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Reviews TUSCANY
Michelle Howes , 3 adults and 2 children from Harbord – NSW
Where: Chianti, Tuscany
Property: Serristori – ITC814
2008 July 12-19
We enjoyed our stay in Tuscany . The accommodation was very nice, the location was pretty and an easy distance from the Autostrada and Florence . It was also very reasonably priced so we would recommend it to other travellers.
We will certainly be heading over again in 2010 and will call on your services again.
Thanks and regards,
Michelle Howes
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C & B Morrow, 7 adults from Melbourne – VIC Property: ITC426 – Caggio 6G
Where: in the Chianti Classico area, 7 km to Castellina
2008 May 3-10
Dear Travel and More,
It has been a year since we stayed in the delightful Tuscan villa we booked through you.
We certainly did enjoy our stay there. The setting of the villa was beautiful - marvellous views across the vineyards and the sunsets over the surrounding hills. Magic!
The accommodation was excellent and the position just what we wanted. Obviously we needed a car to get to the nearby village of Castellina in Chianti (which was a delight in itself) and to visit Siena and many fortified hilltop towns in the area. But being out of town on farmland, it was also ideal for peaceful walks along the country lanes.
The villa was perfect for our needs and I received many flattering remarks about my selection of accommodation from the friends who joined us there. Those compliments should really go to you! We would all love to return one day!
Many thanks for your assistance in the past.
Regards,
C & B Morrow.
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Janet & Ross McGovern and their friends – 4 adults from North Perth - WA Certaldo (Chianti area)
2008 April 7-10
Hello,
Just thought I would email you to let you know we are back from our wonderful holiday in Italy & Croatia and I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for arranging our accommodation in Certaldo of which was fantastic.
Elio and his wife were a delight, picking up and taking us back from the train station and he couldn't do enough for us. He took us to a vineyard which was great (of which we bought several bottles of Red) and he also organised a friend to take us to San Gimignano, this village was so interesting. Certaldo Alto and the apartment were beautiful.
We have no hesitation in recommending your Company Travel & More to anyone who is looking for fantastic places to stay on their holiday. The service you gave us and even the directions on how to get to our destinations was great. We have given our Travel agent your name as he had no contacts in Italy only Croatia .
Thanks again and hope we can use your Company again one day.
Jan & Ross McGovern
PS: The only small criticism we have of Certaldo was that there was no toaster or washing facilities but we managed.
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Heather & Colin Dempsey – 2 adults & 3 children – Highton (Geelong) - VIC
Certaldo (Chianti area)
Property : Mercansia 1, ITC799
2007, October 13–20
Dear all,
We loved our accommodation in Certaldo. It was very spacious, clean and well equipped. The rooftop terrace was an additional bonus. The location suited us perfectly as we were travelling only on public transport; we did not have a car. We could easily walk down the hill to the main town for supermarkets, banks, etc and we were able to make 2 day trips to San Gimignano and Siena from the train station. Despite being so conveniently located to all services, staying the Old Town meant we still felt we were "getting away from it all". It was a quiet location and felt quite private.
If I were to point out any negatives, they are quite minor. I don't think the kitchen/meals area floor had been washed properly - there were a few dirty spots. We lost water supply several times on the last couple of days we were there. The first time I rang the owner and the problem was attended to promptly. For subsequent times, we worked out the problem ourselves and were able to get the supply running again. This may be a maintenance issue for the owners to look at.
Overall we very much enjoyed our stay and I would certainly recommend this apartment to anyone (I already have!).
Regards,
Heather Dempsey.
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Susan & John Phillis – 4 adults – from Dernancourt ( Adelaide ) - SA
Where: Camaiore
Property : Summonti, ILV448
2007, October 6–13
Dear all,
We had a great time in Italy , thank you.
The accommodation at Summonti was excellent. It is a very old restored house on 3 levels up in the hills behind Camaoire. It was quite different from anything we had stayed in before and retained its authentic heritage. The house was very well presented and the owner was exceptionally helpful.
The location was quite remote although only 3 kilometres from the village. The view from the house was spectacular over the valley through to the sea.
I would thoroughly recommend the accommodation as a good base for exploring the Pisa-Lucca area as well as the Cinque Terre, Portofino , and more.
Thank you for recommending this lovely property.
Susan Phillis.
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Pamela Oyarzun – 2 adults – from Collinswood (Adelaide) - SA
Where: San Gimignano
Property : Zafferano 3, ITV428
+ 2 nights in Florence
2007, July 26 – August 4
We had a wonderful time in Italy , the accommodation in St. Gimignano was absolutely perfect for us. Just the right amount of "atmosphere" coupled with modern conveniences! We loved having a little patio to sit on and look over the countryside. Had most of our meals there with copious amounts of Chianti. There were no issues with money/bond and arrival departure times, the lady organising it was very welcoming and helpful. So thank you! Transport was easy everywhere by bus/train and we managed to see all we had hoped to. The "Madam Butterfly" opera on the last night at the top of St. G. was superb and a wonderful finishing touch to Tuscany .
The hotel where we stayed in Florence was also a lovely place to stay, small and boutique more French than Italian. Price great, breakfast fantastic and they drew maps for us and recommended places to eat (where the locals go).
So all in all a good time.
Definitely be back in contact again soon as France is on my next hit list!
Cheers,
Pam.
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Karen & Don Holley - 2 adults & 2 children – from Sydney – NSW
Paris, Venice , Florence, Monteriggioni (Tuscany), Rome
2007 June 27 – July 17
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that we are back from our trip and had a wonderful time. All of the accommodation was good and in good locations. The people we had to deal with were also very good and helpful.
The Paris apartment was spacious and well maintained. It was very centrally located with a supermarket and metro station within easy walking distance.
Venice B&B was good and also very central. The breakfast which was included was of a good standard.
Florence B&B was very spacious and well maintained. The people were very good to deal with. Breakfast was brought into the room at a time to suit you and was very good. It was central to most things.
Monteriggioni was a lovely place to stay. Very quiet and lovely grounds. Breakfast was good. And the apartment was quite spacious.
Rome apartment was huge, nice and well maintained.
Thanks once again for your efforts with arranging accommodation.
Kind regards,
Karen Holley.
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Diana Connell 's family - 4 adults & 3 children – Williamstown (Melbourne) – VIC
Where: area of Arezzo
Property : Capitello – ITA418
2007 June 27 – July 17
Hello!
Just to let you know that all went very well during our trip to Italy and we had a fantastic time in a lovely country. The accommodation at Capitello, Rigutino was perfect for us and the owners were great. Hope our children weren't too noisy. The car hire also worked spot on. Thankyou for all your help
Diana Connell
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Julie & John Welsby - 4 adults – from Heathfield – SA
Where: Migliano
Property : ILV422 Amalfi Coast , Sorrento – Property : Adriana, ISC484
2007, June 9-16 & 23-30
Dear all,
We have been meaning to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip in Italy .
We did not encounter any problems with either accommodation or the car hire (brand new Volvo station wagon with 20 kms on the clock).
Migliano was very picturesque. Whilst no one spoke English the villagers were very welcoming and friendly. In fact one lady gave a bowl of cherries while we were waiting for Maria (the owner). The accommodation was well presented and comfortable. The only problem we encountered was trying to find a supermarket open on a Sunday. We were not aware the supermarkets did not generally open on Sundays. Our thoughts are that it may be a good idea to have some basic supplies at the house so that when you arrive late and tired and although Maria tried to help us we didn't have much luck in finding any shop open. Migliano is in a great area as it is close to Lucca , Pisa , Siena , Florence and Cinque Terre.
In Sorrento we were pleasantly surprised to discover how close the apartment was to the main square, the train station, buses and ferry. Connie was very helpful with advice to what to see, how to get there and how much it would cost.
We have recommended to some friends that are considering going to Italy shortly to contact you regarding accommodation in Italy and France .
Regards,
Julie and John Welsby.
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Graham & Ilona Griffiths - 2 adults – from Willetton ( Perth ) – WA
Where: San Gimignano
Property : Zafferano 1 – ITV416
May 19-26, 2007
Hi!
Just a short note to give you some feedback on our villa in Tuscany . We stayed at Zafferano 1 and it was fabulous. The villa was excellent for two people, the location was fantastic and the view memorable. If I could make one suggestion it would be that a toaster be provided in the villa. We had a wonderful time made all the more memorable by the great accommodation.
Many thanks.
Ilona Griffiths
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Kevin Lyons and his wife – 2 adults – from Twin Waters (Sunshine Coast) - QLD
Siena ( Tuscany ) & Bellagio ( Lake Como )
August 19 – September 2, 2006
Dear all,
We have just returned home from a most incredible holiday and I wanted to thank you for booking the car and selecting the most perfect accommodation in both Siena and Bellagio. The Agriturismo was beautiful and Christian did give me a tour of the farm and winery. The suite was excellent and we enjoyed our stay enormously. We were incredibly impressed with the apartment in Bellagio and this was the most memorable experience of our trip.
Thanks again for all your assistance.
Kind regards
Kevin Lyons
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Allison Pye and friends – 7 adults & 4 children – from Melbourne, London & Amsterdam
Where: Brandeglio
Property : Villa Al Colle – ITL440
July 8–22, 2006
Subject: Thanks!
Hello,
We are home from our holiday & the house in Brandeglio was perfect. Thanks for all your help in finding & organising it.
Cheers
Allison
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Anne Lainchbury and friends – 14 adults – from Australia & Europe
Two villas in Tuscany (Cortona) & an apartment in Corniglia (Cinque Terre)
May 9–27, 2006
In 2005 I started planning a trip to Italy and fortunately came across Travel and More - initially to try and learn a bit of Italian. The individualised classes were fun and flexible and I would definitely recommend the small group or individual sessions for people who don't enjoy large
community classes. From this I found that Travel and More operates an accommodation booking service - I wish I had realised this earlier - it would have saved me a lot of frustrating searches for the right villas! Once I knew how many people were going to join me (lots!). Travel and More found 2 superb villas for us that suited our needs perfectly. The first one in Southern Tuscany - in a small village near Cortona was in the most beautiful rural setting, and the second one, further north and close to Certaldo - near San Gimignano, was amazing with its 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. Both had stunning views and beautiful swimming pools. At both villas we enlisted the services of the local mamas to cook in house for us a couple of times-
this should not be missed! They also found me a perfect apartment in Corniglia in the Cinque Terra which was exactly what I asked for - on a hilltop, with a balcony over -looking the ocean.
I cannot thank you all enough for their help and attention to detail in making last years holiday definitely the trip of a lifetime.
Annie.
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Napier family: 2 adults and 3 teenagers, 13, 15 and 16 years – Sydney - NSW
Bellagio – Venice – Veneto – Siena - Rome
2006 December 23 - January 2007
Dear Christian,
Belated thanks for a wonderful month in Italy . The accommodation, travel arrangements, culture etc all met or exceeded our expectations. The Christmas decorations and food made a winter visit to Italy especially memorable. Thank you.
Bellagio: 6 nights. The winding road from Como was memorable as an introduction to Italian roads and drivers! Bellagio was magic. The apartment is small but perfectly located on a cobbled street. It was a delight to open the windows and shutters in the morning and look out over the rooftops to Lake Como and the mountains beyond. Adriana is a wonderful host and we managed to communicate despite my dodgy Italian. Christmas lunch at “Silvio” saw us sitting at a window table with a “chocolate box” view of Lake Como . Thanks for booking it for us! We sampled many courses win the company of locals and their extended families. The open fire at reception with the family dogs curled up in front of it completed the scene! We were welcomed by the locals and by the end of our stay were confidently taking car ferries all over the lake. We also managed a really memorable day trip to San Moritz. Most of the gardens and villas were closed over winter which was disappointing.
Venice: 3 nights. Thank you for recommending a fantastic genuinely authentic Venetian hotel located not far from the Academia Bridge . Arriving at the hotel jetty by water taxi set the scene for a memorable stay. Breakfasts were included and there was a broad range of choice with both hot and cold food. Staff was helpful making reservations at nearby restaurants and helping book concerts. We had a very sumptuous never-ending banquet on New Years Eve at a restaurant recommended by the hotel and came back to find gifts of Grappa and chocolates waiting in our rooms. “Buon Anno!” The gondola ride was wonderful bundled up in blankets and able to glide under churches that are only accessible at low tide. Even the Murano glass arrived safely following our return to Sydney .
Veneto: 4 nights, in San Zenone (near Asolo and Bassano la Grappa).This was a beautiful and very comfortably, recently restored farmhouse. The apartment was large and well heated with a wood fire in the kitchen. We ate at home a lot choosing to sample the local food. Our hostess made a special trip from Padua to welcome us and suggest villas and places to visit. We kept the washing machine busy. You would need a car to stay here but it is easily accessible to many places and we wish we had had more time to explore this lovely area. The traffic was fine for this time of year but can be a problem at peak times.
Siena: 3 nights in a farm stay. We stopped on the way at “Ferrari Galleria”, near Modena, for the Y chromosomes family members who overdosed on a huge display of racy cars through the years. Next stop was at our agriturismo by Siena where we met up with our NZ friends and their 2 teenagers. The landlords were wonderful hosts and we ate the best meals (and drank the best wine) we had tasted in Italy . Nadia even made our daughter a special “Senese” birthday cake for her 15 th birthday. The accommodation was comfortable and every room had its own bathroom. The dependence was an added bonus as a retreat for teenagers who spent many hours playing cards around the fireplace. The farm stay is very close to Siena and has beautiful views of olive groves and vineyards from its window. The food is all locally grown and organic.
Rome: 8 nights. The apartment was located near Barberini Square and Trevi fountain, a great location within easy walking distance of many attractions and shops. The apartment was very comfortable with a lift and good security but noisy, as is to be expected when staying in the middle of Rome . A special bonus was an “alimentari” directly opposite with welcoming smells from the coffee machine. The apartment was well heated and a handy washing machine again! We happened to have a problem with the door lock but it was quickly sorted by the caretaker who also helped providing local info rmation like where the nearest DVD store was located!
We really appreciated the comfortable and professional transfer to the airport from right outside our apartment! Thank you!
Overall a fantastic experience and made so much easier to organise with your experience and recommendations. There is no doubt I would have spent hours on the internet trying to find the perfect accommodation. It was so much more enjoyable to work through the choices you came up with having first eliminated everything that was not suitable. The rental car bookings went through without a hitch and the navigator was a life and time saver (except when it lost signal). We even got upgraded to a people mover when we went to collect our car at Venice airport. Though we did get stung with an extra days rental in Florence after getting lost in the Tuscan countryside taking the scenic route!
The only drawback to travel in winter is that less tourist info rmation places, villas and gardens are open. But there are definitely no long waits for museums and galleries and the winter sales are well worth the trip. We are looking forward to booking our next holiday with Travel and more and have no hesitation in recommending you to friends and colleagues.
Grazie mille.
Mary and Bill.
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