Holiday rentals and lettings in Tuscany

• Choice of accommodation: From rustic farmhouses to city-centre apartments, Tuscany's holiday lettings suit families, couples and groups.
• Where to stay: Base yourself in Florence for art, Siena for medieval charm or the Chianti countryside for vineyards, olive groves and peace and quiet.
• Top-rated retreats: Our highest-scoring Tuscan lettings of the past year are regularly praised for their pools, hillside views and warm welcomes.
• Best time to visit: Late spring and early autumn bring warm days, fewer crowds and the grape harvest, whilst summer is ideal for the coast and Elba.
• Things to do: Wander Florence, climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa, explore Siena's Piazza del Campo and taste Chianti wine straight from the source.

Tuscany's holiday lettings span every style and budget, from restored countryside stone farmhouses to bright apartments in the heart of Florence. Families gravitate towards spacious villas in Tuscany with private gardens, whilst couples favour cosy countryside boltholes. If a summer dip is a must, villas with pools in Tuscany are plentiful, and city breakers will find well-placed apartments in Tuscany in walkable neighbourhoods. Look out for popular amenities including:

• Private or shared swimming pools
• Gardens and terraces
• Wi-Fi and air conditioning
• Outdoor barbecues

For a special occasion, upgrade to luxury rentals in Tuscany and enjoy the extra touches that elevate your holiday.

What are the best areas to stay in Tuscany?

For most visitors, Florence and the Chianti countryside strike the best balance of culture, scenery and convenience, though the right base really depends on what you want from your trip. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Holidu guests praise Tuscan properties, raving about the warm welcomes from local hosts, the spotless pools and the dreamy hillside settings. Many reviewers mention how well placed their lettings were for day trips to Florence, Siena and the Chianti vineyards.

Here are our top-rated holiday lettings from the past year:

1. Studio 'Libeccio' with shared pool, wifi and air conditioning - 10.0: A spotless studio for two in Scandicci, just outside Florence, with a shared pool and air conditioning that guests called a real highlight on warm summer days.
2. Apartment 'Il Cerro Basic Per Due' with shared pool and shared garden - 9.9+: A peaceful couples' retreat in Pelago, Florence Province, where the shared garden and pool and the quiet hillside setting won guests over.
3. Room 'Salice - Antiche Dimore Di Vescovado' with shared pool and garden - 9.7+: A characterful room in Murlo, Siena Province, with a shared pool and garden, ideal for couples exploring the medieval towns of southern Tuscany.

Tuscany sits in central Italy, stretching from the Apennine Mountains down to a long Mediterranean coastline on the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas, with Florence as its capital.

✈️What is the best way to get to Tuscany?

Getting to Tuscany is straightforward, with options by air, rail and road. Here are the most common ways to get to the region:

• Plane: Tuscany has two main airports — Florence (Amerigo Vespucci) and Pisa (Galileo Galilei) — both well served by flights from across the UK, and both with good local transport links. Pisa in particular handles many low-cost routes.
• Train: Italy's high-speed network links Florence's Santa Maria Novella station to Rome, Milan and Bologna in a couple of hours, and regional trains fan out to Pisa, Lucca, Siena and Arezzo.
• Car: The A1 motorway runs the length of the region, connecting Florence with Arezzo and the south, whilst the A11 heads west towards Lucca and the coast. A car is invaluable for reaching the Chianti vineyards and hilltop villages, though many city centres are restricted to residents.

🥗Where to eat in Tuscany?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Trattoria Mario is the best-rated restaurant in Tuscany. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest travellers Clara and Nick recommend Trattoria Sostanza in Florence: this tiny, old-school Florentine trattoria is famous for its signature butter-fried chicken and bustling, no-frills atmosphere — book ahead, as locals fill the shared tables quickly.

☀️When is the best time to visit?

The best time to visit Tuscany is from May to September, when warm, settled weather is ideal for exploring the countryside and the coast. For the most pleasant conditions and fewer crowds, aim for late spring or early autumn, when the light is golden and the grape harvest is in full swing.

Spring

• Best for: Sightseeing, walking and wildflower-filled countryside.
• Weather: Mild and fresh, with comfortable daytime temperatures and the odd shower.
• Atmosphere: Relaxed and quiet, before the summer crowds arrive.

Summer

• Best for: Beach days on the coast and the island of Elba.
• Weather: Hot and dry, often well into the thirties inland.
• Atmosphere: Lively and busy, with festivals and long, late evenings.

Autumn

• Best for: Wine lovers and foodies during the harvest season.
• Weather: Warm early on, cooling gently towards November.
• Atmosphere: Mellow and atmospheric, with golden vineyards and local food festivals.

⭐Our hosts' recommendation: Our Tuscany local expert, Lucia of Apartment 'Il Cerro Basic Per Due' with shared pool and shared garden, recommends setting aside a day for the Chianti wine road between Florence and Siena, stopping at small family wineries for a tasting. You can read more about the region on Tuscany's official tourism guide.

1. Lose yourself in Florence's art and architecture
2. Be charmed by medieval Siena
3. Climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa
4. Taste your way through the Chianti vineyards
5. Discover the hilltop towns of the Val d'Orcia

1. Lose yourself in Florence's art and architecture

   Florence is an open-air museum. Spend a morning at the Uffizi Gallery among Botticelli's masterpieces, then stand beneath Brunelleschi's vast Duomo dome before crossing the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio at dusk. Don't miss Michelangelo's original David at the Accademia, and leave time to wander the Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace.

2. Be charmed by medieval Siena

   Siena feels like stepping back into the Middle Ages. Its heart is the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, where locals gather at sunset and the famous Palio horse race thunders round twice each summer. Climb the Torre del Mangia for rooftop views, admire the striped marble cathedral, and get pleasantly lost in the steep medieval lanes.

3. Climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa

   No trip to Tuscany is complete without the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Part of the beautiful Piazza dei Miracoli, the tilting bell tower sits alongside the cathedral and baptistery on a carpet of green lawn. Book ahead to climb the 294 steps for the view, then strike the obligatory photo of you 'holding up' the tower.

4. Taste your way through the Chianti vineyards

   The Chianti hills between Florence and Siena are the Tuscany of postcards. Follow the Chiantigiana wine road through villages such as Greve in Chianti, stopping at family-run wineries to taste robust Sangiovese reds straight from the cellar accompanying long lunches of local pecorino and salami. Access is easy with a villa near Vinci as your countryside base.

5. Discover the hilltop towns of the Val d'Orcia

   South of Siena, the Val d'Orcia is a UNESCO-listed landscape of golden hills, lone cypress trees and storybook towns. Wander the Renaissance streets of Pienza, famed for its pecorino cheese, sip Brunello in Montalcino, and soak in the natural hot springs at Bagno Vignoni.