We've finally taken the decision to buy a house in Italy - I'm so excited! We have a week off in March and may visit to start looking at some property. We have driven down from mid-Wales many times but never in late winter/early spring.
We're hoping to buy a house in the southern tuscany/umbria area around Lago di Trasimeno area. We only have a modest budget - up to about 90,000 euro. We will be going over in June and hope to arrange to view some properties.
We were down that way a couple of weeks ago and stayed in Eguisheim - about 10 minutes south of Colmar. I think the hotel was Hostellerie trois comtes. A lovely picturesque village with a wine shop on practically every corner. Very handy for the motorway and hotel had a nice restaurant. The traffic through Basel however was horrendous both ways but worth it for the lovely weather when we got to Garda.
Many thanks for the feedback. We may do flydrive. Depends on prices. Sometimes just as cheap to drive depending on price of flights and car hire as the nearer to holiday we book the more expensive the flights but Eurotunnel prices seem to be more constant. We would fly probably from Gatwick either to Pisa or Rome. We're looking in Umbria but have also seen a couple of places in Le Marche. We have seem some places north of Lucca but have never explored that area. Looking for something fairly modest (in price) that we can holiday in at first and then retire to in a couple of years. So somewhere with 2 bedrooms but perhaps with a couple of rooms that we can restore in the future also want some outside space.
Many thanks for the feedback. We may do flydrive. Depends on prices. Sometimes just as cheap to drive depending on price of flights and car hire as the nearer to holiday we book the more expensive the flights but Eurotunnel prices seem to be more constant. We would fly probably from Gatwick either to Pisa or Rome. We're looking in Umbria but have also seen a couple of places in Le Marche. We have seem some places north of Lucca but have never explored that area. Looking for something fairly modest (in price) that we can holiday in at first and then retire to in a couple of years. So somewhere with 2 bedrooms but perhaps with a couple of rooms that we can restore in the future also want some outside space.
I love home made soup and had some tomato and coriander in work the other day. However on a miserable rainy winter Sunday in Wales you can't wack a bowl of Heinz tinned tomato soup with some freshly ground black pepper and bread to dip in for lunch - good comfort food!
Bad weather in UK. 3 ffet of snow in Edinburgh and lots in north east. 500 people stuck in cars on the m8 overnight a few days ago. Bit of a thaw on at the moment and it's above freezing but more snow forecast for next week especially in the east. It may be advisable to put on winter tyres, carry blankets, screenwash (although mine's been frozen for the past 10 days) and spade. Hope you have a good journey
We've driven down and back through Germany. Going south we stayed in Nurtingen near Stuttgart and then on down to Lago di Misurina in the Dolomites. Driving home we normally go over the Brenner Pass and then Stuttgart, Kaiserslautern and on up into Belgium - staying at lovely little Hostellerie des Tilleuls in Smuid 5 mins off the motorway near the European Space Centre. This year we spent a night on Lake Constance - Meersburg and then up through Germany and France and back into Belgium. Have also stayed in Trier. Autobahns fairly good and very disciplined but on the whole find the French autoroutes to be the best drive if a little pricey. Have a good holiday.
We're hoping to buy a house in the southern tuscany/umbria area around Lago di Trasimeno area. We only have a modest budget - up to about 90,000 euro. We will be going over in June and hope to arrange to view some properties. This is a preliminary search for a small place to holiday prior to retiring full time in a few years. The other area we like is around Lake Garda but cannot afford to but there. Has anyone got any views about whther it would be better to get a longer term let rather than but at this stage? Would love to hear some views. Also would like to hear from anyone living in Umbria or Southern Tuscany and their experiences. We have been visiting Italy for the past 14 years and drive down from mid-Wales most years so are familiar with the areas we are interested in but have not had any dealings with estate agents so would value any advice anyone has to give. We are not particularly looking to get rental income and want to integrate in a community.
We live in mid-wales and drove down to Pesaro this year. Journey down we stayed in Folkestone and then an early train. Night in Chamonix and then in Pesaro for 3pm.On the way home we stayed in the dolomites - Val Gardena which is beautiful and then through Austria, Germany, Luxembourg (very cheap petrol) and stayed in Belgium. From there it was about 3 and a half hours back to the Eurotunnel.Helen
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We were down that way a couple of weeks ago and stayed in Eguisheim - about 10 minutes south of Colmar. I think the hotel was Hostellerie trois comtes. A lovely picturesque village with a wine shop on practically every corner. Very handy for the motorway and hotel had a nice restaurant. The traffic through Basel however was horrendous both ways but worth it for the lovely weather when we got to Garda.
Many thanks for the feedback. We may do flydrive. Depends on prices. Sometimes just as cheap to drive depending on price of flights and car hire as the nearer to holiday we book the more expensive the flights but Eurotunnel prices seem to be more constant. We would fly probably from Gatwick either to Pisa or Rome. We're looking in Umbria but have also seen a couple of places in Le Marche. We have seem some places north of Lucca but have never explored that area. Looking for something fairly modest (in price) that we can holiday in at first and then retire to in a couple of years. So somewhere with 2 bedrooms but perhaps with a couple of rooms that we can restore in the future also want some outside space.
Many thanks for the feedback. We may do flydrive. Depends on prices. Sometimes just as cheap to drive depending on price of flights and car hire as the nearer to holiday we book the more expensive the flights but Eurotunnel prices seem to be more constant. We would fly probably from Gatwick either to Pisa or Rome. We're looking in Umbria but have also seen a couple of places in Le Marche. We have seem some places north of Lucca but have never explored that area. Looking for something fairly modest (in price) that we can holiday in at first and then retire to in a couple of years. So somewhere with 2 bedrooms but perhaps with a couple of rooms that we can restore in the future also want some outside space.
I love home made soup and had some tomato and coriander in work the other day. However on a miserable rainy winter Sunday in Wales you can't wack a bowl of Heinz tinned tomato soup with some freshly ground black pepper and bread to dip in for lunch - good comfort food!
Happy Christmas to all on the forum from a very snowy and very cold mid Wales.
Bad weather in UK. 3 ffet of snow in Edinburgh and lots in north east. 500 people stuck in cars on the m8 overnight a few days ago. Bit of a thaw on at the moment and it's above freezing but more snow forecast for next week especially in the east. It may be advisable to put on winter tyres, carry blankets, screenwash (although mine's been frozen for the past 10 days) and spade. Hope you have a good journey
Have also had a strange hello dear message. Will block and delete.
We've driven down and back through Germany. Going south we stayed in Nurtingen near Stuttgart and then on down to Lago di Misurina in the Dolomites. Driving home we normally go over the Brenner Pass and then Stuttgart, Kaiserslautern and on up into Belgium - staying at lovely little Hostellerie des Tilleuls in Smuid 5 mins off the motorway near the European Space Centre. This year we spent a night on Lake Constance - Meersburg and then up through Germany and France and back into Belgium. Have also stayed in Trier. Autobahns fairly good and very disciplined but on the whole find the French autoroutes to be the best drive if a little pricey. Have a good holiday.
We're hoping to buy a house in the southern tuscany/umbria area around Lago di Trasimeno area. We only have a modest budget - up to about 90,000 euro. We will be going over in June and hope to arrange to view some properties. This is a preliminary search for a small place to holiday prior to retiring full time in a few years. The other area we like is around Lake Garda but cannot afford to but there. Has anyone got any views about whther it would be better to get a longer term let rather than but at this stage? Would love to hear some views. Also would like to hear from anyone living in Umbria or Southern Tuscany and their experiences. We have been visiting Italy for the past 14 years and drive down from mid-Wales most years so are familiar with the areas we are interested in but have not had any dealings with estate agents so would value any advice anyone has to give. We are not particularly looking to get rental income and want to integrate in a community.
We live in mid-wales and drove down to Pesaro this year. Journey down we stayed in Folkestone and then an early train. Night in Chamonix and then in Pesaro for 3pm.On the way home we stayed in the dolomites - Val Gardena which is beautiful and then through Austria, Germany, Luxembourg (very cheap petrol) and stayed in Belgium. From there it was about 3 and a half hours back to the Eurotunnel.Helen