Viareggio holiday apartment

This is a spacious flat on 2nd floor (3rd floor by US standards) with lots of beds (bunks and doubles in each of bedroom), large windows and breezes blowing in - plus a sea view over the buildings across the street. The owner is wonderful - courteous and caring and very accessible by phone and email in advance. Although she doesn’t live in Viareggio, there is a caretaker in town who attended to anything we needed.

We stayed 3 weeks. The flat is not luxurious, but this is not at all a drawback. It is a very large authentic living space with two large bathrooms. No shower curtains - , so be prepared to learn how to keep the floor dry. There is a dishwasher and washing machine. Walk up 10 steps then there is a 1-person tiny elevator that opens into the apartment.

The beach is one block away, with many bathing areas. Off-season the prices for renting umbrellas and chairs, at the bathing areas are negotiable.

Viareggio does not have many great restaurants. We ate at home most of the time, shopping at the outdoor market, two ‘grocery stores’ within easy walk, at nearby small fish and fresh stores whose owners we got to know well. Pastries and coffee were a different matter! We also found a large, family-run rosticceria in a building the middle of the outdoor market that had wonderful cooked food to take home.

The people at the travel agency across the street on Viale Michelangelo Buonarotti are helpful and really nice.

Across the street in the Pine Woods one can rent bikes reasonably The apartment is 1 block from the beach and walkway and one can ride a bike on the bike path along the beach all the way to Lido di Camaiore in about one hour. . We all used bikes, trains and busses to get around. The train and bus stations are within walking distance and on bus lines. We used local buses (to and from Pisa Airport), to Pietrasanta, Lido di Camaiore, and Lucca. The train to Florence takes under two hours! The train to Cinque Terre is convenient. And from LaSpezia it is easy to take boat rides to Cinque Terre also.

There is a great internet café near the bus station (Galleria D'Azeglio, 61, 380 429 1408).

Although two of us spoke passable Italian, you do not need to speak Italian to enjoy Viareggio. However, trying Italian helps make friends! On one of my trips to Florence a Florentine was amazed when I said I was staying in Viareggio. “How did you find that? That is where we Italians vacation.”

After two delicious weeks in Viareggio it is time for everyday life again. I - we will miss this apartment, it is in excellent condition, spacious, clean. If I could put my finger on something it must be that I would have a new big knife in the kitchen (:-)). The apartment has a perfect location, near the beach, playground for the kids in the park, close to the shopping street. We had a very late arrival, but the housemate Anna was waiting for us, she do not talk english, but this was not a problem at all. Both Fransesca and Anna are very friendly and serviceminded people.

I highly recomend this location to families with Kids and to all other, we will come back on a later occasion.

Geir,

What a perfect spot to be in! We have two teenagers and they could come and go as they liked. Never bored, which made our life so much easier! We walked to the beach and swam in the ocean two three times a day. Food stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and gelato is close by. The flea market is to be recommended for bargains. The apartment is well furnished and equipped and very clean. Although it has no air conditioning, it is still cool enough to feel comfortable in. Parking is a bit of a headache and it would be lot of help if someone in your party can speak Italian. we got by with one daughter that can speak Spanish and one that can speak French.

The owner, Francesca, is a pleasure to deal with!!