The Best Family accommodation in the Italian Countryside

Have you ever seen photos of rolling hills and spectacular sunsets & rises and thought YES PLEASE! Well we found our own version on our most recent trip to Italy without having to sell a kidney to pay for it. It was really good value at well under 1k for the week in early October for 5 people.

We recently visited Italy in early October and as soon as I shared a photo of our accommodation we got loads of messages asking us about it. So I thought I would do a review with all of the info you need.

TO STAY AT THIS PROPERTY YOU WILL NEED TO HIRE A CAR AND DRIVE. Very little public transport, it is not next to any supermarkets etc

We flew from London to Fiumicino (Which by the way on the way home you can purchase giant Mozzarella in it's own cool pack!) got a bus to the car hire place and then drove to our location.

We chose to stay in the Italian countryside as we are not big on city stays and much prefer our own space, so when I did a search and this property came up I just knew this was the one for us. A three bedroom farmhouse set in the gorgeous countryside of Piglio. Only an hour away from Rome it was the perfect base for us.

The property doesn't have a specific name and just goes by its address, you can find out more and book now HERE

About the property

The property has three bedrooms

Living Room with tv, fire, books, DVDs etc

Farmhouse style kitchen (also has a day bed) with everything you could possibly need.

Three bathrooms (3 toilets, 2 showers and a bath)

A cellar with washing machine with a clothing line just outside the door.

Large outdoor terrace and a large garden filled with olive trees and other lovely flowers and plants.

Swimming Pool - not there during winter. We didn't use the pool as it was cold on a morning and late at night. We were out on adventures during the day when it hit highs of 25 daily.

The Property sleeps the following:

Bedroom 1 - Three single Beds

Bedroom 2 - Double bed

Bedroom 3 - Single bunks

2 sofa beds downstairs

The property sleeps 9 maximum with 8 of these being adults.

The house is large enough for a family to stay for a week or two.

The views are what makes this property stand out as it looks over the olive farms and mountains with colourful skies and epic sun sets/rises.

A question a few people asked was about bugs.

We saw one spider in the living room the whole time we were there, there are ants everywhere when its warm although not in the house. No snakes or anything else other than large wasps and shield bugs. Shield bugs are harmless but they are a pest to the crops. There are shutters with nets to pull down when the shutters are open on the windows to keep the bugs out. When we were in the house we opened the shutters and windows but kept the nets pulled down. One night we were sitting and could hear Wolves howling in the distance. This is one reason everyone in the countryside has a dog. Also no lizards anywhere near the house but we did see a few in Pompeii and in the mountains.

Location

The property is only 1 hour away from Rome city centre, you can drive to the metro station and then go to Rome that way or you can find independent car parking space to hire for the day in Rome (we did this, and paid 35 euros) the metro works out at a few euros each. For our visit we drove to:

Rome / Trastevere

Pompeii

Napoli

Anagni

Piglio

Lake Bracciano

Castel Gandolfo

Tivoli - 100% pop it on your list. The best food at Lafornaria, delicious pistachio gelato and some fantastic attractions.

Sperlonga

Amalfi Coast

The furthest we drove was only a few hours and we managed to see so much of central Italy. (more than what's listed above)

What did I not like?

The car parking space is small and if you have a large car like we did you may struggle to park it in the space, the path going to the house is steep, narrow and not suitable for those with mobility issues. Although you are allowed to park at the neighbour's house next door to take suitcases in and out.

The neighbour's small dog was quite forward when we arrived running and barking at us, now we have dogs and like them but not everyone is like that and can be quite scared if they experienced it too. The welcome pack says two dogs but we only ever saw one who, once he was used to you he would come in every morning and sit at the door to greet you, play with his toy and have a run around.

The neighbours look after you if you need anything but they don't speak English at all, we speak a little Italian and still struggled to communicate with them.

They have made the recycling process very confusing, its all written down for you but there are so many things you have to remember.

The pillows, for me I have an expensive memory foam pillow at home so wherever we go I always moan about the pillows. The pillows here are way too soft and may as well not be there. Also be prepared for it to be a bit cold during the night.

The rest of the property was absolutely fine I mean we were hardly in the house other than for a few hours on a night or for an hour on the morning as we were away on adventures across Italy. If we were staying there longer The front door would bother me especially during colder weather as it's a really old, rickety, wooden barn door and during the summer ants are everywhere.

Would I stay here again? Absolutely yes, it was beautiful and I loved waking up to those skies.

BOOK HERE

This was a really good base for us as we hired a car from Record Go, who were hit and miss to be honest. Communication was shocking, no one seemed to know where to pick up and drop off on the bus. Lots of extra hidden charges when we went to pick the car up after we had paid for the hire. The car was big enough and was fine for the week but wasn't in good condition, I wouldn't use the company again.

For supermarkets you can find Lidl pretty much anywhere and they are open until 9pm. The closest was only 30 minutes away. There are also Italian supermarkets around 30 minutes away too which was a day out in itself. Absolutely fantastic experience, people were welcoming and the stores were just on another level. The produce was all locally sourced and fresh. Very little plastic wrap too.

A few tips

When visiting cities like Rome:

Carry some change for toilets, even places like McDonalds charge you to use the toilet. Also carry some pocket tissues because they never have toilet roll and be prepared for seat less toilets as they don't use toilet seats in Italy.

Get a water bottle before you leave the UK as you can fill up for free in the many drinking fountains (safe and delicious) if you purchase a water bottle in Italy be prepared to pay upwards of 20 euros for one that would cost £5 in the UK. you can take them on your flight from London as long as its empty before security checks. If you fly back from Fiumicino you are allowed to take fluids onboard

If you are driving, play Mario kart first. Honestly the driving is absolutely nuts so if you are not a confident driver this property is not for you, please stay in a city. Be prepared for scooters coming at you from all directions

Sundays - make sure you have what you need on a Sunday because nowhere is open. They have a family day of church and food and close small shops all day. During the week shops close from 1pm - 3pm for a family break.

Crossing the roads, Always be aware. Even when the light is green that does not mean it is safe to cross as scooters take no notice and will still go. We were told you have to make eye contact with a driver before you use the zebra crossing and when you cross on a zebra crossing, just step out and hope for the best because absolutely no one is going to stop and let you across.

Petrol stations are very confusing. You need to look for self service otherwise you will pay so much more than you need to, to have someone else fill up for you.

Motorways - you have to pay to use them. If someone is flashing their lights at you it means move out of the way. No one sticks to speed limits even when the police are about.

At least try to learn some Italian, they will be very grateful for trying even you are wrong. Know the basics and if you want a coffee do not order a latte. You will get a warm milk.

If you are Gluten free like I am, research a few places you want to visit. I found most places in the main cities offered gluten free options and some smaller towns. Supermarkets are fantastic and there's even dedicated Gluten free supermarkets. I survived on pasta and pizza and I did have McDonalds once when I got too overwhelmed looking for something to eat.