimnagno in October for three weeks, to sample living in Italy, before purchasing a property. We would like to buy a house either in a village or small town. The town should have all the usual shops and good transport links. It would also be great to have some classical music concerts. We don't currently speak Italian so a town that is friendly towards Scots would be great. Please let me know which towns in Tuscany we should have a look at when we next visit in October. Many thanks George

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/22/2008 - 09:19

Hi George. You could try [url=http://www.glasgowwestend.co.uk/travel/barga05.php]Barga - Chianti, Culture and Chips[/url] ... but it depends just how "friendly" you're lookng for, this may be one step beyond!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/25/2008 - 11:22

We fell in love with that area as well but bought in the Northern part of Tuscany an are called Lunigiana- maybe worth you having a look.! We bought in a small village which is very friendly with two restaurants and corner shop- just a thought.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 05/25/2008 - 15:56

You should perhaps check out the Casentino - ('m going to get shot here, because the places I am about to mention perhaps are not technically in that zone) - but Poppi, Bibbiena etc. are extremely pleasant, and from an ex-pat point of view reasonably travellable from.

You have to understand that places within a short commute from Florence or Siena (or close to the less attractive high-employment towns such as Empoli) cost more because normal Italians want to live in them. On the other hand, places which have historically attracted British or Americans (almost irrespective of how far off the beaten track) are also overpriced. (San Gimignano or Montecatini come into this category). You are wise to spend a bit of time here researching, but it would also be useful for you to search on houses for sale to get a notion of how prices can differ. Tuscany is a huge region, and (for example) Montalcino is not only miles away physically, (but also climatically), from some of the delightful almost mountain villages in Lunigiana. Horses for courses - see what you come up with.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 07:40

Around Arezzo is very nice and very Italian - we've got an apartment in Sansepolcro. Prices are more reasonable also.

You could always rent our flat for a couple of weeks while you're looking. Send me a pm if you're interested.

:winki:

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 07:57

I know the area you are talking about George as we have stayed there too, its very pretty but can be very busy and full of tourists, have you (tongue in cheek here) considered Le Marche,? we much prefer it and it is equally,or in our opinion more beautiful.Without all the tourists except around Urbino and larger cities and even then its on a much smaller scale.
A

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 12:33

George we have been living in Sansepolcro for a few years ideal for your criteria, ( they were very sorry when they knocked scotland out of the euro championship, i am a scot) Our apartment is 50 metres from the theatre which has various programmes all year, town is great , all services, hospital, train. bus stations, large supermarkets and hills and countrside all around. (Our apartment for sale send private message for more info on the town etc)
Kind regards yours aye Brian (Wigtownshire)