Villas (stand alone) vs Farmhouse - Family Vacation

[Ramiro V]

Hi there
We are a family of six (two adults, two teenagers, two younger kids 11 and 7) and this is our first trip to Italy arriving end of June.

This forums is very helpful, and so is you Lourdes. However I did not quite find the answers to some of my questions so I will ask here. We were originally looking for a villa, but then I found out the Farmhouses type of accommodation, so:

1- What is a better accommodation for a family with kids a stand alone/detached Villa or a Farmhouse?
2- I thought a farmhouse included activities for children but I did not see many? Which ones include grape picking, olives harvesting, etc? We are definitely looking for one with a pool
3- Do farmhouse include common areas? Does it include only private rooms and the rest is common area?
4- What are the best locations that include
a- central location
b- mountain views
5- Last one not related to accommodation, what is the best place to rent a car (I actually just did DiscoverCarHire, but want to double check.
Thank you
Ramiro

 

[dagmaparty]

Thanks for the information.

 

[myarinka]

I could just tell you about my experience, as I understand that your trip has already taken place. I was very attracted to agritourism, because after the glut of gold coast resorts, I wanted an active holiday in the middle of a wooded area. I stayed at Villa Montaione it's in Florence, Tuscany. Although it isn`t a farm, my girlfriend and I were able to join the olive harvest - there`re huge areas of plantations, including grapevines. But the biggest plus for me (in addition to gorgeous nature) was the opportunity to roll on a mountain bike (I'm a long time in the sport). So if you want peace, comfort and interaction with nature, this is one of the best places to relax.