Tuscany with Bookings For You.

What feels like a very long time ago now, I received a message from the lovely Kristie, AKA Mamma Prada, asking if I would like to go to Tuscany on a press trip she was organising for Bookings For You. I didn’t have to think about it for long, or at all! I agreed straight away with no idea how I would sort child care, but also no worry at all, I would manage it somehow! (We didn’t pay for our accommodation and were given some money towards our flight.)

Where did we fly from/to?

We flew from London Gatwick to Pisa with Easyjet. It wasn’t the easiest finding flights to that area for some reason, and the best flights seemed to be from London. We then hired a minibus from the airport and amazing Kristie drove the two or so hours to the villa, taking in the stunning scenery along the way.

Where did we stay in Tuscany?

We were staying in the stunning Villa Tornaie in Monte San Savino which sleeps 14 in 7 bedrooms. A mix of double and twin rooms, some with four poster beds. The villa also boasts an enormous dining room with a table long enough to seat everyone, a gym, games room with table tennis table, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and outdoor pool. There is a lovely courtyard with more seating and a bar-b-q area. The villa is set in the most stunning countryside, part of the Mansalto estate, who manage a large portion of the land as vineyards, and who offered us a wine tasting afternoon during our stay which was so much fun!

Who went?

Along with myself and Kristie, there was also Emma from Emma and 3, Talya from Motherhood; The Real Deal, Lisa who runs The Big Travel Podcast, Paola, AKA The Tiny Italian, Monika; Mum On The Brink and myself. They are a lovely bunch of inspiring, hard working women and I had a great time getting to know them. The villa had wonderful communal areas where we could all gather to chat but also enough space that we never felt claustrophobic.

What time of year did we go and what was the weather like?

We went at the end of September into the first few days of October and we were so so lucky with the weather! It was gloriously hot and sunny and we were in vest tops and skirts/dresses for the whole trip. I didn’t need the denim jacket I brought once and my cardigan only came out in the early morning when it was ever so slightly chillier.

Would I recommend Bookings For You?

Obviously because our trip was a press trip it was organised on our behalf but I’m so impressed with their website, it’s very simple to use and clear and bright. I have played around with it and it’s very user friendly with a huge variety of villas and locations for groups of all sizes. I think it’s a lovely way to do things for a gathering of friends or as a a family. It’s great to have your own kitchen to make food and communal areas to sit and relax together, something you don’t get when staying in a hotels.

What did we get up to?

Stay tuned for the next instalment to this review, where I will tell you where we went, what we did and what we ate! Hint; it was a lot!