Casciana Terme Lari apartments

The property was a gem. From the website photos it looked great, reality was much better as it was bigger than expected, you got great atmosphere and its location in the heart of a peaceful historic Tuscan village was as authentic as you could hope for. We were there mid winter for 10 nights and the heating was more than adequate and the beds so comfortable and warm. Everything needed for self catering holiday was there,including nearby markets, however village and surrounds had several great dining places should you wish. Our 21 yr old son decided to stay with us for the duration. It is only one bedroom and the sun room with beds was a bit chilly for winter sleeping so he used the double fold out sofa in the lounge room which opened/closed very easily and proved very suitable and no hassle at all. The apartment is up 30 odd steep steps - not a problem but if you have some mobility issues then you would need to think about this carefully. As stated in information, a guest carpark is located about 100m from front door. This is used by residents and is quite handy and certainly safe. For proper exploration of the area you do need a car. Florence is a 10 min drive to Pontedere station and an easy 45 minute train ride; don;t drive. Pisa and Lucca are both a 20 minute drive and in winter we parked very close to the sites we wanted to see. Other recommended sights - San Gimignano, Volterra, Vinci - are a very easy drive and winter crowds were very few making Jan/Feb a fantastic time for crowdless sightseeing and easy parking. Cannot stress enough the value of a GPS in your car for getting around the myriad of roads. Marie and Lorenzo were delightful and helpful hosts and for those who do not speak Italian then these english speaking hosts are perfect. I cannot stress enough how wonderful the overall apartment and hosts made this wish for an authentic historic Tuscan holiday. If you want wide open spaces and wineries at your doorstep then this is not for you. If you want delightful, cosy, renovated 12th century accomodation in the heart of a 12th century village then don't look any further.