Dear mummy, we’ve had miserable weather in the UK recently with only small glimpses of sunshine gracing our weekends. It been pretty diabolical. My folks are dreaming of warmer climates, another summer in the UK won’t cut it this year. My daddy occasionally travels to Italy on business and raves about the friendliness, warmth and hospitality of the people he’s met on his travels.
My mummy loves Italy too and is particularly fond of Florence after visiting a couple of years back. She’s seduced by the history, the art and the countryside. My daddy loves the cosmopolitan atmosphere, the alfresco dining and the wine!!
I’ve been promised a holiday to Italy in the near future to indulge in the great cuisine, amazing gelato ice creams and take in some sights!
My folks have always been fans of villas, wanting to stay in a place away from it all. Finding a location where they could let it ‘all hang out’ and fully relax without strangers fighting for sunbeds and queues at hotel check-ins. An Italian villa sounds like it could be right up their alley.
So, I’m going to be their tour guide in this post, publish it and leave it under their noses to browse at their leisure. Hopefully they will get the hint and be wowed at some of these great properties I am suggesting we stay in this summer or next.
So, without further ado here’s my top picks from a firm family favourite Tots to Travel.
My folks love to be treated well on their holidays and before I came along only stayed in top-notch hotels (it was their annual luxury and they wanted the best). Now I’m here, standards have slipped a little, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve found a solution to our ‘twos company – a toddlers a crowd’. What about a palace?!? *cough* ok, our budget won’t stretch to Princess Sofia Castle but I have found one that comes pretty close!

1) Casa Castagna – My luxury choice.
Umbria, Italy. Sleeps up to 12 in total plus 2 infants in cots in 6 bedrooms.
It’s on a mountain with amazing views of the nearby Apennine Mountains. Set in the heart of five acres of beautiful woodland. This looks like a wonderful property to explore surrounding countryside or just sit and take in the views with a cool drink.

This would be perfect for a large family holiday! Think of all the role-playing a child could do in those grounds and all the large family dinners we could have! And my daddy would be King of the castle!!

It comes fully equip with toys, games and dress-up clothes, as well as a full-size pool table, table tennis and a big TV with a DVD player, a cinema surround sound, and a small library, plus a choice of CDs and DVDs. Phew! That’s a lot of things to do! So if the weather was bad we’d all have enough to occupy ourselves with! Check out the pool! My mummy would love to swim lengths in that! Its very luxurious!

What’s not to love? Well, the price I suppose… but you get what you pay for folks. It is a dream holiday villa!
So, if my parents budget can’t stretch to that amazing property I have to be realistic. What about…
2) Casa Anna – My slow-paced choice.
Perugia, Italy. Sleeps up to 12 in total plus 3 infants in cots in 5 bedrooms.

No less grand, but it has less bedrooms. A beautiful farmhouse, which has been lovingly restored to feel like a home away from home with a big pool and nearby villages to explore. We love the interior decor and the amazing swimming pool!

It would be nice to explore the quiet streets of nearby village of Montone, enjoy some authentic Umbrian food and meet the locals. Early nights and snuggles on the sofa reading books sounds blissful and we could see us doing this here!

Still pushing the boat out too much, what about this then?
3) Casa Alice – My secret garden choice.
Le Marche, Italy. Sleeps up to 12 in total plus 3 infants in cots in 5 bedrooms.
We love this colourful country property and its rustic charm. Its hidden away and very private.

It has a games room and a play area for kids in a safely enclosed garden terrace with its own climbing frame and swings. Next to this, there’s a trampoline with safety netting that we all can bounce on.

It has beautiful olive tree-lined pathways to the separate pool area which looks very inviting and a perfect sun-trap for my folks. Looks delightful!
Next is our mystery wild card…
4) Casa Podere Ierna – My Funhouse choice.
Perugia, Italy. Sleeps up to 10 in total plus 2 infants in cots in 5 bedrooms.

This one is really for me, the property is jammed packed with extras my whole family would love. It sounds like my idea of heaven!
It’s got a two-level soft play area!! Yes really! How cool is that! My own funhouse!! Set in a separate play room, it has secret little reading nooks with books and toys.

I could spend days in there, I would want to sleep in there! Hopefully I can wangle this property!

My mummy would fall in love with that kitchen and might encourage her to cook and experiment with Italian food. Outside there are ride-on play-tractors, to a huge trampoline, a 12 x 6 metre pool as well as a shallow toddler pool, both of which are heated. Perfect for me as I don’t know how to swim yet. I’d love to play in the sand pit, which is in an enclosed outdoor play area while my folks play badminton! What an amazing property!
Last but not least the most realistic for our small family…no it’s not a shoe box it’s…
5) The Old Mill – My Italian charm choice.
Tuscany, Italy. Sleeps up to 8 in total plus 3 infants in cots in 3 bedrooms.
It’s a stunning stone farmhouse, which has been beautifully restored in a traditional style with chestnut beamed ceilings and terracotta floors throughout. We love the look of this building and its immaculate gardens.

We’d love to paddle in the Tuscan streams, and relax by the pool. The Old Mill is surrounded by beautiful countryside and has enclosed fields where little ones can roam and play on swings and slides.

We’d love to have family barbecues on the pergola then snuggle up together in the evenings, sounds like our kind of Italian holiday!
Whatever family friendly villa you are looking for I’m sure Tots to Travel have it covered. All tastes, all budgets and hundreds of locations in Europe are catered for, why not pop over to see if you can find your dream property to stay in this year.
If we find one we agree on in Italy we’ll let you know and post pictures of our adventures!
Buon viaggio!
Love Bella xx
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post with Tots to Travel all options are my own.
I like the look of Casa Anna. TotstoTravel has lush properties. We’re heading for Italy shortly. What a delight.
Casa Podere Ierna is our favourite from TotstoTravel! Love the soft play centre! xx
I LOVE this post! Italy has been the top of my wish list for years and for some reason we still haven’t been. I love the Old Mill one, it just looks like the ideal location and exactly what I imagine when I think of Italy. Tuscany is definitely somewhere I would love to go, need to start saving though, for six of us holidays are expensive!!!
Thanks! We’ve found some lovely villas. We can’t believe how luxurious they are! We need to start saving too!
Aw we LOVE Italy, we honeymooned there in 2007 but I desperately hope to return to a Villa there with my children in the not too distant future! I would love to visit Florence, its on my to-do list but I loved Naples and the Amalfi coast!
I’d love Togo to Italy one day. These images are amazing and I’d love to stay in a villa like these.
Would love to stay in any of the villas you mentioned. I love Italy too and the weather, the food, what’s not to love? 🙂
How amazing are these villas you have chosen! I love the soft play area x
Wow love those photos, it looks amazing there. Plus that ice cream looks great.
I would be more than chuffed to stay in any of these, what beautiful homes x
I have never stayed in a villa before but judging by the look of this it is better than a hotel. I want to go to Italy!
Oh wow! Absolutely gorgeous! We are so remote down here in Australia. Imagine being able to pop off to Europe like that? Half your luck!! #twinklytuesday
I think Casa Podere Ierna would be a hot with my lot, although I am not sure I would get them out the door!
Oh amazing choices! I love Italy and would happily stay in any of those. I am now going to go and daydream about warm weather and floating in swimming pools 🙂 #twinklytuesday
Everyone seems to be talking about and planning holidays at the moment! These all look to die for… #twinklytuesday
Oh wow, the second one is just beautiful! Definitely my favourite.
Love this post. These villas look amazing. I always forget to look for a villa when booking a family holiday. X
Oh wow, all of these places look gorgeous! I’ve been into Italy a few times, but have never had an actual holiday there. These photos really make me want to change that! x #TwinklyTuesday
I’m a big fan of villa holidays. We are a family with three older kids and a baby so it’s often the best option for us – I can’t imagine being cooped up in a hotel room with that lot! Italy is one of our favourite holiday destinations – these villas look incredible thanks for sharing x
Oops forgot to say #TwinklyTuesday
Oh that ice cream looks amazing!!!! I’ve never been on a villa holiday abroad, I really must change that x
I haven’t been to Italy but it’s somewhere I’d love to visit. I love the idea of staying in one of these villas. It would give a family so much space and freedom
Italy is really high on my list, I’ve been to Rome a couple of times but never anywhere else. It’s good to know where is family friendly xx
Oh wow Bella – what a great choice of villas – I would never leave that soft play room! I would love to go to Italy – I love pasta too! Ickle Pickle x
Agreed Ickle Pickle! Italian food is amazing xx
They all look so beautiful I don’t have a favourite. How would you even decide?! I haven’t been yet but definitely will be in the future
Oh la la! Those all look so lovely!
Amazing villas, I love Casa Anna – such a lovely place to visit with a family! 🙂
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I have never stayed in a villa before though I have always wanted too. I hope to use of your suggestions in the near future.
Wow, these look incredible! I adore Italy and look forward to taking our little one for her first holiday there at some point… X
#TheList
They all look idyllic. I crave a holiday with sunshine, culture, amazing food and lots of good company – Italy is somewhere I would definitely enjoy (only ever been there skiing in the past). Thanks for the tips 🙂 X
Wow there are some lovely places there, beautiful! Thanks for linking up to #TheList x