 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to Casa Toscana B&B
Dear In Italy,
Chiusi is a delightful town, with probably not more than four tourists during our visit, giving us a real chance to interact with the townspeople, even though they spoke little English. In the Casa Toscana, we had the place to ourselves. The Tourist Bureau was very helpful. The Etruscan underground caverns fascinating.
Every been to a restaurant that has a Brunello as its house wine? Also just the right distance from the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino.
Note: Train travel in Italy is not for the faint of heart and definitely not baggage friendly. And that's when they are not on strike. Also care is needed due to the abundance of gypsy pickpocketers.
Venice's Hotel Abbazia is indeed just walking distance from the train station!! Our room was fantastic for the price and location! The staff even organized a private speedboat for just us (at no cost) to visit Murano Island's glass factories! Some Italian macho ride in the crowded canals! However Venice is still wall-to-wall people in late October.
Many thanks for your service.
Jane/Al P.
Dear In Italy,
We had a great time! Your recommendation for Casa Toscana in Chiusi was great. We liked that the best. All your directions were perfect. The car was waiting for me at Avis. We liked the old Tuscan towns the best. Cortona, Motepulciano, Chiusi, etc.
Fred M.
Dear In Italy,
Italy was fantastic (thanks for asking); we had an awesome, once in a lifetime experience. The accommodations we selected via In Italy were all true to the descriptions on your website, so we were very happy with our housing choices. Plus we are so glad we opted for a private tour of Rome and the Vatican. Using In Italy as a resource was one of the best planning decisions we made.
Our first night in Italy at La Toscana B&B in Chiusi was an excellent start to our vacation. The rooms were spacious, and the hotel was centrally located. Franco, the innkeeper, happily catered to our whim to eat breakfast on the terrace (great breakfast, too), and made helpful restaurant and sightseeing recommendations.
All aspects of our trip were great, which, in itself, was an unexpected treat (usually one expects something to disappoint - a hotel, a tour, a restaurant recommendation). We had none of that. The only complaint we had was the weather: we hit a heat spell, so rather than the average temperature of high 80's, we had mid to high 90's, with extreme humidity. To compensate, we drank lots of water, which only had healthful impacts on us.
When we next head to Italy, we'll have to explore the south and the eastern areas. And maybe the lake region. And we'll definitely use In Italy as a resource.
Ciao!
Janet
Dear In Italy,
First of all, I want to say that working through In Italy Online was a fantastic experience, from the ease of booking hotel reservations, to information on what to see, where to eat and what to do (and definitely what to have reservations to see). We made hotel reservations for Venice, Chiusi, and Rome through you. All were comparable offering comfortable, hospitable and reasonable services. I highly recommend a restaurant in Florence called La Cantina Barbano -- also a few blocks from the Duomo. Also we booked the reservations at the Accademia and the Uffizi through you -- the only way to go! We breezed past hundreds of people!
We rented a car in Florence, driving to Tuscany and saw several wonderful villages. If you haven't explored Monteriggioni, a medieval fortress town near San Gimignano, it looks wonderful. Also recommended is a side trip to San Casciano dei Bagni, high in the Tuscan hills. I did not see it on your website. It is famous for its mineral baths, and is probably the most scenic of all the smaller Tuscan villages we saw. We stayed in La Casa Toscana in Chiusi and loved it as well -- but Franco's English is VERY limited! We had dinner there at La Solita Zuppa (probably our best in Italy!) which I found on your website.
I know this is long, but I hope it gives you some information -- Ciao!
Melisse B.
Dear In Italy,
Both the B&B and the town of Chiusi exceeded our expectations. Spacious clean room in good location for seeing the towns in this area. Users should be aware that most of the time there is no staff at the B&B although there is a phone number to call. When the staff were there they were less than cheerful although they did try to accommodate our needs. Breakfasts were adequate only. One major caveat is the laundry across the road. This was recommended by the staff at Casa Toscana, even though I had asked about the self-serve laundromat about a half hour drive away, that had left their brochures in the lobby. We took our clothes to the laundry and tried to get a quote from the lady there, but communication was not great. We had mostly T shirts, underwear etc to be laundered. In Italian we specifically asked for laundry only. She proceeded to bleach, iron and package all our clothes and then charged us 120 Euros, probably more than the value of the clothes!
Otherwise, a nice B&B which could be great with a few personal touches.
Alan F.
Dear In Italy,
We loved our trip to Italy and relished the beauty of the countryside, the people, and the food! We spent most of our trip in the southeast region of Tuscany during the end of September. The country is beautiful with the palazzos and cypress lined drives, the vistas, vineyards, olive groves, rolling hills, textured landscape. Words and photos can only give a hint of the beauty and the experience.
Casa Toscana was adequate for our needs - first night after travel - jet lag issues - lots of fatigue. The bed and pillows were harder than I'm used to - but am not sure I would have been comfortable anywhere due to the travel fatigue. The room was roomy and our hostess pleasant.
We kept ourselves awake at the Enoteca il Grillo Buon Cantore, in Chiusi, which was an easy relaxed place. I had fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced pear, and walnuts, drizzled with honey. It was delicious. Simple and wonderful. My husband had an olive oil tasting platter as he was beginning his search for olive oil to bring home with us. It was our first of many wonderful dining experiences in Italy.
We also ate at Zaira later that evening and did not enjoy the food or the service at all.
Chiusi is a delightful town. We loved the winding streets and the colorful flags displayed along the streets. We were fortunate to come across a wedding party on Saturday morning, letting out from the Cathedral. They drove around town in a decorated Ape, followed by their attendants in two other Apes.
We were in Chiusi at passeggiata time, (evenings between 5:30 & 7:30),
on two occasions. We enjoyed sitting in a cafe watching the locals meander,
chat, and mingle. My husband and I learned how to stroll on this trip by watching
the locals, slowing down our usual hurried pace. We've been practicing since
our return.
There was much more to enjoy - we had a wonderful trip. Thank you InItaly for
your professionalism and excellent service. Our trip was everything we had
wished for and more.
Ciao,
Leslie S.
Dear In Italy,
Thank you for offering such a thorough and honest website. We were happy with all of our choices. The guest reviews on your site are especially helpful. My husband, 23 year old son and I met our 20 year old daughter who had been traveling in Italy for a month. We all had a blast!
I write for a local entertainment magazine and I'll be putting together an overview of our entire trip, mentioning IN ITALY of course. The best of the best was the answer In Italy gave me when I asked..."we have two more days before returning home, where should we go?" Chiusi!!!! Casa Toscana in Chiusi is a little miracle. I'm afraid to tell anyone about it because I don't want Chiusi to be ruined by tourists. They have so much pride in their beautiful little town. It's immaculately clean, charming, with several good places to eat and shop. The Casa Toscana is delightful. Denise and her husband charming. The people of Chiusi accommodating. On a Sunday afternoon, while we were resting before dinner, we heard drums and looked out our window to see horses in the square with riders decked out in Renaissance costumes! There was a parade through the streets with drummers, flag throwers, and costumes, all to honor the patron saint of Chiusi. My daughter ran through the maze of streets taking great pictures. How amazing! After Firenze and Roma, Chiusi was like coming home!
Some recommendations:
The rome airport shuttle service you recommended is wonderful. I highly recommend it. Knowing the charge upfront keeps you from worrying about being cheated by taxi drivers. You also feel relatively safe in a 15 passenger van!
While it is not necessary to speak Italian in the cities, in the country, few people speak English. We went to the spa at Chianciano while in Chiusi and it was nearly impossible to make a reservation for services because NO ONE could understand us and aromatherapy is not in the phrase book! Everyone is very nice and they don't seem to mind that you have no idea what they are saying to you.
When you are shopping, don't touch anything breakable. They will make you pay for it and they won't be nice about it!
Don't buy anything at the Rome airport. These awful women tried to charge me 16 euros for a magazine and paperback book and wanted cash for it. A box of 16 tampons was 10.50 euros. The duty free shops aren't a good deal at all.
Everything in Chiusi was much more reasonably priced.
We were there on a Sunday when few things were open so we didn't get a chance
to shop there as much as we would have liked.
Thank you thank you thank you. I love your website and
your staff is amazing. Best of the best to you,
Cathy K.
Dear Jessica and staff:
Thank you so much for our wonderful trip to Italy. We returned on Sat. June 26. We were so sorry to leave. Casa Toscana in Chiusi was the most fabulous place. Denise was such a gracious host. She helped us get taxis, translated with the laundry lady, gave us extra pillows, and met us at 6:40 a.m. on Sat. as we were leaving to go to the airport to give us a hug and a sack of cookies and chocolate. Chiusi was our special litte town in the hillside and we loved it. It was the quiet, small town feel we were looking for.
Our guide on the walking tour in Rome, Dennis, was gracious, knowledgeable and on time. He took us through Rome and showed us the big sights but also some small things a visitor could miss. We loved Rome, it was our favorite. We hope to visit again. Thanks to Dennis for making it memoriable.
Our guide on the walking tour in Florence, Lana, was also fabulous. She too was on time, knowledgable, and fun to be with. It was a hot afternoon in Florence that day and we all stopped to buy bottled water. She took us all around and showed us the sites and didn't even seem to be bothered by the heat.
I had never booked a trip on line, you and your staff made it so easy. My family said I did a great job, but it was you who did the great job. Thanks again.
With great appreciation,
Cris P.
Dear Jessica,
I want to thank Italy Online for the great job in helping us organizing our trip to Italy, It was just fantastic. We had excellent weather and visited so many beautiful places. We followed most of your recommendations regarding interesting places and restaurants, that really helps to have a nice stay. Regarding Casa Toscana, we really enjoyed that hotel, it is so nice, full of small details to make the place beautiful. I strongly recommend it and if have the opportunity to go to la Toscana Region again I will certainly like to spend more days in Casa Toscana. I recommend to visit Montepulciano and Pienza, both are beautiful small towns quite close to Chiusi. We do not like restaurant Zaira, although its wine cellars is interesting
Thanks again,
Alejandra B.
Dear In Italy,
We had a very nice time in Chiusi. The town is so very clean and picturesque -- right out of a movie. On the last Sunday of the month, there is a market in the hill part of the town near Casa Toscana. All of the locals pour into the streets. Vendors are selling everything from handmade jewelry and Italian silk scarfs to olives, fresh pasta and local wine. We were lucky to be in town that weekend, because it really livens up the area and provides even more of a chance to inteact with the townspeople. If you've seen the postcard writing/market scene in "Under the Tuscan Sun," you will be able to imagine this event.
Casa Toscana is a wonderful place to stay -- Denise speaks perfect English, having studied in London for many years. She can offer great advice and makes delicious cappuccino. Fabio, her husband, is a great host as well. The B&B location is ideal for the market, the museum and the grand church.
Two words of advice: Don't try to rent a car on Sundays. The Avis in town is closed. Also, for some reason, the city buses don't run on Mondays. However, when they run, it is an easy way to get to the other side of town -- and to the train station. The bus drivers are so friendly. If you don't have a ticket and no Tabacchi shops are open nearby, they will drive you to one, so you can purchase the bus ticket.
Grete K.
Dear In Italy,
So sorry we have not written sooner. Reality is such a slap in the face! Our trip to Italy took place last May, and we officially have the "bugg"! We are already scanning the site for our next trip in May, 2005. Here are a few comments about our favorite places and experiences:
In Chiusi, we fell in love with the Casa Toscana Bed and Breakfast and our sweet hostess Denise. We could not have felt more at home, and our room was enchanting. After our Tuscan bike ride, Denise kindly allowed us to use her personal washing machine to "de-mud" our clothing. We also enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting party hosted by Denise and husband Fabio.
Although our Italian is a bit "Spartan" and this is a very small town, we were pleasantly surprised by the helpful and friendly shopkeepers. It is more than possible to buy a picnic for two through "sign language" in Chiusi! The feeling is as if you have landed right in an Italian neighborhood and are immediately taken in by its kind residents. The Etruscan ruins are fascinating, and the history of the town is truly inspiring.
Casa Toscana is situated on a small alley around the corner from what we have deemed our favorite restaurant in Italy: La Solita Zuppa. Our return trip to Italy in 2005 will most definitely include Casa Toscana and this restaurant. We highly recommend Casa Toscana B&B. Wonderful, warm, and charming...the location, inn, and hosts!
We loved all the places we stayed, and enjoyed all of the tours. They were just as you described or better! I have referred dozens of people to your site, and will continue to do so. Our Italian lessons begin next Wednesday and we are excited about our return trip in May, 2005(our 20th anniversary.) For our next trip, we plan to include: Fly into Rome,Amalfi,Chiusi,Cinque Terra and Como out via Milan. We cannot thank you enough for all of your help! Our trip was a dream come true that we still think of on almost a daily basis!
Leah and Haggerty F.
We were very pleased with Casa Toscana in Chiusi. Our hostess Denise was very pleasant. Having grown up in London, she speaks perfect English, and being a former social worker, she was interesting to talk to and patient with our endless questions. Again your description of the B&B and Chiusi were accurate, but you might want to emphasize that the old town is quite a distance from Chiusi Scalo where the train station and most of the shops are. We didn't even discover Chiusi Scalo until the third day. And you barely mention day trips. Casa Toscana is not only close to the autostrada, but at the junction of driver-friendly state roads that take you to Perugia, Cortona, and Montepulciano and many little gems that seem to be better known by Italian tourists than foreigners.
Again, thanks very much for your contribution to a great vacation.
Bev and Dick V.
Dear In Italy,
We had a wonderful time at Casa Toscana. Denise and her husband were wonderful hosts. Denise even walked us to her recommended restaurant rather than leave us to the labyrinth of Chiusi streets. She then made our daughter US-style pancakes for breakfast! Our room was delightful, though it needed additional lighting. It was impossible to read and write in the room.
Your services at In Italy were most appreciated. We are particularly grateful for the personal critique of our itinerary and suggestions. Our trip was a delight and we will definitely work with you on future trips!
Karen, Doug and Kimberlee C.
Hello.
Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our vacation, particularly the Tuscany days. Casa Toscana was wonderful and the new hostess (Denise) and her husband are very special. All of the hotels were great.
Thank you for all of your help.
Harriet and Glenn D.
Dear In Italy,
Meraviglioso is an understatement. We enjoyed a super nine days in Italy, five of them in Chiusi at Casa Toscana. Casa Toscana provided outstanding accommodations in a very convenient location, several excellent restaurants all with in walking distance, in fact much of Chiusi is available on foot. Our delightful hostess, Antonia, was always available for advice and council and to keep us pointed in the right direction.
Carl R.
Hi Julie,
We had a great time in Tuscany and Casa Toscana was lovely. Antonia was probably the nicest, friendliest and warmest person we met while in Italy.
However, Chiusi although near a train station is a little far from Siena, San Gimignano, FLorence and of course the outlets stores (Gucci, Prada, Fendi - they were amazing!! The stores are huge and most of the stuff goes for 50% off or more). On hindsight we should have stayed just a couple of nights there and maybe a couple of nights in Florence and also Siena. Everything in Tuscany seems so far apart...
Anyway, please let Antonia know that we had a great time and she was a fab hostess! We felt so well looked after by her.
Regards
Yvonne T.
Dear In Italy,
Thank you for arranging our stay at such a last minute. We truly appreciated all your efforts on our behalf, and we appreciated them even more when we got to Chiusi. Your page wasn't even online when we booked, and we kind of had to trust you because it was Easter weekend and everything else was sold out. But this little inn, which opened that very week, is surely going to be a winner. From the minute we knocked on the door and it was opened by Antonia, we felt that we were being welcomed into a private home. What a warm, cheerful person she is! I think we were the first people to sleep in our bed, under a romantic canopy which thankfully was transparent so that we could see the frescoes on the ceiling above it. You could hardly call the bathroom spacious, but it was arranged so that it didn't really matter, and the soap set and toiletries were nicer than most of the ones we found on our trip.
You are right about Chiusi: it's darling! Maybe not as "illustrious" as Montepulciano and Pienza, but very quaint, with nice palazzi and quiet cobblestoned streets. We didn't have time to visit the museum - that will have to be on our schedule next trip! We did manage to have two fantastic dinners, one at La Solita Zuppa and the other at Zaira - both a 5-minute walk from the B&B. And Antonia helped us plan half-a-day at the spa in Chianciano, where I had a great mud facial! I hate to say it, but that took the place of the museum :-))
All in all, we wished we had come across you earlier in our planning, because if your other accommodations are like this one, they'd have been perfect for us. Thanks again for going out of your way to find us a place to enjoy our Tuscan Easter.
Lois & Carl F.