Piazza al Serchio holiday villa

We were two families with five children between us from 7 to 17. The area is very friendly but bone up on your Italian or take a phrase book, there is not much English spoken at all!

We have just returned from a wonderful holiday in Piazza al Serchio! We arrived on the Saturday at about 4pm to thunder and rain, but lots of people smiling and finishing off the clearing up. By the time Rita had shown us round the immaculate house, complete with a welcoming home made giant plum tart and bottle of Vino Frizzante, the sun had come out and everything was done! It was a lovely, very Italian greeting!!

The house seemed very much a home, and there was as said in the details, a lovely sense of space and light. We felt able to spread ourselves out and enjoy quieter times while the children were noisly enjoying the excellent and warm pool! I hope they didn't spoil the neighbours tranquility too much! Our only minor critisicm is that the dishwasher and hob had seen better days, but were fully functional. The villa description is accurate and importantly the beds are comfortable!

Rita and her husband appeared a couple of days after our arrival with 10 freshly made individual pizzas, then the following week Bruno brought us a bag of chilled drinks and having heard us sing Happy Birthday to one of the children popped in with a family sized Tiramisu! We felt extraordinarily priviliged and well looked after!

Over our fortnight there the sun shone consistently while we managed easy train trips to Lucca and Florence (how hot was that!) and press number one on the automatic ticket machine to get the right tickets - important tip! We used our cars to enjoy Barga, Lake Gramalazzo - fantastic swimming!- and the nearby villages. Piazza al Serchio had everything we needed while still being a very off the tourist trail, quiet, Italian village! Our Italian has improved immeasurably!!! We played in the village river and went to the Pisanino and the other pizza restaurant at the top of the hill. Both helped us with the ordering and produced wonderful meals.

We felt very rested with our lazy days in the sunshine, but still managed to instill a bit of culture in the children! We all from age 7 upwards thought the area was spectacularly beautiful and hope to return and explore more another time. Abbiamo avuto una bellissima vaccazione!! (Well, sort of...!)

We had two fabulous weeks at Villa Piazza late June/early July. The villa is huge and is perfect for three couples or two families holidaying together. The solar heated pool was warm and clean but not over chlorinated. Plenty of outdoor seating and eating areas and fantastic views of the Alps all around. The gardens are lovingly cared for and are full of colourful plants, pots, fruit trees and vines.

The tiny village is a steep but short walk uphill and has three restaurants in the square serving basic pizza, pasta etc., a snack bar for paninis and cappachino, bank, two supermarkets, fruit and veg shop, bakers, pharmacy, petrol stations etc.

The railway station is a 5 minute walk from which you can take the regional train to Lucca, Pisa and Florence (change at Lucca). However, the trains do not seem to run to timetable and so planning your day out can be rather hit and miss. I would recommend a car to see the best of the area.

Recommended for all ages but older teenagers might be bored as it is very quiet and the open plan staircase may make it unsuitable for very young children.

During our stay, one of our party was taken unwell. The emergency contact and local neighbours were extremely kind and helpful and came to our assistance immediately.

I would not hesitate to recommend this villa to others who want a peaceful, relaxing holiday in very comfortable accommodation, in an unspoilt traditional Tuscan village.

A lovely weeks holiday. House, linen and kitchen equipment very clean. Garden superb with many sitting out areas and the owners were extremely welcoming.

We had a one and four year old who loved the playhouse, swings and toys. The house itself is perhaps less suitable for a toddler because of the open stairs and the many fragile ornaments within easy reach!

The pool is great for adults, but was too cold for the children to really enjoy. Perhaps later in the summer this would not be a problem.

A stunning area - we would recommend the train trip to Lucca.

We recommend this for an enjoyable family holiday.