Our website offers owner-direct vacation rentals in Chianti. This means that to reserve your accommodations, you make contact directly with the accommodation owner via the web page or web site describing the vacation rental. Based on experience, we consider this to be the best way for visitors to Chianti to find the property most closely matching their wishes. Aside from by-passing any percentage added onto the price by an agency, the owner-direct route allows to you ask questions directly to the person in the best position to provide a detailed and correct answer.

Normally, once you decide to confirm your reservation, you will be asked to wire a deposit, usually about 30% of the total. Most owners ask for the remainder to be paid in cash when you arrive, although some of the bigger places might process credit cards. The deposit is to ensure that you actually show up because rural vacation rentals are not hotels – there’s no walk-in traffic that would replace you if you cancel at short notice or simply fail to appear. There is also very likely to be a separate tourism tax to be paid.

Be sure to try to arrive at the time arranged with whoever will meet you upon arrival. Most agriturismo owners have at least one other job and it’s unfair to expect then to wait around for hours. Of course, multi-room and multi-apartment vacation accommodations often have a manager who will be there throughout the day (but not at 11 pm!).

Two special requests – please don’t send off a dozen reservation requests and then pick one when the replies come in. Make your choice first. A busy farmer or his wife will be replying to these emails in a language foreign to them – this burns up a lot of time.

Secondly, please leave your accommodation clean and tidy. I’ve seen places left in an indescribable mess by apparently civilised tenants. Rental prices are low – please don’t force a farmer to pay two nights rent to someone to clean up the mess you’ve left behind.

Let’s end on a positive note. By far the majority of the owner-direct vacation rentals on offer in Chianti and elsewhere in Tuscany are incredibly good value for money. They are often beautifully furnished in Tuscany country style, sometimes with swimming pool access and invariably with spectacular views. The kitchens are well-equipped (most but not all with a dishwasher) and the bathrooms are modern, usually with a shower rather than a bathtub.

Click here for our list of owner-direct vacation rentals in Chianti.

Anna Maria Baldini

About Anna Maria Baldini

Anna Maria is a frequent contributor to web content on life in Tuscany. She researches all aspects of Tuscan life, with emphasis on history, art, architecture and the culture of the people of this beautiful region of Italy.

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