House Or Rental
We rented a beautiful restored monastery in Tuscany from June 1st-8th. The expense of the lodging and daily breakfast is covered for all of you :) Situated on the ‘sunny side’ of the Garfagnana valley within the commune of Fosciandora The Villa is a 2 min drive to a local bar/shop and pharmacy and is a a 10 minute drive to a the local town of Castelnuovo which has all facilities – shops, bars, restaurants, train station, and the famous Thursday morning market. Barga, a beautiful medieval cobble stoned town is a 15 minute drive. The major cities of Lucca (1 hour), Pisa (90 min) and Florence (1 hour and 20 min) are perfect for a day trip!
Flight
We recommend flying into Pisa or Florence and driving to the Villa! The nearest international airports are in Pisa (Galileo Galilei International Airport) and in Florence (Peretola Airport). Both airports are roughly and hour and a half drive to the Villa in Ceserana.
Train
If you decided to travel via train we recommend going to Florence, Pisa, or Lucca. From there you have the option of experimenting with the Italian bus system OR renting a car to get to the Villa. If you plan on taking the bus system let us know and we can help you figure out the best route and which line to take. The main station in Florence is Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station (Hertz, Alamo, and Eurocar rentals are all within a 5-10 minute walk from that station) The main station in Pisa is Pisa Central Station (note: if you plan on renting a car we recommend getting off at Pisamover Airport station because that is where the car rentals are) The main station in Lucca is Lucca Railway Station (there are a number of car rentals in the area that are 10-20 minute walk from the station) You can buy tickets at the station (or buy a EuroRail pass) or book your tickets in advance.
Rental Car
We recommend renting a car as you then have freedom to drive places during your stay at the Villa. Trust us, driving in Europe is not as scary as it seems! Renting a car is the same process in Europe as it is in America. There are car rental companies in or near the train stations and always rental companies at the airport. Hertz, Alamo, Enterprise, and Europcar are some of the more common! Choose whichever one you usually use in the states or the most affordable.